Most journalists and news organisations are concerned about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence for journalism, a new study has found.

Research by the London School of Economics has revealed more than 60pc of people in the industry fear the impact AI could have on accuracy, fairness and transparency and other aspects of the trade.

However, the same survey has also revealed 73pc of those surveyed, which included journalists, technologists and managers, believe AI presents new opportunities for journalism by “boosting efficiency, productivity and creativity”.

Even more, around 85pc, also said they have experimented with AI to help with tasks such as writing code, image generation and authoring summaries.

The LSE surveyed more than 100 news organisations from 46 countries about their engagement with AI and associated technologies for the study.

Regional publishers in the UK have begun experimenting with the use of robots to complement their reporting in recent months, although the pitfalls of AI have also been exposed recently by HTFP’s probe into the Bournemouth Observer – a website launched using fake journalist profiles and robot-generated stories.

The National Union of Journalists has also called for industry bosses to heed journalists’ warnings about the use of robots by newsrooms.

Professor Charlie Beckett, who co-authored the report, said: “Journalism around the world is going through another period of exciting and scary technological change.

“Our survey shows that the new generative AI tools are a potential threat to the integrity of information and the news media. But they also offer an incredible opportunity to make journalism more efficient, effective and trustworthy.

“This survey is a fascinating snapshot of the news media at a critical juncture in its history.”