Is AI a threat or a blessing for journalism?

The tasks which once took us hours, even days to perform; now take only minutes with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Many tasks can be done using the AI  like a magic wand within moments and the tasks  includes- scriptwriting, creating images and videos, searching and analyzing information, audio transcription, solving complex mathematical problems, fact-checking, drafting news stories and translation.

All we need is a prompt—a few words of instruction and upon receiving a precise prompt, AI can instantly perform a wide range of near to impossible tasks, like the Alauddin’s lamp.

AI has now become an integral part of our personal lives and at workplaces. The use of it is growing in our hospitals, educational institutions and factories. The office tasks such as data entry, invoice processing and scheduling can be automated using AI software. The rapid growth of AI has an impact on journalism also. The AI has made a revolutionary impact in journalism but also poses a challenge to the professionals.

Newsmen at media houses are now using AI at the newsroom, for transcribing audio files, translating, summarising, editing or rewriting articles.  The AI is capable of creating podcasts or reading on television.

The AI not only has made the task easier for newsmen but also poses new challenges as the mimicking human faces and voices can be created using the AI. Research and development are currently underway to enhance the level of AI in journalism with a target of attaining more efficiency.

For instance, AI is demonstrating great proficiency in creating news content tailored to reader’s preferences on a specific topic, presenting it attractively to readers, crafting engaging headlines and producing eye-catching images.

AI can assist journalists by analyzing what topics or content readers are interested in. It can automatically analyse data from various news outlets, link different news stories together, and find necessary information. AI can also suggest what kind of news or videos readers prefer and the best time to present them. Additionally, by analysing data from various media sources, AI helps make the editing process simpler and more effective.

AI's contribution to journalism is not limited to just this; it plays many more roles in journalistic work today. These include: AI can quickly extract specific information or patterns from massive amounts of data and can predict events. It can automatically generate news from data or information. It can easily identify people or objects in a picture. AI makes the work of fact-checking with human intervention easier. It can quickly create a text version from video conversations or audio. It can also automatically select news or content based on a reader's interest.

The use of artificial intelligence is no longer confined to news gathering or editing. Deepfake technology is being used to create AI-driven news anchors, who can be used for everything from television broadcasts to podcasts. These anchors can work 24 hours without interruption. At the same time, AI is now playing a crucial role in identifying fake news.

In simple terms, AI currently acts as a co-editor, helping a journalist work as a "technological journalist". This new form of journalism is called automated journalism. Its job is to create news or stories based solely on data, without human intervention.

Challenges of AI in Journalism

First, it is important to note that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot understand human feelings, intelligence or humour. It can only generate news based on data and information. Therefore, investigative journalism is not possible with AI. It can only be a powerful tool for journalism, but it can never be a substitute for a journalist. Furthermore, AI cannot react quickly in the case of breaking news. Due to incorrect prompts or system errors, AI can often provide inaccurate information. That’s why, technologists have advised being very careful when using it. They have also suggested that one should not become overly dependent on artificial intelligence for any information and should verify it.

Many news organisations around the world, such as The Washington Post, The Associated Press and The New York Times started using AI a long time ago. In 2024, a start-up named Channel One announced the launch of an AI-driven news service. In a 22-minute video they released, several AI anchors were seen presenting news on various topics.

Although no media house in Bangladesh has officially announced the use of AI, many journalists have said they use it.

Ariful Islam, a sub-editor at a popular online news outlet, described AI as a highly useful tool in the newsroom. He said it can quickly generate introductions to topics and help locate information. However, he cautioned that AI often makes mistakes, particularly with names and designations. For this reason, AI-generated content must be reviewed carefully; otherwise, it could spread misinformation and even jeopardise jobs.