The head of the Association of Bavarian Newspaper Publishers (VBZV), Andreas Scherer, warned against selling journalistic content to artificial intelligence (AI) during the group’s yearly gathering on Wednesday.
Scherer stated at the event in Brussels that without proper regulation, AI posed a threat not just to the journalism industry’s economic foundation but also to impartial and professional reporting, which serves as a cornerstone of democratic societies.
He pointed out that major AI platforms were utilizing news articles from newspapers to train their systems and incorporate into their business strategies.
Scherer stated that automated creation and generation of news articles were supplanting traditional journalism, which led to an insidious reduction in depth and quality for media organizations, along with a decline in press freedom.
Leading conservative politicians from Bavaria and Europe, Manfred Weber, highlighted the significance of an independent media. “A dynamic and varied press ecosystem is essential to our European lifestyle,” he stated at the gathering.
During the meeting, Scherer was reaffirmed in his position for an additional two-year term.
The VBZV comprises 33 Bavarian media entities, including their digital offshoots and individual contributors.
