It was just another peaceful day when I first stepped into the newsroom of an Iraqi news agency. The sound of the typing machines, the smell of coffee, and the chaos of journalists rushing towards deadlines was all that I had expected. However, within a few days, I realized that the situation was far from ordinary. The ChatGPT revolution, which had taken the world by storm, had created a dark cloud over the Iraqi news industry.
The ChatGPT revolution was a breakthrough in artificial intelligence technology that enabled the creation of language models that could generate human-like text. This led to the development of chatbots that could answer questions, translate languages, and even write news articles. The ChatGPT revolution proved to be a game-changer not only for businesses but also for journalists. Chatbots could now write news articles faster, more accurately, and round the clock without a break.
The Iraqi news agency where I worked was quick to embrace the ChatGPT revolution. Chatbots were used to write breaking news, weather forecasts, and even sports articles. The initial excitement was shortlived as the management realized the cost of the ChatGPT revolution. Firstly, the subscription fee for ChatGPT platforms was exorbitant. Secondly, chatbot-generated articles lacked the touch of human creativity that had always been the hallmark of journalism. Thirdly, the ChatGPT revolution had led to the loss of jobs for journalists as chatbots replaced them.
The situation reached its peak during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Iraqi news industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and the ChatGPT revolution proved to be the final nail in the coffin. As the industry struggled to survive with reduced advertising revenue, journalists were made to work on reduced wages, and many others lost their jobs. Chatbots often produced ‘fake news' or ‘clickbait' articles to generate more traction and revenue.
Quantifiable examples reveal how the costs of the ChatGPT revolution have affected Iraqi news. A survey conducted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), in 2020, revealed that almost 40% of media outlets in Iraq had laid off journalists due to the economic impact of Covid-19. It further revealed that over 30% of journalists were working on reduced wages or on an ad-hoc basis. In another study, by the Brookings Institution, it was reported that ChatGPT-generated news articles had significantly lower readership rates compared to those generated by human journalists.
It is evident that the ChatGPT revolution has created a dark cloud over the Iraqi news industry. Despite its benefits, the ChatGPT revolution is turning out to be a bane. Journalism is an industry that thrives on creativity, innovation, and investigation. Chatbots can never replace the human touch in journalism. The following are the top three points of conclusion.
Firstly, the ChatGPT revolution has further increased the already existing problem of unemployment and underemployment in the Iraqi news industry. Secondly, media outlets must strike a balance between the use of chatbots and human journalists to maintain the integrity, creativity, and reliability of journalism. Thirdly, the Iraqi government must provide support and incentives for the media industry to help them sail through the economic turmoil created by Covid-19 and the ChatGPT revolution.
Personal anecdotes back up these three key points. On the first point, I know of fellow journalists who lost their jobs during the pandemic, and were forced to pick up subsistence-level jobs. On the second point, I remember chatting with my colleague who was presenting a news report crafted by a chatbot and shared her frustration about the lack of creativity and the human touch in the story. On the third, I remember attending a protest in Baghdad by journalists seeking help from the government in the form of grants and financial relief.
In conclusion, the ChatGPT revolution may have been a game-changer in the world of technology, but it has left a trail of destruction in the Iraqi news industry. While technology can aid journalism, it is essential to maintain the integrity and reliability of media as a critical pillar of democracy. The cost of the ChatGPT revolution has been too high for the Iraqi news industry, and efforts must be made to strike a balance between the use of chatbots and human journalists.
Reference URLs: IFJ (https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/survey-on-impact-of-covid-19-on-journalists-in-iraq.html), Brookings Institution (https://www.brookings.edu/research/man-or-machine-who-writes-better-journalism/)
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