This exploratory study examines the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Philippine media industry, particularly in news media, highlighting both opportunities and challenges. It utilizes a qualitative research method that includes desk reviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with representatives of news media organizations, journalism and communication departments of universities, professional associations, a law firm, and an AI consulting firm.
AI adoption in Philippine news media is a relatively recent phenomenon, with most news organizations adopting AI in the early 2020s and private entities leading the way. Some organizations have developed internal AI policies, while others are either crafting or refining their guidelines, indicating self-regulation initiatives. While AI is increasingly used across many newsroom tasks, human oversight and transparency are considered essential to maintain journalistic integrity. It is generally perceived as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement for human work. While there have been no reported job losses linked to AI, concerns persist.
Key drivers of AI adoption include having young, tech-savvy staff, a culture of innovation, bottom-up adoption, cost-effectiveness, faster content production, digital competitiveness, and skills enhancement. However, concerns such as inaccuracies in AI-generated output, job displacement, subscription costs, and resistance from older staff and those who prefer traditional methods limit adoption. The perceived risks associated with AI are multifaceted and include hallucinations and biases in AI outputs, the exacerbation of misinformation, and job displacement. Other concerns include cybersecurity breaches, copyright issues, AI over-reliance that could diminish human capacity, the adverse impacts on the sustainability of news media, and environmental consequences.
While AI improves operational efficiency, enhances productivity, and boosts audience engagement, it has also posed complex challenges that threaten the sustainability, integrity, and intellectual property of news media organizations. These challenges include declining revenues due to AI-powered platforms that deliver news summaries directly to audiences, diverting traffic away from news sites; the content scraping by platforms and AI tools, which raises serious copyright issues on top of the revenue losses experienced by news publishers; the low accountability of platforms and content creators for the content they circulate, especially when it involves copyrighted materials and false information; and the difficulties that small media organizations face to adapt to the digital age.
To address these challenges and promote ethical and responsible use of AI, the study proposes several measures for AI governance. These include developing compensation policies for the media content used in AI training and on various platforms, exploring sustainable business and funding models, holding platforms accountable, enhancing the enforcement of existing laws, supporting small media organizations, developing localized AI models and tools, enhancing media self-regulation, making journalism education responsive to an AI-driven media landscape, enhancing media and information literacy, and addressing digital and AI gaps. Collaboration among all stakeholders is crucial to managing risks and leveraging AI’s potential to strengthen the Philippine news media industry’s role in society.
Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph.
