WSJ Tech News Briefing Meet the Journalist Using AI to Write Stories
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Mar 27, 2026 
Minkyu Shin, assistant professor of marketing at City University of Hong Kong, explains how AI-assisted complaints get better results. Isabella Simonetti, a Wall Street Journal reporter, discusses how newsrooms like Fortune use AI to generate routine copy and free reporters for deeper work. They debate benefits, risks like hallucinations, and how AI is reshaping journalism practices.
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Sharp Uptick In AI Use For Consumer Complaints
- AI-assisted complaints rose sharply after ChatGPT's November 2022 release.
- Minkyu Shin analyzed CFPB data and found likely AI-written complaints increased dramatically and correlated with better outcomes.
AI Editing Boosts Favorable Complaint Outcomes
- Complaints edited with ChatGPT were about 7 percentage points more likely to get favorable responses.
- Shin attributes much of the gain to improved presentation: 'how to say' matters and AI can dramatically improve it.
AI Levels The Playing Field For Underserved Complainants
- AI helps underserved consumers overcome language barriers when filing complaints.
- Shin notes previously marginalized groups used ChatGPT more, suggesting firms should listen to these voices.