News Production
News Production: Recently, I spoke at a conference on artificial intelligence. A common question came up again. Will AI make journalists irrelevant? At first, the idea sounds convincing.
Direct AI News
AI can collect information very fast. It can summarize meetings, track politics, analyze data, and answer questions. Because of this, many people think audiences will stop using news outlets. They believe people will get news directly from AI systems. Young audiences already show this change. Many avoid traditional news platforms. They prefer fast, personal, and interactive content. Influencers and content creators now attract more attention than journalists.
Falling Media Trust
Reports also confirm this trend. Trust in mainstream media is falling. Viewership is declining. Many users rely less on professional news organizations. This makes some believe journalism will disappear soon. This thinking misunderstands journalism. Journalism does more than share information. If distribution were enough, journalists would have vanished with social media. Instead, the need for verification and investigation grew.
Public Trust Journalists
When big events happen, people still turn to journalists. They want facts, context, and responsibility. AI cannot replace this role. AI actually increases the need for journalism. Information now grows faster than humans can manage. AI can also create false or misleading content. It can mix facts with fiction. Powerful actors use AI to shape opinions. Governments, businesses, and political groups do this at scale. Ordinary users cannot fight this alone. Society needs journalists to verify and explain.
Truth Crisis Ahead
In the future, the real problem will not be access to information. The problem will be true. People will struggle to tell real from fake, and facts from manipulation. Journalists will not become irrelevant. They must evolve. They must learn to use AI carefully and responsibly. Journalists now need new skills. AI is entering government, policing, welfare, and administration. Reporters must understand how these systems work.
Biased Data Risks
Future stories will focus on biased data and unfair algorithms. Journalists must explain how automated decisions harm people. They must learn technical skills to investigate these systems. Journalists must also track power and money. They must expose who designs AI systems and who benefits from them.
Human Judgment Essential
In an automated world, accountability must increase. When governments use AI for surveillance or welfare, journalists must question it. They must ask who built the system and who it harms. Machines cannot do this work. Only independent and skilled journalists can. The real danger is not AI replacing journalists. The danger is having too few journalists who understand AI. AI can help journalism. It can improve research and analysis. But journalists must set clear rules. If journalists rely too much on AI, they risk bias and weak verification. Journalism will survive AI. Journalists who refuse to adapt will not.
Published in Dawn,14th December 2025
