Daily Use of AI Sharply Rises Among Flemish Media Professionals
gent, woensdag, 22 oktober 2025.
According to the second edition of the AI Media Barometer, more than half of Flemish media professionals (56%) now use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) daily, compared to just 21% last year. Although adoption is growing rapidly, concerns remain about ethical aspects and transparency in the use of AI. Nearly 90% of journalists and more than half of communication professionals and designers have ethical reservations. Additionally, many professionals are uncertain about the guidelines and evaluation criteria within their organisations.
Rapid Adoption of GenAI
The adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the Flemish media industry has significantly increased in recent years. According to the second edition of the AI Media Barometer, more than half of Flemish media professionals (56%) now use GenAI daily, compared to just 21% last year [1]. This represents a substantial increase of 166.67%. The research highlights the growing integration of AI across various sectors, including communications, design, and journalism [1].
Differences Among Professional Groups
While the adoption of GenAI is generally increasing, the rates at which different professional groups integrate the technology vary. For example, journalists are less likely to be daily users of GenAI (20% rarely or never) compared to communication professionals (3%) and designers (4%) [1]. These differences can be attributed to the specific requirements and caution that journalists apply in their work, where the integrity and accuracy of information are of paramount importance [GPT].
Ethical Concerns and Transparency
Despite the rapid adoption of GenAI, concerns persist about ethical aspects and transparency in the use of AI. Nearly 90% of journalists, 71% of communication professionals, and 73% of designers have ethical reservations about the use of AI [1]. Particular concerns include how AI tools handle shared data (28% of media professionals) and the communication of these practices to external parties (19% of media professionals) [1]. Transparency is crucial for building trust in the technology and preventing potential misuse [GPT].
Lack of Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria
Many media professionals are uncertain about the guidelines and evaluation criteria within their organisations for the use of AI. For instance, 33% of media professionals are unaware of whether evaluation criteria for new AI tools exist, and more than half (51%) report that there is no official list of approved AI tools [1]. This lack of clear guidelines can lead to inconsistencies and potential risks in the use of AI technology [alert! ‘lack of specific examples of risks’].
Progress in Developing Guidelines
Although there is still much uncertainty, progress is being made in developing guidelines. The percentage of professionals who say their organisation lacks guidelines has decreased from 55% of communication professionals and 61% of designers in 2024 to 30% and 27%, respectively, in 2025 [1]. Researcher Sander Spek from Artevelde University College notes: “It is encouraging that more and more media organisations have policies or guidelines for the use of AI, but it is also concerning that a significant proportion do not know how their own organisation views the use of AI.” [1]
Impact on News Production and Consumption
The integration of GenAI in journalism has both positive and negative effects on news production and consumption. On the positive side, AI tools can assist journalists in quickly generating initial concepts, collecting data, and identifying trends [GPT]. This can speed up the production process and give journalists more time to focus on in-depth investigations and stories. On the negative side, reliance on AI can lead to a decrease in the quality and diversity of news articles, especially if there is insufficient human oversight [GPT]. Moreover, AI-generated content can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from human-written content, potentially undermining the integrity of the news [GPT].