Artificial Intelligence in Academic Media Environment: Challenges, Trends, Innovations

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (hereinafter AI) opens up a variety of opportunities for creativity, innovation, and productivity improvement, particularly for students and academics in media specializations. However, it also causes a fundamental transformation in the studying approach. Additionally, there are several challenges in the implementation, adaptation, and use of AI as a learning method in the academic environment. Both possibilities and challenges are identified and analysed in this study. The empirical results of the research show which AI tools are most popular in the academic media community and reveal how they are used by academics and future media professionals based on the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The survey results also provide insights into opinions about ChatGPT as one of the main digital study aids in the academic environment. The study also suggests the review of universities worldwide from the perspective of allowing or prohibiting artificial intelligence in the studying process. Content analysis concerning the establishment of policies on AI usage helps determine whether the academic world is adapting to the new reality or rejecting it. Overall, the media environment already uses AI daily, so the academic community should also be prepared for this new reality. However, it is crucial to play by the rules. Finally, this research concludes that the ideal solution for integrating AI into innovative education is the creation of specific rules and ensuring their observance. This approach could be the right way to prevent risks, overcome challenges, and maximize the benefits of AI usage. Finally, the authors have developed basic recommendations for writing AI guidelines by higher education institutions (hereinafter - HEIs) and offered them in the article.