Artificial intelligence is steadily altering newsroom workflows, but it will not replace journalism’s core pillars of trust, verification and accountability. That was the central message from media executives at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where leaders debated how AI is influencing news production, business models and the quality of public discourse.
At a panel titled ‘AI and Media: Opportunity, Responsibility, and the Road Ahead’, speakers agreed that AI should strengthen journalism — not supplant it.
Mohit Jain, chief operating officer and executive director of Bennett Coleman Group, said editorial discretion and verification remain foundational in a country as diverse as India.
He emphasised that journalism is not merely about distributing information, but about:
Curating trust
Providing context
Accepting moral and legal responsibility
As AI begins to commoditise information, Jain argued, trust will become scarce — and scarcity will create value. Human oversight, he added, is not a legacy feature but a structural necessity for sustaining credible public discourse.
He also underlined the strategic importance of the news sector, noting that foreign direct investment in news carries caps because of its potential influence on elections, national security and market stability.
Kalli Purie, vice-chairperson and executive editor-in-chief of India Today Group, raised concerns about the rapid rise of unverified AI-generated content.
According to her, current AI systems are not producing accountable journalism. Instead, they risk generating what she termed “AI slop” — content that appears credible but lacks institutional backing.
Key risks she highlighted:
Illusion of trust without accountability
Scale-driven misinformation
Erosion of editorial standards
She stressed the need for a clear human imprint on AI-assisted journalism.
Tanmay Maheshwari, managing director of Amar Ujala, said his organisation sees AI as a complementary technology.
For his group, AI is being used to:
Deepen reporting
Enhance content value
Improve efficiency
He clarified that AI is not being viewed as a replacement for editorial teams but as a tool to augment human capability.
Driving subscriptions and retention
LV Navaneeth, chief executive officer of The Hindu, said media trust is produced by institutions, not by technology platforms.
He noted that AI is being deployed to improve subscription revenues through propensity models aimed at boosting retention. However, he stressed that accountability for incorrect content ultimately rests with the publisher — irrespective of whether AI tools are involved.
The broader takeaway from the summit was clear: AI may change how journalism is practised and monetised, but credibility, human judgement and institutional responsibility will remain its defining strengths.
