From automata to algorithms: A jobs-to-be-done approach to AI in journalism

Abstract

This exploration of AI’s impact on journalism draws parallels with 18th-century automata, tracing a historical fascination with artificial life to today’s generative AI technologies. It discusses how AI is reshaping journalistic practices, challenging traditional notions of the profession. Rather than take a binary position that pits humans against machines, it proposing a “jobs-to-be-done” framework to understand AI’s role in journalism. This approach highlights how AI can best serve the needs of communities and media organizations, moving away from a focus on which journalistic tasks can and cannot be replaced by AI. It suggests a hybrid future where humans and AI collaborate in journalism, with roles and responsibilities evolving based on the job-to-be-done for the industry, the profession and the public.