Ramifications of a future where journalism will be powered by Artificial Intelligence

Ramifications of a future where journalism will be powered by Artificial Intelligence

The world of reporting is changing in an unprecedented manner.  The coming world will not just create news but also present it.  If one is a journalist, then one should care for the long term ramifications of what these developments will bring along.

Artificial Intelligence is being used to fully define our news for us.

The Chinese broadcaster Xinhua has a new TV anchor named Xin Xiaomeng.  She is not a real person, but a Digital Composite who has been “taught” the facial expressions and speech-patterns of a typical news presenter.

She is actually modeled on an real life Xinhua anchor Qu Meng

In fact the Chinese news agency has also launched AI presenter Qiu Hao, named Xin Xiaohao.

 Xin Xiaohao

Here is the actual presenter on whom this AI power presenter is based on.

 Qiu Hao

As per Xinhua, the new “hires” have  already done (until February 2019) 3,400 reports totaling over 10,000 minutes in length since November 2018!  This would surely be building their prowess.

AI is in Newspaper reporting as well

On the front of newspaper journalism, The Guardian is experimenting with an AI based reporting tool called ReporterMate.  For example, an entire report on political donations in Australia was done with the help of ReporterMate.

This will be a challenge for the integrity and the honesty of the news reporting.

Why?

Ramifications for the future?

Because reporting creates a precedence of events.  You see an event may have happened, but if it is not reported, in terms of global knowledge and understanding, it has not happened.  That creates a precedence and creates a bias and prejudice in favor of the events and ideologies which are reported as opposed to those which go unreported.

So reporting which is powered by an algorithm – if already embedded with a bias (as many statistical studies are) – will rig the future reporting in one direction.

If you can think that certain powers are working to marginalize your way of life, it is important that you create a platform that supports your reporting.

Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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