How AI can be used to assist journalists

Q: How?

A: AI is already here. It is not some future technology that we in the media industry can ignore and wait for its impact to be felt. Indeed, almost every journalist is already using AI — even if they are not always aware of it.

From the voice-to-text translation tools that are ubiquitous in newsrooms to smart search results in a CMS, many of our everyday tasks are already being powered by artificial intelligence — and that’s before we get on to the fact that consumers of our content are becoming increasingly familiar with using AI to help them decide what to read, watch or listen to.

So now is not the time for us to put our heads in the sand and wait for the AI storm to blow over. Spoiler: it won’t. Rather, now is the time for us to embrace the opportunities this exciting new technology can offer, while putting guardrails in place to protect the core of what we do.

The question, therefore, is not if AI will be part of journalism’s future. It already is. The real issue is how to use it as a tool to support journalists, not replace them, and to strengthen original reporting rather than dilute it.

The biggest opportunity lies in reducing the burden of repetitive, time-consuming tasks that are important but not core to creating trusted original content. Transcribing interviews, tagging articles, production tasks and searching archives are all necessary parts of a journalist’s life, but they rarely represent the best use of their time. AI tools can automate or accelerate these processes, giving reporters and editors more space to focus on what matters most — producing trusted, original journalism.

In this way, AI becomes the editorial copilot, while humans remain firmly in the pilot’s seat.

For smaller publishers, the potential is arguably even greater. Smart use of AI can empower lean teams to punch above their weight. Instead of needing to hire new staff every time a new platform or format emerges, publishers can use AI tools to repurpose existing content across multiple channels. At PA Media, for example, we are exploring ways to help customers efficiently adapt our content for multiple uses, ensuring they can meet audience demand without overextending their limited resources.

The balance between efficiency and oversight ultimately comes down to trust. Readers, listeners, viewers and subscribers all trust that journalists will verify information and apply judgment. That trust is hard-won over many years and easily lost in a matter of seconds, which is why human oversight is non-negotiable.

If AI plays a role in generating content, audiences should be told. Passing off machine-generated work as that of a human is a surefire way to undermine that credibility, potentially irreversibly. And in a world where AI-generated summaries are everywhere and easily replicated, the work created by human journalists will become even more valuable because of its authenticity and originality. There will be a human premium that publishers would be wise to invest in.

But despite it being crucial that humans remain in control of the journalistic process, that shouldn’t be misconstrued as suggesting AI won’t play a huge role in the editorial teams of the future. It will.

AI will increasingly handle the more routine and repeating tasks which journalists have historically been asked to do and it will also be used to optimise the production process. We will also see journalists being expected to be proficient in using a range of AI tools to improve their work, as well as new roles which monitor and improve some of the AI-assisted workflows that will emerge.

If done right, AI can be the facilitator of more productive editorial teams which empower journalists to do even more impactful work.

Q: What are your three top tips?

1. Define clear guardrails. Every publisher and every content creator should have some kind of guidelines around AI. That applies across the spectrum — from large news organisations to smaller operations, right down to individual influencers. Everyone should have an awareness and understanding of how their organisation is going to use AI.
2. Be transparent with audiences. Make it clear when AI has played a role in producing content, and equally clear when it hasn’t. Over time, human-created journalism will carry a premium precisely because it is distinct from machine output.
3. Focus on enablement, not replacement. Look for ways AI can free up your teams from repetitive tasks so they can focus on higher-value work. The goal is not fewer journalists, but more impactful journalism. The biggest misconception is that all AI is bad. Anyone who thinks that way should be encouraged to instead consider how AI can empower their work. It should be approached with as little fear as possible and seen as a way to be better and do better.

PA Media is the national news agency for the UK and Ireland, supplying trusted, real-time news and information. Our multimedia content service spans text, images, video, data and graphics, supporting publishers and broadcasters with accurate, fast, and reliable content that keeps audiences informed across multiple platforms.

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