Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the UK media landscape—but what does this mean for the future of broadcasting and broadcast PR?
At our recent Big Talk 2026 event in Central London, senior figures from the UK broadcast industry explored how AI is reshaping journalism, production workflows and audience engagement. With a focus on breakfast shows our prestigious panel of speakers was made up of:
- Sky News: Emily Purser Brown, Editor of Mornings with Ridge & Frost at Sky News
- Times Radio: Dan Wright, Executive Producer for Times Radio Breakfast
- Global: Tim John, Global’s Head of News for brands such as Heart, Capital FM and LBC
- Good Morning Britain: Oruj Defoite, Deputy Editor at Good Morning Britain
AI in UK Radio and Television: A Tool, Not a Replacement for People
While broadcasters are increasingly embracing AI-powered tools for research, transcription and content discovery, there was broad agreement that audiences still come to broadcasters for something machines struggle to replicate: emotion, judgement and originality.
Rather than seeing AI as an immediate threat to jobs, many speakers framed it as a practical tool that can support journalists and producers rather than replace them.
Across the panel, one message was clear: AI is a useful aid for broadcast journalists - but it's not replacing them. Rather than seeing AI as an immediate threat to jobs, many speakers framed it as a practical tool that can support journalists and producers rather than replace them.
AI is already being used widely across UK newsrooms and production teams to improve efficiency, particularly in:
- Transcription and subtitling
- Archive search and content retrieval. This is significant - AI is not being used to find quotes from people on the internet, it's finding proof of things that have already been broadcast on-air, therefore they're true.
- Research and background briefing. This has to be verified information though - AI skims what it finds on the internet, and journalists are there to prove whether that information is true or not.
- Clip discovery and summarisation
- Data analysis
For fast-moving environments such as rolling breakfast radio and TV news, these tools are proving invaluable, not least because of the amount of time they save.
Tim John in particular explained that for Global, AI is already helping speed up research tasks, particularly when searching broadcast archives. For example, if producers need to find out what a guest previously said on air, AI can quickly search historic interviews, identify relevant clips and surface key moments from existing broadcasts.
The emphasis, however, was very much on AI searching verified content that had already been aired, not generating fresh journalism or sourcing unverified information from elsewhere online. That point was echoed by Dan Wright, who described AI as a “game changer” for research and production workflows.
But Dan also warned that audiences remain deeply sensitive about how AI is used in journalism, particularly when it comes to trust and authenticity. He suggested listeners would rather hear imperfect audio than suspect AI had artificially cleaned up or altered the sound in a way that could undermine credibility.
Meanwhile, Emily Purser Brown reminded the audience of the core values of broadcasting at Sky News of trust, instinct and editorial judgement, which mean AI is unlikely to replace producers any time soon. At the more sceptical end of the spectrum was Oruj Defoite, from ITV’s Good Morning Britain, who revealed her newsroom currently does not trust AI enough to actively use it within editorial processes.
The differing perspectives highlighted just how varied the industry’s relationship with AI still is. Some broadcasters are rapidly integrating it into workflows, while others remain far more cautious about where the technology should and should not be allowed into journalism.
Trust and Authenticity in AI-Driven Journalism
As AI adoption grows, so too does scrutiny around trust and transparency.
UK audiences remain highly sensitive to how AI is used in news and broadcasting. Authenticity continues to outweigh technical perfection. In fact, there is a strong preference for content that feels real—even if imperfect—over content that appears artificially enhanced. For example, if the sound quality is less than perfect, audiences would prefer to hear it, background noise than all, than it be "cleaned" up. That's because audiences want to know they're being given a truthful account of a story.
One of the clearest takeaways then from the discussion was that broadcasters increasingly see AI as an enhancement tool rather than a replacement for human talent.
Several speakers stressed that AI still lacks the instinct, creativity and emotional intelligence needed to produce compelling live television or radio.
Instead, the technology is proving most valuable when handling repetitive or time-consuming tasks behind the scenes, including automated transcription, archive searches, research assistance, summarising interviews, data analysis and clip discovery.
