Journalists and newsroom managers should learn about Generative AI and develop new skills required for the ethical use of GenAI content.

That was the view of panellists discussing the impact of Generative AI on the future of news at the 2024 Global News Forum.

Professor Edson C. Tandoc from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore shared research conducted on October 2023 by NTU’s Centre for Information Integrity and the Internet. It showed the main ways journalists in Singapore were using generative AI is for idea generation and refinement, transcription, translation and summarization, content improvement, content generation and writing.

But he noted that only 50 percent of newsroom managers approved the use of GenAI tools.

“I think it boils down to the sense of accountability. Who do we hold accountable when things go wrong… If things go wrong will the machine be held accountable? Or the human journalist? How about selecting newcomers of the newsroom like new journalists, new editors – do they need any extra abilities or extra knowledge on AI to be employed?

“I think it will be important from now on that the journalists on the ground know what’s going on”,  what you can do with generative AI, what you cannot do,” he added.

Kaori Iida, Director of the Digital News Division at NHK, said that while NHK was not actively using Generative AI, it uses AI translations for live streaming.

She said NHK recently updated its editorial policy concerning generative AI and was cautious about implementation. She noted intellectual property concerns in the use of GenAI tools that base content generation on the works of others, without their permission.

But she added: “Like it or not, it is coming. And if you are not going to use it, the AI is going to be using you. So I think we should know what’s going on.”

Thai PBS Digital Media Director, Kanokporn Prasitphon, said Thai PBS used a range of Gen AI integrated products for content creation and production including an AI anchor and vertical video streaming, while also working to improve workflows.

She said journalists have to learn about generative AI, upskill, try AI tools and “welcome AI in your life”. She said they should also upskill their fact checking and verification skills, in response to the surge of GenAI content.

“Over the next five years, AI will become significantly more powerful. At Thai PBS, we aim to enhance AI usage to produce high-quality content, improve production, speed and increase accuracy. More importantly, we need to focus on improving the workflow within the newsroom.” She encouraged journalists to be adaptable and to commit to continuous learning, in order to keep up with the fast pace of change.

Dr. Jirawat Tangpanitanon, CEO and Co-founder of Quantum Technology Foundation, encouraged media organisations to develop an independent AI tool to check and audit their use of GenAI. He said the starting point was defining the organisation’s culture, brand and positioning to help the audit tool identify possible breaches of the organisation’s policies or standards.