Not Afraid of AI yet: Indonesian TV Journalists on Negotiating Roles in AI-Assisted Newsrooms

The introduction of Indonesia’s first AI-generated news presenter by tvOne in 2023 marked a symbolic moment in the country’s experimentation with AI in television journalism. While AI adoption has sparked global debates about automation and the future of journalistic labor, less is known about how journalists themselves interpret these technologies, particularly in Global South media environments. This study examines how Indonesian television journalists make sense of AI in newsroom practices through the lens of journalistic role perceptions. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 television journalists from 12 national newsrooms, the findings indicate that journalists largely perceive AI as a supplementary tool to assist routine production tasks rather than replace core journalistic functions. Participants purported that video capture, editorial judgment, contextual interpretation, and verification remain irreplaceably human responsibilities in television news. These interpretations reflect the continued importance of established journalistic roles, particularly information dissemination and accountability, in shaping television journalists’ responses to technological innovation. Simultaneously, journalists’ views are embedded within broader structural conditions, including economic pressures and newsroom restructuring in Indonesia’s television industry. This study demonstrates how journalists negotiate AI adoption by balancing professional values with the changing economic realities of television news production.