UNS info
12. 04. 2025.
Regional Research by: Two-thirds of young journalists Use AI, most are aware of deepfake threats and job loss risks
Two-thirds of young journalists and journalism students in the region use artificial intelligence tools in their work or education, according to a study on AI usage conducted by the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism (ACQJ) from Tirana, the Media Center from Čaglavica, and the Center for Youth Activism Development (CROA) from Sarajevo.
The study also revealed that the remaining respondents either do not use AI or are unsure whether the programs they use are AI tools.
The regional study on AI usage in journalism, based on an online questionnaire and rating scales, included 493 young journalists, journalism students, and high school students interested in journalism. Among them, 174 respondents were from Serbia, 127 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 125 from Albania, and 67 from Kosovo*.
Although two-thirds of journalists use AI, its adoption within newsrooms is significantly lower. The findings show that only 30% of journalists report that the media outlets they work with integrate AI into their workflows. This result indicates that AI is not yet a standard part of newsroom routines.
Journalists Primarily Use AI for Translation
The study found that the most common use of AI tools among journalists, journalism students, and high school students interested in journalism is for translation (32.9% of all respondents). Participants were allowed to select multiple answers regarding how they use AI, and the most frequently mentioned applications were translation and text generation.
This finding was also confirmed by 60 participants of AI training workshops held in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Čaglavica, and Tirana. They reported using AI primarily for translation and content generation, with ChatGPT emerging as the most popular tool.
The third most common AI application is automatic transcription, used by 27.2% of respondents. This technology converts audio and video recordings into text, saving journalists time spent manually transcribing interviews and statements. Despite occasional errors, it significantly facilitates their work. However, the lack of support for non-English languages may be why these tools rank third in usage.
AI also helps journalists process large amounts of data, identify trends, and visualize information. However, the results indicate that respondents use generative AI tools more frequently than analytical (traditional) AI tools. This means they primarily rely on AI for content creation, idea generation, and translation, rather than for data analysis, fact-checking, or content transformation.
AI as a Tool, Not a Threat
Journalists, journalism students, and high school students interested in journalism stated that AI primarily contributes to the fast production of news (33.7% of respondents), suggesting that they view AI as an assistant that accelerates their workflow.
When asked about their emotions upon hearing the term "artificial intelligence," the majority (66.3%) reported curiosity, while smaller percentages felt fear (11.4%), indifference (12%), sadness (3%), happiness, anger, or other emotions (7.3%).
Neutral or Positive Views on AI
Most journalists and journalism students hold a positive (38.3%) or neutral (39.1%) stance toward AI, according to the study. Negative opinions are in the minority, indicating that AI is not widely perceived as a threat but is still used with caution.
Journalists (42.5%) have a significantly more positive attitude toward AI compared to journalism students (25.7%), who predominantly hold a neutral stance (56.4%). This difference may be due to journalists' firsthand experience with AI tools, whereas students have limited exposure to AI applications in their daily work and may not fully grasp its potential impact on the profession.
Half of the respondents believe that AI will reduce the number of jobs in journalism, while very few think it will create new job opportunities. This reflects significant concern about job security in the media industry.
Deepfake as the Greatest Risk
The biggest concern among respondents is the creation of fake multimedia content—particularly videos (39.9%) and photos (22.2%). These findings indicate that respondents perceive deepfake technology as the greatest threat to journalism and the accuracy of information.
Concerns About AI in Journalism: Automation, Deepfake, and Loss of Authenticity
Text generation also represents a significant source of concern (15.8%), indicating fears of writing automation—a skill traditionally considered essential to journalism.
The overall distribution of concerns shows that respondents are most worried about AI's ability to falsify reality through manipulated visual content, while they are less concerned about applications that could assist journalists in their daily work without directly contributing to content creation.
Interestingly, 3.1% of respondents do not see any AI applications as problematic, suggesting that a small segment of participants holds an entirely positive view of AI integration in journalism.
However, the greatest long-term risk identified by respondents is the potential loss of authenticity and creativity.
Serbia Has the Most Positive Attitude Toward AI, While It Is Most Used in Albania
The percentage of respondents across the region who use AI tools in their daily work and education is relatively uniform. However, there are slight differences in AI adoption rates. Journalists and journalism students in Albania use AI tools the most (70.4%), while respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina use them the least (63%).
Respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina also have the most negative attitude toward AI compared to other participants (17%), while the most positive attitude was recorded in Serbia, where almost half of the respondents (45%) expressed a favorable view of AI.
On the other hand, Albania has the lowest percentage of respondents with a negative stance on AI. However, Albanian respondents predominantly hold a neutral attitude toward AI in media (47.2%), unlike respondents from Serbia.
Respondents from all parts of the Western Balkans who participated in the study stated that they most frequently feel curiosity when they hear the term "artificial intelligence." The majority of those who experience negative emotions toward AI (such as anger, sadness, and fear) come from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The highest levels of happiness associated with artificial intelligence were reported by journalists, journalism students, and high school students interested in journalism from Kosovo*.
The results also show that respondents from all parts of the region use similar AI tools, indicating a uniform adoption of technological innovations.
Text generation also represents a significant source of concern (15.8%), indicating fears of writing automation—a skill traditionally considered essential to journalism.
The overall distribution of concerns shows that respondents are most worried about AI's ability to falsify reality through manipulated visual content, while they are less concerned about applications that could assist journalists in their daily work without directly contributing to content creation.
Interestingly, 3.1% of respondents do not see any AI applications as problematic, suggesting that a small segment of participants holds an entirely positive view of AI integration in journalism.
However, the greatest long-term risk identified by respondents is the potential loss of authenticity and creativity.
Serbia Has the Most Positive Attitude Toward AI, While It Is Most Used in Albania
The percentage of respondents across the region who use AI tools in their daily work and education is relatively uniform. However, there are slight differences in AI adoption rates. Journalists and journalism students in Albania use AI tools the most (70.4%), while respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina use them the least (63%).
Respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina also have the most negative attitude toward AI compared to other participants (17%), while the most positive attitude was recorded in Serbia, where almost half of the respondents (45%) expressed a favorable view of AI.
On the other hand, Albania has the lowest percentage of respondents with a negative stance on AI. However, Albanian respondents predominantly hold a neutral attitude toward AI in media (47.2%), unlike respondents from Serbia.
Respondents from all parts of the Western Balkans who participated in the study stated that they most frequently feel curiosity when they hear the term "artificial intelligence." The majority of those who experience negative emotions toward AI (such as anger, sadness, and fear) come from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The highest levels of happiness associated with artificial intelligence were reported by journalists, journalism students, and high school students interested in journalism from Kosovo*.
The results also show that respondents from all parts of the region use similar AI tools, indicating a uniform adoption of technological innovations.
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