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January 3, 2025
The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various industries is also fundamentally changing the media landscape. While the technology offers promising opportunities for process optimization and content creation, it also raises ethical questions and challenges. The recent case of the scientific journal Journal of Human Evolution (JHE) clearly illustrates this.
At the end of 2024, almost the entire editorial staff of the JHE resigned, citing, among other things, the problematic implementation of AI in the production process by the publisher Elsevier. The editorial staff criticized the unauthorized introduction of AI software for text editing, which led to unwanted changes in spelling and even in articles that had already been approved. These interventions not only caused considerable additional work but also led to embarrassing errors in the magazine. The editorial staff also complained about the lack of transparency and communication from the publisher, as well as the high subscription fees, which were not commensurate with the service offered.
This case is not an isolated one. Since 2023, more and more scientific journals have seen similar mass resignations of editorial staff members who criticize the increasing commercialization and the unreflective use of AI in the scientific publication process. The debate about the use of AI in journalism is therefore more relevant than ever.
AI technologies offer various applications in journalism. For example, they can support the automated creation of short news items, the summarization of complex information, or the translation of texts. The personalized delivery of content to readers or the analysis of large amounts of data for research are also among the potential areas of application.
However, the integration of AI also carries risks. For example, AI systems can be prone to errors and produce so-called "hallucinations," i.e., invent information that does not correspond to reality. This can jeopardize the credibility of journalistic content and undermine the trust of the readership. The danger of bias and discrimination through AI systems is also an important issue that needs to be considered. The question of authorship of AI-generated content and the associated legal aspects are also still unresolved.
The future of journalism probably lies in an intelligent combination of human expertise and technological support. AI can relieve journalists of routine tasks and give them more time for investigative research and the creative design of content. At the same time, human competence remains indispensable in journalism, especially in the critical evaluation of information, the classification of complex contexts, and the maintenance of ethical standards.
Transparent communication about the use of AI in journalism is essential to maintain the trust of the readership. Clear guidelines and quality controls are necessary to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of journalistic content. The training and further education of journalists in dealing with AI technologies will also play a decisive role in successfully shaping the future of journalism.
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