The press as a profession has undergone major changes since the emergence of the Internet, websites and social networks. Adapting to these formats was a challenge at the beginning. And just when it seemed that the balance had been found, Artificial Intelligence appears on the scene.
This tool allows news to be produced automatically by any user with access to it. This is why debates about its ethical implications have spread around the world.
When talking about Artificial Intelligence and Journalism, most of the opinions lean towards the disappearance of press professionals as we know them. There would no longer be reporters on the streets covering unexpected events, no in-depth commentary about a social problem, just a machine writing reports for a news magazine, newspaper or a star newscast.
And how true is this? Will journalists cease to exist? Who will provide the news in the future?
This may seem contradictory, but the path that leads to the answers begins with a trip to the past. Journalism was born to meet society’s need for relevant, up-to-date and reliable information. Whether in print, radio or television, journalists are expected to adequately verify sources, contextualize content and exercise responsible opinion.
In this sense, Artificial Intelligence can be of enormous help. Many routine tasks can be performed by this means, such as transcribing an interview or translating a text into a foreign language. Journalists would then have more time to deal with the more thoughtful and creative parts of their professional practice.
However, the abuse of these new tools can be detrimental to the quality of the final product presented.
Although Artificial Intelligence is capable of generating texts, it lacks critical thinking and accurate judgment in the face of political and social phenomena. The human factor plays a fundamental role in the work of the press, which cannot be replaced by any algorithm or mathematical model.
It is not a matter of despising technological advances, but of taking advantage of them with astuteness and responsibility. The press should make use of artificial intelligence, instead of being replaced by it. What we call the best job in the world cannot be left to a machine.
