Adolf Kaure
The world has transitioned, and we now find ourselves in the fourth industrial revolution. With this has come a shift in many industries, especially with Artificial Intelligence (AI) coming to the fore. We cannot find out from the fact that these industries include journalism and public relations.
With this shift there are several questions which need answers, especially if you happen to be a media practitioner or public relations officer (PRO). Questions like: what does this transition look like and how will the transition to artificial intelligence affect the work of journalists and PROs? More importantly, how does this impact the credibility and perception from their audience? And how can professionals in media and in PR prepare themselves for this change?
The change is already here. So, it is too late to wait to look at what the transition to AI will look like. Switch on any media platform right now and it is everywhere. On social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, there are countless images and videos which are AI generated with many applications.
It might not seem significant; however, journalists are required to provide videos for their news outlets on social media and videos for their work and research. Unlike decades ago, we are now faced with a fast-paced world where we are bombarded with information, images and videos, leaving our audience sieving through so much content and leaving them gasping for air trying to know what is real and what is fake. It leaves journalists with even more work to fact check and maintain their credibility.
There are some PROs who boast that their work is really easy. All they need to do is ask ChatGPT and the application does two hours’ work in under a minute. That must be nice and all that is needed is a cell phone or laptop and an internet connection and you are good to go. ChatGPT and other similar applications, can write a press release, edit photos, do some graphic design duties and so much more. Time is definitely saved, but it takes the human creative element from the process and makes everything too generic and less authentic.
AI is here to stay and we can do nothing about it. One way or the other we need to adapt and use it to our advantage. Caution should however be taken when using it. Truth is the barometer through which our work is gauged and this is where it gets tricky. Technology which has stepped in to make our work easier, needs to be controlled like medicine meant for good is used in measured doses. Work needs to get an extra second glance to verify all the facts and images produced by a computer application so that it is not to the detriment of our audience.
The future is here and here to stay. In overseas countries, many journalist jobs have become obsolete and are being taken over by robots. What does that mean for the media professionals and his audience? Some television stations are no longer using human beings to report, especially breaking news in the early hours of the morning, but using robots.
Does it mean that your dream job is no longer a reality as a robot who never gets tired, never goes on maternity leave and never takes industrial action against their employers will be the preferred choice of the future. Does that mean less jobs for media practitioners and a new niche for jobs will funnel through only the best journalists and PROs. This is both a sad reality but also a major win for the industry as the quality of news, content and communication will increase.
Are we prepared for these new times that we live in? This means skills that were once relevant 20 years ago are a thing of the past. Media and PROs need to upgrade their skill set to along with the times. We also need to take caution in how our viewers perceive AI generated content and how it risks our credibility. It is exciting times that are part of, like sieving through pasta through the colander, there is a bit of good and a bit of bad that comes from AI – it is up to us as professionals to make sure the quality shines on top.
Adolf Kaure, is a freelance journalist. He writes in his own capacity as an aspiring communications officer and public relations academic. He can be reached on his Instagram handle @adolf_kaure
