Nikita Roy is a data scientist, journalist, and Harvard-recognized AI futurist. She is the founder of Newsroom Robots Lab, an AI training, strategy, and product development company for media organizations, currently incubating at Harvard Innovation Labs. She also hosts the Newsroom Robots Podcast, which has ranked among the top technology podcasts in more than 30 countries on Apple Podcasts.
As a Knight Fellow at the International Center for Journalists, Nikita led global efforts to accelerate responsible AI adoption in journalism. She launched and led the AI Journalism Lab at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, supported by Microsoft, and serves on the school’s AI Advisory Board. She was named one of twelve pioneers and power players shaping the future of news in the 2025 Future Today Strategy Group Tech Trends Report.
Nikita also serves on the national board of the Canadian Association of Journalists and is co-chair of its 2026 national conference. An alumna of Harvard University and the University of Toronto, Nikita champions responsible AI in media through strategy, product development and hands-on training.
Nikita’s vision for digital journalism
[Note: As part of the board election process, we ask candidates to share with the ONA community their vision for the industry and how they would reimagine it.]
As members of ONA, we know journalism stands at a crossroads. Artificial intelligence is transforming how information is created, distributed, and trusted. The choices we make now will shape our newsrooms for decades. We can watch these systems reshape our work from the outside, or we can step forward together with clarity and courage, reimagining a future where journalism grows stronger, more resilient, and more essential than ever.
I envision a journalism industry that not only reports on the technologies shaping our world but also engages with them directly. We must design and build tools that reflect our editorial values, operate transparently, and serve our communities. In my work with newsrooms around the world, I have seen the impact when journalists become builders. They adapt with confidence and shape technology in ways that strengthen the public good.
This vision is also about sustainability. Journalism thrives when innovation is shared, not concentrated in a few large organizations. Local and independent outlets need access to shared resources, new revenue models and experimentation networks that allow them to serve their audiences with resilience. By pooling innovation, sharing best practices and lowering barriers, we can help every newsroom adapt at the pace of change.
Most importantly, I believe the future of journalism will be shaped by people like us, working together to reimagine what comes next. That means expanding training, supporting mentorship and opening doors for underrepresented voices. The next chapter of journalism will be defined by how boldly we embrace innovation and how firmly we anchor it in our mission to serve our communities.