Are journalists getting dumber with AI? New study has answers

Journalists working with AI tools risk losing certain foundational skills while developing new ones, according to a new study published in Journalism Practice. Andrew Deck reports for Nieman Journalism Lab that researcher Shangyuan Wu of the National University of Singapore interviewed 14 working journalists in Singapore to explore this shift.

The study builds on last year’s MIT Media Lab research on “cognitive debt,” which found that ChatGPT users experienced declining writing abilities and lower brain engagement when they offloaded essay tasks to AI.

Research skills at risk

Wu’s interviewees worried that generative AI tools, which can quickly produce background reports and conduct online searches, may erode journalists’ ability to track down information and verify primary sources. Easy access to AI-generated summaries could also reduce motivation to conduct expert interviews, the study suggests. One journalist described the trend as “dumbing down the profession.”

Other participants pushed back, comparing AI to earlier tools like transcription software and search engines. They framed AI as a way to “streamline research processes” rather than a replacement for reporting.

New skills emerging

The study also points to areas of potential upskilling. Journalists will need a sharper ability to discern fact from fiction and bias from neutrality, since AI tools can produce hallucinated or incomplete information. Fact-checking and editing skills will also matter more as journalists review AI-generated copy for accuracy and tone.

Storytelling and original thinking remain distinctly human strengths, the study finds. As one interviewee put it: “AI can give you what is out there, but it cannot provide that innovation or creativity.”