Balancing the use of technology to guarantee equity, security, and integrity. Redefining the drivers of digital transformation for journalism and communications, in an interview with Mark Perna.
In today’s rapidly digital changing, journalism, as the entire communications world, is tackling the new influences that impact on the way news are created and consumed.
The ability to effectively integrate AI while maintaining high standards of quality and reliability in information represents one of the main challenges for the future of communications.
Today we’re surfing with Mark Perna, journalist, expert in innovation and digital communication.
How would you describe the evolution of technology in the last few decades? What were the most significant advances and what impact did they have on society?
We have never seen such an acceleration and significant relevance of technology in our lives as in recent decades. Just consider the world before and after the advent of the internet. Two completely different worlds and ways of living: analog and digital. From the early 2000s to today, a lot has changed in the way we work, trade, study, communicate, and relate to people. Knowledge and information have moved from paper to the web, and this has allowed each of us to access information quickly, precisely, simply, and in a way that is easily shareable.
The internet and the web have been the most important cultural revolution since the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press in 1455. In the last 25 years, we have experienced two other major technological revolutions: the arrival of social networks and today that of Artificial Intelligence. These are the three great technological waves of the digital world, all occurring in just a quarter of a century, capable of having a truly disruptive impact on society, with a speed never recorded in human history.
Of course, in addition to these three great waves of the digital era, other technologies have also played a significant role in recent decades. Just to mention a few, there’s cloud and quantum computing, blockchain, biotechnologies, automation, and robotics. However, other innovations have had a more limited impact or even fallen short of expectations, such as everything related to augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D printing, at least in the consumer sector.
What emerging technologies are impacting journalism and how are they changing it?
The journalism industry is tackling a period of severe transformation, driven by technological innovation that is redefining every aspect of this sector. From the methods of gathering and producing news to their dissemination and consumption, emerging technologies are having a significant impact on journalism, creating new opportunities and challenges for professionals in the field.
Before investigating into the topic of technology, it is crucial to analyze the role of information in the digital era and understand the transformation of the business. It is clear to everyone that the publishing world is in deep crisis, with only a few sporadic exceptions; this sector has not fully capitalized on the opportunities offered by the digital age. While it is true that information is, and will remain, an essential element for humans, it is also true that there is increasingly less willingness to recognize its economic value. Users, especially newer generations, do not “purchase” quality editorial products, but they settle for free content and sources that are not always authoritative and reliable. To address this change in habits, rather than investing in quality, the publishing industry has shifted its business model to be supported by advertising, which has further impoverished the value of journalism.
We are now at a critical point triggered by the arrival of Artificial Intelligence, which could represent a great opportunity for journalism or its definitive demise. I have already seen too many articles written rather well by AI, and some publishers have started using AI to draft service articles of low value, articles constructed with just the logic of SEO. Obviously, these articles cost the publisher almost nothing. Here lies the risk of a further flattening towards the bottom of the publishing industry with journalists replaced by AI, which is a very tangible risk. It’s beneficial if AI generates service content, leaving journalists to handle high-value content that is well-paid and recognized by users. In this delicate phase, it is essential to make users and the market understand the difference between an article written by AI, and one produced by a real journalist. But journalists and journalism must prove to be better and more appreciated than AI, otherwise, it’s over. For journalism, these are decisive hours.
What are the innovation opportunities that AI offers to the communications and media sector? How can companies take the most of these opportunities to remain competitive?
Artificial Intelligence is a powerful, versatile, effective, and accessible tool, but it is just a tool. The true potential is only defined by those who use AI. It is important to make this point clear from the beginning. That said, as in all other areas where AI is applied, it also represents a valuable resource in communication.
The first significant contribution of AI is the access to information, which is no longer typical of search engines. Instead of receiving a mere list, AI is capable (most of the time) of explaining any topic. In response to a question, we get a summary of the information available online, which greatly simplifies the work of journalists and more generally everyone in the communication sector. This represents a major paradigm shift in the consumption of knowledge.
The second benefit offered by AI is the ability to speed up workflow and content production. Hundreds of generative AI tools enable tasks to be performed that until recently required a huge investment of time and resources. Photos and videos can be generated from a simple text prompt, documents can be translated, subtitles added, emails and online chats responded to automatically, social media content scheduled, and much more. The optimization of time and resources allows for better capitalization of human labor and the freeing up of financial resources to be utilized elsewhere.
