Abstract

AI Journalism has been increasing its market penetration and extending its reach in newsrooms and classrooms from the Global North to the Global South, though with varying levels of resources. AI development in journalism innovation comes on the back of trends in AI research efforts and the labor market: research publications on AI have doubled; the share of AI jobs among job postings in Singapore skyrocketed and surpassed US, Canada, UK, and Australia; AI itself is contributing to the development of AI; and annual global corporate investment in AI rose to $176.5 billion in 2021 from $6.1 billion in 2013. With increasing academic and business interests, Asian newsrooms are taking either rapid or measured strides in developing their suite of AI experiences that leverage automation and a business model that is flexible enough to absorb shocks from constant digital transformation and disruption. Using database and web search, as well as a review of financial statements and national AI strategies, the study contributes a comparative overview of AI perceptions, plans, content, and ethics in online news platforms in a developed and a developing country in Southeast Asia, Singapore, and the Philippines.