Australian Journalism Absent from AI News Summaries, Study Reveals
A study by the University of Sydney indicates that Australian journalism is largely absent from AI-generated news summaries provided by Microsoft Copilot, which primarily highlight US or European media. This research raises significant concerns about the future of local news and media pluralism in Australia.
Key Findings
Research conducted by Dr. Timothy Koskie from the University of Sydney’s Centre for AI, Trust and Governance found that only approximately one-fifth of responses to Copilot news prompts included links to Australian media sources. This suggests a significant underrepresentation of local content.
The analysis, which scrutinised 434 AI-generated news summaries, revealed a frequent presentation of non-Australian sources such as CNN, BBC, and ABC America. This trend was observed even when users were located within Australia.
When Australian sources were featured, they were typically major outlets like Nine and the ABC. Smaller, independent media outlets rarely made an appearance, and local journalists were notably unmentioned in the summaries. A majority of Copilot’s answers linked to US websites, with some news prompts showing no Australian sources at all. The study further highlighted that even when Australia was referenced, the summaries often lacked specific local detail.
Implications and Concerns
Dr. Koskie warns that the increasing use of these AI tools carries profound implications for the media landscape.
"The increasing use of these AI tools could contribute to news deserts, reduce independent voices, and weaken democratic processes."
AI summaries that do not prompt users to click through to original news websites pose a direct financial risk to Australian media. By reducing web traffic and revenue for news outlets, these tools could further destabilise an already challenged industry.
The technology is perceived to reproduce existing issues within the Australian media ecosystem, including concentrated ownership, a decline in independent outlets, and the proliferation of news deserts in regional areas. The study also points to a potential decline in trust in media, as AI platforms expose users to non-local news, which contradicts the general public's preference for and trust in local information.
Recommendations
In response to these findings, Dr. Koskie proposes several policy mechanisms. He suggests extending the existing news media bargaining code to specifically include AI tools. This would aim to ensure fair compensation for Australian news content used by AI platforms.
Furthermore, he recommends incentivizing AI companies to integrate geographical location into their coding design, thereby ensuring more relevant and local news delivery to users. The academic paper issued a stark warning: if unchecked, such tools risk exacerbating Australia’s existing media pluralism challenges.