Journalism talk - AI: what European sovereignty?

Artificial intelligence was once again on the agenda for the Journalism Talk. This time, a debate was held on the political strategies of the EU and its ambition in terms of research and innovation. Delphine Sabattier, journalist; François Lavoir, from the European Broadcasting Union and Damien Van Achter, journalist-entrepreneur, answered all the students’ questions.

According to the report of the special commission on artificial intelligence in the digital age, the European Union has fallen behind in terms of development, research and investment in the field of AI. Europe must shift gears or risk seeing the USA and China go it alone in this area. The EU seeks to promote a strategic position to foster technological innovation, necessary financial investments and respect for citizens’ democratic rights.

All these issues were discussed between the students and the guests invited to the Talk. AI is often seen as an opportunity or a threat to democracy. These two visions condition the EU’s strategies for the development of AI. There are some who believe that market forces must be deployed to support innovation, while others are of the opinion that regulation is essential to protect citizens.

This talk made it possible to address the balance of power between the EU and GAFAM, the existing regulations governing the market and the fines imposed in the event of violations of rules. The issue of disinformation was debated at length during the second part of the event, which focused more on practices within the world of journalism and the implementation of these tools within editorial offices.

The profession is undergoing a transformation in terms of the production and dissemination of information. Will AI free journalists from redundant tasks or will it simply replace journalists? In response to this fairly provocative question, the panelists reassured the students with arguments on the essential role of the journalist in the processing of information: public interest, meaning, hierarchy, ethics, quality of sources, accuracy and veracity of information. No AI is able to replace human presence at this stage.

Finally, there was a discussion about the profiles of future journalists whose practices and missions will be significantly impacted by the advance of AI. Even if media strategies are in their infancy and exploratory, the profession seems unable to navigate these changes and invent new practices.

See you from 20 to 22 November 2024, for the second edition of the European Journalism Conference in Brussels: "AI, the media, Europe and me. European Journalism facing the challenge of Artificial Intelligence"