AI in Media Consumption: Charting the Futures of Journalism

The use of generative AI in media consumption has the potential to significantly reshape the media environment and the relationship between journalism and its audience. However, as research on the potential of AI and algorithms for media and journalism has largely focused on newsroom applications, the implications of potentially increasing audience uses largely remain unexplored. We examine this potential shift from the perspective of journalistic media, using a design fiction methodology to explore scenarios of future media consumption enabled by generative AI technologies. Through a study involving media professionals from diverse backgrounds, we identify four possible trajectories for journalism: its marginalization, its resilience through human connection, its persistence as a key source of information, and its adaptation through AI-enhanced tools and technological advancements. Based on our results, we consider key decision points for media institutions that may shape which of these futures ultimately unfold.