Following the massive response to the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, news organisations have published artificial intelligence (AI) ethics charters and intensified their experimentation with a panoply of AI tools, while journalists and audiences have responded with some ambivalence to these emerging practices. Public service media – by virtue of their mandate, but also thanks to their relative financial stability and higher audience trust (Newman 2024) – are uniquely positioned to respond to the complex and rapidly evolving challenges posed by generative AI to information quality and to the future of newswork. The ‘user needs model’ pioneered at the BBC and adapted by numerous other news organisations shows promise for regaining the trust – and attention – of audiences in alignment with public service values and journalism ethics, while integrating responsible AI principles.
This report explores this "user needs" model and outlines the challenges posed by generative AI for public service media. To do so, a literature review of public service media artificial intelligence charters and initiatives was produced specifically for this report by Yonn Calvez, MA Public Communication student at Laval University. The analysis also builds on original insights from academics and expert practitioners from Europe and Canada who took part in a workshop meeting hosted by the Quebec Government Office in London on February 26, 2025.
Brin, C. (2025). Public service media, responsible AI and user needs. Obvia.
Brin, C. (2025). Médias publics, IA responsable et besoins des utilisateurs. Obvia.