Journalistic ethics and artificial intelligence
By José Manuel González Huesa
General Manager of Servimedia
Technology has always brought about profound changes in the media. In my long experience as a journalist, I got to know and work in newspapers and magazines linked to paper, printing, linotype, phototypesetting, photomechanics or cutter corrections. A more manual world. And it hasn't been that long. I'm talking about the 80s of the last century, about 40 years ago.
I had the good fortune to work at Cambio16, the mythical magazine of the Spanish Transition, where an "opponent" named Felipe González, for example, became known in a very long interview. In this newsroom, back in the 90s, the first Macintoshes were used in a Spanish media. We spent six months working with these devices.
Then came the development of web pages, the coexistence of paper and digital newsrooms, a complex process and with hard reticence from the most experienced journalists. Later, social networks, another world without end and with permanent changes of strategy, as Twitter, the most journalistic profile so far, is doing now.
Artificial intelligence has burst onto the scene this year, and it had already been announced for some time that it was going to change the landscape, but not even the most astute engineers were able to predict such a rapid and impactful advance in all our lives.
Once again, a new adaptation arrives that is always viewed with respect, fear and hope when it comes to moving forward. Journalism involves a lot of creativity, knowledge of the background of the issues and also a more mechanical part. We will have to live with AI and make the best of its capabilities. The most important thing is that we will always have to ask the right question to the intelligence in order to successfully use this technology. And we journalists have some experience in knowing how to ask questions.
Experts say that artificial intelligence can help generate higher labor productivity and more consumption and assure that "in no case will it replace the human part". Soon, "AI will be able not only to understand and generate text and images, but also audio and video," says Alberto Granados, president of Microsoft Spain. And this may open up a field that was unimaginable until now, not only in the media sector but also in the cinema and large production companies that use the new platforms to disseminate their products.
Artificial intelligence is continuously evolving, more and more organizations are applying AI to transform their business and the trend is that it will continue to grow in the coming years.
These technological solutions can "empower employees, optimize their processes based on intelligent data analysis and generate new digital products and services," concludes Granados.
The idea is to free up more time so that journalists can devote more time to creativity. Media outlets around the world are experimenting with the use ofartificial intelligence with the idea of optimizing both content and distribution of information. The use of AI may determine the pace of journalism in the coming years. In this line, journalistic ethics are above all, as AI faces a challenge that so far can only be done by professionals with many years of experience and who know how information sources and news are verified and contrasted. Accuracy and reliability of information can be very complicated for AI, just as it is now for journalists.
How many times have we been deceived by a source? How can you trust it? Who is the real source, the one who has the information? How do you appreciate the nuances of half-truths? Complex questions, even for a professional. Doubts also increase with the use of personal data, a field where privacy becomes a matter of concern.
AI can generate benefits, achieve greater efficiency and adapt content to the needs of the media. In this field, it can save time for editors in tedious tasks such as transcribing interviews, collecting data or generating reports, for example.
Precisely, the management and analysis of large amounts of data is one of the strengths of AI that can help journalists with different relevant trends. At the same time, it allows us to know the interests and preferences of users. In this field, it is possible to recommend information content tailored to each reader, thus increasing their loyalty.
Finally, there are areas of great development for AI: fact-checking large volumes of information, with the establishment of patterns that determine whether a piece of information may be erroneous.
And the participation of AI in advertising, to optimize resources, analyze audience data and user behavior, segment and target campaigns more precisely, in order to achieve greater resource efficiency. A field that the media need for their survival.
José Manuel González Huesa, Managing Director of Servimedia
Born in Madrid in 1962, he began his professional career in 1981 at the weekly El Caso and Radio Nacional. He then worked at Cambio 16 and Diario 16 for 12 years.
He participated in the founding of La Razón and later headed the Communications Department of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Security. After being head of press at ONCE, since 2005 he has headed Servimedia, being the journalist who has been at the head of the news agency for the longest time in its 35-year history and the director of a Madrid media outlet who has been in this position for the longest time.
He has been vice-president of the Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (Fape) and president of the National Association of Health Informers (Anis), as well as lecturer at different universities, director of summer courses and communication studies, moderator of meetings and round tables, and regular contributor to Antena 3 and Onda Cero. He is also director of the magazine Perfiles and the publication Cermi.es since 2005.