The third benefit of AI is indirect. Since the advantages of using Artificial Intelligence are potentially available to everyone, the human factor will make the difference. AI will significantly enhance the value of human creativity and the original ways it can be systematized. The more simple and fast tasks AI performs, the more those working in media will have the opportunity to focus on ideas, projects, and original content, which alone can truly stand out and be appreciated by consumers.
What role does Artificial Intelligence have in tackling problems such as the spread of fake news and the manipulation of public opinion?
Artificial Intelligence is becoming an increasingly essential tool in the fight against the proliferation of fake news and the manipulation of public opinion. In an era dominated by digital information, the speed at which news, whether true or false, can spread is unprecedented. Social media platforms amplify this phenomenon, creating environments where false information can easily be mistaken for truth. AI offers a range of innovative solutions to address these challenges, enhancing the ability to detect, analyze, and mitigate the spread of misleading information.
One of the main roles of AI in fighting this trend is the early detection of false information. Machine Learning algorithms can be trained on vast datasets of news to learn the distinctive features of true and false news. Techniques such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) enable AI systems to scrutinize texts for signs of falsehood, like inconsistencies in content, unverified sources, and atypical grammatical structures.
In addition to the content of the news, AI can analyze the network through which information spreads. Algorithms can trace the path of news across social media, identifying central nodes and influencers who contribute to the spread of fake news. This type of analysis is crucial for understanding how false information propagates and identifying the main vectors of disinformation.
AI can also contribute by creating and distributing counter-narrative. Algorithms can be used to generate corrective content that debunks fake news, tailoring it to the specific context in which it is spread. For example, if a particular segment of the population is particularly susceptible to a piece of fake news, AI can help create targeted corrective messages that resonate with that audience.
However, it should be remembered that despite numerous advantages, the use of AI in the fight against artificial news also presents several challenges and ethical issues. AI algorithms can be influenced by biases in training data, leading to errors in detecting fake news or, worse, unjustified censorship. There is also the delicate issue of privacy and data protection. It is therefore necessary to address the ethical and technical issues associated with the use of AI, ensuring that it is used responsibly and transparently.
How can technology improve accessibility and inclusiveness in news and sharing information?
Technology should always be an enabler and never represent a barrier or a limit. Particularly in the realm of accessibility and information inclusion, innovation plays a crucial role as it effectively mitigates many critical and negative aspects. For example, screen readers and speech synthesis, automatic translations and subtitling, and many other solutions can help make news and information articles more reachable.
Additionally, the cost of technological products — computers, tablets, smartphones — remains prohibitively high in many parts of the world.
Finally, there is the significant issue regarding lack of digital skills. Perhaps, the broadest and most pervasive problem related to access and news via digital tools. There is still much work to be done to achieve the goals of universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030, as set by the United Nations Digital Agenda 2030.
Certainly, new technologies can significantly assist in this matter. Artificial Intelligence can personalize news based on the preferences and individual needs of users, suggesting relevant articles and adapting how information is presented. This makes the news more pertinent and accessible for everyone, enhancing the user experience. Virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant also play a crucial role: they can read news aloud and respond to questions, making information accessible to people with varying physical and cognitive abilities. Additionally, AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) can offer new ways to interact with news, making it more immersive.
How is technology influencing our communication and social relationships? Do you think it has a positive or negative impact?
Technology has had a tremendous impact on our ways of communicating and, consequently, on our social relationships. The turning point was the transition from the analog world to the digital world. Before the advent of the internet and social networks, the modes of communication had remained nearly the same for hundreds of years, from verbal interactions to written ones, even art forms like painting and sculpture remained unchanged for a long time. It was initially analog technology, such as the invention of the telephone, that changed our modes of interaction. However, nothing compares to what has happened in the last 25 years.
With the arrival of the internet, communication has become immediate and ubiquitous; messages are delivered instantly no matter where we are. We can communicate with anyone, anywhere, in real-time and at low cost. This has greatly accelerated the flow of communication; just think about how many letters we used to send for pleasure or work before 2000 and how many emails we send today. According to some research, today we send on average more than 100 emails a day and just as many instant messages. In short, we communicate more, faster, and it’s not necessarily a good thing. This acceleration has impoverished conversations, making them less meaningful, intense, and intimate. Digital communication has replaced the richness of verbal nuances and the elegance of writing with flat, popular substitutes like emoticons.
