Provocatively put, journalism and generative AI contradict each other: Journalism is about facts; generative AI calculates probabilities. Or maybe you want reporters to fill in the blanks of a story with anything that just sounds likely? Because that is exactly how generative AI works.
Provocatively put, journalism and generative AI contradict each other: Journalism is about facts; generative AI calculates probabilities. Or maybe you want reporters to fill in the blanks of a story with anything that just sounds likely? Because that is exactly how generative AI works. Nevertheless, GenAI opens up immense opportunities to enhance journalism, ranging from its use in brainstorming ideas, interview questions and headlines, to its role in data journalism and speedy document analysis. It can also help to transcend formats and languages, and it can turn texts into videos, podcasts, and visuals, transcribe, translate, illustrate, and make content accessible in chat formats. These aspects might help to reach people who have been previously underserved: hyperlocal audiences, those who lack proficiency in reading or comprehension, or who are otherwise impaired, and those who are just not interested in consuming journalism in the traditional way. As Ezra Eeman, Strategy & Innovation Director at NPO, the Dutch public broadcaster, says: 'With generative AI, we can fulfil our public service mission better; it will enhance interactivity, accessibility, and creativity. AI helps us to bring more of our content to our audiences.'
But while some in the industry are clearly already drunk on the promises of generative AI, this technology poses considerable risks for journalism. The two most important ones are a general loss of trust in information, and the further erosion or even disappearance of its business models. As already mentioned, 'hallucinations' – the term used for generative AI’s tendency to fabricate answers, coming up with fact- and source-lookalikes – are actually a feature of the technology rather than a bug. But the challenge goes deeper. Since GenAI enables anyone, within minutes, to create any kind of content including deep fakes, the danger is that the public might lose trust in all of the content that is out there. Media literacy training already advises everyone to be sceptical of content found online; this healthy scepticism might turn into outright distrust when content fabrication amplifies. There is no telling yet whether traditional media brands will profit from being guiding posts in this information world or whether all media will be deemed untrustworthy in this context.
The onslaught of generative searches adds to this calamity, since it threatens to make journalism increasingly invisible. Whereas in the past a Google search provided a set of links, many of them connecting to trustworthy media brands, search output is now increasingly shaped by GenAI. People get to see first-level responses in text form; they don’t even have to dig deeper any longer. No wonder that media executives are terrified. Many of them are rushing into implementing AI for efficiency increases, which obviously won’t do the job when what is needed would be even more investment in quality journalism to show audiences the differences between just 'content', on the one hand, and well-researched, accurate and reliable journalism, on the other.
An ethical approach to using AI in the media is called for. First, media organisations need an AI strategy and to focus on what the technology can contribute to delivering public service value. Resources need to be focused on what’s desirable and implemented accordingly – always in the awareness that AI has a considerable environmental and societal cost. Saying no should always be an option. Organisations should also use their power and influence when purchasing products, lobbying for regulation, and getting involved in copyright and data protection debates. There is a lot at stake. It is imperative for every company to regularly scrutinise the products they use for biases and stereotypes to avoid the amplification of harm. Lastly, in this rapidly changing environment with new products being churned out every day, walking alone is dangerous. Engaging in and promoting collaborations within the industry and between the industry and tech companies is essential for charting responsible paths forward.
But there is no doubt, GenAI will increase the media’s dependence on big tech by many degrees. The more tech companies integrate AI-tools into applications people use in their daily lives, the less control media organisations will have over practices, processes and products. Their ethical guidelines might then be just an add-on to something that has long been decided elsewhere.
Given all of this, the following hypothesis might come somewhat as a surprise: Tomorrow's journalism might look a lot like yesterday's – and hopefully better. But part of today's journalism will disappear. Like it has always been, journalism will be about facts, surprises, storytelling, and holding power to account. It will be about building stable, loyal, trusted relationships with audiences by providing guidance, leading conversations and supporting communities. In a world of artificial content, what real people say, think, and feel will be at a premium. Reporters are uniquely equipped to uncover this. But AI can help journalism to do better: to serve individuals and groups according to their needs and life situations; to become more inclusive, local, and enriched with data in ways that weren’t affordable before. As Anne Lagercrantz, Vice-CEO of Swedish Television, has commented about AI: 'It will fundamentally change journalism but hopefully not our role in society. We have to work on the credibility of the media industry. We need to create safe places for information.' It is safe to conclude that the AI age poses the greatest risks not for journalism itself, but for its business models.
This text is based on the free-to-download report on 'Trusted Journalism in the Age of Generative AI', published by the European Broadcasting Union in 2024, researched and written by Dr Alexandra Borchardt, Kati Bremme, Dr Felix Simon and Olle Zachrison.
From 2-4 October, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) hosted the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) in Brussels. The event brought together top speakers from EU institutions, regional governments and civil society to address the challenges of today's rapidly changing cyber landscape.
