INTERVIEW: Nick Johnston (pictured), publisher at US news organisation Axios, argued AI will be as big a revolution for journalism as the shift from print to digital, emphasising companies must embrace the technology to remain competitive.
Johnston told Mobile World Live it is essential the publishing industry adapts and evolves to the rise of AI.
“It’s so important as a newsroom to figure out how to master and use these tools so we’re not left behind.”
Johnston highlighted a partnership allowing Axios to access advanced enterprise tools from OpenAI as one example of how publishers can embrace the emerging technology.
He explained AI is being used to enhance efficiency across Axios’ newsroom, with journalists employing the technology for time-intensive background or research tasks, distilling large amounts of information and identifying key insights from large data sets.
“I want to keep humans in the mix. So, let’s figure out what AI can do well for us, and then focus on what we can do that the AI can’t.”
As fake news continues to circulate and social media platforms in the US step back from content moderation, Johnston stressed readers are an important element.
“Just because you see something on social media, doesn’t mean it’s true, verified or accurate. You need to go interrogate your sources,” he said, emphasising a need for “civic participation”.
Acknowledging the risks of fake news, Johnston also highlighted the importance of trusted journalism with human oversight, claiming the turn towards AI is a call for organisations to create newsrooms which “are responsive to the needs of readers”.