Over the past two years, AI has dominated our headlines, conversations, jobs, entertainment, and multiple aspects of our lives. While AI might feel overwhelmingly omnipresent, entrenched in every corner of the internet we glance at, there’s a growing pool of journalists interrogating its power.

At the recently concluded MozFest House Amsterdam, we asked a few journalists why the narrative about AI needs to be centered around people and if given the power which myths, or assumptions about AI they would change.

Here are some of their responses:

Q: If you had a magic wand, what narrative, myth, or cliche, about AI, technology, or the internet would you wish to change?

“AI and other data-driven technologies are not political or biased. Data just reflects reality.”Pablo Jiménez Arandia, Algorithm Watch, Algorithmic Accountability Fellow

“The idea of AI being the answer to productivity issues.” Mahmoud Elenani, Independent Filmmaker

“I would eliminate terms that describe human behavior from reporting on technology – such as, "the AI thinks", "it made a mistake", in favor of a more technical language such as "the algorithm works", "the output was wrong" to emphasize that technology is always a tool, built and used by people.” Julia Barthel, Data Journalist, Bavarian Broadcasting

“I would dispel the myth that AI is only a concern for tech experts and has little relevance to the general public. Changing this myth to highlight that AI affects everyone — from job seekers to healthcare patients — would democratize the conversation and ensure a more diverse range of voices and perspectives in AI policy and development discussions.” Gabriela Ramirez, Multimedia Journalist, Unbias the News

Q: Why do we need more human interest stories intersecting with AI reporting?

“AI reporting can seem too technical and daunting for the average news consumer. And it's more important than ever to highlight the very real impacts that AI technologies have on average people in their everyday lives -- and particularly those already marginalized in any given context (in my case, reporting on people migrating to Greece seeking asylum)” Lydia Emmanouilidou, Independent Journalist

“AI is made by humans, with data produced by humans, trained by humans, and its impacts affect humans. However, AI narratives are imposed by the industry, and we fail to report not only its impacts but also its objectives: why exactly do we need AI solutions? What really makes sense in our contexts, countries, and different realities? Should we, based in the Global South, import AI solutions from the US and Europe without questioning them?” Tatiana Dias, the Intercept

“AI is playing an increasingly important role in business, medicine, agriculture, and many other areas. Therefore, we must focus our attention on the intersection of AI and all areas that touch people's daily lives – to build a common understanding of these technologies and their impact on our society. These deeper insights are essential in countering exaggerated hopes and fears.” Julia Barthel, Data Journalist, Bavarian Broadcasting

“To ensure that the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities are represented. AI technologies significantly impact multiple aspects of society, often disproportionately affecting disadvantaged groups. By focusing on these human stories, we can highlight the real-world implications of AI, moving beyond abstract concepts and technical jargon.” Gabriela Ramirez, Multimedia Journalist, Unbias the News