Australian journalism is being largely overlooked in AI-generated news summaries produced by Microsoft Copilot, with a significant bias towards US and European media sources, according to new research from the University of Sydney. The study highlights concerns that this trend could exacerbate existing issues in the media landscape, such as the creation of news deserts and a reduction in independent voices.
Research Findings on AI and Media Bias
Dr Timothy Koskie, a researcher from the university's Centre for AI, Trust and Governance, conducted an analysis of 434 AI-generated news summaries from Copilot. His findings reveal that only about one-fifth of responses to news prompts included links to Australian media sources. In three out of seven news prompts examined, no Australian sources appeared at all, indicating a systemic neglect of local journalism.
Impact on Australian Media Ecosystem
The technology has effectively "sidelined Australian news," as Dr Koskie describes it. When Australian sources are referenced, they tend to be major players like Nine and the ABC, with smaller, independent media outlets being largely ignored. This lack of representation not only diminishes the visibility of local journalists but also threatens the financial viability of Australian media outlets by reducing web traffic and revenue.
Dr Koskie's paper, titled Invisible journalists and dominant algorithms, warns that the increasing reliance on AI tools like Copilot could lead to more news deserts, fewer independent voices, and a weakened democracy. He emphasises that the Australian media ecosystem is already struggling with concentrated ownership, declining independent outlets, and news deserts in regional areas.
User Experience and Trust Issues
The research was prompted when Copilot installed itself on Dr Koskie's system without permission in 2023, inviting him to use seven globally focused prompts for news updates. Prompts included queries such as "what are the major health or medical news updates for this week" and "what are the top global news stories today." The majority of Copilot's answers linked to US websites, and even when Australia was mentioned, it was often in a broad context without reference to specific local regions like Ballarat or the Kimberley.
This invisibility of Australian content in AI summaries contributes to declining trust in media, as people tend to trust local news sources more. Dr Koskie notes, "Trust is also in people, and the people are invisible," highlighting how AI tools erase the human labour behind journalism.
Policy Recommendations and Future Concerns
To address these issues, Dr Koskie suggests extending policy mechanisms like the news media bargaining code to consider AI tools. He also recommends incentivising AI companies to embed geographical location in their coding design to ensure more balanced representation. According to the Reuters Institute, generative AI threatens to upend the news industry by offering more efficient ways of accessing information, but this could undermine existing business models if referral traffic dries up.
The academic paper concludes that if left unchecked, AI tools like Copilot risk compounding Australia's existing media pluralism challenges rather than alleviating them. It calls for urgent action to support journalism and ensure that AI does not further marginalise local and independent media in the digital age.
