India’s digital world is buzzing, and it’s completely changing how people get their news. Two big players are leading this charge: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the burgeoning world of online influencers. A recent Reuters Institute Digital News Report for 2025 sheds light on these massive shifts, showing how tech adoption and changing tastes are playing out, especially among India’s internet-savvy crowd.

Let’s talk AI first. The report shows that a good chunk of online Indians is actually getting their news from AI. We’re talking about almost one in five (18%) of the surveyed Indian population using AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini for news every week. That’s a big deal, especially when you compare it to the global average of just 7%. It really highlights how open Indians are to trying out AI for their daily information fix.  

What’s more, people in India seem pretty comfortable with AI being involved in news. About 44% of Indian respondents were okay with news mainly put together by AI, as long as there’s some human oversight. This is way higher than places like Europe, where only 15% feel that way. It seems many in India see AI not just as a cool new gadget, but as a practical tool. For example, the most popular AI feature among Indians is its ability to “adapt news text to different reading levels.” This suggests AI could be a game-changer for making news easier to understand for everyone, especially in a country with so many languages and diverse literacy levels. While global scepticism about AI’s trustworthiness in news persists, India appears to be charting its own course, driven by a pragmatic view of AI’s usefulness.