My highlight last week – contributing to a Panel Discussion in Berlin: Reuters hosted the event “AI and Future of News” (01.07.2025), bringing together European broadcast media and news publishing executives. It was a great day full of discussions and networking. And thanks a lot to Alphonse Hardel, Minna Mustakallio, James Fletcher for our lively panel on AI, Ethics, and Transparency.
A big thank you to Jane Barrett for sharing her recap of the event. Read it her: https://lnkd.in/esDHM9yP. As Jane pointed out, AI really forces us to “re”-everything.
Re-think how and where we meet our audiences
Re-skill our staff and ourselves
Re-tool our processes, not jurst our tech
Re-define our culture
Re-inforce our strenght
Some ideas how I see we should move forward
Embrace: We’ve already embraced AI in media houses worldwide, and it’s exciting to see how AI can drive innovation—especially when it comes to automating repetitive tasks in newsrooms. But here’s where I think we need to focus: it’s not just about adopting AI tools but integrating them thoughtfully into our journalistic processes. The risk I see is that if we don’t approach this integration with care, we might lose sight of the core principles of accuracy, objectivity, and ultimately, the trust of our audience.
Focus: With all the excitement around AI adoption, it’s easy to get swept up in the possibilities. But I believe we now need to focus on the ethical implications of how AI is used. AI can bring benefits, but we must take a hard look at how we manage transparency in the content we produce. For me, strategic transparency is key. It’s not about disclosing everything, but being clear when AI has a meaningful role in content creation—especially when it has the potential to influence how stories are told. I think that’s a responsibility we can’t overlook.
Balance: Here’s where I feel the real challenge lies: balancing AI’s benefits with the preservation of journalistic integrity. It’s easy to get carried away by the reach AI offers, but we can’t afford to compromise the trust we’ve worked so hard to build. AI shouldn’t replace the human element in journalism. The challenge is finding the right balance between AI-driven innovation and maintaining the accountability we owe to our audience.
Responsible AI and Global Responsibility: We, as media organizations, must lead the way in using AI responsibly—not just by shaping internal policies but by taking accountability across the entire ecosystem. This includes collaborating with tech companies, regulators, and society to ensure AI serves the public good. It’s crucial that we also involve the Global South in these conversations—not only as consumers of AI but as creators and contributors.
If we fail to do so, we risk perpetuating existing imbalances in representation, access to information, and technological development. This responsibility cannot be delegated; it’s on us to shape a fair, inclusive future for AI.