Journalists Grapple with AI's Growing Role in News

Unions push for contracts to govern AI use as news outlets seek to maximize technology's benefits

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The news industry is rapidly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technology to streamline tasks and boost efficiency, but this has led to concerns about transparency, accuracy, and the impact on journalists' jobs. Unions are negotiating contracts to address these issues, but news outlets are reluctant to make long-term commitments as the technology evolves quickly. Experts say clear policies and human involvement are crucial to build trust with readers and prevent errors, even as the 'newsroom of the future' will look vastly different.

Why it matters

The growing use of AI in journalism raises important questions about transparency, accuracy, and the future of news jobs. Unions are pushing for contractual protections, but news organizations are hesitant to make long-term commitments as the technology rapidly advances. Striking the right balance between AI's benefits and the need for human oversight is crucial for the industry to maintain credibility and trust with readers.

The details

News organizations are increasingly using AI to assist with tasks like data analysis, transcription, and story generation. While this has improved efficiency, there have been several high-profile cases of AI-generated errors and mistakes. Unions are now negotiating contracts to address issues like disclosure of AI use, ensuring human involvement in key editorial decisions, and protections against AI-driven job losses. However, news outlets are reluctant to make long-term commitments, fearing the technology will quickly outpace any contractual language.

  • In the past year, several news outlets have issued corrections for mistakes in AI-generated content.
  • In 2023, the first news union contracts addressing AI use were negotiated.
  • Earlier this month, the union representing ProPublica journalists said they would be willing to strike over AI-related issues in contract negotiations.

The players

ProPublica

A nonprofit investigative journalism organization that has rejected union requests for contractual commitments around AI use.

New York Guild

The union representing many journalists in New York City, including those at ProPublica, who are negotiating the first contract for the outlet.

NewsGuild-USA

The union that represents more journalists than any other in the country, and has negotiated AI-related language in 57 of 283 contracts at U.S. news organizations.

Trusting News

An organization that encourages news outlets to develop and publish policies on their use of AI, estimating that less than half of U.S. outlets have done so.

Benjamin Toff

Director of the Minnesota Journalism Center at the University of Minnesota, whose research shows most Americans believe it's important for newsrooms to disclose AI use, even though this can reduce trust in the outlet.

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What they’re saying

“Humans are actually so much better at going out, finding the story, interviewing sources, bringing back the relevant pieces, asking the hard follow-up questions and putting that in a way that people can understand and see, whether it's a news story or a video. Humans are way better at doing that than AI ever will be.”

— Jon Schleuss, President of NewsGuild-USA (wbal.com)

“Speaking realistically, the newsroom of the future is going to look completely different than it does today. Which means people will lose jobs. There will be new jobs. So I think it's important that we are having these conversations right now because audiences do not want a newsroom completely taken over by AI.”

— Alex Mahadevan, Expert on AI and journalism, Poynter Institute (wbal.com)

What’s next

Two New York state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require clear disclaimers when artificial intelligence is used in published content, though its chances of passage are unclear.

The takeaway

The rapid adoption of AI in journalism has created a complex set of challenges around transparency, accuracy, and the future of news jobs. While the technology offers efficiency gains, unions and experts warn that clear policies, human oversight, and proactive communication with readers are essential to maintain trust and credibility in the industry as it undergoes a dramatic transformation.