In recent years, the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated discussions about the future of many professions, including intellectual ones. It’s not uncommon to hear that the journalist, as we know them today, is destined to disappear, swept away by automation. But is that really the case? Recently, I found myself reflecting on this question, prompted by a conversation with a client who claimed that journalists will be replaced by artificial intelligence in a few years.
This perspective, while widespread, seems superficial to me. Certainly, AI is already changing the way we work, but can it really take the place of intellectual professions? My answer, in short, is no. Just as the introduction of photography and cinema in the late 19th and early 20th centuries did not destroy existing professions but transformed them, AI does not pose an existential threat to journalism but rather serves as a tool that, if used well, can enhance our work and allow us to focus on what truly matters.
Towards a natural selection of professions
Journalism is much more than simply writing articles. What makes this profession unique is the “quid” that unites all intellectual professions: analytical ability, critical thinking, the pursuit of truth, and storytelling. AI can certainly assist in the production process by speeding up writing and organizing information, but it cannot replace the intuition, creativity, and, above all, the ethics of a journalist.
In the journalistic context, AI can be seen as an assistant that accelerates the production process, allowing us to save time on mechanical tasks like transcribing interviews or conducting basic research. This can be particularly useful in a society like ours, where the demand for news is relentless and response times are increasingly short. However, the crucial difference lies in the final control: an AI-generated article may be grammatically perfect, but without a human eye to assess its tone, the veracity of sources, and the depth of analysis, it risks being superficial or even misleading.
The real issue is not whether AI can eliminate jobs, but rather which types of jobs it will replace. Those professions that have operated for years like assembly lines, performing repetitive and mechanical tasks without evolving, will be at risk. In journalism, this means that those who merely report news without adding value, who do not invest in improving their skills and refining their writing, will likely be vulnerable. But the journalist who can make a difference, who can offer critical analysis, who can tell stories compellingly, and interpret the complexity of the world will always have a role.
Journalists as directors of artificial intelligence
Another aspect to consider is that, although it is a powerful system, artificial intelligence needs human input. Who tells AI to write an article? Who decides which information to include, what to focus on, and how to angle the story? The journalist, always. Without human intelligence, AI does not function. The algorithms that enable the automated production of content are created, improved, and fed by humans.
The secret lies in adapting and using AI to our advantage. Just as great artists of the past did with the advent of digital technology, the important thing is not to fear change, but to embrace it, master it, and use it to elevate our work to higher levels. Think of directors like the Marx Brothers or photographers like Andy Warhol: rather than worrying about the arrival of new technologies, they made them their own, using them to express their creativity in new and innovative ways.
Probably, what will go extinct is the ‘T-Rex’ journalist, the old-school type, incapable of managing web communication, reluctant to social media, slow in online research, not versatile in using new technologies, unaware and perhaps a bit radical chic towards new forms of language, who “loves the smell of printed paper in the morning.”
Following this homage to Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola shows us a harsh truth: change is inevitable. In the modern journalism world, artificial intelligence seems to be the new battlefield. Just like the soldiers in the film, journalists must adapt or succumb. But is it really so? Are we the dinosaurs destined for extinction, or the mammals that will survive and evolve, dominating the new era of AI?
What if AI became the journalist’s new intern?
Ultimately, I don’t believe AI poses a threat to journalism or intellectual professions, but rather a challenge. It is a powerful tool that can automate some parts of our work, but it cannot replace what makes journalism essential: intelligence, creativity, and the ability to tell stories about the world. It is up to us journalists to decide how we want to face this challenge: we can be overwhelmed by the fear of being replaced, or we can leverage AI to grow, to do our work more efficiently, and to focus on what only human intelligence can offer.
If we pause to reflect, we might consider it as an intern: a powerful, but still inexperienced resource, ready to be guided by the experience of a mentor. Many concepts, without guidance. AI can accelerate work, automate repetitive tasks, but it still needs a tutor to direct its actions, evaluate its content, and provide the human touch that no machine can replicate.
The real fear? Artificial intelligence is like an ambitious intern: it may seem like it knows everything, capable of producing articles in a flash. But let’s not be deceived by its speed.
While AI may frighten us with its ability to learn and adapt, it can never replace the experience and field training that only a true journalist can provide. After all, an intern can provide support, but the craft is learned through years of practice, intuition, and a deep connection to the truth.
However, to face this new challenge, we need the new generations in training. These young professionals will not only bring freshness and innovation but will also be able to relate to technology in ways that we, the more experienced, might not consider. It is essential that tomorrow’s journalists learn to integrate AI into their work, using it as a tool to enhance their creativity and analytical abilities, without forgetting the importance of human experience in storytelling.
