AI is changing the relationship between journalist and audience. There is much at stake | Margaret Simons

"If you use a search engine such as Google, you will have noticed that in recent times when you ask for information on a topic you are served a neat precis of the main facts at the head of the search results. There are links for further information if you want it, but most people are content with the summary. The summary is written by artificial intelligence by robots which comb the work of humans, including the work of journalists, to compose the key points."

"The idea of serving the public has been baked into the bones of journalism ever since the profession was created. Whether it was quality information to inform the citizenry, or sensationalism and gossip, newsrooms and editors have had the desires and needs of their audiences, noble and ignoble, front of mind. But this relationship is changing in important and dangerous ways the latest change in 50 years of technology-driven disruption to our media and public life. Let me explain."

Serving the public has been central to journalism, whether providing quality information or sensationalism and gossip. Audience desires and needs have shaped newsroom priorities. Search engines now show AI-generated precis of main facts at the top of results, with links remaining but most users satisfied by the summary. Robot summaries are written by AI that combs human work, including journalism, and that reduces clickthroughs to news outlets. Reduced traffic threatens subscriptions and advertising revenue, undermining media business models. AI companies are signing licensing deals with media organisations to use journalistic content and archives to train their models.

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