Australians Remain Skeptical of News Articles generated by Artificial Intelligence
Ninety-five percent of people believe that news outlets should be transparent about their use of AI.
There is a lack of trust among Australians when it comes to news articles generated by artificial intelligence (AI), and they feel that media organizations should disclose when they are employing this technology.
Commissioned by the government, a survey on media habits and perceptions among Australians included an examination of their use and understanding of generative AI for the first time.
The survey, conducted in 2023 as part of the Television and Media Survey, involved 4,892 Australian adults and 884 children. It revealed that 78 percent of Australians are wary of news articles written by AI, and a staggering 95 percent feel that news outlets should be upfront about their use of AI.
Concerns about the sources’ credibility were cited as reasons for the high level of distrust of news articles generated by AI, as noted in the report.
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“The vast majority of respondents agree that people should be made aware of how much of the news content they consume online is created by generative AI (95 percent net agree).”
The Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, emphasized the importance of the survey results in understanding Australians’ media consumption habits and concerns that need to be addressed.
The findings of the survey revealed that 24 percent of Australians who used AI utilized it for drafting written work or text responses, including for competition entries. Additionally, 18 percent used AI for research purposes related to work or study, while 10 percent were exploring the technology, 9 percent engaged in creating images or artwork, and 7 percent posed queries.
Increased Online News Consumption
Furthermore, the survey highlighted the growing trend of Australians accessing news through online sources, with online news consumption rates increasing annually.
While television news consumption remains significant, it declined to 76 percent in 2023 from 78 percent in 2022 and 81 percent in 2021.
Additionally, the survey indicated that 60 percent of Australians consumed news through audio sources, down from 62 percent in 2022 but increased from 50 percent in 2021.
Commercial free-to-air television channels were the primary source of news content, with state or territory content constituting 30 percent, national content at 28 percent, local content at 26 percent, and international content at 20 percent.
The survey also highlighted that slightly over half of the respondents believed that online streaming services offered sufficient Australian content.
Online news sources have become the most frequently used medium, with 84 percent of Australians relying on them, especially among younger individuals (93 percent of those aged 18).
The survey also noted the dominance of online subscription services, though there were significant cancellations in 2023 due to escalating costs.
