Sin periodistas, no hay periodismo. La dimensión social de la inteligencia artificial generativa en los medios de comunicación

This article offers a systematic literature review of the social dimension of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism over the last two decades, with particular emphasis on empirical studies. It identifies key challenges for three main actors: media organisations, journalists, and audiences. For the media, generative AI intensifies dependence on large technology platforms and raises questions of authorship, copyright, ethics, and transparency. Journalists face potential job displacement, loss of symbolic capital, and the need to redefine professional roles, yet AI also offers opportunities to eliminate routine tasks, enabling a return to investigative and creative functions. Audience studies show that readers generally cannot distinguish between automated and human-authored content in routine news, though human writing is still perceived as more engaging. The paper argues for moving beyond technocentric perspectives towards a human-centred approach that integrates professional ethics, audience acceptance, and editorial independence. It highlights the importance of managing expectations around AI adoption and warns against exacerbating existing social divides. Ultimately, the article calls for a reframing of the debate towards understanding how AI can be applied to support journalism’s societal mission, close gaps it may create, and strengthen its democratic role.