What is it about?
Attitudes Towards AI and Its Impact on the Future of Journalism: Where Do Bangladesh and South Asia Stand?
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Why is it important?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a transformative force in the field of journalism, reshaping news production, dissemination, and audience engagement worldwide. In South Asia, particularly Bangladesh, the adoption of AI technologies presents both opportunities and challenges for the media landscape. This study examines the attitudes towards AI among journalists, media professionals, and audiences in Bangladesh and broader South Asia, while exploring the implications of these attitudes for the future of journalism. Drawing on a mixed-method approach that incorporates surveys, interviews, and content analysis, the research highlights the tension between optimism about AI’s potential to enhance efficiency, fact-checking, and personalized content, and concerns regarding job displacement, ethical risks, algorithmic bias, and threats to press freedom. Findings reveal that while younger, tech-savvy journalists and audiences view AI as a tool for innovation and digital transformation, many traditional practitioners remain skeptical, fearing a decline in journalistic integrity and human editorial judgment. In Bangladesh, where media is often entangled with political pressures and economic constraints, the integration of AI into journalism raises further debates on transparency, accountability, and the risk of reinforcing state or corporate control. Comparatively, other South Asian countries demonstrate varying levels of adaptation, shaped by socio-political contexts, digital infrastructures, and policy frameworks. The study argues that the future of journalism in the region will depend not only on technological adoption but also on critical ethical frameworks, inclusive policies, and media literacy among journalists and consumers alike. By situating Bangladesh within a broader South Asian perspective, this research contributes to the global dialogue on AI-driven journalism and underscores the urgent need for balanced approaches that harness AI’s benefits while safeguarding democratic communication.
Perspectives
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative force in multiple domains has spurred both enthusiasm and concern across the globe. Within the realm of journalism, AI is not only redefining workflows and content production but also challenging longstanding norms of objectivity, human agency, and editorial judgment (Carlson, 2020). From automated content generation and natural language processing (NLP) to personalized content distribution algorithms, AI tools are reshaping how journalism is conceived, practiced, and consumed. While AI’s application in media industries is rapidly expanding in technologically advanced economies such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, and Germany, its penetration in the Global South—including South Asia—remains limited, uneven, and contested. This disparity in adoption is influenced by a confluence of factors including technological infrastructure, political culture, economic constraints, digital literacy, and professional ethics. In countries like Bangladesh, where journalism is often entangled in political polarization, resource scarcity, and censorship, the integration of AI technologies introduces a new set of challenges and ethical dilemmas. AI-powered journalism can offer significant improvements: faster content generation, improved data analysis, early misinformation detection, and targeted audience engagement. However, it also raises urgent questions about employment displacement, algorithmic bias, accountability, and the erosion of editorial autonomy. For Bangladesh and the broader South Asian region, the lack of a clear roadmap for AI integration in journalism further complicates the situation. This study aims to understand the current attitudes toward AI among journalists in Bangladesh and South Asia, assess the regional preparedness for AI-led transformations, and explore the socio-political consequences of its adoption.
Dr. Mustak Ahmed
University of Rajshahi
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This page is a summary of: Attitudes Towards AI and Its Impact on the Future of Journalism: Where Do Bangladesh and South Asia Stand?, August 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202508.1906.v1.
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