AI can’t replace journalism – it runs on it

When artificial intelligence first came to be in the commercialised form we recognise today, its promise was immediately apparent – as was its threat.

Industries and institutions began shifting at breakneck speed – ultimately, as we were told, for the benefit of society and consumers.

Not all change has been welcomed, of course. AI continues to threaten job losses on a cosmic scale. Yet, the hope remains that it will, at some point, follow in the footsteps of the great shifts that preceded it. Think about the advent of the printing press, electricity and the internet.

Some jobs will inevitably be sacrificed on the pyre of progress, but always with the promise that many more would spring forth in their place.

Journalism, however, has yet to witness the benefit of that promise.

The great democratisation

AI’s proponents will argue that information has finally been democratised. A single, well-crafted prompt can yield information gain, context and analysis at a speed previously unimaginable. However, one can’t help but wonder just how sustainable this “great democratisation” really is.

For instance, what becomes of these LLMs once the food source they depend upon – the work of journalists and publishers, large and small – ceases to exist?

Without the incredible effort of investigative journalists and reporters who work tirelessly to verify sources and deliver factual, valuable new information into the public sphere, AI will tip over the edge into a dark age of endless recycling of what already exists.

In other words, the snake will begin to eat its own tail.

These concerns have gone beyond the realm of the theoretical; industry bodies have already raised alarm over the harm AI models are inflicting on the commercial future of the industry.

The Football Writers’ Association, for instance, rightly points out that the new reality of zero-click search means readers are often increasingly presented with answers to their queries that are derived from original reporting without encouraging these same readers to visit the original pages of work.

Even if we can put to one side additional well-documented concerns over hallucinations, misinterpretation of information, or reliance on outdated facts, the long-term challenge remains the same. If original reporting is allowed to die out, can we absolutely trust AI to fill the void to a standard we all feel comfortable with?

The future of AI and journalism

Make no mistake: AI is very much the intruder here in this space. But our relationship with it does not have to be defined by hostility or that nagging sense of impending professional extinction.

In fact, it couldn’t be clearer that AI depends on journalism more than journalism depends on AI.

It needs journalists. It needs our standards, the ethical codes that govern our doings, our willingness to challenge authority, our research, and our ability to speak with real people about real-life issues that affect them.

Back in 2025, 80% of journalists polled in a study from Journalism UK believed AI-generated stories could be guilty of bias or discrimination. So, this is a very real concern, which goes some way to demonstrating the need for human judgement to provide balance, empathy and accountability when building a story.

That’s not to say AI has absolutely no place in the future of journalism. There is a genuine opportunity to raise standards and better meet audiences where they are. Research from IBM, for instance, suggests that generative AI can be of help to editors and reports by translating stories across multiple distribution channels. Likewise, AI-powered tools could also be of service when analysing vast quantities of data, helping journalists identify patterns and transform complex information into accessible reporting.

Of course, this has to be built on the understanding that the algorithmic systems governing AI are still incredibly flawed at making consistently sound editorial decisions on their own.

On that basis, there’s a real opportunity here to safeguard the future of journalism without stripping the profession of its humanity.

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