Can we take a moment to talk about an AI-related problem that keeps popping up in conversations with media executives? 

It is the problem of scaling and adoption. We are now at the stage where most media companies have run dozens of experiments with AI. But getting employees excited about using the tools is proving to be remarkably challenging.

Indeed, an INMA survey of media executives identified this as one of the top challenges the industry faces over the next 12 months.

Different news organisations are trying different approaches. 

For example, Axel Springer’s Business Insider tracks employee AI use and even maintains a leaderboard that names the employees who use it the most. The news brand, which recently announced that it is dismissing about one-fifth of its staff, says about 70% of its employees use ChatGPT and that it is aiming for 100% adoption.

Another example is Thomson Reuters, where AI is used to create news alerts from press releases, package stories, and create company profiles. The newsroom is encouraged to experiment with AI, according to Richard Baum, global general manager of Reuters newsroom operations. 

“This is more of a cultural challenge than a tech challenge,” he added. “The tech is doable. Getting people to buy into it is much harder.” 

Or as Lars Jensen, who oversees audience insights at Berlingske Media in Denmark, said: “As the technology-driven ‘AI-for-the-sake-of-AI’ hype is ending, factors such as organisational culture and actual implementation become ever more important. The ‘shiny new technology’ part leaves the stage as old giants of ‘change management’ and ‘culture work’ take over.”

Why is this so hard? Fear and insecurity are two big reasons. 

According to a survey of more than 7,200 office workers and IT professionals, 46% say the AI tools they use are not employer-provided, and nearly one-third of them say they are secretly using AI instead of revealing it to their employers.

Some are also concerned that revealing they get help from AI may compound the heavy workload they hoped AI would help alleviate, agreeing with the statement: “When I work more efficiently, my employer gives me more work,” according to the survey.

How does one overcome this, then?

Jessica Bulthé, who heads data and insights at Mediahuis in Belgium, has some advice on what works:

• Set up an internal hub where “information, inspiration, and guidelines” are posted, along with updates on projects.

• Send out a regular newsletter with answers to staff questions, announcements of workshops, and similar content. Mediahuis’ newsletter, sent to nearly 7,000 employees, has an impressive open rate of 63%.

• Run training sessions as well as hackathons.

• Create tools that adjust their output to a brand-specific way of writing and tone of voice. “This helps with the adoption rate in the newsrooms,” she said.

“The biggest barriers we face aren’t hallucinating LLMs or prompt-engineering challenges,” Bulthé said. “The real barriers are fear, fatigue, and identity. Journalists fear that AI will undermine their craft. They’re tired of yet another wave of ‘the next big thing.’ And they wonder: If a machine can write, what’s my value? And you know what? We need to meet that fear with respect, not arrogance.”

As part of that effort, her team works with journalists to co-create tools that can enhance their work. “Journalists remain in control of every decision,” she said.

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