By: Afnan Abu Yahia
Jordan Daily – On May 29, Safaa Ramahi, a 41-year-old Jordanian journalist, was scrolling through Instagram when she came across a viral video showing widespread support for a kangaroo that had been denied access to a flight. The clip had garnered over 16.1 million views in just four days, with thousands expressing sympathy and admiration. But to Safaa, something didn’t add up.
Safaa decided to use different AI generative tools, including platforms specialized in fact-checking, to examine the authenticity of this video. Among them was Gemini, one of the available AI chatbots, which she used to trace the video’s source, identify the first account that posted it, take screenshots, and explore creative approaches to fact-checking. This process, one that could have taken days of manual investigation, took no more than three hours. In that time, Safaa also managed to produce an Instagram informative video explaining to her audience how and why she was not fooled by this viral kangaroo story.
When AI Supports the Story, Not Replaces It
Safaa’s use of AI chatbots isn’t new, as she already studied IT before pursuing an MA in Media and launching a long career in investigative journalism across audio, visual and written platforms.
“It’s my personal assistant,” Safaa says, describing her relationship with AI chatbots. She uses these tools throughout the journalistic process, from generating story ideas to exploring ways of distributing her work online. Safaa prefers Gemini, which allows her to search files, summarise documents, and filter or analyse data efficiently.
Recently, Safaa began using a paid version of the tool to benefit from additional features that support her workflow. She believes AI chatbots offer significant support to journalists, especially women who often face barriers to accessing information. For her, this improved access contributes to press freedom at a time when public records, archives, and documents are increasingly restricted. A key advantage, she notes, is that AI chatbots often provide sources alongside their answers.
However, Safaa emphasises that using AI should be guided by a code of ethics. “There’s no way I take any content for granted,” she says. She always double-checks AI responses as she would with any other content because these answers, generated from large datasets, are not necessarily accurate, but rather reflect the most frequent or common responses. This aligns with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which underscores the importance of transparency, human oversight, and data protection.
Safaa in her office using a newspaper as part of her daily journalistic work, Photo Credit: UNESCO
When crackdowns on freedom of expression increase alongside online harassment and surveillance of female journalists, there are only so many safe spaces available for professional and psychological consultation.
UNESCO’s 2020 report highlights how such hostile environments can exacerbate the lack of safe and supportive spaces for women journalists worldwide.
Shifaa Qudah, a 29-year-old Jordanian journalist, has started using AI tools, including ChatGPT, not only to boost her productivity, but also to enhance her digital safety and receive emotional support, she explains.
Although Shifaa has gained digital security knowledge through various trainings, she believes regular checkups and access to safety resources beyond AI remain crucial, especially with the rising online threats journalists face.
With eight years of experience, mostly as a freelancer for various local and regional media outlets, Shifaa describes AI as a “friend.” She began using these tools in 2021 and even gives each one a nickname: ChatGPT is “Michael,” Replika is “Leo” and Deepseek is “Sari.”
While this personalization helps her feel more connected to the chatbots, she acknowledges that it is important to remain aware that these tools are chatbots based on algorithmic systems and might replicate gender stereotyping.
AI tools can be biased against women in various contexts. A study of over 15,000 AI-generated images showed that women were significantly underrepresented in male-dominated professions, reflecting existing gender stereotypes. AI chatbots can also reinforce harmful stereotypes through language models by generating content that aligns with gender norms.
Shifaa consults “Michael” for story ideas on a daily basis, asking it to challenge her thinking, propose alternative angles, and provide ideas for different writing styles. When discussions become more intense or require deeper research and underreported perspectives, she turns to “Sari,” which she says often provides information unavailable elsewhere. But when the conversation turns into something rather emotional, “Leo” is her preferred choice, as the tool is designed to serve as a conversation partner.
“The more I use these tools, the more capable they become,” Shifaa explains, referring to what she calls ‘the power of machine learning.’
From her perspective, women journalists in the Arab region particularly experience online violence, ranging from harassment to rape threats. The impact can include more self-censorship and psychological trauma, ultimately undermining freedom of expression.
While Shifaa acknowledges that therapy is often expensive, she sees AI as a complementary, though not equivalent, accessible alternative for psychological and mental support.
What measures are journalists taking to preserve their privacy?
A colleague once told 30-year-old Jordanian journalist Rawan Nakhleh that AI chatbots could solve many of journalism’s biggest headaches, like generating story ideas, transcribing long interviews, and proofreading drafts.
Since then, Rawan decided to give AI chatbots like ChatGPT a try, using them to “think out loud” for pitches, drafts, and even published articles and podcasts.
To maintain a certain level of privacy, Rawan chooses to use ChatGPT without logging into an account. She was shocked when one day the chatbot addressed her by her full name, despite never having shared it. Recent research even showed that women have demonstrated less trust, less confidence, and more privacy concerns around AI tools than men.
When she asked the chatbot how it knew her name, ChatGPT apologized, but offered no explanation. The incident alarmed Rawan, raising serious questions about the platform’s privacy protections and whether ChatGPT can truly be considered a safe space.
While Rawan is aware that several AI companies claim to not sell or share user data with third parties, this reassurance often falls short for her. She is careful never to share sensitive information, such as full names, addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses. She also never uses AI chatbots for emotional support.
Locally, Jordan has not established legal frameworks regulating AI tools, including generative AI or content moderation systems. It has however launched a national Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2023–2027) aiming to build a supportive ecosystem for AI innovation while developing ethical and legislative frameworks.
Jordan’s 2023 Cybercrime Law significantly shapes the environment in which journalists use digital technologies. For example, the law criminalizes the use of anonymizing tools like VPNs which are a common workaround to access AI platforms and protect source confidentiality.
“This isn’t just a personal matter, interviewees could be harmed,” Rawan says. She believes that using AI chatbots to process, transcribe, or summarize journalistic interviews is unethical without informed consent. For her, a journalist’s duty goes beyond self-protection to include safeguarding their sources.
As women journalists in Jordan navigate how to incorporate AI chatbots into their profession these tools are becoming part of their everyday routines, whether to save time, improve safety, or seek emotional relief.
But their use of AI also raises urgent questions about privacy, accountability, and the ethical handling of journalistic content. For many, the promise of AI lies not just in productivity, but in access, resilience, and the possibility of safer spaces in an increasingly demanding profession.
