Journalists seek balance as AI adoption grows amid ethical concerns

Generative artificial intelligence is being rapidly adopted in newsrooms, but significant concerns remain about the technology's impact on editorial standards. A new survey of newsroom professionals indicates that journalists are keen to make use of AI tools, while also placing a high value on traditional journalistic skills and calling for more training to fill knowledge gaps.

Growing adoption

The majority of newsrooms are already using generative AI in some capacity. According to the survey, 91% of respondents reported utilising AI, with 41% stating it is a moderate part of their workflow. Another 32% said their use of AI has so far been limited. The primary applications are transcription, used by 86% of respondents, and translation, which is used by 73%.

Journalists view AI as an assistant that allows for smarter, faster work. It is not replacing the core activities of reporting and investigation. Among those surveyed, 87% believe that AI literacy will be important for journalists in the next one to three years, while 52% consider it an essential skill for all in the field.

Skills gap

Despite widespread adoption, many newsrooms lack formal training programmes for AI. 45% of journalists are learning about the technology through self-directed means, while 50% receive only informal instruction. Training is being held back by several factors: 77% pointed to a lack of time, 41% cited a shortage of qualified trainers, and 36% expressed uncertainty regarding the ethical boundaries of AI. Budgetary constraints are also significant, with 73% reporting no funding for AI training or uncertainty about whether such funding exists.

Ethical concerns

The rapid integration of AI has brought ethical and legal risks to the forefront. 74% of respondents view these risks as their primary concern regarding the technology's impact on newsroom teams. Other common worries include the potential loss of editorial quality (70%), over-reliance on AI (70%), and a possible decline in audience trust (65%). Journalists are wary of embracing efficiency at the expense of core values and standards.

Essential competencies

The survey found that digital verification and fact-checking are seen as the most needed technical competencies, with 87% identifying them as a top priority over the next few years. AI prompt engineering and optimisation was cited by 70%, while 61% noted the importance of data analysis and interpretation.

Despite technological advances, classic journalistic abilities remain crucial. Ethical decision-making and source verification were each considered more important in the AI era by 83% of those surveyed, with critical thinking highlighted by 74%. Respondents believe this combination-AI skills paired with traditional editorial standards-will define effective newsrooms in the future.

Human oversight

"AI is a tool, not a replacement, and newsrooms are finding ways to use it responsibly, with strong human oversight. Because AI can't challenge a source, spot a half-truth or chase a hunch that cracks open a story like a journalist can," said Jeff Koffman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Trint.