Is AI cheating journalism out of its future?

As AI tools blur the lines between help and dishonesty, newsrooms risk losing the core skills that build great reporters.

One of the most common questions around AI is whether or not using it is "cheating" — a topic that got extra attention this past week via a long read in New York about AI use by college students. The question masks a deeper one, which is really about how AI fundamentally changes the ways we work and learn. As those AI-savvy college grads enter the workforce, workplaces—especially media companies and newsrooms—will need AI policies that draw clear lines between when to use and NOT use AI.

More on that below. Speaking of using AI in newsrooms, I'm currently building a comprehensive program for journalists who want to do more with AI. It's going to cover all kinds of reporter- and editor-focused use cases, including mass document analysis, automated beat monitoring, and using AI securely for investigations. The program officially launches this fall, but I, along with my partners at The Upgrade, are holding an invitation-only prototype of the course at the end of June that packs all the material into two 90-minute sessions for a fraction of the cost. Hit reply or email me if you're interested in grabbing one of the (limited) spots.

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Now, let's talk about cheating.

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If AI does the heavy lifting, should you even bother to work out? (Credit: Midjourney)

What AI's 'cheating' problem means for journalism

A question I often get when training editorial teams on AI is, "Is using AI cheating?"

Though it's framed as a yes or no question, it's obviously not a yes or no answer. The short answer is sometimes, but the key to figuring out the long answer is using the tools with an open mind. If you're a professional in journalism, communications or some other knowledge work, you'll generally be able to tell when it's speeding up tedious tasks and when your judgment and expertise are critical.

However, the recent viral story in New York magazine about how colleges and universities are struggling with rampant, unauthorized AI use from students got me thinking about what's happening earlier in the pipeline. After all, those college students who are using AI to cheat on essays and admissions interviews eventually enter the workforce. How will entry-level reporters, editors, and interns approach AI, and how can newsrooms help them build the skills journalism demands?

Don't forget the humans

This highlights an often-overlooked area of AI policy making. Newsroom policies (rightly) usually focus on the accuracy of their content and transparency with audiences. What AI might be doing to the skill-building of junior staffers is a tertiary concern, at best. Left unchecked, however, this problem has the potential to be existential: How do you produce competent senior staff when the junior staff is either replaced by AI or—as the New York piece suggests—replacing themselves with AI.