There is no doubt that technological development is refining machines (computers, computers, electronic devices) to such levels of precision that they increasingly resemble those of humans.
Artificial intelligence or AI, that is to say the ability of a machine to demonstrate human abilities such as reasoning or planning, is from this point of view one of the technological fields that are developing the most quickly. And those who have had the chance to take advantage of the services offered by Onoix.com know something about it!
However, this frenzy is starting to scare some “flesh-and-blood” professionals: there are fears that AI will completely replace human intellect in the future . But is this really the case?
Let’s try to be clear about this, explaining in 10 points what the benefits and risks of using artificial intelligence in content creation could really be.
Can AI really replace a journalist?
It’s worth dotting a few “i’s” about some of the fears that speech experts might have about artificial intelligence and its potential impact on the news industry. There are indeed myths to dispel and arguments to debate, that’s it.
1. AI will not steal the work of journalists
Even if some processes can be effectively streamlined using AI , the ability to understand which processes need to be developed will forever be the prerogative of the human being.
It is no coincidence that today AI in the context of journalism is mainly concerned with carrying out the most boring and repetitive tasks, such as transcribing interviews or publishing financial results of a company.
2. AI is not what you think
Movies have accustomed us to thinking of artificial intelligence as a machine that can actually replace a human being, often even in its features. But this is only a cinematic fiction.
3. Sometimes AI is even superfluous
Some problems can definitely be solved with the help of AI; others by different means, even more practical and economical. The artificial intelligence that a platform like Onoix.com uses, for example, is only one of the possible solutions for content creation, certainly in certain journalistic contexts where more in-depth analysis is preferred or in the scientific field where the contents to be processed are very specific, its use would be completely useless.
4. There is no point in using AI without a strategy
Let’s imagine that you have already “done your homework“: you have evaluated your specific case, clarified what AI can and cannot do for you, and you have come to the conclusion that it can indeed be useful to you. Now is not the time to sing about victory, as implementing AI can be a pain in the ass without a clear strategy.
We sometimes think that implementing AI is a simple process, but that is not necessarily the case. The truth is that depending on your case and the type of technology used, the process itself may be much more complicated than your initial expectations.
Automatically optimizing the paywall (i.e. paid access to the content of a website) to generate as many subscriptions as possible is quite another thing than filtering user comments: these are two applications of completely different AI!
5. Where to find AI tools
It has been said that artificial intelligence can provide journalists and businesses with the tools to create content. But where can you get these tools?
There are basically two options: you can rely on a tool that integrates AI with human creativity, as is the case with Contents.com, or you can think about developing your own AI tools in-house. In the second case, of course, the expenditure of time and economic resources will be significantly higher.
6 The irreplaceable talent
One of the main challenges companies face when wanting to approach artificial intelligence is finding or developing technical skills to implement in their projects. The problem is that in the world of journalism, few people are using AI rather than other sectors that are at the forefront of using this tool.
But the difference between journalists and other experts is that they are not only motivated by profit, but also by the desire to report. There is no artificial intelligence that can replace their talent and ability to work for a greater good, that is, a better informed society.
7. The role of collaboration
Projects based on artificial intelligence can and often should rely on collaboration between different industry experts.
It’s possible that people in other newsrooms face the same challenges and aim to build the same type of content that a journalist works on. It doesn’t matter if they are direct competitors, or if they live on the other side of the globe. When it comes to artificial intelligence, collaboration between professionals in the same industry is vitally important.
Let’s think about the exchange of information between journalists as part of an investigation into online “hate speech”: thanks to artificial intelligence, it will, for example, be possible to automatically filter and analyze a series of racist comments , sexist or homophobic published in different languages.
8. No worries
It is often difficult to keep up with scientific and technological discoveries and, therefore, the new opportunities offered by improvements in artificial intelligence.
The watchword is “no stress”: when creating your content, always apply the knowledge you currently have about AI by choosing to update yourself, but as soon as possible, remembering the saying “know is power.”
9. Artificial intelligence learns
Artificial intelligence , which relies on machine learning systems, is not perfect: it is possible for it to make mistakes and it is therefore important that journalists do not rely on it blindly but are fully aware of its advantages and its limitations.
Can an algorithm be sexist, racist, homophobic? Sometimes it’s because, like all products of human ingenuity, computer products suffer the imprint, positive or negative, of those who created them. This is why, in recent years, the AI scientific community has been increasingly attentive to the identification and, possibly, the mitigation or elimination of biases that can take hold in these systems.
“When someone applies a machine learning algorithm, it is difficult to control their behavior,” says university researcher Philip Thomas. “But machine learning algorithms increasingly affect our lives and so ensuring their fairness is essential to avoid harm.” However, based on his studies, he believes that there is huge room for improvement in learning artificial intelligence tools.
10. An opportunity for development
In general, journalists should see AI as a valuable resource for collecting data and information and, therefore, for providing better and more accurate journalistic work. Artificial intelligence should therefore be seen as an ally, not a dangerous enemy.
Ultimately, artificial intelligence and journalism: enemies or allies?
Following this quick review, it’s clear that some journalists’ fears might be a bit overblown.
Data in hand, to better explore the relationship between AI and journalism , the London School of Economics recently interviewed around 70 newspapers in 32 countries. It turns out that artificial intelligence can certainly support and strengthen the work of the journalist, but to do so, one must not only overcome cultural resistance, but also develop a plan to equip oneself with financial resources to invest and certainly implement uses knowledge in this area.
Technology can be an ally of the journalist and the key is revealed in an interview Marco Pratellesi, pioneer of online information: “AI is an assistant: the journalist must know how to manage it to strengthen his work”.
To discover all the advantages of the integration of Artificial Intelligence and human creativity, in the world of journalism but not only, we invite you to explore the services offered by Contents.com, a generative artificial intelligence platform that supports in the design, creation and transformation of content.
