NarativAI will be among the first in the Balkans to openly disclose when and how AI was used, in text, photography, video, audio, or visualization. Even when the tool’s contribution was minimal. Even when it’s unpopular. Even when it’s easier to stay silent.
Author: Aleksandar Manasiev
Every day we see content that looks real, yet we know it was created with artificial intelligence. It is rarely labeled, rarely explained, and very often served to audiences as if it were authentic.
Journalists and media workers increasingly use AI tools across different stages of their work. This is not a problem in itself. The problem is when that use is hidden, when a text, photo, video, or infographic moves through the newsroom process and the audience never learns that artificial intelligence was involved.
Technology has always existed to improve us, not replace us. But unlike obvious innovations whose benefits were visible and acknowledged, the use of artificial intelligence in journalism is often quiet, hidden, and almost undetectable. Over time it becomes more present in our daily routines, and with that presence, the risks also grow.
This is exactly why NarativAI exists. We believe that artificial intelligence is not an enemy but a tool, a tool that must be used responsibly, transparently, and ethically. A tool whose involvement must be clearly stated: when, why, and how it was part of the process.
AI is not taboo
In the IT sector, using AI is not taboo, it is encouraged. In journalism, particularly in the Balkans, there is stigma. Because of that stigma, many media workers use the technology but never say so publicly. Whether it is due to fear or shame, we don’t know , but it is time to stop staying silent and build a framework for ethical AI use in the media.
Our goal is not to restrict technology, but to restrict and prevent its misuse. Not to scare journalists, but to give them a framework for responsible work. Not to create a new stigma, but to dismantle the existing one.
Why are we doing this?
The Balkans are full of talent, courage, and persistence. But it is also a region where silence, mistrust, and non-transparency have often dominated. Still, we must be the generation that drives positive change. The transformations happening today are too rapid for us to repeat old patterns and old mistakes.
That is why we want to normalize openness, to make it accepted and expected for journalists to say they used AI, whether for data analysis, translation, visualization, or simplifying routine tasks.
At the same time, we want to reinforce the human role. No matter how useful AI is, it cannot replace responsibility for facts, data verification, and the core values of the profession. AI can accelerate the work, but it cannot replace the duty of verification. Any time saved must be dedicated to confirming facts, not skipping them and in protecting the integrity of the story.
If AI helps expose corruption, uncover injustice, or reveal discrimination, then its use was worthwhile, but only if the audience knows that AI was part of the process.
Our position is simple: transparency builds trust. And trust is the foundation of journalism that wants to endure.
NarativAI will be among the first in the Balkans to openly disclose when and how AI was used, in text, photography, video, audio, or visualization. Even when the contribution was minimal. Even when it’s unpopular. Even when it’s easier to stay silent.
That is why I want to be transparent with you as well. While creating this text, I invested a lot of emotion and naturally made it longer than it should be. And although I speak English well, my writing style in Macedonian is different, which is why I consulted artificial intelligence for light stylistic and language polishing.
The result you are reading is exactly that: minimal interventions that make the text more consistent and clear, and enough for me to openly tell you that AI was part of its creation.
It is time to stop hiding or feeling ashamed of using artificial intelligence. It is time to begin building standards for ethical AI use in the media and the journalism community.
Mission of NarativAI
But AI is only the starting point. The true mission of NarativAI is for journalism to develop ethically, transparently, and responsibly through every available and emerging technology, from digital production tools to advanced systems for visualization, analysis, and mobile reporting.
That is why we will organize debates, conduct trainings and research, work on regional publications, and publish guides on how technologies should be used or how an ethical AI framework can be created. We will also compare best practices from around the world, support networking among journalists, and provide education for young people on the responsible use of technology.
We believe technology can improve accuracy, efficiency, and reach in journalism, but only if used with clear standards and strong editorial responsibility.
Our aim is to support media pluralism, ease the rise of media deserts, and contribute to more informed, resilient, and democratic societies. Our mission is not only to follow the future of media, but to help build it, together with journalists, newsrooms, and audiences.
At NarativAI, we believe this is how a new, stronger, and more principled journalism is created, journalism that has nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of.
(This text was written and reviewed by the editor with support from artificial intelligence tools for language editing and stylistic refinement. More on how NarativAI uses AI — Link)