To compete with machines, we become more human

"Let's put humans front and center - the readers we serve, engaging them more deeply, inviting them closer. We need strong bonds, community, events. We need to do what AI platforms aren't interested in, because it doesn't scale, it's not safe, it's not predictable. Let's show up, in podcasts and videos, and be approachable. To compete with machines, we have to become more human."

"The not-so-fun part: AI raised the bar, and now we need to be both better and different. We need to understand how AI works, what it produces, why millions of people like using it, and where its blind spots are. Only then can we sharpen our own offering. With AI, we can analyze more data, tackle bigger investigations, get help with writing and fact-checking, build better UX, and engage large communities."

Journalism must prioritize human readers by building deeper engagement, trust, and community through events, podcasts, videos, and personal approaches. AI handles repetitive content and raises quality expectations, so journalism should focus on what machines cannot scale, like bonds, surprise, doubt, and transparency about reporting processes. Newsrooms must learn how AI works, its outputs, popularity, and blind spots to refine offerings. AI can augment journalism by enabling larger data analysis, bigger investigations, writing and fact-checking assistance, improved UX, and broader community engagement. Investing in AI and human-centered practices requires upfront cost but may be necessary to remain viable.

Read at Nieman Lab