Journalists Defend Core Craft Against AI at Gabo Festival

Journalists at the XIV Gabo Festival in Bogotá agreed that strengthening field journalism, building trust with communities, and asking critical, empathetic questions are vital to preserving the profession amid advancing artificial intelligence. Experts participating in a session on AI's impact on journalism acknowledged that while AI is transforming information production and consumption, human work remains essential for uncovering untold stories, interpreting power dynamics, and fostering audience trust. María Teresa Ronderos, founder and director of the Latin American Center for Journalistic Research (CLIP), emphasized that enduring journalism will maintain strong community ties and collaboration among media outlets. She noted that while journalism currently holds an advantage in verification and contextualization, AI's evolution could narrow this gap. Ana Paula Valacco, Programs Manager and Participation Lead at JournalismAI, asserted that the core strength of journalism lies in formulating questions. "AI can help us generate an answer, but in the questions and editorial judgment... lies the real opportunity for the journalist to remain relevant," she stated. Valacco also highlighted empathy as an exclusively human capacity for understanding why certain stories need telling and identifying what a source deliberately omits. Clara Jiménez Cruz, co-founder and director of the Spanish fact-checking organization Maldita.es, warned about declining public trust in media. She urged journalists to focus on finding unique stories and cautioned about AI's risks to information integrity, the ease of contaminating AI models with disinformation, and the tendency of users to not consult original sources for AI-generated answers. Rosental Calmon Alves, founder and director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas, predicted AI would change the world more profoundly than the internet or social media. However, he maintained that the essence of journalism, seeking new information and strengthening human relationships with audiences, will endure. Alves stressed that the main challenge for media is not just learning to use AI as a tool but understanding how it is altering information consumption habits.

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the journalism that will endure will be the one that preserves the bonds of trust with communities and strengthens collaboration between media outlets.