Grace Shao: Journalists must understand AI technology in order to cover its impact on our world
- Rick Dunham
- Apr 9, 2025
- 3 min read
By HE YIRAN
Global Business Journalism reporter,
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Journalists should embrace artificial intelligence tools to improve their efficiency and boost the quality of their work product, prominent tech journalist Grace Shao told Global Business Journalism students recently.
“Properly using AI can help drive advancements in research, writing, and multimedia production,” Shao said during a March 25 lecture to Tsinghua University students.
The rapid development of AI is reshaping the global landscape as it transforms industries from communication to manufacturing. Shao framed AI as the “internet of our generation” – a society-altering technological revolution – that is changing every sector of the global economy, from energy to environmental protection, childcare to eldercare.
Innovations driven by AI technologies are enhancing efficiency, and creating new opportunities across sectors even as they render some jobs obsolete.
“We should learn from AI and learn how to use AI, so as to answer questions about global business journalism,” she told the aspiring business journalists.
AI: A paradigm shift in our society
Shao, founder of Hong Kong-based Proem Communications and a leading voice on technology and artificial intelligence in Greater China, dissected AI’s transformative role in journalism and its broader societal implications.
Shao said journalists who are covering AI issues must understand its four interconnected “layers” of technology. They are the foundational infrastructure layer (data centers and semiconductor hardware), the programming layer (Python, R, and code), the model layer (core algorithms such as those developed by OpenAI), and the application layer (end-user tools like ChatGPT).
This model, she explained, enables journalists to focus their reporting on the “political, cultural, and business context” of news involving artificial intelligence developments while maintaining a comprehensive understanding of AI’s ecosystem.
Journalism in the AI era: Opportunities and ethical challenges coexist
Drawing from her experience as a former CNBC and CGTN reporter, Shao said artificial intelligence beat reporters needed a breadth of knowledge of the subject matter but do not need to be data engineers or tech wizards.
“If you want to cover AI, you need to understand the technology behind it,” she said. “However, you don’t have to be a pure technical expert. What’s crucial is that whenever you cover a story, you learn the topic as thoroughly as possible. The more you understand, the more your audience will trust you.”
Shao outlined how AI-powered tools can enhance journalistic efficiency, from grammar checkers to automated research assistants. AI enhances journalism by increasing efficiency and providing powerful tools for analysis and content creation, she noted. At the same time, journalists must remain vigilant against over-reliance on AI, ensuring that human judgment continues to play a crucial role in critical thinking while identifying nuances, biases and errors.
Ethical concerns, such as disinformation and algorithmic biases, can be mitigated through rigorous fact-checking and critical evaluation of AI-generated content, she said. By maintaining media scrutiny and distinguishing genuine technological advancements from PR-driven narratives, journalists can uphold accuracy and integrity in their reports.
“Don't be afraid to get technical — in fact, challenge yourself to do so,” she emphasized. “Find your niche, understand the key players, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.”
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