Kuala Lumpur: Despite the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism, creativity and the human touch remain essential in producing accurate and high-quality news. Mandarin newspaper journalist Choong Mei Chin, 47, said while AI could speed up news writing by enabling faster access to information and data, media practitioners must not rely solely on it and should verify the authenticity of the content.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Choong has used AI in her writing to assist with translation, identifying news angles, fact-checking, and reviewing interview transcripts. However, she cautions that relying too much on AI can affect creativity and quality, and may lead journalists to think less critically. Choong, who has been a journalist for over 20 years, said AI was not a threat but a revolution that must be navigated wisely, as its misuse could weaken writing skills, leading to a decline in quality and affecting credibility.
Echoing a similar view, Nurashikin Haron, 30, a journalist at a news agency, said that while AI made work easier and offered guidance in generating ideas, over-reliance on the technology could lead to complacency among journalists. Nurashikin, who has been in the media industry since 2019, said AI should not be used as the only tool in news production and that young journalists must continue to develop their writing and critical thinking skills to keep their work relevant and engaging.
Political communication expert and social media expert Associate Professor Dr Mohd Faizal Kasmani from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) said AI applications such as ChatGPT had a significant impact on news writing, as they could produce accurate and timely content in proper news format. However, he noted that the quality of news produced by AI could be inaccurate if not properly checked, especially in the social media era, where the demand for rapid news dissemination had led to heavy reliance on AI.
The USIM Communication Centre director also said that although AI could write news, it was not capable of being a journalist and merely produced news based on information provided by humans. He explained that AI could not conduct investigations, ask questions, provide quotations, generate accurate news leads, or determine whether an event had news value. Mohd Faizal emphasised that the industry required original and distinctive content that only humans could produce, adding that excessive reliance on AI could result in generic and similar work that would not last.