Aidan White, the founder of the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN), assessed the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on journalism, emphasizing that algorithms have a tendency to present content lacking in diversity. He stated that in the future, journalists must ensure that people have access to a variety of perspectives.
The founder of the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN) Aidan White spoke at the Press Academy of the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) on April 23rd in a seminar titled “Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
White emphasized that creating an independent and transparent internet environment, free from state or corporate control, is one of the greatest challenges. He believes that the preferences of tech giants are disrupting the information ecosystem.
One major disruption is the influence of algorithms and new artificial intelligence models. White pointed out that the internet environment shaped by algorithms monopolized by big tech companies prevents people from encountering diverse content. He stated:
“When flipping through the pages of a newspaper, you couldn’t predict which news would appear on the next page; you could encounter unexpected ‘voices.’ Personalized algorithms eliminate this surprise and pluralism. We should have access to surprising information. Artificial intelligence hinders us from encountering different ideas. Journalists must take on this task.”
White also highlighted that artificial intelligence presents a great opportunity for societal progress, and we can see its positive effects in many areas of our lives, especially in health. He stressed that through artificial intelligence, information can be conveyed more accurately and efficiently in journalism as well:
“Artificial intelligence has automated many tasks in journalism that used to require a lot of effort, took a long time, and nobody enjoyed doing. This relieves people of a great burden and leaves much more energy, time, and resources for real journalism. However, for journalism to be done faster, more efficiently, and accurately with artificial intelligence, there needs to be collaboration between artificial intelligence and societal consciousness.”
White listed four fundamental demands from major tech companies for those working to defend press freedom and public rights:
- Transparency: Algorithms should be transparent about how they work and what data they collect.
- Human intervention: Processes should involve contributions from humans, with society’s general intelligence, values, and judgments always being involved.
- Establishment of ethical standards: Tech companies should play a decisive role in using artificial intelligence based on fundamental values and for the public good.
- Accountability and oversight: There should be practices that involve oversight of what tech companies are doing with artificial intelligence and taking responsibility for any resulting damage or harm.
However, White noted that these demands are unacceptable to tech companies because they fundamentally contradict the financial interests of these corporations.
White continued by saying that except for a few media outlets producing their own artificial intelligence, the future of news media will depend on accessing artificial intelligence tools created by major tech companies.
According to White, the real problem at this point is what governments will do. Will official authorities intervene with legal interventions to ensure a reasonable spread of power? Or are we facing a future where news media is entirely forced into dependency within itself or isolated from society?
White emphasizes that although there is a demand for self-regulation in journalism within certain rules from technology companies, even if they were to agree to sign agreements, it seems unlikely that they would implement them. Therefore, what needs to be done is to operate laws and self-regulatory structures together.
Source: Journo