The Future of Traditional Media in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: An Analytical Study on the Replacement of Media Professionals by Intelligent Systems in Light of the 'Job Replacement Theory'

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Beni Suef University, Faculty of Mass Communication, Radio and Television Department

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of traditional media and to identify the traditional media roles most susceptible to replacement by AI, from the perspective of media professionals. It also seeks to explore the attitudes of communication practitioners (the study sample) toward the levels of AI technology integration within the media industry. The researcher employed a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 137 media professionals and conducted in-depth interviews with a group of 10 expert specialists in the field of media.
The study yielded several significant findings, most notably:

The media institutions most prepared to adopt AI technologies are newspaper institutions, which ranked first with 88.3% of respondents indicating their readiness. Digital media platforms followed in second place with 83.2%, radio institutions came third with 54.0%, while satellite TV channels ranked last with only 13.9% of the sample's responses.
The findings also revealed that the traditional media roles most at risk of being replaced by AI, according to the respondents, include: news anchors (86.9%), followed by TV/radio hosts (63.5%), media data analysts (59.9%), graphic designers (57.7%), and editors (46.7%). Journalists were considered the least likely to be replaced, with only 19.7% of respondents indicating so.
Furthermore, the study indicated statistically significant differences in the attitudes of communication practitioners toward the various levels of AI integration in media work, including mechanical intelligence, analytical intelligence, intuitive intelligence, and emotional intelligence.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Kiberenge, K. M. (2024). A replaced profession: examining the impact of AI adoption in media field on replacing media workers with smart systems. MA Thesis, Aga Khan University, P16.
([1]) Mahaputra, M. B., & Febriana, P. (2024). Could Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Jobs in Framing of Online Media News CNN Indonesia and Detik. com? Procedia of Social Sciences and Humanities, 7, P 95.
 ([1])Jacobs, J. A., & Karen, R. (2023). Technology-driven task replacement and the future of employment. In Work and Labor in the Digital Age. Vol. 33, Emerald Publishing Limited, P43.
([1]) Gusain, A., Singh, T., Pandey, S., Pachourui, V., Singh, R., & Kumar, A. (2023). E-recruitment using artificial intelligence as preventive measures. In 2023 International Conference on Sustainable Computing and Data Communication Systems (ICSCDS), p516. IEEE.
([1]) Zangana, A. (2025). The impact of artificial intelligence integration in media field on media workers' change with smart systems. Doctorate Thesis, The University of Liverpool.
([1]) Cohen, N. S. (2025). Traditional media in Ai age: Replacing media labor with digital means. The Communication Review, 18(2), p98-122.
- Alyahyaa, H. (2025). mstwyat aldhka' alastnaey almstkhdamt min qibl alqayimin bialaitisal fi sharikat alaitisalat wfqan lnzryt aistibdal alwzayf baldhka' alastnaey dirasatan ealaa eayinat min sharikat alaitisalat fi alsaeudiat, majalat albuhuth al'iielamiati, kuliyat al'iielami, jamieat Al'azhar, 73(1). 1529- 1578.
- Al-Hazmi, M. (2025): mustaqbal mihnat al'iielam fi zili altatawur alsarie litiknulujia aldhaka' alaistinaeii, almajalat almisriat libuhuth al'iielami, jamieat alqahirati, kuliyat al'iielami, eadad khasun bialmutamar aleilmii althaamin lilmaehad alkanadii aleali litiknulujia al'iielam alhadith cic, 90(2). 1- 46.
([1]) Kiberenge, K. M. (2024). A replaced profession: examining the impact of AI adoption in media field on replacing media workers with smart systems. MA Thesis, Aga Khan University.
([1]) Mukasa, R. (2024). How artificial intelligence influenced traditional media? The impact on media workers' profession. MA Thesis, The Aga Khan University.
([1]) De-Lima-Santos, M. F., & Ceron, W. (2024). Traditional media in Artificial intelligence age: Replacing traditional professional roles with digital systems from media workers' perspectives. Journalism and Media, 3 (1), p13–26.
([1]) Bakırmekik, M. (2024). Effects of media digitalization on media worker’s replacement with smart technology. Economics Business and Organization Research, 4(1), p 32-53.
([1]) Malmelin, N., & Villi, M. (2024). Traditional media profession in change: How smart technological systems replaced the roles and duties of media professionals? Sociology Compass, 11(7), e12494, p1- 13.
- 'Ahmed. A. (2024): aitijahat alqayimin bialaitisal nahw tawzif tatbiqat aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi 'iintaj albaramij altilifizyuniati, majalat buhuth alealaqat aleamat Alsharq Al'awsat, 54(5): 237- 278.
