Indian Audiences' High AI Comfort Reshapes Global News.

A significant transformation is underway in India's news consumption habits, marked by a growing acceptance of and shift towards content generated by artificial intelligence. The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism's 2025 Digital News Report highlights that India is at the forefront of a global trend where generative AI and social media influencers are "supercharging a fragmented alternative media environment". This evolution in how news is produced and consumed carries profound implications for the media industry, challenging traditional journalistic practices while opening new avenues for content personalization and distribution. The findings indicate a clear preference among Indian audiences for AI-driven features that offer convenience and customization, signaling a departure from conventional news formats and a move towards a more technologically integrated media landscape.

The comfort level with AI in news consumption among Indian respondents is notably high compared to other nations. According to the Reuters Institute report, 44% of Indian respondents are comfortable with AI-generated news, a stark contrast to the figures in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.[1] This comfort is translating into tangible usage, with nearly one-fifth of Indian users reportedly turning to chatbots for news on a weekly basis.[2] The demand for personalized content is a key driver of this trend. About 27% of respondents expressed a preference for summarized articles, while 24% favored translations, underscoring a desire for news that is not only quicker to consume but also more relevant to individual needs.[3] This interest in AI for utility-driven purposes like summarization and translation suggests that while there is still a general distrust of news created entirely by AI without human oversight, its role as a supportive tool is gaining wider acceptance.[3]

The adoption of AI is not limited to text-based news; it is also heavily influencing the move towards video-first formats, particularly on platforms like YouTube.[3] The report notes that 55% of Indian respondents have increased their use of YouTube for news.[3] In response, publishers and content creators are leveraging generative AI to streamline production, creating multilingual summaries, and generating engaging headlines, captions, and voiceovers.[3] This shift aligns with a broader trend where more people in India, alongside countries like the Philippines and Thailand, now prefer watching the news over reading it.[2] This visual-first approach is also giving rise to a new cadre of "personality-led news creators" or influencers who are commanding significant audiences on social media platforms.[2] The confluence of AI-powered creation tools and the popularity of video platforms is fundamentally altering the news ecosystem, pushing traditional media outlets to adapt or risk being left behind.[2]

Despite the growing acceptance and application of AI in journalism, significant challenges and ethical considerations remain. Concerns about the potential for misinformation and the spread of deepfakes are prevalent, with 58% of people in India worried about fake news online.[1] A separate study by Adobe found that 86% of Indians believe misinformation and harmful deepfakes will impact future elections, and a vast majority feel it is important to have tools to verify online content and to know if content is AI-generated.[4] This highlights a critical need for robust governance frameworks and AI literacy initiatives.[5] While AI offers powerful tools for fact-checking and identifying false information, the technology itself can be a double-edged sword, capable of creating highly realistic and deceptive content.[6][7] Media organizations and journalists recognize these risks, emphasizing the importance of maintaining journalistic credibility and the "human touch" in reporting, even as they embrace AI for efficiency gains.[8] The consensus among many industry leaders is that AI should serve as a complementary tool to augment, not replace, the core functions of journalism like on-the-ground reporting and critical analysis.[8]

In conclusion, India is rapidly emerging as a key market where AI is reshaping the creation, distribution, and consumption of news. The high level of comfort among Indian audiences for AI-powered news features, such as summarization and translation, is accelerating a shift towards more personalized and video-centric content. This trend, as detailed by the Reuters Institute, presents both immense opportunities and significant challenges for the AI and media industries. While AI-driven automation can enhance efficiency and reach, it also brings to the forefront critical issues of trust, misinformation, and the ethical responsibilities of both technology companies and news publishers. Navigating this evolving landscape will require a balanced approach that harnesses the power of AI to innovate while upholding the fundamental principles of journalistic integrity and public trust. The future of news in India will likely be a hybrid model, where human journalists leverage AI as a powerful assistant to deliver more engaging, accessible, and verified information to a diverse and technologically adept audience.