Artificial intelligence in the media under scrutiny

Odense, 8. december 2021

The parties behind the media tech cluster Media City Odense are joining forces on a new project at SDU, which will pave the way for utilizing new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) even more around the editorial offices.

Digitization and AI are gaining more and more ground in the media industry, where the advent of new technologies has an impact on news production and the journalistic work process.

While many pay particular attention to the disadvantages and dangers of using AI in the newsroom, it also offers opportunities to free up time for core journalistic tasks and to strengthen democratic dialogue.

These are the aspects that a new research project at SDU must now help to shed more light on.

What does AI mean for the media industry? The project is a collaboration between SDU's Digital Democracy Center, Media City Odense, Jysk Fynske Medier, TV 2 and TV 2 Fyn, and it is the largest investment to date, which the founders of the strategic collaboration Media City Odense have joined forces on.

- Vi vil undersøge, hvordan AI ændrer nyhederne og de redaktionelle processer, men også hvordan det skaber nye arbejdspladser og samarbejdsrelationer på redaktionerne. Spørgsmålet er, hvad der afgør, om journalister og medier tager de digitale muligheder til sig eller tager afstand fra dem, siger Claes de Vreese, der står i spidsen for Digital Democracy Centre og er en af forskerne bag undersøgelsen.

AI and the democratic conversation And that there is a need for more knowledge in the field, according to director of Media City Odense Anne Dyrehauge is absolutely crucial:

- Hvis vi i mediebranchen skal forblive relevante for danskerne og den demokratiske samtale, er vi nødt til at være helt fremme i udviklingen af digitale teknologier og AI. Det er helt afgørende, at medierne spiller en aktiv rolle, for ellers overlader vi det til techgiganterne og rene kommercielle kræfter at udvikle fremtidens digitale teknologier.

She also would like the project to pave the way for greater interdisciplinary collaboration on the newsrooms.

- Journalister og udviklere har typisk siddet i hver sin del af mediehusene, men i fremtiden tror jeg, at vi vil se meget mere samarbejde mellem indholdsproducenter og udviklere. Der er meget at vinde ved at tænke indhold og teknologi sammen, både for samarbejdet på redaktionerne, og også for mediebrugerne, siger Anne Dyrehauge.

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