03 // AI IN JOURNALISM

 With each passing year, artificial intelligence grows more and more ubiquitous the world over. Of course, advancements in technology are par for the course in any progressing society, but artificial intelligence (herein acronymized as "AI") has earned a spot amongst the more controversial forms of innovation.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defines AI as "an artificial system developed in computer software [...] that solves tasks requiring human-like perception, cognition, planning, learning, communication, or physical action." 

These tasks can be as mundane as simply creating and organizing a shopping list, or as complex and daunting as recognizing the early onset of cancer. Clearly, the wide range of what AI can be used for is nearly endless, and is unlikely to stop its domination in various fields for years to come.

But you already know what "field" we're here to discuss. That is to ask: how is AI used in journalism?

(A picture of HAL 9000, the onboard AI that goes rogue in 2001: A Space Odyssey)

How AI Is Used in Journalism

The use of AI comes with its boons and banes, much like most evolving technology. In journalism specifically, where the scale lands on whether the pros outweigh the cons is debatable.

The United Nations Regional Information Centre makes a point to highlight the tasks AI excels in impeccably. The arrangement and summarization of various data sources, such as affidavits, audio recording transcriptions, data tables, or other documents are all that might pique a journalist's interest, and can cut the time needed for gathering information. 

But this method should never substitute active fact-checking and investigation; which is to say AI is to be used complimentarily, not supplementarily.

On a broader scale, AI use in newsrooms has proven to be beneficial as well. This Statista chart shows how newsrooms might use AI, which can include:

• Breaching language barriers much more easily due to automated translations, rendering the content of news sources more accessible.
• "Content creation albeit with human oversight (e.g. summaries, headlines, etc.)."
• Or the accumulation of the latest news from a multitude of news sources.

(The aforementioned Statista chart)

Although, AI does have its faults.

AI is the same catalyst for deceptively altered content, such as deepfakes or doctored audio recordings. This, as well as any misinformation or disinformation the machine may have pulled from, can muddy the waters of what can and can't (or should and shouldn't) be used by journalists and newsrooms. 

Furthermore, AI is trained by sifting through the works and texts of others, who may not have consented to their pieces being fed to an algorithm. This raises issues with intellectual property and copyright laws, both of which have become increasingly hot topics as AI blooms.

Environmental concerns, such as the uptick in electricity and water usage, have also began to surface. Vast surges of electricity are needed to power these generative models, and in turn large amounts of water are needed to cool off the hardware. While indirect, the steady drain of resources for AI in lieu of more pressing matters has lead to much uproar— uproar that is sure to grow louder as AI models shift and update.

Ultimately, unless technology stops its endless march, we can be sure to encounter more AI for the rest of the digital age. And because of this, as our news is becoming increasingly digitized, AI will leave a mark on every screen in one way or another.

- C. Thomas Bailey