The Future of AI in Journalism with Esther Paniagua

The Future of AI in Journalism with Esther Paniagua

In this episode of A Journalist’s Guide to AI, I’m joined by Esther Paniagua, an award-winning independent journalist and author who specialises in science, technology, and cybersecurity.

Esther has received numerous accolades throughout her career. She’s been recognised as one of the Top 100 Women Leaders in Spain and named one of Forbes’ Top 100 Most Creative People in Business. She also teaches AI journalism at universities, so she brings both real-world and academic insight into this conversation.

In our discussion, Esther shares her journey—from being an early adopter of technology to becoming a leading voice in AI and journalism. We talk about how AI is rapidly transforming the media landscape and what that means for journalists today.

We dive into the challenges small newsrooms face when trying to adopt AI, and the growing dominance of synthetic and AI-generated content—including the prediction that up to 90% of online content could be AI-generated by 2026. We also explore how platforms like Google and generative AI tools are reshaping media business models and impacting revenue streams.

Esther also highlights something that really stood out to me—the estimated amount that platforms owe publishers. According to research, Google may owe between $10–12 billion annually to US publishers for the use of their content, while Facebook could owe around $1.9 billion.

We also talk about the importance of regulation, sustainable funding, and responsible technology development if we want to preserve quality journalism. And we don’t shy away from the environmental side either—Esther shares concerns about data centres, energy use, and AI’s carbon footprint, and why more informed consumer choices matter.

Towards the end, we get practical. We share tips on how to choose more privacy-conscious and eco-friendly digital tools, and what you, as a consumer or journalist, can actually do to make a difference.