In the strong digital era, AI has penetrated into all areas of life, from healthcare, education, finance to culture and art. Journalism - a field that seems to rely solely on human creativity and courage - is no exception to that wave of technology. remarkable advances in language technology, data processing and content creation have made many people question: can AI replace journalists?
Some people are concerned about the spread of fake news, fake images, or content manipulated by systems without ethics or awareness. However, if viewed comprehensively, AI is not a threat but an effective support tool, helping the press industry operate more effectively, diversely and reach more audiences. With the continuous development of AI models, modern journalism is entering a new phase: where technology does not replace but helps people develop their professional capacity in the most optimal way.
Technology brings many misunderstandings
When mentioning AI in the media field, the majority of the public often associates this concept with negative phenomena such as fake news, AI-generated images or illegally edited content. Indeed, deepfake technology, automatic chatbot posting or the phenomenon of "inflationary information" from AI systems are real and are being widely warned. However, this is only a very small part of the overall picture of AI in journalism.
In fact, AI has been and is being actively applied in many aspects of the press industry worldwide. Systems like wordsmith from Automated Insights or Heliograf from The Washington Post allow automating the writing of articles about sports, finance or weather forecasting - fields that require high speed and a large amount of information but do not require in-depth analysis. AI models are capable of synthesizing, processing data and re- presenting in the form of articles in a seamless way, helping to save time and human resources for the publishing office.
In many large press units, AI is also playing a role in supporting editors in checking the spelling, translation, even suggesting titles and optimizing content for each publishing platform. Software such as DeepL, content analysis systems or video subhead creation support have helped newsrooms handle huge workloads more quickly and efficiently.
Another important application is the ability to personalize content for readers. With the help of AI, news platforms can recommend articles based on each individual's interests, reading history, or interactive behavior. This not only helps increase reader engagement but also supports media units in increasing advertising revenue.
Not only does AI help reporters save time in post-production processing such as converting audio to text, arranging images, or even analyzing huge data sets to detect hidden trends - especially useful in the field of investigative journalism.
However, the majority of the public often only see "hiding corners" such as the risk of information manipulation or loss of content control, ignoring the real potential of AI. Absolutely trusting in machines or panicking because of the presence of technology is an extreme to avoid. AI is just a tool - and the value of the tool depends on how people use it.
There are jobs that AI cannot take on
Although AI is contributing a lot of value to the journalism industry, it is still understandable to question whether it can completely replace humans. In the context of many jobs being automated, a number of journalists are concerned about the risk of job loss and reducing their personal role in the news production process. But those concerns are only partly true - because the nature of the journalism profession always lies in sensitivity, creativity and professional ethics, factors that AI has never and probably will never replace.
The biggest challenge that AI poses is not the ability to process data but the issue of ethics and responsibility. AI can create hundreds of articles in just a few minutes, but it is impossible to evaluate which information should be provided, which needs further verification, or which content can harm the community. The ability to create content based on available data makes AI susceptible to repetitive, biased states, even leading to the proliferation of prejudices or misinformation without human supervision.
A journalist is not simply a writer but also a person responsible for every word. They must consider between public interests and personal privacy, between the speed of reporting and the accuracy of information, between reflecting reality and guiding public opinion responsibly. These are skills and qualities that no machine learning model can learn from data.
Moreover, AI can only create content based on available data - that is, recreating the past. Meanwhile, journalists are the ones to create the present and the future through new perspectives, difficult questions and independent discoveries. An in-depth interview, a field trip to a conflict zone, or an investigation that uncovers the truth behind a closed source - all of which are jobs that AI cannot take on.
The application of AI in journalism also requires new ethical standards: From ensuring human-centric content, protecting personal data, to responsibility for content produced by AI. Obviously, the role of journalists is not being replaced but becomes more important in controlling, guiding and supervising the activities of new technology tools.
The development of AI should not be viewed as a competition between humans and machines, but as an opportunity for journalists to redefine their role in a changing world. When used responsibly and transparently, AI does not reduce the professional value of journalists, but on the contrary - helps them focus more on work that requires thinking, emotions and social responsibility.
Modern journalism cannot turn its back on technology, but cannot loosen the core values of the profession. In the relationship between journalists and AI, the final decision-making must still belong to humans. Technology, no matter how modern, is just a tool - and it is the sensitivity, courage and professional ethics of journalists that protect journalism from the risks of fraud in the digital age. In today's transformation of the press, AI is a companion, not a rival. And journalists - if they know how to take advantage of it properly - will be stronger than ever.
An in-depth interview, a field trip to a conflict zone, or an investigation that uncovers the truth behind a closed source - all of which are jobs that AI cannot take on.
