Globally, concerns about false news content online have increased, with 59 per cent of survey respondents expressing worry, up three percentage points from last year
A recent report highlights growing global concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in news production, with Australians among the most cautious, especially regarding political coverage. The annual Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reveals the challenges news outlets face in generating revenue and sustaining their businesses.
Based on surveys of 2000 people in 47 countries, the report indicates that consumers are generally suspicious of AI-created news content, particularly on sensitive topics like politics. In Australia, where the study was conducted by the University of Canberra’s News and Media Research Centre, 59 per cent of respondents expressed discomfort with AI-generated news, compared to a global average of 45 per cent. In the US, the figure stood at 52 per cent, and it was 63 per cent in the UK.
“It was surprising to see the level of suspicion,” said Nic Newman, senior research associate at the Reuters Institute and lead author of the report. “People broadly had fears about what might happen to content reliability and trust.”
However, the University of Canberra’s research found some nuance in these responses. People felt more at ease with journalism produced mainly by humans with AI assistance than with news primarily created by AI with human oversight. Professor Sora Park, lead author of the Australian study, emphasized the importance of transparency in how news organisations use AI.
“People are particularly uncomfortable about AI being used to produce news about politics but more relaxed about its use for sport and lifestyle news,” Professor Park noted.
Given these uncertainties, more Australians have been turning to traditional news sources and consuming more news overall. Despite financial pressures, the proportion of Australians paying for news remained steady at 21 per cent, higher than the global average. “The data confirms that quality journalism and transparency are the most important trust factors, and these affect people’s willingness to pay for journalism,” Professor Park said.
However, news consumption is increasingly shifting to social media. Half of all Australians now use social media as a source of news, with one quarter relying on it as their main news source. Among Gen Z, 60 per cent use social media for news, with Instagram being the top platform at 32 per cent.
Globally, concerns about false news content online have increased, with 59 per cent of survey respondents expressing worry, up three percentage points from last year. In South Africa and the US, where elections are taking place this year, the concern is even higher at 81 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively.
In Australia, concern about misinformation has surged to 75 per cent, an 11 percentage point increase since 2022. Australians reported encountering the most misinformation on topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, national politics, and climate change.
The report also highlights the growing influence of news personalities on platforms like TikTok. In a survey of over 5600 TikTok users who use the app for news, 57 per cent said they mostly paid attention to individual personalities rather than mainstream media organizations. In the US, the top individuals cited included Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and David Pakman.
As news consumption patterns evolve and concerns about AI and misinformation grow, news organisations face the dual challenge of maintaining trust and adapting to new technologies.