ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE JOURNALISM: OPPORTUNITIES, RISKS, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

This article examines the impact, potential, risks, and future prospects of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in modern journalism. It explores the current applications of AI in journalistic workflows and analyzes its influence on the authenticity of information, editorial independence, and adherence to ethical standards. The study also draws on both international and local experiences to provide recommendations for more effective integration of AI in journalism. The research seeks to answer a key question: Can artificial intelligence replace human journalists? It also aims to identify the positive and negative outcomes that may arise from the use of AI in media in the near future. As part of the study, a survey was conducted among 165 media professionals currently working in Uzbekistan. According to the results, 86% of respondents reported using AI in their professional work. However, only one participant was able to accurately distinguish between AI-generated and human-written content. An interview with ChatGPT was conducted to gain insights from an AI system, and the study also employed observation as a research method. Based on survey findings and global practices, the study concludes that while AI offers substantial support to journalists, it is not yet capable of fully replacing them. Therefore, in response to the central research question, the answer at this stage is: “Not yet.”