Believe It or Not Ep. 4: Is AI turning the internet into a sea of slop or has 'churnalism' already made it sloppy?

In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish Nicklin to argue over the nuances of AI development and its use in the creative industries.In episode four, the duo debate for and against the prompt: “AI is turning the internet into a sea of slop, and journalists are helping it happen."In a change from prior episodes, taking the “for” side of the argument is Oakes, while Nicklin represents the “against” side, posing sceptical questions."Stories come from people," Oakes insists. But are most journalists well-funded and well-positioned to provide quality reporting today? Can AI be used to help journalists, or is it mostly just being used to produce slop?Highlights:1:00: Recent developments in AI: Esquire Singapore's 'interview', CTZN's AI-driven wine6:58: Is AI useful for journalism? Oakes' experience using AI as an independent writer26:59: 'Copy, paste, print': Have publishers devalued their own product and made it vulnerable to AI?46:43: Second-order effects: Impacts on local news, failing business models, transparency and trust59:56: Verdicts