A Majority of Journalists Expect Job Losses to AI, Survey Finds
Concerns Grow Over Impact on Integrity, Bias, and Human Role in Newsrooms.
More than half of working journalists believe artificial intelligence will replace a growing number of jobs in the profession, according to a new global survey conducted by Pressat.
The survey, which collected responses from 2,000 journalists, found that 57.2 percent are concerned AI will lead to further job losses in the coming years. Over 70 percent said they are actively worried about being displaced by AI within the near future.
Respondents cited a range of technologies that are already reshaping the industry, including automated content generation, AI-based social media monitoring, and algorithm-driven editorial decisions. Some described the shift as a “quiet extinction” of traditional journalism roles.
The general public also fears the negative effects of AI in journalism, as revealed by a 2024 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Roughly half of U.S. adults believe that AI will have a very (24%) or somewhat (26%) negative impact on the news Americans receive over the next 20 years. In contrast, only 10% think AI will have a very (2%) or somewhat (8%) positive effect.
Another survey carried out by the World Association of News Publishers highlights growing concerns about financial security and mental health among journalism professionals, as well as the broader implications for press freedom. To make ends meet, a majority of journalists are increasingly seeking alternative sources of income, turning to roles in public relations (37%), teaching (34%), non-profit work (20%), content marketing (19%), and even jobs such as bartending, real estate, and parcel delivery.
While only 2 percent of those surveyed reported directly losing a job to AI, others suspected automation was a contributing factor. In addition, 33.7 percent said they had witnessed AI being used to track and surface news stories via social platforms.
The findings reflect growing uncertainty not only about the stability of employment but also the broader implications of AI for journalistic ethics and practice. More than 80 percent of journalists surveyed expressed concern that AI-generated stories could be biased or discriminatory. One respondent said they had already seen evidence of such bias in practice.
“AI isn’t a tool, it’s a threat,” one journalist commented, adding that AI systems often fail to grasp context, humanity, or ethics—despite being cheaper to implement.
A majority of respondents—over 60 percent—also expressed concern that AI could contribute to a loss of human identity and autonomy in journalism. Some raised the risk that the use of AI in news production could weaken editorial independence and reduce the role of critical inquiry in reporting.
Only 26.2 percent believed AI could enhance investigative journalism, while 30.4 percent said they see it as a direct risk to its integrity. Meanwhile, 57.6 percent reported seeing AI in use to monitor breaking stories through social media activity.
Although approximately half of the respondents acknowledged that AI could create new roles in journalism, particularly around managing AI tools, many doubted that newsrooms are prepared. Most rated their organisation’s readiness for ethical and effective AI adoption between 2 and 4 on a scale of 5.
Just a small fraction of those surveyed felt that their employers had a clear plan for how AI should be introduced into editorial workflows. One journalist said, “We’re being thrown into this blindly, and it’s going to cost us our credibility.”
The survey suggests that while AI continues to reshape the information landscape, many journalists feel ill-equipped to adapt. The shift raises fundamental questions about the future of the profession and the role of human judgment in news reporting.
