AI Literacy
People have mixed feelings about artificial intelligence. Many are skeptical, worried or distrustful of AI, and journalists are increasingly working to use these tools without undermining audience trust.
Since 2024, Trusting News has been exploring a central question: How can journalists use AI in ways that maintain or even build trust with their audiences? Our first research project showed strong public support for transparency. But we also found that disclosure alone is not enough.
Many audiences still lack a clear understanding of how AI works or where it appears in daily life. Rather than focusing only on newsroom disclosure, we asked what happens when journalists help audiences understand AI itself.
Our most recent research shows this approach has real impact: Most respondents found the content useful and wanted more of it, and a slight majority reported increased trust in the news organization after viewing just one example. Close to half (47%) said they would be more likely to turn to the organization for future information about AI.
Among people with little or no trust in news, close to one-third said they would return to the news organization for information (AI-related topics and general news), and 35% reported increased trust in the news organization.
Based on this new research and the previous research, Trusting News is recommending journalists take these steps:
- Listen and engage with your audience about AI use.
- Have guardrails in place. Be transparent about how and when you use AI with public-facing AI use policies and AI use disclosures.
- Invest in educating the public about AI. Consider hosting AI literacy events.
The first two points are covered in our previous AI Trust Kit.
In this new AI Literacy Trust Kit, you’ll find resources to help you listen to what your audience wants to know about AI, share AI literacy content with your community, and host an AI literacy event.
This work was supported by a grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
AI literacy content helps communities feel informed and it strengthens trust in your newsroom as a credible source on AI and everyday news.
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Trusting News: About Us
We inspire and empower journalists to evolve their practices in order to actively earn trust.
Trusting News inspires and empowers journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating their credibility and actively earning trust. We equip journalists to listen and engage with humility and to explain their integrity through day-to-day transparency. We use research-backed, newsroom-tested strategies to support journalists in building a better relationship with the people they aim to serve. We work in a continual cycle of research, learning and sharing to make sure the work evolves.