As technology advances, communication professionals must also keep up. The use of artificial intelligence by media outlets and journalists at any stage of news production sparks daily debates about the proper way to use this tool. After all, if not used carefully, it can harm the quality of information and lead to financial losses.
Generative artificial intelligence is the most explored subset in this professional field. In short, it utilizes generative models to produce texts, images, videos, and other types of data. Therefore, it has become an extremely valuable resource for content production and advertising texts.
So, in this way, we can assume that AI has the power to facilitate the day-to-day routines of communication professionals, right? Transcribing interviews, organizing meetings, and generating reports are a few of the functions that, with human oversight, can save the most precious thing we have: time. This is why it is being introduced worldwide. Here in Brazil, we have some cases that can bring light to this debate.
The first example is “Leia,” an AI created by “Estadão,” which is one of the oldest and most prominent newspapers in the country. The company gathers a committee weekly to study the editorial and legal matters that surround the tool. The reporters can use it, but they cannot publish texts or images that have been modified or created by AI.
About that, Andre Furlanetto, executive director of digital strategies at Estadão, says “Leia serves as a quick source of answers to questions that may arise during the reader’s journey”.
On the other hand, by the beginning of 2024, the fact-checking agency “Aos Fatos” published an article about a “Veja” magazine cover, which is also a very important publication in Brazil, where the character had six fingers on his right hand, showcasing a significant AI mistake. Additionally, a website that talks about parenting and kids subjects, also from Editora Abril, the same publisher responsible for the magazine, released articles under the authorship of a fictional name. And yes, they weren’t written by their journalist and had signs of AI generation.
Situations like this, which show us attempts to replace professionals with AI, are really concerning. Sometimes, the urge to increase the volume of publications and revenue comes before the quality of the information and every other product made. The idea of decreasing the staff of qualified professionals is risky and puts the company’s reputation at stake
That said, AI is not ready to take our places yet and won’t be anytime soon (hopefully never).
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The article above was edited by Victória Abreu.
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