News

How Indy newsrooms are using AI

Poynter · Tracey Compton · last updated

This column is part of the Indianapolis Public Editor project, a pilot program designed to test whether the presence of a public editor who analyzes local coverage can elevate audience trust in journalism and promote media literacy.

News consumers have real fears about how artificial intelligence is used in journalism, with good reason. There are plenty of examples of newsrooms misusing AI.

People think AI is dangerous, harmful and creepy. They worry that AI will hallucinate or make stuff up. And many folks are concerned that AI will replace journalists’ jobs. They are also anxious that they will be flooded with so much noise and slop created by AI that it will be impossible to find reliable information. People hate AI.

I am worried about these things, too. Indianapolis newsrooms are in the early stages of experimenting with AI. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to look at how local newsrooms are using this technology and what ethical guidelines consumers should expect from their news providers.

Related Knowledge Center: Local media

State of Play

The hollowing out of the local news ecosystem has been well documented; in some communities, efforts are underway to reverse the growing news desert.


More informationabout Local media

Related Knowledge Center: Artificial intelligence

State of Play

On top of a failing business model, newsrooms must navigate the powerful — and not fully reliable — new capabilities of artificial intelligence and the deployment of large language models.

State of the business model | Copyright and intellectual property


More informationabout Artificial intelligence

Related Knowledge Center: Inside the newsroom

State of Play

As newsrooms struggle with rickety business models and precarious finances — as well as new technologies —  they are deploying an array of editorial responses. 

The Times and its critics  |  Washington Post mortem    


More informationabout Inside the newsroom