AI Revolution Leaves Readers Behind: The Dire Impact on Environmental Journalism

At the 2025 Society of Environmental Journalism conference held in Tempe, panelists noted that the increasing presence of artificial intelligence is complicating journalists' efforts to communicate complex environmental science stories effectively.

Readers at that newsstand stand to be affected the most by AI, according to Panayiotis Moutis, an Assistant Professor at the City College of New York.

With AI growing increasingly similar to humans, it’s getting tougher to distinguish between robotic expressions or visuals and those created by genuine individuals. Since AI software doesn’t possess the innovative thought processes found in human minds, consumers often feel like they’ve encountered this type of content previously. Consequently, they move on.

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Who are the beneficiaries of the AI revolution?

The ASU professor Punya Mishra stated that the beneficiaries of the AI revolution are software developers and major corporations.

Jay Barchas-Lichtenstein, who serves as the senior research manager for the worldwide Center for News, Technology and Innovation, concurred.

As these systems come into existence, not only do the corporations grow richer, but they are also leveraging public feedback essentially as a "test run" to continually enhance these systems for improvement, according to Barchas-Lichtenstein.

Are journalists utilizing AI, and does the public approve of this?

In 2024, Barchas-Lichtenstein carried out a global public poll, querying journalists about whether they incorporate AI into their present professional activities, and if yes, for which specific purposes.

One out of every three people from the general responder group stated that they utilize AI technology and support journalists using it as well.

In 2024, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they utilize AI for translating content between languages, and 60% reported using AI for summarizing or analyzing documents or data.

However, merely 39% reported utilizing AI for composing initial story drafts.

More than 70% of people indicated their approval for journalists utilizing artificial intelligence. However, the primary concern revolved around image manipulation and modification. While 43% of reporters admitted to employing AI for altering images, fewer than half of the general populace felt at ease with this practice.

At what points can a reporter utilize artificial intelligence in both effective and ethical ways?

Mishra stated that AI should not be utilized as a replacement for personal research efforts or as an alternative to producing original content.

“As long as precision isn't crucial, utilize AI,” stated Mishra.

Serenity Reynolds, a third-year student majoring in journalism at Arizona State University, is involved with a student newsroom associated with The Arizona Republic.

The coverage of the Society of Environmental Journalists conference is sponsored by Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, the University of Arizona, and the Arizona Media Association.

These tales are released under an open-source license, allowing other news platforms and entities to freely distribute and reprint them, provided they include attribution and hyperlink back to azcentral.com.

The article was initially published in the Arizona Republic. Environmental reporters: Audiences are casualties of the AI revolution