Australian Journalism 'Sidelined' as AI Tool Copilot Dominates News Summaries, Says Researcher
A new study by a University of Sydney researcher has found that Australian journalism is being largely "invisible" in AI-generated news summaries from Microsoft Copilot. The tool, which uses artificial intelligence to summarize and generate news content, overwhelmingly favors US or European media sources, with only about one-fifth of responses featuring links to Australian media outlets.
The research, led by Dr Timothy Koskie, warns that the increasing use of AI tools like Copilot could lead to more "news deserts," where local news outlets struggle to survive due to lack of revenue. With users receiving summaries without clicking through to the original news website, these outlets are losing out on web traffic and revenue.
Koskie's analysis of 434 AI-generated news summaries revealed that non-Australian sources such as CNN, BBC, and ABC America were often featured despite the user being located in Australia. In some cases, no Australian sources appeared at all, and when they did, it was usually major players like Nine and the ABC.
The researcher suggests that Copilot is "basically sidelining" Australian journalism, with smaller independent media outlets being largely erased from the summary. This raises concerns about the impact on trust in media, as users are exposed to content that is not local or trusted by Australians.
Koskie argues that the technology is perpetuating existing crises in the media industry, including concentrated ownership and declining independent outlets. He urges policymakers to develop policy mechanisms, such as the news media bargaining code, to help journalism thrive in this new landscape.
The researcher also suggests extending the news media bargaining incentive remit to consider AI tools and incentivizing companies like Copilot to embed geographical location in their coding design. If left unchecked, he warns that these tools could compound Australia's existing media pluralism challenges rather than alleviating them.
A new study by a University of Sydney researcher has found that Australian journalism is being largely "invisible" in AI-generated news summaries from Microsoft Copilot. The tool, which uses artificial intelligence to summarize and generate news content, overwhelmingly favors US or European media sources, with only about one-fifth of responses featuring links to Australian media outlets.
The research, led by Dr Timothy Koskie, warns that the increasing use of AI tools like Copilot could lead to more "news deserts," where local news outlets struggle to survive due to lack of revenue. With users receiving summaries without clicking through to the original news website, these outlets are losing out on web traffic and revenue.
Koskie's analysis of 434 AI-generated news summaries revealed that non-Australian sources such as CNN, BBC, and ABC America were often featured despite the user being located in Australia. In some cases, no Australian sources appeared at all, and when they did, it was usually major players like Nine and the ABC.
The researcher suggests that Copilot is "basically sidelining" Australian journalism, with smaller independent media outlets being largely erased from the summary. This raises concerns about the impact on trust in media, as users are exposed to content that is not local or trusted by Australians.
Koskie argues that the technology is perpetuating existing crises in the media industry, including concentrated ownership and declining independent outlets. He urges policymakers to develop policy mechanisms, such as the news media bargaining code, to help journalism thrive in this new landscape.
The researcher also suggests extending the news media bargaining incentive remit to consider AI tools and incentivizing companies like Copilot to embed geographical location in their coding design. If left unchecked, he warns that these tools could compound Australia's existing media pluralism challenges rather than alleviating them.
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- i mean, think about it, AI tool copilot is basically replacing aussie journalists with a summary of foreign news... what's next? is we're gonna have to rely on google for our local news too? 
and yeah, the fact that only one-fifth of responses are featuring links to australian media outlets is crazy. i mean, isn't it supposed to be all about serving the needs of local communities? 
It's not like we have a functioning media industry here or anything... 
And what's with these news deserts, man? Local media is struggling, and it's all because of AI tools like Copilot. They're basically sucking the life outta our outlets. We need to find a way to level the playing field, or else we'll be stuck in the dark ages of journalism 
What's even more concerning is that smaller indie outlets are basically getting erased from the mix, which could lead to a whole host of problems for our media landscape. 
I agree with Dr Koskie that this tech is perpetuating existing crises in the industry, like concentrated ownership and declining independent outlets. 
We need policymakers to step up and develop some policy mechanisms to help journalism stay relevant in this new world. 
. We need policymakers to step up and make sure our media isn't getting pushed out by tech giants... it's a disaster waiting to happen! 
. We need to get policymakers involved ASAP to create some policy mechanisms that'll help our local journos thrive in this new landscape 
. And I agree, we should be extending the news media bargaining code to consider AI tools too 
. It's time for us to take control of our own media destiny 
.
The die has been cast 
... AI is taking over our news deserts, and it's only a matter of time before we're left with a barren landscape of information 
... "The truth will set you free, but not if you're stuck in a news echo chamber" 
What really gets me is that these smaller indies are getting squeezed out, leaving us with even fewer options for local news. 
. And don't even get me started on the impact on smaller media outlets – they're already struggling to stay afloat, so this is just another nail in the coffin 
and not giving enough love to local media outlets 
! I mean, I get it, technology is advancing and all but can't we just make sure our own voices are heard too? 
It's like, if you're an Aussie living in Oz, don't you want to see news about your own country and community? 
. Can't wait for the policymaker types to come up with something to save our journalism 
. Maybe it's time for some policymakers to get involved and make sure we're still getting a diverse range of voices 
.
what even is that?! And it gets worse - smaller indies are being erased from the summary altogether 
gotta agree with this researcher, govts gotta step in and make some rules for these AI tools. maybe a news quota or somethin? can't just let copilot dictate whats true and what's not 
It's wild that Aussie sources are getting left out in the cold and it's mainly US or European media being featured instead 
It's gotta be tough for them right now. We need some policymakers to step in and create rules that protect media outlets and help journalism thrive, you know? 