It may very well give a reader whiplash at how rapidly the onset of the artificial intelligence (AI) era has been ushered into our everyday discourse — but make no mistake, it is here, and not going anywhere.

AI is already being utilized in services you utilize every day, from the search engines you rely on to find information on the internet to the systems running logistics for the companies that deliver goods and medicines to our grocery stores and pharmacies. Its use will only continue to expand as the machine learning systems driving these AI algorithms continue to evolve and improve.

While examining the intricacies and plethora of effects AI will have on our lives is worthy of intense scrutiny and ongoing, careful implementation, there is one area being touched by AI that simultaneously excites and frighten us greatly; and we’re not sure which emotion is winning at the moment.

The relationship between artificial intelligence and journalism is a thorny one. Immediately, the mere junction of the two terms brings about images of a North Korean-esque dystopia where the news is written by machines built by shady government entities hellbent on spinning every story in their benefit, and so fundamentally obfuscating and gatekeeping the truth that their actions can never be called into question through traditional journalistic methods.

On the other hand, the power of AI as a tool for journalists is a tempting one. Rather than have one perpetually overworked journalist try to break down a 400-page report on the mechanical infrastructure of a bridge that nearly collapsed, which could take weeks to do properly, a journalist could potentially feed the report through an AI system that assembles a 20-page summary of the most crucial information. That summary would provide linked citations for where the information came from in the original report, so the journalist can independently verify the work of the machine and save dozens of hours of laborious study; opening up more time to perform fact-backed interviews and additional follow-up research, and leading to a much stronger story in less time, while the public’s attention is still engaged.

There are a million examples for how AI could benefit journalism, but only if the two industries can get on the same page regarding their use to one another.

Journalists are essential to creating the original reporting and articles that AI systems need in order to become “smarter” about the world around them. This resource should be seen as something fundamentally valuable to the AI industry, and worthy of investment just as publishers should see value in investing in the tools being created by the AI industry.

Rather than seeing how AI is leading to the downfall of journalism, we prefer to believe in a world where a legitimate symbiosis between the two is not only possible, but essential to the survival of both industries.

Whether or not this is actually attainable, and whether or not the government regulators who will ultimately have a large hand in figuring out this generationally tricky equation are up to the task, is another story entirely.