Strategic communications consultancy Vero launched a study that provided a detailed analysis based on a survey of 75 journalists in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The study revealed the attitudes of media organisations in these countries about utilising artificial intelligence (AI) in their work.

The survey revealed that in Indonesia and Thailand, 95 per cent of journalists have a significant understanding of the technology. Thailand also shows a 95 per cent adaptation rate, reflecting effective integration into their work.

Vietnam is another Southeast Asian (SEA) country with a positive outlook on AI in journalism. Seventy-eight per cent of journalists are familiar with AI, and 100 per cent express positive attitudes toward adapting to the technology’s impact on their work.

Journalists in the Philippines expressed a contrasting attitude. While 90 per cent of surveyed journalists are familiar with AI, only 52 per cent have integrated it into their work.

The Philippines notably exhibited the lowest positive impact rate and the highest negative impact. Interestingly, according to the white paper, this is due to the widespread use of English in local journalism.

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“This linguistic context may contribute to AI technology appearing more threatening to their work compared to other markets,” it explained.

Even in markets where journalists’ attitudes toward AI are more positive, valid concerns remain, including its governance, impact on labour, and cybersecurity issues, particularly in Thailand. In the country, there was an apprehension about overreliance on AI potentially compromising the quality and trust in journalism.

Incorporating AI in media works

According to the white paper, these varied attitude trends reveal the complex dynamics of AI adoption in journalism.

However, when embracing and utilising the technology in a media organisation, factors that play a critical role in determining how effectively they embrace and implement AI include specialised training, available resources, and organisational support.

Most media that have incorporated AI in their operations use it to handle “time-consuming” tasks such as transcription and translation or routine tasks such as data-gathering and analysis. Some also use it to help structure an outline and generate coverage ideas.

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In promoting the use of AI in media organisations, Vero recommends the following steps to foster a positive integration:

Educate
Develop and provide tailored training programmes to facilitate seamless AI integration into journalism.

Acknowledge
Address the concerns of seasoned journalists about the technology’s impact on job security, copyright, and the integrity of journalism.

Be transparent
Communicate the functionalities and limitations of AI tools to build trust and manage expectations.

Be responsible
Maintain a robust support system to address any challenges the tools present, ensuring accountability and ethical usage.

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