The Influence of AI in the Media Workforce: How Companies Use an Array of Legal Remedies

This article examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on newsroom routines, with a particular focus on the legal implications of its use. Using a comparative methodology between Common Law and Civil Law systems, the study identifies changes in authorship, the production of derivative content, and journalists’ labour rights. It explores how media organisations are adopting automation tools for tasks such as assisted writing, fact-checking, summary generation, and SEO — all of which raise significant copyright concerns, especially regarding works produced with AI.The article also investigates the legal and technical strategies employed by media companies to block or negotiate the use of their content by AI systems. The study concludes that journalists are facing a gradual erosion of their authorial status, and that current legal frameworks are in urgent need of reform. It advocates for regulation grounded in transparency, collective bargaining, and the protection of inalienable moral rights, particularly within copyright-based jurisdictions. This contribution is highly relevant for academics, policymakers, and media professionals concerned with the sustainability of journalism in the age of AI.