AI Ethics in Romanian Mass Media: Risks and Professional Responsibility

Artificial intelligence tools are increasingly used in editorial work, bringing significant benefits and new creative opportunities. However, they also raise ethical and professional challenges that require careful consideration. This research investigates the ethical risks associated with the use of AI in the Romanian media system, focusing on phenomena such as algorithmic bias, misinformation, disinformation amplification, and transparency. The analysis also addresses the risk of diminishing human editorial control and the trend toward content standardization.
The research methodology is qualitative, involving 15 semi-structured interviews with media professionals in Romania (10 experienced journalists and 5 editors-in-chief). The results highlight an ambivalent position towards AI integration. Although respondents recognise the operational advantages of automation in optimising workflows, they express consistent concerns about ethical vulnerabilities, reduced editorial responsibility, and the potential amplification of structural dysfunctions already existing in the Romanian media landscape.
Participants co-explain the need to adopt clear ethical codes for the use of AI in newsrooms, as well as coherent, enforceable legal regulations. In the absence of such mechanisms, the uncontrolled integration of AI risks accentuating superficiality, commercial pressures, and the dilution of professional standards. This study advocates a hybrid working model in which AI serves as a tool to complement journalistic practice, without substituting for professional judgment or compromising public trust.