The Society of Professional Journalists has changed its Code of Ethics.

This is the first change in 12 years.

The code has been around for 100 years.

It has been changed only six times.

The new version is 967 words long.

That is 73 words more than the current one.

The main reason for the change is the fast growth of artificial intelligence.

Committee leaders Dan Axelrod and Chris Roberts said AI can save news organizations money.

But it can also cause problems if people use it badly.

The draft does not say "AI" by name.

It only says "tools and technologies."

This way, the code stays useful as technology changes.

Another issue is that journalism is changing.

Many independent "creator journalists" now work outside normal newsrooms.

A Pew study in the report shows that one-third of journalists were freelance or self-employed in 2023.

The code is still voluntary.

It is not a rule that people must follow.

The draft also changes an old line.

The old line was "Give voice to the voiceless."

The new line is about helping people with less power who are unfairly left out.

Committee member Eric Deggans said the old line was wrong.

It assumed some groups had no voice.

The draft will be voted on in October.

SPJ President Chris Vaccaro said the code still matters, even as the industry changes.