AI in the newsroom - a next-gen view at the Newsroom Summit

AI is being used for repetitive tasks like transcription, translation, fact-checking, metadata tagging, and generating headlines. Many newsrooms use AI tools to summarize long documents, create audio versions of articles, and provide personalized content recommendations.

No, AI is not expected to replace journalists entirely. While 57% of journalists worry about job displacement, the technology is primarily being used to handle routine tasks and increase efficiency. The consensus among industry leaders is that human oversight, distinctive journalism, and authentic voice remain essential and cannot be replicated by AI.

Distinctive journalism refers to reporting that AI cannot easily replicate—content featuring authentic human voice, personal perspective, and individual experience. As AI-generated content becomes more common, distinctive journalism helps news organizations differentiate themselves by emphasizing human connection and unique insights that go beyond basic facts.

Young audiences increasingly prefer to consume news through social media and personalized, short-form content like videos, podcasts, and creator-driven content. They're experiencing "news fatigue" with 39% of global consumers feeling overwhelmed. However, they remain interested in news when it's delivered in formats that suit their preferences and feel relevant to their lives.

Liquifying news means making content easily adaptable across different formats—transforming the same story into an article, summary, audio clip, or video based on user preferences. AI enables this flexibility, allowing readers to choose how they consume news. This approach helps meet diverse audience needs without creating entirely new content from scratch.

News organizations can use AI to tailor content length, complexity, and relevance to individual readers. This might include adjusting articles based on location, offering different reading lengths for weekdays versus weekends, or highlighting stories relevant to a user's interests. Personalization should be transparent, with users able to control and adjust their preferences.

News creators are journalists or individuals who share news content on social media platforms, building personal brands and direct audience relationships. They combine journalistic content with authentic, individual voice and are particularly popular with younger audiences. News organizations increasingly partner with these creators to reach audiences in spaces where traditional media struggles to connect.

Trust in AI-labeled news is currently mixed, with younger people more accepting and older generations more skeptical. However, experts predict that as AI becomes more familiar—similar to how smartphones and televisions were once distrusted—resistance will decrease. News organizations must maintain journalistic integrity and human oversight to build trust in AI-assisted content.

This is a strategic decision with trade-offs. Making content easily accessible to AI platforms can help news organizations stay relevant as audiences increasingly use AI for information. However, it also means less direct traffic to news sites. Organizations should structure content with clear metadata and factual information while seeking fair partnerships and compensation from AI platforms.

Focus on meeting user needs rather than just producing more content. This means understanding what audiences want—utility, relevance, personalization—and using AI strategically to deliver it. Organizations should embrace distinctive journalism, invest in individual journalist brands, experiment with content personalization, and build direct relationships with their communities while maintaining journalistic integrity.