- Alshaykh, R. (2024): dawr taqniaat aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi tahqiq al'iibdae bial'iintaj al'iidhaeaa waltilifiziunaa, majalat buhuth alealaqat aleamat alsharq al'awsata, 50(4): 77- 148.
([1]) Ashfaq, D. R., Nabi, M. Z., & Rohit, D. (2023). Artificial Intelligence trends in traditional media environments: The impact on replacing traditional media professions in India with modern technology. Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Neural Network, 2(6), p24-31.
([1]) Lopes da Costa, R., Cabral, L., Pereira, L., Dias, Á., & Gonçalves, R. (2023). How smart systems affected traditional media workers' profession? A case study. Int. J. Economics and Business Research, 24 (4), p470- 489.
([1]) Paulussen, S. (2023) “Artificial Intelligence technology and traditional media work patterns change: Is digital technology replaced traditional media professional?” in Eugenia Siapera and Andreas Veglis (eds) The Handbook of Global Online Journalism. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell (pp. 192-208).
- Matar, R. (2023): mustaqbal altilifizyun fi zili al'iielam aljadid ruyat mustaqbaliatun, almajalat aleilmiat libuhuth al'iidhaeat waltilifiziuni, jamieat Alqahirati, kuliyat al'iielami, 26(2): 491- 521.
- Muhamad, M. (2023): aitijahat alsahafiiyn almutakhasisin nahw 'ahamiyat tawzif taqniaat aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi 'iintaj almadamin almutakhasisat waealaqatiha bitatwir mustawaa 'adayihim almihni) dirasatan maydaniatan fi 'iitar alnazariat almuahadat liqubul waistikhdam altiknulujia (, almajalat aleilmiat libuhuth alsahafati, jamieat Alqahira, kuliyat al'iielami, 25(1): 1- 66.
- kamil, E. (2023): mustaqbal astikhdam tatbiq aldhaka' aliastinaeii chat gpt fi aleamal alsahufii watathirih ealaa alfani alsahafii: dirasatan astishrafiatan khilal aleuqd alqadim 2023- 2033, majalat buhuth alealaqat aleamat alsharq alawisat, 48(3).
-Abdel Aziz, E. (2021): mustaqbal aistikhdam tatbiqat aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi almuasasat al'iielamiat wadawriha fi tatwir almuhtawaa al'iikhbari, almutamar aleilmiu alduwaliu alsaadis waleishruna: al'iielam alraqmiu wal'iielam altaqlidia, masarat liltakamul walmunafasati, jamieat Alqahira, kuliyat al'iielami, 2(1). 603- 647.
- 'Ismaeil, F. (2022): aitijahat alsahafiiyn nahw aistikhdam aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi tatwir almuhtawaa alsuhufii bialsuhuf walmawaqie almisriati, almajalat almisriat libuhuth alraay aleami, jamieat Alqahirati, kuliyat Al'iielami, 4(2). 31- 86.
- Mahmud, A. (2020): tawzif tatbiqat aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi 'iintaj almuhtawaa al'iielamii waealaqatiha bimisdaqiatih ladaa aljumhur almisrii, majalat albuhuth al'iielamiati, kuliyat al'iielami, jamieat Al'azhar, 55(4): 2797- 2860.
([1]) Kyriakoudes, K. J. (2023). Securing workers' futures: why replacing union workers with artificial intelligence in creative professions is the new subcontracting. Am. UL Rev, 73, P 1569.
([1]) Zhaoa,Y,Liu, G. (2019) , How Do Teachers Face Educational Changes in Artificial Intelligence Era , Advances in Social Science , Education and Humanities Research (ASSEHR),(3) ,PP.47-65.
- Khalida, M. (2023): tatbiqat aldhaka' alaistinaeii fi tatwir altaelim al'iiliktrunii (altaelim alraqamii), almajalat alearabiat liltarbiat alnaweiati, almuasasat alearabiat liltarbiat waleulum waladab, 7(1).
([1]) Chen, Z. (2023). Artificial intelligence-virtual trainer: Innovative didactics aimed at personalized training needs. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(2), P27.
([1]) Capraro, V., Lentsch, A., Acemoglu, D., Akgun, S., Akhmedova, A., Bilancini, E., & Viale, R. (2024). The impact of generative artificial intelligence on socioeconomic inequalities and policy making. PNAS nexus, 3(6), p192.
