Many news and media organizations have jumped on the AI bandwagon, using it in a range of production processes. But they have largely failed to look at, let alone factor in, how audiences perceive the technology in the context of journalism. How do people think AI is being used in journalism compared to how it is actually being used? What are people comfortable with and what not? And how does its use – or perceived use – affect trust in the media? Felix Simon answers all these questions and more in this episode. A communication researcher at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and a research associate at the Oxford Internet Institute, Simon has long focused his research on AI in news and public reception. He was a lead author of the Reuters Institute’s Generative AI and News Report 2025, and he presented the key findings at the 2025 b° future festival ahead of the report’s release.
The episode was recorded live at the b° future festival on October 3, 2025. More information about the b° future festival can be found here: https://www.b-future.org/
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Credits:
Editor: Paula Rösler (Bonn Institute)
Host: Cristina Burack (Bonn Institute)
Producer: Hannes Kappler (Bonn Institute)
Director: Ellen Heinrichs (Bonn Institute)
Contact: hello@bonn-institute.org
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