Local news consumers, especially those who engage frequently with news, are generally aware of artificial intelligence usage in news reports and open to use of AI for journalists’ routine reporting tasks.
That awareness and openness are among key findings in new research about local news consumers’ perceptions of AI in news. Funded by Walton Family Foundation as part of the AI Community Journalism Lab, this research was conducted by Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation in collaboration with Trusting News, and evaluated news consumers’ responses to an 18-question survey.
Though respondents indicated awareness and openness, they also indicated discomfort about the use of AI in local journalism without guardrails. In fact, 98.8% said they want a human to be involved in a newsroom’s use of AI, especially before content is published.
Lynn Walsh, assistant director of Trusting News, said the AI Lab’s survey results were clear on human involvement: News consumers are not comfortable with AI helping journalists write.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here