3 minutes de lecture

[SUMMARY] The need for science journalism in the face of AI

Bruxelles 2024

22 Nov 2024

The need for science journalism to face the evolving tools of AI - an overview of the panel
Olivier Aballain, Josée-Nadia Drouin and Agnès Vernet debating on science journalism facing AI. Photo: David Allias/EPJT

With Agnès VERNET (France), vice-président of the French Association for Science journalism (AJSPI), Josée-Nadia DROUIN (Canada), head of the Agence Science Presse and Olivier ABALLAIN (France), deputy director of studies at ESJ Lille.

Moderated by Bálint ABLONNCZY (Hungary), co-founder of Válasz Online.

Key issues

What are the environnmental and human costs of AI algorithms in journalism? Should we necessarily use AI for everyday research? Should we not perhaps re-consider the ways in which we can use these tools in journalism? As a journalist, what is the right way to face AI? How to educate the new generation of journalists?

 

What they said:

Jose NADIA: “We noticed that in some of our productions, AI had invented references and statements based on unreal studies.”
 
Olivier ABALLAIN: “In journalism schools, our goal is to help students use AI tools in their work at a moment.”
 
Agnès VERNET: “Young journalists should not be worried about AI, they shall adapt to using such tools in another way – as a gain in efficiency and productivity.”
 
“We are speaking about AI as a ‘revolution’, but I think we should remove the ‘R’ and just speak of ‘evolution.’”
 
“I’m afraid that people using Tiktok won’t have access to classic media anymore.”

 

Takeaways

“AI is not a ‘revolution’, but ‘evolution’”, Agnès Vernet said and this is how AI should be understood in its current state. AI should scare neither young journalists nor the general public about the veracity of information, which is checked by journalists. Above all, AI must not be perceived only as a tool for productivity gain within or outside media. If people are thinking of AI in that way, they will never be able to use this tool in a better way.

That is why it is important to train future journalists but also those already in the profession. Most of all, it is important to teach them not to considerate AI as a polished tool and to not depend on it.

David Allias (EPJT)