In 2024, we are rapidly moving beyond the dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) to its maturity. The technology reshapes nearly every industry while maximizing productivity and cost benefits. Global consulting firm Deloitte predicts that generative AI will be integrated into enterprise software products, enabling knowledge workers to work more efficiently and gain better business insights. The news media sector is also being swept up in the torrent created by AI. AI is reshaping the way news is produced, distributed, and consumed. Media organizations increasingly invest in AI to curate content, manage data, and streamline operations. This is the new normal for journalism in 2024.
Let's look at the challenges already underway and will change even faster in the AI era. First is the shift from traditional advertising to more direct revenue streams like subscriptions and memberships. According to the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford's Digital News in 2023 report, digital subscriptions continue to grow despite economic challenges. 73% of digital leaders surveyed expect digital subscriptions to increase. Another is the decline of news discovery on social media platforms. Traditional news content is losing ground, especially with the growing popularity of platforms where diverse content is generated in real-time.
The next change in journalism is the increasing use of AI. Media companies are increasingly investing in automating the back-end of news - data analysis and initial reporting. The focus is on automating mundane tasks and empowering human journalists and content creators. The expectation is that this will free up human resources to focus on more in-depth research and storytelling.
Of course, there are other examples of AI maximizing its potential in journalism, such as the creation of NewsGPT, the world's first AI-powered 24-hour TV news station. NewsGPT's innovation shows how AI can contribute to news production. But it also raises concerns that human creativity and journalistic skills could be diluted. In newsrooms where AI and human reporters coexist, the question of how to balance the efficiency of AI with human insight and critical thinking has emerged as a key challenge.
There is also a growing effort to overcome the language gap in AI journalism. Currently, most AI tools are developed for English-language content, but as the use of AI grows, they are expanding their services to various communities, including non-English speakers. It is becoming much easier in Korea to expand the media consumer base without distinguishing between English and non-English content.
Meanwhile, developing content generation using AI presents new challenges in determining the truthfulness of information. In particular, deepfake technology can recreate the image or voice of a public figure, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. As a result, there is a growing movement to emphasize the ethical use of AI in journalism. For example, the Paris Charter on AI in Journalism, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Lessa, provides guidelines for the ethical use of AI in journalism.
Today's digitally-savvy media consumers want engaging and personalized experiences. AI responds to this need by delivering personalized news feeds and interactive content. Still, as personalization increases, it can lead to an echo chamber phenomenon, where the same views are repeated repeatedly. To avoid this, media companies need to offer a variety of perspectives and strike a balance between personalization and diversity.
The future of journalism is not about humans and AI competing but about them working together to create innovations. AI will help journalists focus more on in-depth analysis and creative storytelling by performing basic reporting tasks. This collaboration will play an important role in maintaining the credibility and value of journalism.
As AI plays an increasingly important role in news production, it will also become more important for media consumers to understand how AI generates news content and to be able to engage with it critically - media literacy. Media companies can help consumers become more informed and critical by providing this education.
AI's transformative and positive impact will come from media organizations taking a responsible approach to its use and media consumers. Media companies can survive and thrive in the AI era if they continue to act as guardians of information, balancing the use of AI with maintaining the fundamental values of journalism.
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