Abstract

In today’s media landscape, the overwhelming volume of news consumption can lead to significant mental health impacts, including stress, information overload, and disengagement. This often results in news avoidance or a turn toward disinformation as a coping mechanism. This thesis advocates for a paradigm shift in how news is delivered and consumed, exploring the potential use of artificial intelligence as a tool for intervention and the prioritizing of mental well-being. This research-creation project presents a news chatbot, which functions both as a conceptual prototype and a critical site for examining AI's evolving role in journalism, to help users balance staying informed with preserving their mental health. The chatbot serves as a conceptual demonstration of how digital innovation, particularly within journalism, can integrate care, reflection, and emotional awareness into the act of news consumption, potentially reengaging otherwise alienated people. Rather than accept harm as the cost of being informed, this project imagines how we might relate to information differently and begin to reclaim the humanity that's been lost in the process.