While much of the news industry has turned to generative artificial intelligence and how it can support news production and distribution, little attention has been paid to how audiences feel about AI-powered innovations in journalism. This is no small question in an already saturated media ecosystem where trust cannot be taken for granted. What applications will news audiences be comfortable with and what applications will make them uneasy? How should news organizations think about disclosing AI use in their newsrooms? And how will the use of AI impact and shape trust in news?
To address these questions, the Reuters Institute commissioned strategic insights agency Craft to conduct a qualitative study among 45 digital news users in Mexico, the UK and the US (15 in each country).
The study, conducted in January and February 2024, led participants on a three-stage reflective journey: they recorded their baseline attitudes and understanding of AI in an initial interview, then began a week-long digital challenge to try out and explore 25 use cases of AI in news, and then reflected on how these experiences influenced their perceptions in a final interview.
The report details news consumers' attitudes towards AI technologies, how they feel about different uses of AI in news and why. Going beyond an initial reaction sparked by general skepticism and concern over the full automation of journalistic content, the survey results paint a nuanced picture, highlighting applications that are more or less likely to be accepted by audiences.
Key findings:
- Public attitudes towards AI are heavily shaped by broader cultural narratives.
Currently, most people have little technical knowledge or direct experience with generative AI, and their perceptions of these technologies are heavily influenced by popular culture, media narratives, and conversations in everyday life. Media discourse about AI is often largely negative, influencing how people think about AI, especially in the news, and people typically view AI with skepticism.
- Individual-level factors shape people’s approach to the use of generative AI in news.
The study identified three broad types of people based on a range of relevant factors.
- Traditionalists tend to be the most fearful of technological change and have lower levels of knowledge and experience with AI.
- Skeptics are cautious and critical of the technology and are more knowledgeable about generative AI and law masters.
- Optimists generally had faith in technological advances and were mostly focused on personal gain.
- Comfort levels with using AI in news varied widely across applications.
Initial negative reactions to journalists' use of AI were typically based on the assumption that AI would be used for content creation. As participants were exposed to more use cases, their attitudes became more nuanced and, overall, more positive. In addition to cultural and personal factors, comfort level depended on four main elements:
- Where does generative AI come into play in the news creation and distribution process?
- The type of information being conveyed and whether human interpretation or emotion is required or desired.
- The medium itself (text, illustration, photograph, video) was viewed differently.
- How much human oversight will there be?
- Most people believe that human oversight is essential to applying AI responsibly.
Participants viewed oversight as a principle of good journalistic practice in general, and with regard to AI in particular, although the level and nature of oversight expected varied depending on where in the process the generative AI was being used.
- Disclosing the use of AI requires a nuanced approach.
Similar to differing comfort levels with different parts of the news creation and distribution process, participants felt that disclosure (e.g., labeling) was less important for some behind-the-scenes tasks when using AI to distribute content in new ways, especially compared to creating new content. When AI is used to assist journalists, people considered disclosure to be much less important compared to when it is used to augment or automate content creation.
Attitudes towards AI in general, and in the context of news, will undoubtedly continue to evolve as people become more familiar with, knowledgeable about, and experienced with AI. “We are at a critical crossroads that presents both opportunities and risks for news organizations,” the institute advises.
Taking both a responsible approach to implementing AI – with rigorous oversight, proper disclosure and careful consideration of audience reassurance – and a strategic approach to communicating how AI innovations will benefit both journalism and users – can help news organizations navigate this uncertain time more effectively.
