Global Concern: 52% of US and 63% of UK Express Discomfort with AI-Generated News
Today the world is worried about the impact of AI on news and misinformation. A new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism shows the problems news organizations are facing as they try to reach their audiences.
The report, based on surveys of nearly 100,000 people across 47 countries, shows newsrooms are struggling to make money and keep people interested, especially with new tech like AI. Google and OpenAI are building tools that can summarize news and pull readers away from traditional news sites.
Many are wary of AI producing news, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like politics. In the US, 52 percent respondents said they would be uncomfortable with mostly AI generated news, in the UK it’s even higher (63 percent). However, even with all that fuss about AI, people are more okay with AI helping journalists do their job better.
Nic Newman who led the research was surprised how many are worried about AI affecting the reliability and trust of news. Concerns about fake news have also gone up recently, especially in places like South Africa and the US where elections are coming up soon.
Another big issue is that not many people want to pay for news online. Despite a small uptick during the pandemic, only 17% of people in 20 countries pay for news online and that number hasn’t changed in three years.
Social media influencers, especially on platforms like TikTok, are now playing a big role in how people get their news. Around 57% of TikTok users who follow news there pay attention to individual personalities rather than traditional news sources. Newsrooms have to figure out how to connect directly with their audience and use these platforms well, especially to reach younger people.
For example Vitus “V” Spehar, a TikTok creator with millions of followers, is popular for delivering news while lying under a desk. This is a far cry from how news is presented on TV. The report also found that popular news figures in the US like Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan are more known for their opinions on politics than for actual reporting.
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