Media workers and newsrooms are focusing on the ability of ChatGPT and similar technologies to assist rather than on their potential threat to jobs
SAN FRANCISCO — April 25, 2023 — Bospar, the “politely pushy” PR and marketing firm that puts tech companies on the map, today announced the results of a survey of American media workers (who contribute to the news cycle) regarding opinions about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT or similar generative AI technologies in journalism.
The survey was conducted in advance of a San Francisco Press Club panel discussion today, “AI + Journalism = ?”, on AI’s impact on journalism and journalists. Bospar principal and president of the San Francisco Press Club, Curtis Sparrer, organized the event.
“While the average American is learning what ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies are all about and can accomplish, American media workers have had a head start experimenting with the technologies,” said Sparrer. “And while some governments and influencers are asking for technology companies to tap the brakes on AI development, the survey reveals that many media workers and newsrooms are moving ahead to implement ChatGPT and similar technologies, focusing on their ability to assist rather than their potential threat to jobs.”
Media workers are moving ahead with generative AI
The vast majority (87%) of survey respondents who work in the media think people generally are overly sensitive to generative AI, and another 88% believe it will make media jobs easier. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters (74%) of those that work in the media have worked or experimented with ChatGPT or other generative AI for their jobs, and another 78% have used them to write at least one sentence in a story.
Media workers also are not hiding their use of generative AI for their work. More than three-quarters (76%) said either their readers, editors, colleagues or bosses know that they used ChatGPT for a story.
Eighty-eight percent of respondents who work in the media agree that technology is always part of a reporter’s career development, just like learning computers, public databases, the web, data analytics, search engines, and social media.
Most newsrooms support using generative AI
Most newsrooms also support using generative AI in media work. More than half of respondents (54%) say their newsroom is all for using generative AI, while another 38% report their newsrooms are open to using it and only another 8% indicate their newsrooms are against it.
Concerns regarding generative AI
Respondents also documented concerns about generative AI. When asked to rank their concerns about generative AI writing news stories, respondents ranked them in this order:
- Can be discriminatory
- Can’t be trusted
- Not actually original thinking / reporting
- Not accurate
- Will put you or colleagues out of work
- Not a good storyteller
Methodology
A national online survey of 1,002 U.S. media consumers and media workers (302), ages 18 and older, was conducted by Propeller Insights on behalf of Bospar in April 2023. Survey responses were nationally representative of the U.S. population for age, gender, region, and ethnicity. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
About Propeller Insights
Propeller Insights is a full-service market research firm based in Los Angeles. Using quantitative and qualitative methodologies to measure and analyze marketplace and consumer opinions, Propeller Insights works extensively across industries such as travel, brand intelligence, entertainment/media, retail, and consumer packaged goods.