Artificial intelligence (AI) has burst into our daily lives, transforming companies and redefining paradigms. There is even talk of a fourth industrial revolution that will change the way of teaching and learning: in health, in the economy, in security, etc. Perhaps one of the fields where its impact is most evident is in the field of communication, since it has caused significant changes in both the production and consumption of information. From here a crucial question arises: Is this irruption an opportunity to improve the quality and effectiveness of communication, or rather does it represent a threat to the autonomy and diversity of information?
The integration of AI in communication entails a great capacity for content generation: platforms and algorithms based on artificial intelligence can produce articles, reports and even complete news in an automated way. Opportunity or threat? It all depends on the use we make of it.
This is what Pere Buhigas, professor at the Faculty of Communication Sciences at UIC Barcelona and director of the Observatory of Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies (OIANT) at the same university, thinks. “Routines change,” explains Buhigas, “because we know the profile of our consumers much better: we know very well who follows us and, therefore, we can offer them specific content. We are moving towards individualized and much more personalized treatment.”
But what about the AI ??that generates the so-called fake news? Through chatbots or conversational robots, AI facilitates the creation of news, perhaps intentionally false and viral. “Indeed, this is one of the handicaps of artificial intelligence,” says the UIC Barcelona professor: “It will be difficult to discern between good information and not so good or, simply, bad.” This efficiency raises new ethical questions about the authenticity and veracity of automatically generated information. “Fortunately,” the professor, also director of Radio4, continues explaining, “it also gives us tools to discover if there has been misuse of the information. “Against fake news, fact checking.”
New challenges. New opportunities. And new professions, too: news fact-checkers, big data specialists or data journalism… “Journalists must have essential knowledge of AI, but new jobs linked to communication will also be created. For this reason – the UIC Barcelona professor clarifies – it is very important that university training includes this knowledge: evolution of AI, what tools it has, how it can help us, what dangers, what ethical requirements it implies, etc.”
As AI takes over routine tasks in content production, the role of the journalist has undergone a significant transformation. Communication professionals are now expected to not only inform, but also understand and use AI tools to improve the quality of their work. Collaboration between journalists and intelligent systems presents opportunities for innovation, but also challenges in preserving ethics and editorial independence. AI’s ability to analyze large amounts of data and predict behavioral patterns also raises concerns about possible manipulation of information. Recommendation algorithms can influence people’s opinions and decisions, raising questions about accountability and transparency in the design and use of these technologies. “At every step we take, we must be aware of the dangers it entails,” says Pere Buhigas.
All this happens with content-generating AI – the so-called “generative AI”, unlike “general AI” such as, for example, robots that, today, do not generate content –, which facilitates interaction with the machine , to stimulate creativity when creating images, patterns, videos, audios; to organize and categorize; to free yourself, in short, from more cumbersome tasks. “It doesn’t have to be the end result, but a means to build what we want.” That’s how it is. “The thing is that it is a very powerful tool. This is why we talk about the fourth industrial revolution.”
For all these reasons, UIC Barcelona is clearly committed to implementing transversal knowledge in all degrees about generative AI. This is the purpose of the observatory directed by Pere Buhigas: to be a support for the different faculties that see how to carry out this implementation: in the degrees of Health Sciences, but also in Law, in Business Administration or in Architecture. “Not in vain,” explains Buhigas, “since last year at the Faculty of Communication Sciences we have had exclusive subjects on this topic, so that our students leave with the necessary skills. This is very important so that they do not lose job opportunities.” A subject in each grade on artificial intelligence applied to communication. “In this way, we seek to introduce the basic concepts around AI, adapting them to each grade,” says the director of Radio4.
A training that also reaches UIC Barcelona professors, “because it entails a new way of teaching: how to present the assignments that are requested or the explanations that are given, taking into account that students will have to use AI to investigate, but not as a result as a final work.”
Returning to the question: opportunity or threat? It all depends on the use we make of it. The emergence of AI in the world of communication is an inevitable phenomenon that presents challenges. The key lies in finding a balance that allows us to take advantage of the advantages of technology without compromising ethics and information diversity. The responsibility falls on both AI developers and communication professionals to ensure that technology serves the common good and contributes to an informed and participatory society.