AI Transforms How Indians Access News: A Digital Revolution in Progress

On June 17, 2025, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism released its Digital News Report 2025, revealing a dramatic transformation in how Indians engage with news content—driven largely by artificial intelligence (AI), video platforms, and influencer-led media. Based on a survey of 2,044 Indian users representing both English and Hindi-speaking populations, the report shows that 44% of Indians are comfortable using AI tools for news, and 18% already rely on AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini for weekly news updates, the highest such rate globally.

In addition, YouTube has emerged as India’s most-used news source, with 55% of respondents turning to the platform, often preferring influencer-led, AI-enhanced content over legacy news channels or newspapers. Fueled by the country’s 870 million internet users, affordable mobile data, and multilingual digital access, this trend is redefining India’s news media ecosystem—creating new opportunities for inclusion but also raising alarms over misinformation and inequitable access.

Key Insights from the 2025 Report

Drawing on data from 48 countries, the Reuters report highlights how India’s approach to news consumption stands out globally:

• Leading in AI News Use: Nearly half of Indian respondents (44%) are at ease with AI-generated news, especially when accompanied by human oversight. In comparison, only 11% of UK users felt similarly. Weekly use of AI chatbots for news in India is at 18%—the highest globally—and is particularly prevalent among tech-savvy younger users.

• YouTube as News Hub: More than half (55%) of those surveyed turn to YouTube as a primary news outlet, a figure driven by low data costs (₹12 per GB) and a preference for visual content. Among young adults aged 18–24, only 24% view news websites as their main source.

• Shift Toward Video: About 40% of Indians now prefer watching news rather than reading it (38%), whereas the global average is skewed toward reading (55% prefer reading, 31% watching). Social video consumption has grown globally from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025, with India leading the way.

• Influencer-Led Media: Content creators and influencers are now central to India’s news delivery system. YouTube talk shows—spanning political commentary and social critique—are increasingly influential and contribute to a fragmented, often polarized, media ecosystem.

• Decline in Traditional Media: Use of newspapers, television, and even mainstream news websites is dropping. Roughly half of English-speaking Indians with internet access now avoid news at least some of the time, placing India fourth globally for news avoidance.

• AI Features in Demand: AI-driven tools offering summarized articles (preferred by 27%) and multilingual translations (valued by 24%) are gaining traction, especially among young users who seek personalized, digestible content.

These patterns highlight India’s emergence as a vibrant but uneven news market, shaped by youthful digital behavior and limited by ongoing disparities in internet access and literacy.

Factors Behind India’s AI-Driven News Shift

Several interrelated developments are fueling India’s embrace of AI-powered news:

1. Expansive Digital Infrastructure: With 870 million internet users and 700 million smartphone owners, India’s population is well-positioned to benefit from AI and digital media tools. Platforms like YouTube provide easily consumable news in multiple languages, making them ideal for a diverse, multilingual nation.

2. Young, Digital-First Population: With 65% of citizens under 35, India’s youth are steering the move toward AI-based, video-centric news. These generations prefer conversational, interactive formats delivered by AI tools or social media influencers.

3. Accessible AI Tools: Global platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, as well as local solutions like BharatGPT Mini (launched June 11, 2025), offer summarized news and translations in regional languages. These tools are crucial in bridging literacy gaps and overcoming language barriers.

4. Low-Cost Data Access: India’s cost-effective data rates (₹12 per GB) have enabled widespread video consumption and the use of AI tools even in semi-urban and rural settings.

5. Supportive Government and Tech Sector: National initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission, along with AI startups such as CoRover and Sarvam AI, are building scalable, vernacular AI models that assist publishers and users alike. Newsrooms now use AI for generating headlines, summaries, and voiceovers, reducing production costs.

These developments are part of a broader push toward digital self-sufficiency and innovation, reflected in international collaborations like the US–India Innovation Bridge launched on June 27, 2025.

