Framing artificial intelligence in American newspapers

Abstract

Publics' perceptions of new scientific advances such as AI are often informed and influenced by news coverage. To understand how artificial intelligence (AI) was framed in U.S. newspapers, a content analysis based on framing theory in journalism and science communication was conducted. This study identified the dominant topics and frames, as well as the risks and benefits of AI covered in five major American newspapers from 2009 to 2018. Results indicated that business and technology were the primary topics in news coverage of AI. The benefits of AI were discussed more frequently than its risks, but risks of AI were generally discussed with greater specificity. Additionally, episodic issue framing and societal impact framing were more frequently used.