([1]) Belanche, D., Belk, R. W., Casaló, L. V., & Flavián, C. (2024). The dark side of artificial intelligence in services. The Service Industries Journal, 44(3-4), P149.
([1]) De-Lima-Santos, M. F., & Ceron, W. (2024). Traditional media in Artificial intelligence age: Replacing traditional professional roles with digital systems from media workers' perspectives. Journalism and Media, 3 (1), P15.
([1]) Boyd, R., & Holton, R. J. (2022). Technology, innovation, employment and power: Does robotics and artificial intelligence really mean social transformation? Journal of Sociology, 54(3), P332.
([1]) Van der Zande, J., Teigland, K., Siri, S., & Teigland, R. (2023). The substitution of labor: From technological feasibility to other factors influencing the potential of job automation. In The Digital Transformation of Labor (p35). Routledge.
([1]) Akinwale, O. E., Kuye, O. L., & Doddanavar, I. (2024). Scourge of replacing contemporary work environment with artificial intelligence (AI-dark-side): the role of capacity development in quality of work-life and organisational performance. Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 27(1), P128.
([1]) Wanzo, R. (2023). The Other Replacement Theory: Labor and the AI Film. Film Quarterly, 77(1), P81.
([1]) Buttazzo, G. (2023). Rise of artificial general intelligence: risks and opportunities. Frontiers in artificial intelligence, 6, P1226990.
([1]) Budhwar, P., Chowdhury, S., Wood, G., Aguinis, H., Bamber, G. J., Beltran, J. R., ... & Varma, A. (2023). Human resource management in the age of generative artificial intelligence: Perspectives and research directions on ChatGPT. Human Resource Management Journal, 33(3), P608.
([1]) Ashfaq, D. R., Nabi, M. Z., & Rohit, D. (2023). Artificial Intelligence trends in traditional media environments: The impact on replacing traditional media professions in India with modern technology. Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Neural Network, 2(6), P26.
([1]) Dinh, T. D. (2025). Opportunity or threat? The effect of implicit belief and uncertainty avoidance on job replacement. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 35(2), P208.
([1]) Smith, A., & Anderson, J. (2024). AI, Robotics, and the Future of Jobs. Pew Research Center, 6, P51.
([1]) Cohen, N. S. (2025). Traditional media in Ai age: Replacing media labor with digital means. The Communication Review, 18(2), P98.
([1])Andriole, S. J. (2024). The big miss: AI will replace just about everything. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 55(1), P29.
([1]) Lee, J., & Samanta, A. (2024). Redefining careers in the age of artificial intelligence. Issues in Information Systems, 25(3), P15.
([1]) Webb, M. (2024). The impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market. Available at SSRN 3482150, P150.
([1]) Yang, H. H. (2024). The acceptance of AI tools among design professionals: Exploring the moderating role of job replacement. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25(3), P236.
([1]) Arias-Pérez, J., & Vélez-Jaramillo, J. (2022). Ignoring the three-way interaction of digital orientation, Not-invented-here syndrome and employee's artificial intelligence awareness in digital innovation performance: A recipe for failure. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, P121305.
([1]) Pavlik, J. V. (2023). Collaborating with ChatGPT: Considering the implications of generative artificial intelligence for journalism and media education. Journalism & mass communication educator, 78(1), P84.
([1]) Tchelidze, L. (2022). Potential and skill requirements of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. Calitatea, 20(S3), P73.
([1]) Bacchus, C. (2024). Human or AI?: Can AI Replace Human Graphic Designers, Master's thesis, Florida Atlantic University, P4.
([1]) Bakırmekik, M. (2024). Effects of media digitalization on media worker’s replacement with smart technology. Economics Business and Organization Research, 4(1), P 36.
([1]) Huang, M. H., & Rust, R. T. (2022). A framework for collaborative artificial intelligence in marketing. Journal of Retailing, 98(2), P213.
([1]) Chan-Olmsted, S. M. (2024). A review of artificial intelligence adoptions in the media industry. International journal on media management, 21(3-4), P194.
([1]) Pettersen, L. (2023). Why artificial intelligence will not outsmart complex knowledge work. Work, Employment and Society, 33(6), P161.
([1]) Khattak, M. S., Nasir, T., Usman, M., & Rahim, S. (2024). AI Revolution in Digital Media: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Future of Journalism in Pakistan. Annual Methodological Archive Research Review, 3(4), P 399.
([1]) Ali, W., & Hassoun, M. (2024). Artificial intelligence and automated journalism: Contemporary challenges and new opportunities. International journal of media, journalism and mass communications, 5(1), P43.
