AI-generated videos are becoming increasingly popular among news organizations such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Economist in order to meet the growing demand for audio-visual content from audiences. Technology providers like Wochit and Moovly have enabled publishers to mass produce videos at scale through automation. However, a recent study published in the journal Journalism reveals that automated news videos are only as well received as manually created ones when they are edited by humans.
LMU communication scientist Professor Neil Thurman, along with Dr. Sally Stares and Dr. Michael Koliska, conducted a study evaluating the reactions of 4,200 UK news consumers to human-made, highly-automated, and partly-automated videos covering a variety of topics. The results showed that only the partly-automated videos, which were post-edited by humans after the initial automation process, were as well liked as fully human-made videos. Highly-automated videos, on the other hand, were liked significantly less by audiences.
The study demonstrates that news video automation is most effective when it involves human supervision, creating a hybrid form of production that combines human creativity with the speed and scale of computers. Thurman emphasizes the importance of maintaining quality standards in automated video production through human involvement, ensuring that the content remains engaging and appealing to audiences. This hybrid approach allows organizations to take advantage of the strengths of both humans and machines in the video creation process.
Audiences respond positively to short-form, automated news videos when they are post-edited by humans, indicating that human supervision is essential for the success of automated video production. The study’s findings suggest that news organizations can achieve optimal results by implementing a hybrid approach to video creation, combining the efficiency of automation with the creativity and quality control provided by human editors. By leveraging the strengths of both humans and machines, publishers can meet audience demand for audio-visual content while maintaining high standards of quality and engagement.
