Will AI destroy journalism, or is our refusal to use it the real threat?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping newsroom workflows at a rapid pace. However, as the industry struggles with this transition, the biggest question now is: is the technology itself the danger, or is our hesitation to master it what truly puts journalism at risk?
A recent online workshop featured Camilla Bath from the World Press Institute, Stefan Voss from the German Press Agency and Jaemark Tordecilla, a journalist & technologist who discussed how to build AI literacy that sticks.
A significant takeaway from the discussion was that the specific AI tool being used is secondary. Instead, the focus should be on the art of prompting and an understanding of why Large Language Models (LLMs) function the way they do.
To ensure journalists are truly ready, newsrooms must start with the “why.” This means understanding the specific purpose of using LLMs in a journalistic context. While many debate whether AI can be a “good source,” the workshop highlighted a more practical reality: AI is an exceptional tool for processing and synthesising information, even if its role as a primary source may be disputed.
In the Asia-Pacific region, there is high awareness of AI, yet actual adoption remains low. Tordecilla noted that this is largely due to a persistent fear that AI will eventually replace human journalists.
Will AI replace journalists? Voss argued that the real threat is not the technology, but our response to it. “We cannot see the future; however, AI can destroy journalism if you deny using it.”
Bath echoed this, suggesting that if a machine can perform your daily tasks, “maybe you are doing the wrong work.” The goal of AI is to automate the mundane, freeing journalists for the high-level reporting that machines cannot replicate.
A recurring challenge in AI adoption is the knowledge gap within organisations. While Bath pointed out that leadership often fails to understand where to deploy AI despite the enthusiasm of ground-level staff, the reverse is also common. In many newsrooms, leadership may be well-versed in the strategic potential of AI, while the journalists on the ground remain hesitant or under-trained.
To bridge this divide, Bath suggested that training must be grounded in three practical principles:
- Work on a real problem.
- Solve it in real-time.
- Show how it cannot work.
By demonstrating failures and limitations alongside successes, newsrooms can build a healthy, realistic form of AI literacy. Beyond internal newsroom training, journalists are encouraged to engage with AI prompting frameworks and explore applications outside of journalism to ensure their skills remain relevant. The threat isn’t the machine; it’s the refusal to evolve alongside it.
Written by: Nerina Rosli
