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‘Age of misinformation is here’, academic warns at AI journalism conference
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Birmingham City University (BCU) is shining a spotlight on the growing challenge of misinformation in the age of artificial intelligence by bringing journalists, students and schoolchildren together to debate its impact on the future of news.
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A Pop-Up Newsroom was hosted at BCU for Journalism students and local school children
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At a Pop-Up Newsroom event at STEAMhouse on Friday 6 March, pupils, reporters, academics and local officials explored how AI is reshaping journalism, generating convincing fake news and making false information harder to detect.
“This is about bringing together multiple generations of people from our city to tell one story,” said Dr Rachel-Ann Charles, Course Director of BA Journalism at BCU.
“Misinformation is no longer a future threat - it’s arriving in all our information streams.
“As an industry, journalism needs to move away from verification in isolation. We are teaching our students how to verify so we can keep news truthful.”
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The conference brought together "multiple generations" of current and future journalists
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Since the rise of tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, there has been discussion about AI’s impact on media and journalism education.
BCU’s event aimed to highlight these changes and demonstrate practical ways for both students and young people to handle AI responsibly.
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Birmingham City Councillor Rob Pocock (L) and Panellist Graeme Brown, Editor-in-Chief of Birmingham Live (R) spoke about AI, trust and news
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Panellist Graeme Brown, Editor-in-Chief of Birmingham Live, said he recognised the threat posed by artificial intelligence but is optimistic for the future of journalism.
“AI is the biggest disruptor of our generation, but I don’t think it’s coming for our jobs,” he said.
“AI can’t knock on doors or develop the relationships needed to tell vital stories, like child poverty in Birmingham.”
However, he admitted there was work to do.
“Our industry is at a turning point, and we need to find new routes to market,” he said.
“People are still interested in the news, but they want it in new ways. I trust our journalists to be the ones to find them.”
Pupils from St Michael’s CofE Primary School in Birmingham got hands-on experience with AI tools during the event, discovering how easily fake news can be generated and learning how to verify information for themselves.
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Award-winning broadcaster Nikki Tapper MBE, who chaired the discussion, praised the event for its educational focus.
“We’re very fortunate to have universities like BCU that are training the next generation of journalists,” she said.
“The future is bright for authentic journalism as we still need people to tell other people’s stories.”
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Award-winning broadcaster Nikki Tapper MBE chaired the discussion
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Students from BCU’s Journalism courses also attended the event, providing insight on how they feel about AI in their education and future careers.
“Events like this are really important as it gives us an opportunity to talk to people currently working in the industry, learn from their experiences and build contacts for when we graduate,” said Kseniia Yakutina, a third year BA Journalism student.
“AI could still be a genuine threat to news and trust, but we got to hear how journalists and editors are learning about ways to handle and use the technology in authentically to tell people’s stories in new ways, to reach new audiences.”
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About Birmingham City UniversityFrom art, accounting and architecture to midwifery, media and mechanical engineering, BCU transforms the lives of its students by offering a wide range of contemporary and flexible courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Home to the award-winning School of Jewellery, the internationally renowned Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and the innovative centre STEAMhouse, BCU has a history stretching back to 1843. It is also focused on the future, with its new strategy – ‘Rooted in Birmingham, Reaching Beyond’ - committed to the regeneration of the city and to enhancing communities across the West Midlands.
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Contact UsFor media inquiries or further information, please contact our Press Office at press@bcu.ac.uk
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Birmingham City University
Curzon Building, 4 Cardigan Street, Birmingham, B4 7BD, UK
For all inquiries, please contact us at: press@bcu.ac.uk
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