Assessing Sentiments About Artificial Intelligence in Croatian Media Using the Artificial Intelligence Tool ChatGPT

Algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) tools are crucial for digital literacy and competitiveness in today’s high-tech environment, transforming jobs across various sectors, including media. The history of journalism is closely linked with technological development, from Gutenberg’s printing press to radio, television, the internet, and AI tools. This paper aims to determine the perception of AI in Croatian media and its alignment with Croatian journalists’ opinions and assess ChatGPT’s effectiveness in sentiment analysis. The insights gained should enhance understanding of AI’s impact on public opinion and its ethical implications in journalism. The research methodology combines AI-driven sentiment analysis (ChatGPT Plus) with qualitative content analysis. A total of 45 articles about AI published in Croatian media between April and September 2023 were examined. Two hypotheses were tested: H1, that ChatGPT’s sentiment analysis matches human assessments, and H2, that Croatian media generally express a positive tone towards AI. The results confirmed H1, with ChatGPT’s sentiment analysis aligning with human assessments in 44 out of 45 cases. H2 was partially supported; sentiment distribution showed neutral (42%), positive (36%), and negative (22%) tones. Positive articles highlighted AI’s benefits in areas like healthcare, while negative articles emphasized privacy and employment concerns. The results suggest a balanced perspective on AI in Croatian media, recognizing both advantages and risks. Future research can expand these findings by examining long-term sentiment trends in domestic media and comparing them with global trends. Improved AI tools for independent data collection and more accurate sentiment interpretation can further support this. Additionally, this paper opens the space for further sentiment analysis of media articles, exploring the implications of AI application on readers’ perception and reception of information.