An additional impoverishment related to digital communication is the result of the advent of social networks, which has triggered three phenomena worth analyzing: the self-referential right to comment, ego-centric communication, and mediated communication. In brief, the right to comment refers to the fact that anyone feels justified and appropriate to comment on anything on social networks, as if we always have the authority and expertise to express opinions (often unsolicited). Ego-centric communication is tied to the fact that we now live in a society where we must showcase ourselves; we are the society of selfies, everything we do may be of interest to others (which is obviously not the case).
Moreover, every experience, emotion, discovery, journey is now mediated by a tool, primarily the smartphone, and it is with this tool that we see what’s around us and communicate it.
I hope that we can rediscover the pleasure of slower, more substantial, less egocentric, more selective, and intimate communication.
How can we prepare for a future in which Artificial Intelligence is increasingly widespread?
As I’ve already mentioned, Artificial Intelligence is merely a tool; it is neither good nor bad, everything depends on how it is used. The potential offered by this technology is immense, just think about the possibility of developing more effective drugs in less time, the ability to diagnose diseases more quickly and accurately, or even self-driving cars that give us back time and minimize accidents. There are indeed many opportunities to seize, but this time it is essential to manage this technological innovation adequately.
AI is a powerful and pervasive resource, and we all need to be aware of how it works and its risks. Compared to previous digital revolutions, such as the internet and social networks, this time each of us must be personally involved in the process of adopting this technology. It is up to all of us to define and decide how far AI can go and where it must stop. We must decide how and how much it can help us without allowing it to replace us in essential areas of our lives, both in work and in social relationships.
It is fundamental that governments question how to manage AI, defining guidelines and action perimeters, but this time the primary objective of governments should be to invest in training and digital education. We cannot allow AI to exploit our ignorance, which I believe is an essential point.
What is your advice for young people interested in a career in innovation and technology?
Innovation and technology in every professional field present an exceptional opportunity to build the future we want. I believe that’s one of the most fascinating and dynamic professional opportunities to be part of. I would like to suggest to young people to think of technology as an enabling factor that must concretely improve our lives. Innovation for its own sake or aimed solely at maximizing profits is not only unhelpful but also harmful.
The great hope and challenge for the new generations is to find an ideal balance between digital and analog life. Young people will need to focus more than we did in the past on the ethics and social responsibility of technology. Who better than digital natives can decide how to save and preserve human skills?
My advice to young people is to take this commitment and work in this direction as a mission. Our future will depend on their decisions.
What skills do you think are essential for media professionals in an increasingly digital and technological era?
There are only three elements that will enable the professionals of communication to survive in the post-AI digital era: passion, quality, and curiosity. Our field is closely linked to creativity, which until the advent of Artificial Intelligence was the exclusive domain of humans. Now that we have seen what generative AI can create, it has become clear that humans must rediscover the pleasure and fun in the creation processes to make a difference.
It’s crucial to focus primarily on passion, the driving force of human beings and impossible for any algorithm to replicate. The quality of work is also essential. We need to raise the bar of our outputs because AI can produce content that is moderately good but never excellent. The third element is curiosity, an attitude we cannot afford to lose.
For me, this is a very important pillar. Curiosity means many things, but one holds fundamental value: asking questions without necessarily having the answers. In a society that is increasingly accustomed to asking a digital oracle for any fact or information, curiosity instead grants us the luxury of silence and doubt. In this precious “suspended” space, we can find the most brilliant ideas that will enable humanity to survive the digital dominance.
Mark Perna, after graduating in Social and Political Sciences, with a research thesis in communication sociology, obtained a Master’s in Multimedia Publishing and a specialization as a director from the New York Film Academy.
He immediately oriented himself towards the world of technology and innovation, serving as the Editorial Head of Travel Online, the first Italian web magazine dedicated to travelling. He held the role of Head of Multimedia Projects at the Hypermedia Open Center of the Department of Electronic and Information Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano.
As a journalist since 1995, Mark has collaborated with major national newspapers, including Corriere della Sera, Il Giornale, Il Sole 24 Ore, Vanity Fair, Wired, and Panorama. He is the founder and manager of MKP – Making Kool Productions, a company specializing in consulting and multimedia content production, with projects developed for major national and international broadcasters.
Mark covers events related to the digital and high-tech world as a reporter but is also a travel reporter who has visited over 100 countries so far. He is an author and television and radio host for Rai and Mediaset productions. As educator, he has moderated several meetings for companies like Amazon, Google, Allianz, events like Wired Fest and has been a speaker at TedX.
