AI can change nature of a story, says Semafor's Chua

The rise of generative AI could reshape not just how journalism is produced, but how audiences consume and define news itself, according to Gina Chua, executive editor of Semafor.

Writing in the publication, Chua argues that while much of the industry debate has focused on whether AI threatens jobs or ethics in reporting, the bigger question is how it will change reader behaviour — and how publishers can adapt.

Search traffic is already declining, she notes, as users increasingly rely on AI summaries from Google and other platforms rather than clicking through to multiple news sites. “That’s just a tiny taste of what’s coming,” Chua writes, predicting that generative AI will alter how people find information, what they expect from it and what they do with it.

That shift could challenge the very idea of the news “story.” If readers come to expect personalised, on-demand versions of coverage, she suggests, the value of journalists may be judged less by their prose and more by their questions, reporting and insights. The industry may also need new standards for presenting content to machines, with publishers rethinking output for an AI-centric distribution model.

Chua raises further questions about business models. If news is increasingly aggregated and rewritten by AI systems, how will reporters and publishers be paid? She points to analyst Ben Thompson’s argument that value could lie not in the content itself, but in the communities around it.

The article also highlights the risks of filter bubbles as AI delivers personalised versions of reality tailored to users’ biases. News organisations, Chua says, will need to find ways of building “shared realities” while acknowledging multiple perspectives.

Despite the uncertainties, she sees opportunities. The basic act of reporting — finding new information that AI cannot generate — remains essential. At the same time, live events and trusted individual voices are gaining traction as audiences look for connection in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

Chua concludes that the disruption ahead will be greater than that of the internet or social media. “We don’t have a lot of time to figure this out,” she warns, urging news organisations to confront the challenge of serving audiences whose expectations are being rapidly reshaped by AI.