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Articles created with artificial intelligence in the Albanian media and the lessons we can learn from international models

2025-06-19 12:28:01Pikëpamje SHKRUAR NGA ERLIS ÇELA
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A while ago, a former journalist colleague of mine asked me for a comment regarding an analysis published on a news portal. In this case, there were suspicions that the author of the article was not a real person and that the content was generated with the help of artificial intelligence. The article was about internal developments in the Democratic Party after the loss of the May 11 elections. At that time, I commented on the phenomenon of disinformation and the danger posed by the use of artificial intelligence to spread fake news. After this event, I will try to delve deeper and reflect on the relationship of journalism, and especially Albanian journalism, with artificial intelligence.

A few months before this event, together with two other colleagues in the field of media and journalism, we attempted to study the implications of the inclusion of artificial intelligence in media newsrooms in Albania. The results of our study showed that AI has already been introduced into some of the routines of journalism such as information gathering, translation, image verification, news trend analysis, etc. Although not at the pace of Western media, the use of artificial intelligence in Albanian media has begun to open new avenues of discussion and debate.

If we turn our attention to the international arena, the change that AI integration is bringing to the media seems to be happening at a very fast pace. According to the latest Reuters Institute report, “Digital News Report 2025”, 7% of users worldwide are now using chatbots supported by artificial intelligence as their weekly news source. In other words, thousands of people around the world are being informed by a computer program, rather than by a journalist. The report found that this percentage rises to 15% for young people under 25. At first glance, this may seem like a step forward towards increasing access to information, as well as the rapid and cost-free dissemination of information. However, looking at these figures, the question naturally arises: what do we gain and what do we lose in this new path that technology has opened up?

In Albania, the discourse on AI in the media is almost non-existent, although as mentioned earlier, the use of AI in the media is a tangible reality. More than a discussion oriented by the dilemma of whether or not to use AI in the media, attention should be directed towards an academic and professional debate on the positive and negative implications it brings to the profession of journalism and the quality of informing audiences. Meanwhile, Albanian journalism is going through a difficult phase, burdened with problems of ownership, censorship, self-censorship, journalist safety, working conditions, extreme sensationalization of information, lack of public trust and reduction of the critical role of the journalist. In this context, it seems that the use of AI without an ethical and professional framework carries great risks.

Given this fact, what makes the discussion about AI necessary is not the technology itself, but the way it is used without critical reflection and ethical-professional debate. It is already proven by experience in other countries but also by recent studies, that when content is produced automatically, without any verification process or human intervention, the risk of the rapid spread of disinformation is real. We already know that some of the news circulating in the Albanian media, online and traditional, may be recycled or adapted from sources that are not always reliable. Some of the online media, which suffer from major formalization problems, scarce human resources and click pressure, often fall into the trap of publishing news that may have been produced with the help of artificial intelligence.

To avoid the techno-phobia and techno-skepticism that accompany almost every major technological development that has affected media and journalism throughout history, it is important not to focus solely on the “demonization” of artificial intelligence. The history of the media has shown that the profession of journalism and the need to accurately and qualitatively inform audiences has survived all technological waves.

Researchers and professionals in the field have a consensus regarding the real potential that artificial intelligence has to help journalism. We already know that the use of artificial intelligence can positively impact many processes, starting from automatic summaries that save journalists valuable time, to translations that make Albanian content accessible to audiences abroad, or data analysis that can empower investigative journalism. All of these are sufficient indicators to say that, if used responsibly, AI can help the media improve. The help may be most noticeable especially in small newsrooms that do not have the resources to build full teams that cover the processes and daily routines of the news.

It is important to understand that the greatest impact does not necessarily come from automated content production, but from how content is matched to consumers’ tastes. Recent analyses of the economics of media and AI show that the problem lies not only in what algorithms offer, but also in what consumers demand. This constitutes a constant clash between personal tastes and what is good for society, a dilemma that has accompanied scientific research and professional debate on the role of the media in society throughout history. Many scholars believe that AI has the potential to deepen the fragmentation of information and increase bias, giving priority to content that meets users’ short-term desires. As a result, content that contributes to quality information and the creation of a healthy public sphere, essential elements for the normal functioning of democracy, is left aside.