From 2-4 October, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) hosted the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) in Brussels. The event brought together top speakers from EU institutions, regional governments and civil society to address the challenges of today's rapidly changing cyber landscape.
The 12th edition of the ECSM focused on social engineering, a growing threat that targets human behaviour to gain unauthorised access to information and services and thereby breach security.
The key takeaways from this year's event are:
The new cybersecurity regulation establishes a common baseline for EU institutions and Member States.
Regular risk assessments are crucial for identifying vulnerabilities and prioritising mitigation strategies.
Emerging threats, such as AI-powered attacks and quantum computing, require innovative countermeasures.
Regional authorities play a crucial role in supporting local entities through knowledge sharing, technical assistance and tailored training programmes.
AI-powered social engineering attacks are increasing, and countering them requires a multifaceted and collaborative approach.
You can find more information about the event here. (lp)
One of the programmes presented at the 2024 EESC Connecting EU seminar dedicated to journalism was the Hannah Arendt Initiative. It is a network of civil society organisations supporting and protecting journalists who work under extreme pressure and are subject to censorship, harassment and persecution. A protection programme funded by the German Federal Government, the initiative offers all kinds of precious help to journalists worldwide – from Afghanistan and Sudan to Russia and Ukraine – be it in their home countries or in exile.
One of the programmes presented at the 2024 EESC Connecting EU seminar dedicated to journalism was the Hannah Arendt Initiative. It is a network of civil society organisations supporting and protecting journalists who work under extreme pressure and are subject to censorship, harassment and persecution. A protection programme funded by the German Federal Government, the initiative offers all kinds of precious help to journalists worldwide – from Afghanistan and Sudan to Russia and Ukraine – be it in their home countries or in exile.
When critical voices are silenced, journalists imprisoned and whole media outlets shut down, the public no longer has access to independent information. Yet such information is essential to enable people to freely develop their opinions and for democracy to function.
Two years after the Hannah Arendt Initiative was launched by the German Federal Government, there is no less cause for concern – in fact, there is more. The latest World Press Freedom Index drawn up by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows that conditions for media professionals have worsened worldwide. There are currently more countries – 36 in total – in the bottom category (where the situation is classed as ‘very serious’) than there have been in over a decade. Journalists from a number of the countries in this category, including Russia, Afghanistan and Sudan, are supported by several projects run by the Hannah Arendt Initiative’s partner organisations.
Thanks to the Hannah Arendt Initiative – a protection programme which is funded by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media – media workers can receive many different kinds of help, either in their home country or in exile. Sometimes help is even possible where at first glance it seems impossible. For example, a project under the initiative supports female journalists in Afghanistan: they receive safety training, scholarships and native-language mentoring. A particularly large number of women in the media have lost their jobs since the Taliban took power in 2021, which means there are now hardly any women left working in radio or television. Since that time, the whole sector has contracted sharply.
Russian and Sudanese media professionals can benefit from the Hannah Arendt Initiative in neighbouring countries. Special centres have been set up to serve as contact points for exiled media workers, run or supported by partners of the initiative. The Exile Media Hubs and the Casa para el Periodismo Libre (a space for exiled journalists) in Central America are also safe spaces that offer psychological and legal advice. The hubs are also places that provide further training and are a starting point for networking among media professionals who are persecuted in their home countries for various reasons.
Rebuilding sustainable editorial structures in exile is another approach followed under the Hannah Arendt Initiative. This is about ensuring that people in the journalists’ totalitarian home countries continue to receive independent information.
Afghanistan, Russia and Sudan are not the only countries whose journalists receive support. The initiative’s scope is essentially worldwide, and it can respond flexibly to worsening security situations. At present, support is mainly being provided to media professionals from Belarus, Central America, Myanmar, North Africa and Ukraine. In this respect, Ukraine is a special case, as the aim of the project work there is to guarantee continued reporting in the ongoing war. This requires material and technical assistance, as well as specific training and insurance for frontline operations.
The following four civil society organisations are partners of the Hannah Arendt Initiative: DW Akademie, the European Fund for Journalism in Exile (JX-Fund), Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT), and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF). The programme requires independence from state control as well as state neutrality. Funding is granted solely on the basis of unbiased criteria, by independent juries free of state influence.
The Hannah Arendt Initiative is a network for the protection of journalists and media worldwide. It was set up in 2022 at the initiative of and with funding from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Analysis for an effective integration of TCNs in the EU labour market
Water challenges: Exploring consumer perspective - Moving ahead on EU Blue Deal
Event type
Conference
Location
Jacques Delors building - room JDE 62
Brussels
Belgium
The topic of the European Consumer Day 2024 was "Water challenges: Exploring consumer perspective - Moving ahead on the EU Blue Deal". This covered, on one side, consumer protection in terms of ensuring access to water at an affordable price, including vulnerable consumers, touching also upon the aspects of water quality and quantity. On the other side, it involved water-efficient consumption, with a focus on changing consumer habits in order to make the water consumption more sustainable, making use of innovative tools and technology.
