News consumers are most opposed to the use of AI in sensitive topics such as politics, according to the report.
A majority of news consumers in the US and UK are uncomfortable with journalism produced primarily by artificial intelligence (AI), a survey has found.
A survey conducted by the Reuters Institute for Journalism on Monday found that just 23% of respondents in the United States and 10% in the UK would feel comfortable with news generated by AI, and that consumers are particularly skeptical of the technology being used on sensitive topics such as politics and crime.
Just over half of US respondents and 63% of UK respondents each said they would be uncomfortable with AI-driven news, while 18% said they were neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.
Respondents were least comfortable using AI to generate text-based content, illustrations and stylized graphics, and most strongly opposed using AI to create realistic photos and videos.
“Our findings reveal that audiences are most open to the use of AI behind the scenes and where it can help improve their news experience by providing more personalized and accessible information,” the institute said in its annual Digital News Report accompanying the survey.
“They are less comfortable with general-purpose content, sensitive or important topics, synthetic videos or images that may appear real, and cases where the consequences of errors are considered most severe. Overall, there is consensus that humans should always be involved and full automation is prohibited.”
The findings come as news organizations around the world are embracing AI amid plummeting revenues and massive job cuts.
Many news organizations around the world are deploying AI tools for a variety of tasks, from research to transcribing interviews to content creation.
News Corp Australia chairman Michael Miller said last year that the company was using AI to produce about 3,000 articles a week.
When the company announced a 100 million euro cost-cutting plan last year, German tabloid Bild warned employees that it expected further cuts due to “opportunities for artificial intelligence.”
