British Journalists Demand AI Guidelines
londen, dinsdag, 22 juli 2025.
The British National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has adopted a motion to lobby the Labour Party for binding guidelines on the use of AI in journalism. This follows news that publisher Reach will make the use of a new AI tool mandatory for employees. The NUJ aims to protect the rights and interests of journalists in the new digital work environment, particularly as AI can take over journalistic tasks and compromise the quality of news.
AI Tool ‘Guten’ Mandatory for Reach Employees
The British publisher Reach has decided to make the use of a new AI tool called ‘Guten’ mandatory for employees. Staff are asked to input at least three pieces per day into ‘Guten’ to train it with high-quality content. This tool is being used to rewrite existing articles, which has already occurred with several Reach titles, according to the journalistic platform Bylines [1].
Concerns at the NUJ Over AI Use
During the annual meeting of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), concerns were raised about the mandatory use of Guten. NUJ members feared that the tool would increasingly take over the work of journalists, enabling the publisher to carry out layoffs. The National Executive Committee and the Ethics Council of the NUJ want to jointly formulate guidelines to make the use of AI less discretionary [1].
Ethical Considerations and Quality Compromise
According to Simon Barrow of the NUJ’s Ethics Council, key concerns include the risk of loss of human control, critical thinking, and accountability. There is a risk that errors will persist in databases and that ‘hallucinations’—incorrect information in jargon—will be disseminated. The NUJ believes that poorly implemented AI can compromise the quality of editorial teams and even pose an existential crisis for some publications [1].
Transparency and Journalistic Integrity
The NUJ advocates for greater transparency regarding the use of AI and also seeks to define how AI is used in editorial offices. This should provide journalists with a basis for taking countermeasures. The union observes that management uses AI to prop up a ‘failing business model’ that relies on ‘increasing page views with a decreasing number of writers’. The demands placed on British journalists to meet monthly page view targets come at the cost of their mental well-being, warns the NUJ [1].
Impact on News Production and Consumption
The use of AI in journalism has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include the ability to quickly analyse and process large amounts of data, leading to faster news production. AI can also help in detecting trends and generating initial article concepts. However, the disadvantages are significant. There is the risk of reduced quality, loss of human oversight, and ethical issues such as the spread of incorrect information. Moreover, the mandatory use of AI tools can lead to stress and burnout among journalists, potentially resulting in increased departures from the industry [1].