AI in the Media Industry: A Miracle or a Minefield?
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It’s safe to say that the emergence of AI has been one of the most dramatic advancements in tech in recent years. As with any rapid advancement, there can be both excitement and concerns, with nobody knowing exactly what the future holds. Indeed, there are plenty of differing opinions across the media landscape, with some seeing AI as a boon to the industry, and others viewing it as a looming threat.
Before we attempt to navigate the myriad of potential effects AI may have on the media industry, it’s worth clarifying what we mean when we refer to ‘AI’ in this context.
What exactly is AI?
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a type of technology designed to mimic aspects of human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Before recent advances, AI was mostly seen as systems that followed a set of programmed rules or patterns. These systems could do things like play chess, recommend films, or help detect fraud by analyzing data, but they worked within limits set by humans. This type of AI was powerful, but it couldn’t really create anything new on its own.
That changed with the rise of what’s called generative AI. Unlike earlier forms, generative AI doesn’t just follow instructions, it learns from large amounts of information and uses that knowledge to create new content. It does this using something called deep learning, a technique inspired (in a loose way) by how the human brain works, allowing the system to recognize patterns in data and make educated guesses about what comes next.
One way to look at it is that traditional AI follows recipes, whereas generative AI can invent its own recipes after reading hundreds of cookbooks.
“Generative AI now suggests that AI can also do something we previously considered uniquely human: it can seemingly exhibit creativity”
– The Routledge Handbook of AI and Literature (Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2025)
Traditional Mass Media
Types of media that fall under this category could be regarded as ‘legacy media’, i.e. media that was dominant before the rise of the internet and other digital technologies. These include industries like film, TV, music, and print media, all of which tend to operate with a one-way flow of communication to the consumer.
Film and TV
One of the classic behemoths of the media landscape, film and television is certainly a sphere in which AI’s influence is coming to the fore. Here are just a few examples of how AI has impacted the sector.
Tools to aid screenwriters – AI helps screenwriters brainstorm ideas, structure plots, and generate dialogue variations. While it’s mainly used for inspiration, debates around authorship and creative credit are beginning to surface.
Streamlining editing and VFX processes – AI in editing and VFX automates tasks like scene tagging, facial recognition, de-aging, and color correction. Proponents for AI emphasise how this saves time and allows creatives to focus more on storytelling than repetitive work.
Growing pressures for more content – Studios use AI to speed up content creation, from pre-production to localization. However, this drive for efficiency has sparked concerns about job security and burnout in the industry.
Music
AI is rapidly changing how music is created, produced, and consumed. While it offers exciting creative tools and efficiencies, it also raises complex questions about originality, ownership, and the role of human artistry.
Music creation and composition – Melodies, harmonies, and even full tracks can be generated by AI, helping musicians overcome creative blocks or explore new sounds. Some artists use it as a collaborative tool, while others worry it may dilute creativity.
Voice cloning and deepfake vocals – AI can replicate an artist’s voice to sing new lyrics or mimic famous performers. This opens doors for innovation but also raises ethical concerns about consent and authenticity.
Personalized recommendations and music discovery– Music streaming platforms can power their recommendation engines with AI, tailoring playlists to individual tastes based on listening habits. This helps listeners discover new artists and genres, but also raises questions about algorithmic influence on musical diversity and exposure.
Print Media
Print media has been steadily merging with digital platforms for years, and AI is accelerating that shift. As more publications move online, the traditional role of the journalist is being reshaped.
Automated content generation – AI can now produce quick-turnaround articles on topics like weather, finance, and sports, reducing the need for human writers in some areas. While this frees up journalists for more in-depth work, it also raises fears about redundancy and the devaluation of human storytelling.
Blurring of print and digital formats – Legacy publications are increasingly adopting AI to adapt print content for digital formats, from auto-generating headlines to optimising articles for SEO and social media. This shift prioritises speed and clicks, which can sometimes compromise journalistic depth.
Data-driven personalisation and editorial direction – AI helps tailor content to individual readers through tracking and behavioural data, boosting engagement in the digital space. However, this algorithmic approach can influence what stories get told, potentially narrowing editorial focus to what’s most clickable.