([1]) Miroshnichenko, A. (2023). AI to bypass creativity. Will robots replace journalists? (The answer is “yes”). Information, 9(7), P183.
([1]) Reabciuc, D. B., Călugăreanu, A., & Balamatiuc, E. (2023). How AI may replace jobs in the future. In Conferinţa tehnico-ştiinţifică a studenţilor, masteranzilor şi doctoranzilor, Vol. 2, p 28.
([1]) Huo, Q., Ruan, J., & Cui, Y. (2024). “Machine replacement” or “job creation”: How does artificial intelligence impact employment patterns in China's manufacturing industry? Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 7, P1337264.
([1]) Ramachandran, K., Raju, V., Karthick, K., Gnanakumar, P. B., & Deepa, M. (2024). Rise of AI: Prediction of Job Replacements Based on the Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and Robots Intensification. In 2024 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication and Applied Informatics (ACCAI), p.4. IEEE.
([1]) Vrontis, D., Christofi, M., Pereira, V., Tarba, S., Makrides, A., & Trichina, E. (2023). Artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced technologies and human resource management: a systematic review. Artificial intelligence and international HRM, p173.
([1]) Wheeler, A. R., & Buckley, M. R. (2021). The current state of HRM with automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. In HR without People? (p45). Emerald Publishing Limited.
([1]) Mukasa, R. (2024). How artificial intelligence influenced traditional media? The impact on media workers' profession. MA Thesis, The Aga Khan University, p11.
([1]) Celestin, M., & Vanitha, N. (2023). AI vs HR: Will artificial intelligence replace human resource professionals. In 10th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research and Modern Education, p 90.
([1]) Zarifhonarvar, A. (2024). Economics of chatgpt: A labor market view on the occupational impact of artificial intelligence. Journal of Electronic Business & Digital Economics, 3(2), p103.
([1]) Shen, Y., & Zhang, X. (2024). The impact of artificial intelligence on employment: the role of virtual agglomeration. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), p15.
([1]) Kaya, F., Aydin, F., Schepman, A., Rodway, P., Yetişensoy, O., & Demir Kaya, M. (2024). The roles of personality traits, AI anxiety, and demographic factors in attitudes toward artificial intelligence. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 40(2), p497.
([1]) Chow, P. S. (2024). Ghost in the (Hollywood) machine: Emergent applications of artificial intelligence in the film industry. NECSUS_European Journal of Media Studies, 9(1), p194.
([1]) Tong, S., Jia, N., Luo, X., & Fang, Z. (2021). The Janus face of artificial intelligence feedback: Deployment versus disclosure effects on employee performance. Strategic Management Journal, 42(9), p600.
([1]) Abdulla, S. A. F., Ali, B. M., & Majeed, B. M. (2024). A Computational Linguistic and Stylistic Exploration of Natural Language Processing in Replacing a Human's Career in the Future. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 8(2), p13.
([1]) Jarrahi, M. H. (2023). Artificial intelligence and the future of work: Human-AI symbiosis in organizational decision making. Business horizons, 61(4), p577.
([1]) Vorobeva, D., El Fassi, Y., Costa Pinto, D., Hildebrand, D., Herter, M. M., & Mattila, A. S. (2022). Thinking skills don’t protect service workers from replacement by artificial intelligence. Journal of Service Research, 25(4), P605.
([1]) Zangana, A. (2025). The impact of artificial intelligence integration in media field on media workers' change with smart systems. Doctorate Thesis, The University of Liverpool, P19.
([1]) Trivedi, A., Kaur, E. K., Choudhary, C., & Barnwal, P. (2023). Should ai technologies replace the human jobs? In 2023 2nd International Conference for Innovation in Technology (INOCON) (p3). IEEE.
([1]) Benítez-Rueda, M., & Parrado, E. (2024). " Mirror, mirror on the wall: Which jobs will aI replace after all?" A new index of occupational exposure (No. IDB-WP-1624). IDB Working Paper Series, P25.
([1]) Jati, N. K. (2024). The Role of Photojournalists that Cannot Be Replaced by Artificial Intelligence. Symbolon, 25(2 (47)), P93.
([1]) Kupriianova, L., & Kupriianova, D. (2023). the ai in the porn industry of social media: human replacement or precursor for growing the sexual violence and human trafficking indicators? Collection of scientific papers «SCIENTIA», (October 6, 2023; Valencia, Spain), P75.
([1]) Wang, K. H., & Lu, W. C. (2025). AI-induced job impact: Complementary or substitution? Empirical insights and sustainable technology considerations. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, 4(1), P100085.
 

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics