Artificial Intelligence and Journalistic Practices in China: A Grounded Theory Analysis Based on Qualitative Interviews

Despite the fact that AI is profoundly changing journalism, improving efficiency and driving content innovation, the application of AI technology in China is limited by policy regulation, which raises issues of authenticity, ethics, and regulation and, in turn, drives the digital transformation of the journalism industry. This study employs a grounded theory research design, conducts in-depth interviews, and proposes an embedded model of AI journalism development (EAJM). The results indicate that AI enhances the efficiency of news production and enhances the growth of data journalism and personalized content recommendation. However, its content may be biased, which may affect the news neutrality and change the role of the journalists, and the Chinese government exercises strict control over AI news content, promotes the use of domestic AI tools and restricts the use of foreign AI technologies. In the future, the AI-generated news should be optimized in the “truthfulness, fairness, and compliance” directions, with efforts made to minimize algorithmic bias and explore human-computer collaboration models to ensure the accountability and credibility of journalism.