What AI Can and Can’t Do in Media – And Why Human Storytelling Still Matters

By Makenzie Carlin

 

Imagine scrolling through your inbox and finding a newsletter about your town. It looks legitimate — covering local restaurants, city events and even featuring testimonials from readers who call it their “lifeline” to local news.

But look closer: The same testimonials appear in newsletters for cities across the country. The articles are AI-generated summaries of real news, repackaged as original journalism.

This isn’t hypothetical — it’s happening. A network of AI-generated local newsletters now operates in 355 U.S. towns. The company behind them doesn’t disclose its AI use, and its “testimonials” are what its founder calls “sanitized amalgamations” — in other words, fake.

This story is a fascinating — and frankly, concerning — case study in how AI can be leveraged for scale but fails at authenticity. It highlights why human-driven journalism remains the bedrock of informed societies, and the best stories — the ones that move us, challenge us and change us — come from real people, not algorithms.

The Role of AI in Media and Communications

AI is transforming the communications and public relations industry, but it is not a silver bullet. While it can automate tasks and enhance efficiency, it cannot replace the human judgment, creativity and ethical considerations essential to effective storytelling and strategic communication.

What AI Can Do

  • Aggregate and Summarize Data: AI can process vast datasets, extract insights and generate reports that help communicators analyze trends.
  • Generate Content at Scale: It can draft social media posts, press release headlines or event summaries quickly.
  • Analyze Audience Engagement: AI can track engagement metrics, recommend content improvements and optimize messaging for audiences.

What AI Cannot Do (and Why Humans Are Irreplaceable)

  • Verify Information With Critical Judgment: AI retrieves data but cannot fact-check like a journalist or researcher. It struggles with misinformation, bias and credibility.
  • Exercise Ethical Decision-Making: PR and communications require ethical considerations — navigating crises, determining what to share and assessing reputational risks. AI lacks moral reasoning.
  • Craft Emotionally Resonant Narratives: AI generates text but doesn’t understand human emotions, cultural sensitivities or lived experiences. Authentic storytelling requires a human touch.

The Future: AI as a Tool, not a Replacement

The rise of AI-generated content in media and communications is a reminder that while AI can assist, it cannot replace the role of human storytellers. The danger isn’t just in misinformation or inaccuracy — it’s in the erosion of authenticity, trust and community connection.

Audiences don’t just want information; they want narratives that reflect real experiences, real emotions and real perspectives. Journalism, public relations and strategic communications thrive on trust, context and ethical responsibility — elements that AI, no matter how advanced, cannot replicate.

The challenge ahead isn’t rejecting AI but ensuring it serves as an aid rather than a stand-in. The best communicators will be those who embrace AI for efficiency while preserving the depth, nuance and ethical responsibility that only human storytelling can provide.