Global concerns are mounting regarding the use of AI in news production, particularly in the context of misinformation, as highlighted by a report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The report, based on surveys of nearly 100,000 people across 47 countries, reveals the challenges newsrooms face in maintaining revenue and sustaining their businesses while dealing with the rise of generative AI tools from companies like Google and OpenAI, which can summarize information and potentially divert traffic from news websites.
The report found that consumers are especially wary of AI-generated news content, particularly for sensitive topics like politics. In the U.S., 52% of respondents expressed discomfort with news mostly produced by AI, a sentiment shared by 63% of respondents in the UK. This distrust stems from fears about the reliability and trustworthiness of AI-generated content, especially as concerns about misinformation continue to rise, with 59% of global respondents worried about false news, a figure that is even higher in countries like South Africa and the U.S.
Another significant challenge highlighted in the report is the reluctance of audiences to pay for news subscriptions. While there was a slight increase in subscriptions during the pandemic, the percentage of people willing to pay for online news has stagnated at 17% across 20 countries. Additionally, a large portion of U.S. subscribers are paying discounted rates due to promotional offers, with nearly half of them not paying the full subscription price.
The report also notes the growing influence of news personalities on platforms like TikTok, where individual influencers are becoming more prominent than traditional news outlets. In a survey of TikTok users who consume news on the platform, 57% said they follow individual personalities rather than journalists or news brands. This shift indicates that newsrooms need to adapt by building direct relationships with their audiences and leveraging social media platforms to engage younger and harder-to-reach demographics.
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