AI enters newsrooms, but people’s scepticism mounts: report

KARACHI: Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the global news industry, with publishers integrating AI in different phases of production -- from automated story writing to personalised alerts -- but the technology is meeting significant distrust from people, according to a new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

The 2025 Digital News Report reveals that consumers are becoming more sceptical of AI integration in newsrooms and believe that while AI makes news cheaper but far less trustworthy. The findings show a net score of -18 for AI’s impact on news trustworthiness.

The report, which surveyed nearly 100,000 people across 48 countries, found that 7.0 per cent of people now use AI chatbots for news on a weekly basis, a figure that rises to 15 per cent among those under 25. This AI-driven disruption comes at a time when traditional media is already failing against social media platforms and online influencers.

Per the report, social media and video networks (54 per cent) have for the first time overtaken television (50 per cent) as the most-used news source in the US, a trend driven by younger demographics. The report highlights that this change is amplified in politically polarised environments, where populist leaders and their supporters are increasingly bypassing the mainstream press.

The report also reveals that audiences are increasingly turning to personality-driven content, bypassing established news outlets. This shift has contributed to stagnant growth in digital subscriptions, with just 18 per cent of people in 20 wealthier markets paying for online news, while overall trust in news remains low at 40 per cent.

A key finding is the growing influence of online creators. In the US, 22 per cent of survey respondents reported encountering news or commentary from podcaster Joe Rogan. In France, the news creator Hugo Travers reaches 22 per cent of the under-35 demographic, a figure that rivals many established news organisations.

The report also documents the continued fragmentation of the online news ecosystem. TikTok’s use for news has surged to 16 per cent globally, reaching 49 per cent in Thailand. Meanwhile, the platform X (formerly Twitter) has maintained its news audience despite a marked political shift to the right since its acquisition by Elon Musk.

Concerns over misinformation remain a significant issue, with 58 per cent of people globally worried about identifying fake news online. The report found that online influencers and national politicians are seen as the biggest sources of false information.

The report details a global push towards AI adoption in newsrooms. Some have moved towards automated content. Examples range from the German tabloid Express[dot]de, which uses an AI bot to author thousands of articles, to a public radio station in Poland that controversially replaced human hosts with AI presenters.

Some broadcasters in Thailand and Indonesia have introduced AI-generated news anchors for some segments, signalling a trend that is more advanced in parts of Asia. AI is being used to power news aggregators to create personalised summaries, such as those trialled by Apple News -- though that feature was withdrawn after high-profile errors.

“Audiences in most countries remain sceptical about the use of AI in the news,” the report notes, adding they are “more comfortable with use cases where humans remain in the loop”.

Even in an environment increasingly populated by synthetic content, audiences still value trusted, human-led brands to verify information. However, the report found that younger people are more willing to use AI chatbots as a verification tool alongside traditional sources.

Mitali Mukherjee, director of the Reuters Institute, said the findings highlight a “delicate dance for news publishers attempting to understand how best to use AI”.