For rolling newsrooms and breakfast television teams working against relentless deadlines, these efficiencies are becoming increasingly valuable. But there was also broad agreement that strict editorial oversight remains essential.
The concern is not simply whether AI can save time, but whether audiences trust how it is being used.
For broadcast PR professionals, this reinforces a key principle:
Credibility cannot be automated. It must be earned.
The Human Creativity Gap
Despite those advantages, several of our spokespeople stressed that AI still struggles with the very thing audiences value most from live media: personality. It gives journalists a very usable lead-in, but it won’t have the essence of the thing that audiences go to them for.
And it is that distinction that feels increasingly important as broadcasters compete not just with rival channels, but with creators, influencers and algorithm-driven platforms across social media.
Modern broadcast journalism is no longer simply about delivering information. It is about surprise, chemistry, storytelling and creating moments audiences want to share and those moments are often difficult to engineer artificially.
Despite its capabilities, AI still struggles to replicate the qualities that define compelling broadcast content:
- Editorial judgement
- Emotional intelligence
- Personality and chemistry
- Storytelling instinct
- Live responsiveness
In an increasingly competitive landscape—where broadcasters compete with social media, influencers and digital-first creators—these human elements are what truly differentiate content.
For PR and communications teams, thismeans prioritising:
- Strong, media-trained spokespeople
- Authentic storytelling
- Clear, engaging narratives
- Emotional resonance
Audience Fragmentation and Cross-Platform Strategy
The UK media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented. The panel acknowledged the growing challenge facing all legacy media companies that audiences are fragmenting faster than ever.
TV viewing figures continue to decline overall, while younger audiences increasingly consume news and entertainment through smartphones and social platforms.
As one speaker put it, broadcasters are all grappling with the same question of “how do we meet audiences where they are?”
For breakfast television and rolling news, this has led to far greater emphasis on cross-platform promotion and interactivity.
One example highlighted how a teaser clip featuring finance expert Martin Lewis discussing student loans generated significant traction on social media before driving viewers toward the live broadcast itself.
With ever limited resources however, AI can be used as a scheduling tool here to free up staff to concentrate on creating content.
The strategy reflects a growing understanding that modern audiences rarely consume media in a single place anymore. Instead, they move fluidly between social feeds, live streams, clips and on-demand content throughout the day.
This can have the added benefit that great broadcast PR stories now have the potential of being seen or heard by a much wider audience across various channels.
Traditional TV audiences are declining,particularly among younger demographics, who are consuming content across:
- Social media platforms
- Mobile-first video
- Streaming services
- On-demand and short-form content
Broadcasters are responding with cross-platform strategies, using social media to amplify content and drive audiences towards live programming.
For example, short teaser clips featuring recognisable experts can generate significant online engagement before converting into broadcast viewership.
For PR professionals, this creates amajor opportunity:
Broadcast coverage now extends far beyond the original airtime—offering multi-channel visibility and greater ROI.
AI is also supporting this shift by improving:
- Content scheduling
- Clip identification
- Distribution planning
Allowing teams to focus more on creativity and strategic messaging.
The Future of AI in Broadcasting and PR
Looking ahead, AI will continue to play a growing role in UK broadcasting—but as an enhancement tool, not a creative replacement.
It will:
- Streamline workflows
- Improve operational efficiency
- Support data-driven decision making
But the core of successful broadcasting will remain unchanged:Human creativity, editorial instinct and authentic storytelling. When it comes to creating the emotional connection that defines successful broadcasting whether that is a political interview, a breaking news moment or a piece of breakfast TV chemistry human instinct still appears difficult to automate.
What This Means for Broadcast PR in the UK
For PR and communications professionals, the implications are clear:
- High-quality, credible stories are more important than ever
- Human-led storytelling drives engagement and trust
- Multi-platform strategies are essential
- AI should support—not replace—creative thinking
The future of broadcasting is not about choosing between humans and AI.
It is about combining both—using technology to amplify human creativity and deliver more impactful communications.
