Posted:
by QW+ staff writer
Gen AI Can’t Replace your Voice as a Media Expert, but it Can Help
This article is based on a media training session that the Nigerian Newspaper Prime Progress conducted, together with QW+, for new QW+ experts from Nigeria. You can access a link to the entire training here.
Anybody who uses generative AI in their daily life might feel the temptation to turn to Large Language Learning Models (LLLMs) if they’re suddenly asked for a media interview, or a good pullout quote. But is this wise? Does it help, or hurt, expert visibility? Bottom line up front: it has the potential for either – depending on how you set about it – and how you manage its risks.
AI helps summarise complex information
QW+ has noticed a rising trend in experts turning to LLLMs to deliver catchy soundbites: and it’s not surprising, given how quickly it works to summarise complex topics, help structure arguments and speed up background research that would normally take hours.
Without exception, the experts on the QW+ database are worked beyond the limit. Juggling advocacy, consulting, teaching and care work, and when faced with the onerous task of honing key messages, gen AI seems an easy solution to reduce workload.
But there’s a catch
However catchy, AI language will never reflect the nuance of human thought. It might look good on paper, but when it comes to meaning, it’s just that: paper thin. Journalists know when experts reproduce AI soundbites, because language, context, and emotion are their currency of trade. From our experience, here’s what AI can do for experts, if you remember what it can’t do:
Use AI to:
- Suggest likely questions for the interview, if the journalist hasn’t supplied them. This can be useful if you’re preparing key messages beforehand.
- Coach you on difficult scenarios that might arise in the interview, and help you build confidence on how to deal with them
- Bash out a first draft of key messages and sound-bites, that you can check for accuracy, refine in your own words, and practise, in your own voice.
- Help you with ideas to recycle interview content )if you’ve taken the time to write out your key messages, why not turn them into a LinkedIn post?)
Journalists use AI too
Many reporters turn to AI when trying to understand a topic quickly – and given the limitations of AI, they might start from a point of inaccurate, incomplete, or biased information. This is where you come in. Use your lived experience, professional judgement and contextual understanding to share your knowledge as a QW+ expert. You have nuance and insight that AI simply cannot replicate. You can take the narrative further. (AI can only rearrange existing ones.)
There is also a growing risk that inaccurate AI-generated ‘expert opinions’ could crowd out qualified voices. This makes your voice more important than ever. Journalists need credible, verified and context-rich insights from people who work in the field, understand their communities, and can speak to real consequences.
Next year, QW+ will provide deeper resources on using Large Language Learning Models in media contexts. Watch our community newsletter and social media for more details.