The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s annual Digital News Report finds growing concerns globally about the use of AI in news production and its potential to lead to the spread of misinformation.
of reportThe study, based on a survey of nearly 100,000 people across 47 countries, highlights new challenges facing newsrooms already struggling to engage readers and generate revenue. Newsrooms around the world are grappling with new challenges posed by generative AI, as tech giants such as Google and OpenAI develop tools that can summarize information and divert traffic away from news sites.
But the report found that consumers are wary of the use of AI in creating news content, especially on sensitive subjects like politics. In the US and UK, 52% and 63% of respondents, respectively, expressed discomfort with news created primarily by AI. The survey of 2,000 people in each country also found that respondents were open to the use of AI behind the scenes to make journalists more efficient.
Nick Newman, a senior researcher at the Reuters Institute and lead author of the digital news report, expressed surprise at the level of allegations, saying “people had widespread anxiety about what was going to happen to the credibility and trust of content.”
Concerns about fake news content online also rose by three percentage points from last year, with 59 percent of survey respondents saying they were worried. These figures were highest in South Africa (81 percent) and the United States (72 percent), both of which are holding elections this year.
Another challenge facing news organizations is a general reluctance among audiences to pay for news subscriptions. Despite a slight increase during the pandemic, the share of respondents across 20 countries who paid for online news has remained steady at 17% for the past three years. In the US, a significant share of news subscribers (46%) were likely to have paid a discounted rate due to a trial or promotion.
The report also highlights the expanding role of news influencers in delivering news to users of popular online platforms like TikTok in China: In a survey of more than 5,600 TikTok users who use the app for news, 57% said they primarily follow individual talent, while only 34% said they primarily follow journalists or news brands.
Click here for details This is Reuters.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
