Original journalism is AI’s competitive advantage: Investigation, verification and exclusive reporting are the strongest differentiators in an AI-driven content landscape. Human judgement creates value: Journalists provide context, prioritise important stories and explain why they matter, capabilities AI cannot replicate. The Future Newsrooms Study 2026, published by FT Strategies in partnership with WAN-IFRA and Arc XP, looks at how newsrooms are facing disruption. Double down on distinctionThe study finds many newsrooms lack strategic clarity about “who the newsroom is reporting for… and what is the distinctive editorial value,” noted MacLeod. Automation and generative AI have impressive capabilities that have already changed the way we live and work; roles and processes may change.