Impact on India’s Media Ecosystem

1. Fragmented News Distribution: AI and influencer media are decentralizing the traditional news system, weakening the dominance of legacy outlets. YouTube’s widespread use for news reflects this shift toward personality-driven and algorithm-curated content.

2. Wider Accessibility: With AI tools simplifying complex stories and translating content across India’s 22 official languages, news is becoming more accessible—especially to the 90% of Indians who are not fluent in English. This is a vital development in a country where literacy remains at 74%.

3. Economic Growth Through the Creator Economy: The fusion of AI and content creation is helping drive India’s booming creator economy, currently valued at $350 billion annually and projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. AI-driven automation is also enabling newsrooms to cut operational costs and scale content production.

4. India’s Global Influence: India’s strong embrace of AI in media positions it as a thought leader in digital journalism. During the India–France AI Summit (June 5, 2025), India’s commitment to ethical AI use in media was highlighted, boosting its global reputation.

Challenges and Areas of Concern

1. Spread of Misinformation: The lack of editorial oversight on influencer content and AI chatbot outputs makes it easier for false narratives to spread. India’s already volatile information environment—with issues like concentrated media ownership—amplifies this threat.

2. Digital Access Inequality: With internet penetration at just 56%, the benefits of AI-enhanced news are skewed toward urban, often English-speaking populations. Rural and non-digital users risk being left behind in this media transformation.

3. Ethical and Editorial Accountability: AI-generated content poses questions about bias, accuracy, and responsibility. The recent collapse of Builder.ai (June 24, 2025), due to overhyped AI claims, underscores the need for transparency and regulation.

4. Economic Pressure on Publishers: As tools like Google AI Overviews gain popularity—used by 1.5 billion people monthly—they’re drawing traffic away from news websites. Some publishers report a 34% drop in traffic, threatening traditional advertising-based revenue models and pushing the industry toward a potential “Google Zero” scenario.

5. Lack of Regulation: India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) does not yet address the use or accountability of AI-generated content, leaving a regulatory vacuum as AI adoption accelerates.

How Different Stakeholders Are Affected

• Media Houses: Faced with shrinking audiences and ad revenue, publishers are increasingly turning to AI for automation, but must also rethink business models to remain viable in an AI-dominated market.

• Content Creators: Influencers and YouTubers are gaining visibility and earnings, with the creator economy projected to earn $100–125 billion by 2030. They are redefining how news is packaged and consumed.

• Viewers and Readers: Urban youth benefit from AI-driven personalization and easier access to complex stories. However, limited connectivity and digital literacy leave rural users at risk of exclusion. There’s also concern about content oversimplification and echo chambers.

• Government: Authorities must strike a balance between fostering innovation and protecting citizens from misinformation. Initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission offer a foundation, but broader policy updates are needed to regulate AI use in news media.

Looking Ahead

India’s trajectory toward AI-centered news consumption is expected to continue. Tools like Google’s AI Mode, launched in India on June 24, 2025, allow users to interact with complex, multilingual content using conversational prompts, signaling the future of news as a hybrid between human insight and AI efficiency.

Government-backed investments, such as 10,000 GPUs for AI model development and support for vernacular platforms like BharatGen, will further expand access. Meanwhile, social media discussions—like @rajkotia’s post praising AI’s conversational power while calling for strong oversight—reflect the public’s optimism and concern in equal measure.

By 2030, journalism in India could be reshaped by the synergy of automation, human editorial judgment, and innovative storytelling. However, bridging the urban-rural divide, protecting press freedom, and ensuring ethical use of AI will be vital to delivering a trustworthy and inclusive media landscape.

Conclusion

India is at the forefront of a global shift in digital news consumption, as highlighted by the Reuters Digital News Report 2025. With 44% of users embracing AI tools and 55% turning to YouTube for news, the country is redefining journalism through a mix of affordability, youth-driven demand, and technological innovation. While this transformation promises greater accessibility and personalization, it also raises serious concerns over misinformation, regulatory gaps, and unequal access. Navigating this dual reality will require collaboration between government, media organizations, tech developers, and the public to ensure India’s media future is both innovative and inclusive.