“AI systems are creative rocket fuel . . . Whilst they are not yet replacing human artists – they soon might be both alternative creators or (more likely) integrated collaborators.”
– Media Management and Artificial Intelligence (Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2023)
Modern Digital Media
As audiences become more tech-oriented, media production follows, giving rise to a landscape dominated by websites, search engines, and social platforms. Unlike traditional media, digital media thrives on interactivity, speed, and data, with AI embedded in nearly every layer.
Search Engines and Content Discovery
Search engines are the gateways of the internet, and their AI-driven algorithms decide which content surfaces and which gets buried. This can greatly influence how media is consumed and discovered.
Search engine ranking and SEO manipulation – AI helps media creators optimise their content to rank higher on search engines, often by tailoring to algorithmic preferences. This can distort priorities, pushing visibility over depth or accuracy.
Generative AI as a search disruptor – With some search engines now offering AI-generated summaries or answers instead of links, traditional web traffic models are being upended. This shift could dramatically affect how digital media reaches its audience.
Semantic search and query prediction – AI enables smarter, more conversational search experiences, understanding intent rather than just keywords. While this improves user experience, it can also centralise power among the platforms that control these systems.
Social Media
Social media is arguably the most fluid form of digital media, where algorithms are vital in the struggle to grab and hold a user’s attention. It’s not only where content is shared, but also where it’s often created, filtered, and debated.
Algorithmic feeds and filter bubbles – AI can help curate what users see by prioritising content that matches past behaviour and engagement patterns. This keeps users scrolling but can create echo chambers and limit exposure to differing views.
Synthetic content and AI influencers – We’re seeing a rise in AI-generated avatars, posts, and entire influencer personas, sometimes indistinguishable from human creators. While innovative, this raises concerns about transparency and manipulation.
Automated moderation and misinformation control – For some platforms, AI is central to identifying and managing hate speech, harmful content, and misinformation at scale. But moderation systems are far from perfect, and the balance between free expression and safety remains tricky.
Interactive & Immersive Media
As technology evolves, media is no longer something we just watch or read, it’s something we actively engage with. Interactive and immersive formats like video games, virtual reality, and experiential installations are using AI to adapt in real time to the user’s actions, preferences, and environment.
Personalised gameplay and storytelling – In video games and interactive stories, AI tailors experiences to the player’s behaviour, generating responsive dialogue, dynamic environments, and branching narratives. This makes storytelling more immersive and unique to each user.
AI-powered VR/AR experiences – Virtual and augmented reality use AI to interpret user input and environmental data, allowing for lifelike avatars, real-time feedback, and adaptive simulations. These tools are being used beyond entertainment, in training, therapy, education, and marketing.
Generative art and experiential installations – In museums, galleries, and brand spaces, AI enables media that responds to movement, voice, or emotion, turning passive viewers into active participants. These experiences often blur the line between art and interaction, creating something new every time.
“AI in itself cannot substitute the human interpreter, and therefore it is more accurate to say that AI is a means to augment natural intelligence with artificial systems.”
– Using AI for Dialoguing with Texts (Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2023)
Common Trends and Concerns
AI’s growing presence in media is marked by several common trends that transcend the different sectors. Copyright and ownership concerns dominate, as AI-generated content blurs the lines between creator and machine, raising questions about who holds intellectual property rights. Another significant issue is the threat to jobs, with AI automating tasks traditionally done by humans, leading to fears of redundancy and a devaluation of creative work. Alongside this, there’s growing debate over AI’s lack of originality, as machine-generated content often draws from existing data, making it difficult to distinguish between true innovation and mere replication. Finally, the pressure to generate content faster and more cheaply creates a culture of productivity over creativity, challenging the essence of artistic integrity and thoughtful, human-driven storytelling.
AI as a Creative Companion
As we’ve seen, AI’s impact on the media industry is undeniable, offering both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. While it’s clear that AI can automate many tasks, making media production faster and more efficient, it’s crucial to remember that it should complement, not replace, human creativity. AI can serve as a tool to streamline repetitive work, giving creators more space to focus on the innovative and artistic aspects of their projects. However, the future remains uncertain, and how AI will ultimately shape the role of human workers in media is still unfolding. For now, the key will be finding a balance where AI enhances creativity without overshadowing the human touch that drives the heart of media.
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