Title: Who is that GAI?  – A qualitative study on Swedish journalists’ imaginaries of how generative artificial intelligence affects the professionalization of journalism.  The increasing discourse surrounding the role of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in journalism has recently been widely discussed as it brings both opportunities and challenges for the journalism profession. How do technological advancements impact and challenge the journalism profession? This study aims to explore the imaginaries that Swedish reporters, AI-strategists and newsroom managers have regarding how the journalistic profession can change based on the new conditions and challenges that GAI has contributed to. Conducting a study on the subject based on a Swedish context is relevant to understanding Swedish journalists’ imaginaries of GAI and how an implementation of GAI may lead to a reconfiguration of previously given professional roles. The study answers to the following research questions:  What imaginaries do journalists in Swedish newsrooms have about generative artificial intelligence? How do the imaginaries about how generative artificial intelligence can affect the professionalization of journalism differ between reporters and managers or AI-strategists in Swedish newsrooms? Based on the interpretive nature of the research subject the study adopts a qualitative approach, hence the material was collected through eleven qualitative interviews. The empirical data was analyzed using the constant comparative method together with the study's theoretical framework consisting of sociotechnical imaginaries, professionalization and boundary work. The findings indicate that the Swedish journalists predominantly perceived GAI as a tool to enhance work efficiency, which results in the journalists being able to focus more on the creative parts of the profession. Furthermore, the journalists imagined GAI as a smart colleague to consult with, and the majority imagined that GAI primarily will function as a supplement rather than a replacement, and that GAI to some extent will reshape the profession.

‬‭Journalists‬‭ are‬‭ increasingly‬‭ expected‬‭ to‬‭ be‬‭ active‬‭ on‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ to‬‭ enhance‬‭ their‬‭ reporting‬‭ and‬‭ personal‬‭ brands.‬‭ They‬‭ must‬‭ blend‬‭ personal‬‭ and‬‭ professional‬‭ content‬‭ and‬‭ navigate‬‭ the‬‭ distinct‬‭ logic‬‭ of‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ while‬‭ also‬‭ balancing‬‭ the‬‭ expectations‬‭ of‬‭ the‬‭ media‬‭ organizations.‬‭ The‬‭ purpose‬‭ of‬‭ this‬‭ study‬‭ is‬‭ to‬‭ investigate‬‭ Swedish‬‭ journalists’‬‭ perspective‬‭ on‬‭ personal‬‭ branding‬‭ on‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ in‬‭ relation‬‭ to‬‭ journalistic‬‭ values,‬‭ by‬‭ answering‬‭ the‬‭ following questions:‬‭ How‬‭ do‬‭ journalists‬‭ perceive‬‭ the‬‭ relationship‬‭ between‬‭ personal‬‭ branding‬‭ on‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ and‬‭ journalistic norms, ideals and practices?‬‭ What‬‭ attitudes‬‭ are‬‭ evident‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ journalists’‬‭ perception‬‭ of‬‭ personal‬‭ branding‬‭ on‬‭ social‬‭ media?‬‭ How‬‭ do‬‭ journalists‬‭ perceive‬‭ the‬‭ integration‬‭ of‬‭ journalistic‬‭ norms,‬‭ ideals‬‭ and‬‭ practices‬‭ in the use of social media?‬‭ Do‬‭ they‬‭ perceive‬‭ any‬‭ kind‬‭ of‬‭ conflicts‬‭ between‬‭ personal‬‭ branding‬‭ on‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ and‬‭ journalistic norms, ideals and practices?‬‭ The‬‭ study‬‭ adopts‬‭ a‬‭ qualitative‬‭ method,‬‭ using‬‭ eight‬‭ semi-structured‬‭ interviews‬‭ to‬‭ collect‬‭ the‬‭ empirical‬‭ material.‬‭ It‬‭ was‬‭ analyzed‬‭ through‬‭ a‬‭ thematic‬‭ analysis‬‭ together‬‭ with‬‭ the‬‭ theoretical‬‭ framework‬‭ consisting‬‭ of‬‭ journalistic‬‭ ideology,‬‭ boundary‬‭ work,‬‭ branding‬‭ strategy‬‭ and‬‭ personal‬‭ branding.‬‭ According‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ findings,‬‭ Swedish‬‭ journalists‬‭ have‬‭ mixed‬‭ feelings‬‭ about‬‭ personal‬‭ branding‬‭ on‬‭ social‬‭ media.‬‭ While‬‭ a‬‭ strong‬‭ personal‬‭ brand‬‭ benefits‬‭ both‬‭ individual‬‭ journalists‬‭ and‬‭ their‬‭ journalistic‬‭ mission,‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ poses‬‭ numerous‬‭ challenges,‬‭ requiring‬‭ them‬‭ to‬‭ balance‬‭ their‬‭ personal‬‭ and‬‭ professional‬‭ identities‬‭ responsibly.‬‭ The‬‭ journalists‬‭ recognize‬‭ that‬‭ while‬‭ traditional‬‭ journalistic‬‭ ideals‬‭ can‬‭ be‬‭ integrated‬‭ into‬‭ social‬‭ media‬‭ use‬‭ and‬‭ the‬‭ strategies‬‭ of‬‭ personal‬‭ branding,‬‭ they‬‭ require‬‭ adaptation‬‭ to‬‭ social‬‭ media's‬‭ logic.‬‭ Maintaining‬‭ the‬‭ boundaries‬‭ of‬‭ legitimate‬‭ journalism‬‭ is‬‭ challenging‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ evolving‬‭ media‬‭ landscape,‬‭ despite‬‭ journalists'‬‭ desire‬‭ to‬‭ adhere‬‭ to‬‭ professional‬‭ standards.‬‭ The‬‭ findings‬‭ reveal‬‭ how‬‭ this‬‭ new‬‭ practice affects journalism, influencing both individual careers and the broader industry.‬‭