A new study looks at the skills journalists are losing (and gaining) because of AI tools

According to research from MIT's Media Lab, reported by Nieman Lab, journalists who rely on AI tools like ChatGPT to handle writing tasks are experiencing what researchers call "cognitive debt"—a documented decline in their own writing abilities and critical engagement. The study found that ChatGPT users showed the lowest brain engagement and task performance scores compared to those who wrote without AI assistance. The tradeoff, though, isn't purely negative: while journalists may be losing traditional writing chops, some are gaining speed in editing, curation, and story assembly. The research suggests the profession faces a real choice: deeper reliance on AI for efficiency, or investing in preserving the skills that have always defined good reporting.

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