BR chief says trust is journalism’s key currency in AI era

Bavarian Broadcasting (BR) director Katja Wildermuth says trust is the most important currency in the AI era, as the broadcaster develops a news assistant based on editorially verified reporting. She spoke to BR ahead of the 40th Munich Media Days, which run from Wednesday to Friday under the motto “Own It!”

Wildermuth said journalism must move beyond discussing what artificial intelligence does to the profession and demonstrate what journalists can do with the technology. She said BR wanted to ensure that information spaces were not left in the hands of a small number of technology executives.

The broadcaster’s AI-based news assistant went online on October 13. It summarises key content from BR24 and Tagesschau programmes that have been checked by editors, and provides transparent links to the source material.

Although the assistant generates individual responses automatically, it draws only on information researched and verified by journalists. Wildermuth said journalists remain responsible for checking sources and facts and explaining connections.

She also called for partnerships among quality media organisations, saying they would need to connect their information services to succeed in an AI-driven media landscape. BR is open to working with partners that share its standards, she said.

About 5,000 people are expected to attend the Munich Media Days to discuss the future of the media industry.