A recent survey of 1,004 UK journalists by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has shed light on the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) within newsrooms. The findings reveal a significant adoption rate of AI tools among journalists, alongside persistent concerns about their impact on the profession and public trust.
Key Takeaways
- More than half of UK journalists (56%) use AI professionally at least once a week, with transcription, translation, and grammar checking being the most common applications.
- Despite AI's potential to automate tasks, frequent AI users are more likely to feel bogged down by low-level work, contradicting the hype that AI will free journalists for more creative pursuits.
- A significant majority of journalists view AI as a threat rather than an opportunity, with deep concerns about its impact on public trust, accuracy, and content originality.
- AI integration in UK newsrooms is largely limited, with few organisations reporting extensive or full integration.
- While most news outlets have some AI protocols, training is less common, and many rely solely on third-party AI tools.
AI Adoption and Usage Patterns
The survey indicates that AI is becoming a regular tool for many UK journalists. Over half use AI weekly, with language-processing tasks like transcription (49%), translation (33%), and grammar checking (30%) leading the way. AI is also being employed for more substantive tasks such as story research (22%), idea generation (16%), and even generating parts of articles like headlines (16%).
However, the adoption varies. Younger journalists and those identifying as male tend to use AI more frequently. Business journalists also report higher AI usage compared to those in lifestyle reporting. Interestingly, the number of media formats a journalist works with correlates with AI usage, suggesting AI may be a tool to manage multi-format production demands.
The Disconnect Between Hype and Reality
Contrary to the optimistic narrative that AI will liberate journalists from mundane tasks, the research suggests the opposite may be occurring. Journalists who use AI most frequently are more likely to report spending too much time on low-level tasks. This includes data cleaning and checking AI outputs, indicating that AI might be adding new chores rather than solely removing old ones.
This sentiment is reflected in job satisfaction, where frequent AI users are not more satisfied with the time spent on complex and creative tasks. In fact, those who do not use AI at all report higher satisfaction with their engagement in such work.
Pervasive Concerns About AI's Impact
The prevailing attitude among UK journalists towards AI is one of caution and concern. A substantial 62% perceive AI as a significant threat to journalism, while only 15% see it as a major opportunity. Concerns are particularly high regarding AI's potential negative impact on public trust (60%), accuracy (57%), and the originality of journalistic content (54%).
These concerns are widespread across different demographics, though journalists with higher AI knowledge and those who use AI daily are slightly more likely to view it as an opportunity. Nevertheless, the overall sentiment leans heavily towards apprehension about the ethical implications and the future of the profession.
Newsroom Integration and Approaches
AI integration into UK newsrooms is currently described as "limited" by the majority of journalists. While 60% report some level of AI integration, very few describe it as extensive or full. Integration appears more prevalent in newspapers and commercial media outlets compared to publicly owned or independent ones.
Most news outlets have established some AI protocols, particularly concerning human oversight, data privacy, and transparency. However, guidelines around AI bias and fairness are less common. AI training is provided by only about a third of news organisations, with publicly owned outlets and conglomerates more likely to offer it. The majority of newsrooms rely on third-party AI tools, with a smaller proportion using in-house developed solutions or a combination of both.
Looking ahead, UK journalists overwhelmingly expect AI integration in their newsrooms to increase, signalling a continued evolution of AI's role in journalism.