In a recent conversation titled “Everyone Is Using AI for Everything. Is That Bad?” published in the New York Times, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton share their personal experiences with using AI in everyday work. They talk about how “ChatGPT” has replaced Google for the simplest of questions, about using AI to search for court documents, and even to assist in devising interview questions. What draws attention to this article is the warning that the two journalists make about the long-term effect associated with the shift of the value of analyzing and synthesizing information from humans to machines.

On the other hand, international experiences also prove that artificial intelligence can serve as a catalyst for a sustainable transformation within media editorial offices. The purpose of analyzing different cases is to identify useful and sustainable models of incorporating artificial intelligence into journalism, which can serve as a guide for the Albanian media. For the Albanian media, which works with limited resources and in a fragmented market, these models represent not only technological innovations, but concrete examples of strategic development. Building tools that help readers find quality content, diversifying the user experience and supporting journalists through AI for fact-checking or data analysis are necessary steps to restore trust and bring journalism closer to the public. The analysis includes case studies from Germany, Italy, Slovakia, and other countries that have explored sustainable forms of integrating AI into the media.

In Germany, the publishing house Gruner + Jahr, which is part of the RTL media group, one of the largest in Europe, built an internal community based on artificial intelligence, where journalists and software developers work together to test new uses of technology in editorial processes. This project aims not only for efficiency, but also for transforming the work culture in the newsroom.

Meanwhile, another case is that of the Earth Journalism Network, a global network that supports environmental journalism in developed and developing countries. This network has developed a tool called “EarthCheckr”, an AI-powered computer program that helps journalists identify potential claims for verification and provides resources to check their accuracy. Its use has proven useful for freelance journalists or those engaged in small newsrooms, without sufficient resources for fact-checking. A similar program was recently tested in Albania by the fact-checking platform, Faktoje. The “Check” project built a multilingual chatbot, based on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technology, with the aim of helping users get accurate and referenced answers to questions related to disinformation.

Another case that shows the use of AI to serve the public is that of the well-known American newspaper Wall Street Journal. This newspaper has developed a chatbot named “Lars”, which helps readers understand the American tax system through personalized answers. This Chatbot, which is built on the basis of editorial content and reliable public sources, is an example that shows how AI can be used to reach an audience, increase engagement and make complex topics and issues more understandable.

The case of the Italian newspaper “Il Sole 24 Ore” is another model that comes within the framework of the inclusion of AI in order to improve the user experience. The Italian newspaper developed an advanced search engine for its website, which allows readers to more easily find in-depth content according to their interests. This tool uses artificial intelligence to provide personalized results. This makes the audience’s navigation in digital content more active and valuable. The case of “Il Sole 24 Ore” can serve as a model for the Albanian online media, whose websites are still characterized by rigid designs and unusable archives, which do not offer anything personalized for the audience.

On the other hand, the model of “Ringier Slovakia” shows a way to include artificial intelligence in content production. Here we enter a very contested terrain due to the fears and ethical dilemmas that exist about the role of AI in the production of information. However, “Ringier Slovakia”, part of an international media group operating in several countries of Central and Eastern Europe, has shown courage and creativity in including AI in content production. This media integrated artificial intelligence to automate daily weather reports, creating around 80 articles per day, personalized for different cities in the country. The use of AI in this function shows that even common topics such as weather reports can be transformed into added value for the audience, if treated intelligently and technologically efficiently.

The latest case we have analyzed is that of a journalist from the Financial Times, one of the most respected institutions of business journalism in the world, who has chosen to use artificial intelligence to summarize articles, analyze complex data, and suggest questions that encourage reader comments. This is an example where technology not only supports the journalist, but can also help him be more efficient and accurate in his profession.

The main conclusion when analyzing these cases and many others that are added every day in different media around the world, is that the time has already passed for the discussion on whether or not we should use artificial intelligence. It is important to understand that the moment has come for attention to be directed towards finding frameworks for an ethical and responsible use of AI. For the Albanian media, it is time to spend time and energy on developing editorial policies, manuals and guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence, training journalists, and increasing transparency with the public. If we manage to orient the discussion in this direction, without wasting time, we can catch up with the pace of other countries in the inclusion of artificial intelligence in the media as an ally for better journalism and qualitative and accurate information of audiences / reporter.al

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