Swrite a report, outline a story, a poem or a song. And, of course, writing a newspaper article, quickly and with a decent level of quality. All this is possible since, at the end of 2022, ChatGPT (acronym for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) has caught on all over the world.
Many are wondering whether AI represents the end or just an evolutionary stage for journalism and writing jobs in general. There are optimists, supporters of AI’s inability to harm journalism and replace human work. On the other end of the line, however, there are the critical views of those who believe that journalism risks losing sight of the human component. It is a phenomenon that is happening now, before our eyes, getting an idea without swinging from one extreme to the other is difficult. To provide some clarity, we asked the opinion of Andrea Esuli, research director of the “Alessandro Faedo” Institute of Information Science and Technologies of the CNR in Pisa.
Studying the context before the news: the support of AI
One of the most concrete contributions of artificial intelligence to journalism concerns the preparatory phase. AI can help gather information, build concept maps, summarize the state of the art of a discipline or clarify the profile of an expert before an interview.
A precious support, especially in a profession that requires great flexibility: «One day the journalist interviews a virologist, the next day an economist, the day after that a scientist. It is not always possible to have technical skills on every topic, and this is where artificial intelligence can become an ally: an assistant that knows a lot and allows you to arrive prepared for dialogue with sources, as long as you maintain a critical attitude. There is always the risk that some information is distorted.” – underlines the researcher. And this is precisely where the competence and ethics of the journalist come into play.
AI as an assistant in the writing phase
The key point is not to confuse help with delegation. AI must never become a shortcut. Rather, it serves to organize thinking, to orient oneself, to ask the right questions.
A new feature of ChatGPT will suggest recommendations on products to purchase, putting itself in open competition with Google (Getty Images)
Another moment in which artificial intelligence can be useful is during the final writing. Not to write the article for the journalist, but as a sort of critical reader: someone to ask if a passage is unclear, if the text flows, if the tone is consistent with the chosen style. The boundary, however, must be clear. Signing an article means assuming full responsibility. «The problem is not AI, – observes Esuli, – but the negligent use that can be made of it. If a text is published without being verified, reviewed and understood by those who sign it, the error is not technological, but human.”
Chatbots and news: the risk of homologation
In an era where information flows quickly, artificial intelligence can only become a useful tool if it puts what really matters at the center: the critical gaze and the ability of journalism to describe complexity. Chatbots, according to the expert, can assist this process by providing useful tools to support the creative process. But there is a risk that should not be underestimated: that of a flattening of style: «The quality of human work always emerges, – explains the researcher – but if everyone draws on the same tools, the danger is that the news ends up resembling one another, losing that personal voice that distinguishes one journalist from another».
AI does not replace the journalist, it supports him
Does artificial intelligence put journalistic work at risk? The expert’s answer is clear: «No, it transforms it. The selection of news, their relevance, the way of telling them and contextualizing them remain profoundly human skills. AI accelerates the most mechanical phases: collection, organization, synthesis of information.” Precisely for this reason, paradoxically, it can pave the way for more in-depth journalistic investigations. In short, if used ethically, AI can be a very useful tool. It’s up to us to decide if and how to use it because, ultimately, responsibility always remains profoundly human.