The conversation around Artificial Intelligence in journalism is reaching a fever pitch, as highlighted in a recent article, "How AI 'revolution' is shaking up journalism". We see industry leaders like Mathias Doepfner of Axel Springer calling AI a "revolution" that could either enhance or entirely replace journalism, leading to significant job reductions. This sentiment is echoed by author Alex Connock, who foresees AI replacing more "mechanistic" roles.
On the other hand, there are voices of caution. Mike Wooldridge from Oxford University likens current tools to a "glorified word processor," not a true replacement for journalists. The experiment by French journalists Jean Rognetta (jean@project-syndicate.org) and Maurice de Rambuteau (maurice.derambuteau@bengs-lab.com), who found AI incapable of producing quality reports without constant human intervention, further illustrates these limitations.
This unfolding debate brings to mind a piece I wrote back in 2016, "Revenge of the AI ?". At the time, I reflected on a significant but underreported partnership between tech giants—Facebook, Amazon, Google, IBM, and Microsoft. I noted the words of pioneers like Mustafa Suleyman (mustafas@microsoft.com) of DeepMind, Francesca Rossi (francesca.rossi2@ibm.com) of IBM Research, and Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella (satyan@microsoft.com), who were all signaling a fundamental shift in computing.
Back then, I made what might have seemed a radical prediction:
In Hindustan Times's office , you won't find Watchman / Receptionist / Reporters / Journalists / Composers / Graphic Designers / Editors / Operators etc. All will be replaced by AI Robots…
I had projected this for the year 2026. Seeing the current news—layoffs at CNET and restructuring at major publishing houses—it strikes me how relevant that earlier insight has become. The "revolution" that Mathias Doepfner speaks of is the very storm I saw gathering on the horizon. My prediction was not just about technology but about the structural upheaval it would cause in industries built on information.
The core idea I want to convey is this — I had brought up this exact possibility years ago. Seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how prescient that warning was. The future I envisioned in 2016 is no longer a distant sci-fi scenario; it is the strategic challenge newsrooms are facing today. While the complete replacement of human journalists by 2026 may still be debatable, the direction of travel is undeniable. The question is no longer if AI will transform journalism, but how we will navigate this new chapter.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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