• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 8, 2025

Publishers are struggling to use artificial intelligence in their reporting and other activities. But many wonder how to explain this to readers without scaring them.  

This topic was the subject of a recent discussion co-hosted by the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) and the Thomson Foundation in Brussels, Belgium.

“AI has the potential to enhance the news industry, but it must also be communicated about in a way that fosters public trust,” said Amy Mitchell, executive director of CNTI, according to a summary of the discussion.  

To start with, journalists need to be “skilled in and comfortable with technology”—they have to know what they’re talking about, the participants said. And pressure to innovate cannot come only from the business team.  

“Having the business side push to integrate AI tools often fails. Journalists tend to see these motivations as purely for ‘cost saving’ or 'efficiency,' rather than for empowering journalism producers,” participants said. 

Technology companies can also be more transparent about how journalism content is used and how they build AI models. “Not only is this a central element of tension between journalism and technology companies, it is also important for the relationship journalists build with the public,” speakers said. 

Of course, publishers have to be clear about how AI is—or could be—used. The possibilities include operations, distribution, editorial and contextual and investigation. 

Publishers and editors can also study other industries. For instance, scientists are working on a “digital twin” of the Earth, Destination Earth (or DestinE), to model future impacts of climate change. “The news industry could apply similar methods “to help us model out what is the future of news, and what is the future of trust? What is the future of value and engagement?” said Kristen Davis. The predictive power of AI has so far been underutilized in the news industry.