After the arrival of generative artificial intelligence, many predicted the end of journalistic work. Today it is clearer that the reality is more nuanced: the technology is not making journalists obsolete but is reorganizing how newsrooms operate.
Over the past two years several of the world’s largest media companies have reorganized while simultaneously investing in AI development. New roles have appeared alongside reporters — AI editors, editorial technology leads, data analysts and specialists who monitor algorithmic systems — positions that largely did not exist a few years ago.
The situation in Hungary and the NMHH assessment
This transformation is not limited to international markets. The Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság (NMHH) wrote in its 2025 Media Market Report that generative AI has become one of the most important forces reshaping the media market. According to the authority, the question today is no longer whether the technology will appear in media, but how actors will find their place in the business models it changes.
The NMHH also notes that digital tools and AI solutions have democratized content production: images and audio can now be created with simpler equipment than previously required.
How newsrooms use AI
AI is primarily applied to speed up background processes. Common uses include:
- research and data processing,
- translation and transcription,
- generating content summaries,
- automating technical editing tasks.
These applications can save substantial time and help publishers deliver the same story across multiple platforms — web, video, social and mobile — more quickly and at lower cost.
What remains a human responsibility?
At the same time, skills that AI cannot replace become more valuable. Human responsibilities typically include:
- obtaining original information and on-the-ground reporting,
- verifying sources and fact-checking,
- uncovering context and exercising editorial judgment.
Many international media companies therefore view AI as a complement to journalists’ work: the aim is to free reporters for more value-adding tasks.
Risks and professional responses
AI is a double-edged sword: besides boosting efficiency it creates new risks. Key concerns include:
- deepfake videos and manipulated audio,
- automatically generated misinformation,
- copyright, ethical and credibility issues.
Professional organizations have responded less with bans than with guidelines and recommendations for responsible AI use. Hungarian advertising and media professional bodies have jointly produced recommendations this year on AI application, and issues of trust and legal compliance have become increasingly important competitive assets.
What to expect in the coming years
One of the biggest challenges ahead is likely not how many tasks AI can take over, but how well newsrooms can combine new technologies with journalism’s traditional values. Competition is increasingly not between AI and humans, but between those who build new competencies and those who cling to older operating models.
Ultimately, the decisive question will be how media companies use the tools to preserve credibility, quality and reader trust.
