>>Concerned, Unprepared and Burdened by the Past: Generative AI in Greek Newsrooms. Journalism Practice

Abstract: Over the past five years, innovative AI systems, including applications based on Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), have emerged. Text, image, video, and symbol manipulation are now within the capabilities of AI. Generative AI is already present in contemporary newsrooms where the deployment of AI is relevant, as LLMs excel at text manipulation. Unlike the traditional top-down approach to introducing new technologies, this deployment involves a complex, multifaceted, and under-researched procedure. This paper draws from labour process theory, the social construction of technology (SCOT) paradigm, and literature on the quantitative shift in journalism and the introduction of algorithms into newswork, while situating the examination of Generative AI within the Greek media system. This research investigates the integration of Generative AI in newsrooms through semi-structured interviews with journalists. The goal is to capture insights into their experiences, challenges, and perceptions regarding the introduction of Generative AI in newswork. Findings indicate that Greek journalists, drawing from their experiences with the existing labour process and the economic dynamics of newsrooms, have significant concerns regarding Generative AI while simultaneously being sceptical of news organisations’ capabilities to integrate new technologies in a manner that respects journalists’ status.