A British think tank has expressed worries about the state of the artificial intelligence (AI) news landscape, urging government involvement in setting regulations such as fair compensation and transparent source disclosure for AI-generated news. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) highlighted in a recent report that AI tools are increasingly becoming the main channel for public news consumption, leading to a significant transformation of the news ecosystem. The report pointed out that as prominent AI companies establish themselves as new “gatekeepers” online, influencing how people access information and shaping public opinion, certain official news sources like BBC News are not adequately referenced by key AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
The think tank cautioned that the over-reliance on specific outlets by AI tools could limit the variety of perspectives users are exposed to, potentially amplifying certain viewpoints or agendas unknowingly. To address this, it proposed three main policy recommendations to ensure a healthy AI news environment. Firstly, governments should mandate AI firms to compensate for the news content they utilize, enforcing fair payment and collective licensing agreements that encompass a diverse range of publishers. Secondly, it suggested that AI companies implement standardized “nutrition labels” for AI-generated news, enabling the public to identify the sources and methods behind AI responses. Lastly, it called for government support through public funding to safeguard independent journalism in the AI era.
The report emphasized the urgency for prompt government intervention to nurture a sustainable AI news environment before irreparable harm is done to the news ecosystem.
