An Industry-Led Debate: How UK Media Cover Artificial Intelligence

13 December 2018

J. Scott Brennen, Philip N. Howard, and Rasmus Kleis Nielsen
View Journal Article / Working Paper

In this factsheet, the Programme on Misinformation, Science and Media analyse eight months of reporting on artificial intelligence (AI) in six mainstream news outlets in the United Kingdom to understand how AI is emerging as a public issue. The mixed-methods analysis reveals that a majority of articles are pegged to industry concerns, and a plurality of sources originate from industry. Coverage frequently amplifies self-interested assertions of AI’s value and potential, while positioning AI primarily as a private commercial concern and undercutting the role of public action in addressing AI.