The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a promise—it has become the central driver of a profound transformation in newsrooms around the world.
One of the main points of friction identified is the gap between everyday use of the technology and the lack of institutional frameworks.
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a promise—it has become the central driver of a profound transformation in newsrooms around the world.
During the Midyear Meeting of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), experts from Europe and Latin America agreed that while AI offers unprecedented tools for innovation, it also raises existential challenges related to intellectual property, audience relationships, and the financial sustainability of media outlets.
From Individual Adoption to Ethical Strategy
One of the main points of friction identified is the gap between everyday use of the technology and the lack of institutional frameworks. Claudia Báez, a digital innovation and AI strategist, noted that while there is a “democratization” of individual AI use among journalists, there is an alarming lack of corporate policies.
According to a study by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, 84% of organizations already use artificial intelligence, but only 13% have clear ethical guidelines. “It is not enough to have a document; newsrooms must apply it and define clear red lines when using AI,” Báez said.
For Miguel Carvajal, director of the Master’s Program in Journalism Innovation at Miguel Hernández University, the risk lies not in the technology itself but in its “uncritical adoption.” Carvajal emphasized that the core value of journalism—its ability to prioritize, verify, and surprise—must never be delegated to a machine.
“At this moment, trust with audiences cannot be broken, and that trust is protected by adopting AI responsibly,” Báez added.
The ‘Traffic Apocalypse’ and the Battle for Content
The news industry is facing a shared crisis that calls more than ever for collective thinking and action: the so-called “traffic apocalypse.” Paula Miraglia, director of Momentum (Brazil), highlighted this trend: “Today, audiences are no longer going directly to news sites, increasing dependence on major platforms, marked by a strong asymmetry of power.”
In this context, Iacob Carvalho Gammeltoft, Senior Policy Manager at News Media Europe, warned that AI services pose an existential threat to journalism. According to a GfK study, only 0.23% of sessions on AI services generate traffic to media outlets.
The Fight Against Platforms
Against this backdrop, the debate over how to charge for the use of news content to train AI models has become urgent. “Only 7% of publishers in Brazil block the use of their content for AI training, which shows the need for a clear intellectual property strategy,” Miraglia noted.
Regarding the legal framework in Europe, while exclusive rights such as copyright and competition law do exist, in practice technology companies often ignore these regulations. Moreover, many laws quickly become outdated in the face of technological advances.
Experts agree that individual agreements can weaken the market and create the illusion that the problem is “solved.” That is why working collectively is essential to addressing the challenges of the digital era.