L’intelligenza artificiale nelle redazioni giornalistiche. Verso una nuova centralità della funzione interpretativa

In the new media ecosystem shaped by artificial intelligence, trust emerges as a three-way dynamic involving journalists, technology, and the public simultaneously. On one hand, the press views AI with a mix of enthusiasm and suspicion: while some professionals acknowledge its operational potential—particularly for handling repetitive tasks or assisting with editorial workflows—many remain skeptical about the actual contribution these tools can make to journalism in its traditional sense as a public good for civic life. The article focuses and discusses recent studies in Italy showing that most journalists still consider AI to be of little relevance to core professional functions such as investigative reporting, fact-checking, or critical analysis. At the same time, reader trust in AI is also ambivalent: the public appears more willing to accept AI use for technical purposes (transcription, translation, news personalization) but it expresses strong unease when automation touches on sensitive areas like politics or editorial decision-making. Their primary concern is the risk that generative AI could erode the authenticity of information by producing impersonal, opaque content that is difficult to verify and contextualize.