Student Journalists Discuss the Impact of AI on Their Work

Student journalists are feeling the effects of artificial intelligence on their work, with some newsrooms implementing strict policies to prevent AI use and others developing guidelines to ensure authenticity.

## The Impact of AI on Student Journalism The rise of generative artificial intelligence has changed the way student journalists work, with some newsrooms using surveillance software to monitor students' writing and others drafting zero-tolerance policies for AI use. Student journalists are speaking out about the challenges they face in this new landscape.

According to Cid Frydman, a rising senior at Berkeley High School in California, strict AI use policies at her publication have bred resentment among student writers. Editors are harsh on writers, keeping strict controls over documents and analyzing their typing speed and word choices. Frydman sees the high cost of such heavy-handed policies, saying that they discourage students from writing and damage the trust between writers and editors.

## AI Detection and Policy Different newsrooms have developed different approaches to dealing with AI. At the Youth Environmental Press Team, where Tova Weiss is an editor, staffers have developed formal guidelines that prohibit AI-written and AI-edited work, but allow transcription services and basic spell-check. In contrast, *jGirls+* Magazine has no written policy, but relies on experience and a clear standard that submissions and staff applications that appear to be AI-generated are not accepted.

Weiss described a tiered system in the environmental outlet's workflow, with writers operating on an honor system, but with student editors flagging sketchy pieces. However, she and others worry that using AI detectors could unfairly flag strong writing as suspicious simply because it's polished. AI detectors are widely seen as unreliable, with Frydman saying that they can flag good writing as AI-generated.

## The Future of Student Journalism As student journalists navigate this new landscape, they are finding ways to adapt and ensure the authenticity of their work. Veronica Mollod, a rising senior and current events editor at *Common Sense*, said that a simple editing rule at her publication helps keep AI-generated content at bay: every article is required to include a quote from a student in each grade level. This structural feature makes it hard for AI to intrude, since students typically remember what they've said to a reporter.

Student journalists are calling for a more nuanced approach to AI, one that balances the need to prevent cheating with the need to trust and support students in their writing. As AI continues to evolve and improve, it's likely that student journalists will face new challenges and opportunities in their work.