[The Editors' Verdict] "AI Works for Journalists"

Breaking Away from the Perception of 'AI = Job Threat'
Securing Advantage in AI-Generated Content
Need for Alliance to Realize Journalism

Im Cheol-yeong, Head of Strategic Planning Team

"AI works for journalists."

The global media industry is seeking a shift in hegemony regarding generative artificial intelligence (AI). Immediately after the emergence of ChatGPT by the US generative AI developer OpenAI, the media industry, which was worried about survival and obsessed with the possibility of indiscriminate production of "fake news," has begun to change its strategy to actively utilize the technology while securing the "superiority of journalism."

This atmosphere is also sensed in the "2023 World Report" recently published by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. The report deals extensively with generative AI and presents the view that the industry should move away from the defensive perception that AI will greatly threaten human jobs, especially those of media workers, and instead gain an advantage over AI-produced content and create new business opportunities.

The report particularly reflects on the past when valuable content was handed over to giant tech companies and emphasizes the solidarity of journalism. It acknowledges that the global media industry had harbored vague expectations that "technological advancement = media growth and development," resulting in handing over valuable content to large tech companies. At the same time, it calls for a media industry solidarity that actively utilizes AI technology but also takes responsibility for implementing journalism, with journalists building strong oversight, accountability, and enduring transparency in their relationships with readers.

With regulatory moves by governments around the world following one after another, positive momentum can be expected in the global media industry's actions. Following the European Union (EU) AI Act and the G7 countries' agreed code of conduct, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on AI content regulation, expressing agreement with the seriousness of the issue by stating, "AI deepfakes damage reputations and spread fake news." Voices emphasizing the need for media literacy education that distinguishes news from disinformation are also growing louder.

In contrast, the movements of the Korean media industry and government are dissonant. Above all, the government is broadly raising the issue of "fake news" against several traditional media outlets, focusing on punishment. There is no room for discussions on generative AI technology and content containing disinformation. While some responsibility lies with certain media outlets, as expected, conflicts between the government and the media industry have intensified, and debates over the concept and criteria of "fake news" have escalated into political factional disputes.

"Will our media companies really try to jointly respond to the threat of AI technology?" An elder journalist who experienced the era of giant portals expressed such skepticism. Given that solidarity and cooperation are out of the question amid the fake news discourse and everyone is busy watching each other, this is understandable. Fortunately, the Korea Newspaper Association plans to soon submit the results of research and analysis conducted by the "Generative AI Task Force (TF)" to the government. It is hoped this will serve as a starting point for broad discussions on news copyright issues and AI journalism in line with global trends.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.