More than half of Flemish media professionals use AI tools daily
In just one year, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has become a fixture in Flanders’ media, communication and design sectors, according to a survey by Artevelde University of Applied Sciences (UAS). "AI tools have become impossible to ignore in the daily work of Flemish media professionals," says researcher Sander Spek.
More than half of media professionals in Flanders say they use GenAI on a daily basis, and three-quarters use it at least once a week. That is a sharp increase compared to 2024, when just one in five used GenAI daily, the second edition of Artevelde UAS' annual 'AI Media Barometer' revealed on Monday.
The pace of adoption, however, differs across professions. Newsrooms are clearly moving more cautiously than other industries: one in five journalists say they rarely or never use GenAI, compared to only 3 per cent of communications professionals and 4 per cent of designers.
Concerns remain
While the adoption rate of GenAI tools is growing, ethical unease also increased compared to 2024. Nine in ten journalists, seven in ten communication specialists and nearly three-quarters of designers report concerns about using AI in the survey.
Artevelde UAS also found that many media organisations still lack clear policies. A third of respondents were unaware of any criteria for evaluating AI tools, and more than half reported no official list of approved applications. Nearly three in ten did not know how their organisation manages data shared via AI, and one in five said their company does not communicate about it externally.
"It’s concerning that so many don’t know how their own organisation views [GenAI]"
"It’s encouraging that media professionals are becoming more aware of AI," says Spek. "But it’s concerning that so many don’t know how their own organisation views it. Transparency is crucial."
Still, progress is being made. The share of professionals saying their organisation has no guidelines at all has dropped sharply since 2024.
The AI Media Barometer is part of Artevelde UAS' 'human-centred design with AI' programme. For the 2025 edition, researchers surveyed 495 communications professionals, 189 journalists and 118 designers in Flanders, and conducted in-depth interviews with advanced GenAI users.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
Related news
