Arizona State University (ASU) is taking an active role in shaping the future of journalism as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to change how news is produced and delivered. The university, through its Knight Center for the Future of News at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and NEWSWELL, is working to help news organizations navigate challenges brought by AI.
Supported by funding from the Knight Foundation, the Knight Center serves as a hub for research and practical solutions aimed at building trust, sustainability, and innovation within the news industry. NEWSWELL focuses on improving local journalism by providing leadership and operational support to small and midsize newsrooms using a nonprofit model that reinvests resources into independent reporting.
These efforts will be highlighted during the National Journalism + AI Accelerator event scheduled for January 6–8. The event will bring together nearly 200 leaders from journalism, technology, and education to discuss how AI is changing news creation, distribution, and sustainability.
Andy Pergam, executive director of the Knight Center for the Future of News, said: “Universities have a unique responsibility in shaping how AI is used in journalism because they fundamentally operate in the public interest. Institutions like ASU — and Cronkite in particular — create space to ask harder questions about power, trust and accountability, while also producing applied research and tools news leaders can use. In addition, universities are key to training future journalists to use AI while maintaining human judgment and critical thinking.”
Pergam added: “As AI rapidly reshapes how information is created, distributed and understood, supporting trustworthy information is not just a technical challenge, but a civic one. Universities can help set shared norms, test innovative ideas in the open and across disciplines, and convene voices that don’t always sit at the same table.”
Nicole Carroll, executive director of NEWSWELL, addressed interdisciplinary collaboration: “The adoption of AI has moved so fast that each sector has been racing to create usage policies and ethical guidelines, develop best practices and training, and find the best ways to use AI to enhance creativity and expertise, not replace it. It’s important that we share findings and ideas across education, journalism, government, health care and other industries so we can take advantage of the opportunities AI brings while learning from each other’s mistakes. We cannot sacrifice trust for efficiency.”
On changes ahead for journalists’ roles due to increased automation from AI tools such as content creation or verification tasks Carroll said: “As AI becomes more proficient in finding, summarizing and presenting information and data, the role of journalists becomes even more essential. Journalists must make sense of information and explain why it matters; verify sources; challenge assumptions; push for transparency; uncover wrongdoing; take responsibility for fairness.”
Pergam commented on ethics in adopting newsroom technologies: “Ethical guardrails for AI in journalism need to exist across the entire technology stack including how reporters/editors use it gathering/producing/distributing stories—plus how tech companies source/train/commercialize info at scale… Journalism has long been guided by values like accuracy/transparency/accountability/independence—those values must be carried forward as work changes… By partnering with news organizations…and embedding ethical reasoning into hands-on learning universities can further values like impact/bias/accountability/accuracy so they become muscle memory rather than an afterthought.”
Carroll discussed business models: “AI has potential reduce cost routine work…transcribing interviews/summarizing notes/analyzing data…it can take content & convert different formats (podcasts/social media/newsletters)…on revenue side personalize ads & target donors/members… At this stage many organizations are using AI increase efficiency… One goal [of] Accelerator see if we can take further transform business models while maintaining journalistic ethics/community trust.”
Regarding broader plans Pergam said: “The National Journalism + AI Accelerator is an important early step in our work moving [the] news industry forward at moment when both trust/sustainability under real strain… Partnering with NEWSWELL allows us ground this effort realities facing local/community newsrooms bringing together leaders across journalism/technology/business… Ultimately this work reflects center’s larger goal accelerating meaningful transformation across audiences/business models/storytelling so journalism can better serve public.”
ASU’s involvement comes amid other technology partnerships such as working with Argos Vision—a tech startup developing smart traffic cameras—as part of city initiatives aimed at improving safety through advanced data analysis according to a City of Phoenix press release.
Additionally,Arizona State University was recognized as number one in innovation for eight consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report.
