What are some interesting examples of generative AI in journalism?
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Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to create new content from data or existing content, such as text, images, audio, or video. Generative AI has many applications in different fields, including journalism, where it can help journalists produce more engaging and diverse stories, as well as save time and resources. In this article, we will explore some interesting examples of how generative AI is used in journalism, and what are the benefits and challenges of this technology.
One of the most common uses of generative AI in journalism is to automate the writing of news articles, especially for topics that involve data, such as sports, finance, weather, or elections. By using natural language generation (NLG) techniques, generative AI can analyze data sources, extract key information, and generate coherent and accurate texts that follow journalistic standards and styles. For example, the Associated Press uses a generative AI system called Wordsmith to produce thousands of earnings reports every quarter, while the Washington Post uses a similar system called Heliograf to cover local elections and high school sports.
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Amanda Fetch, MSc
Top LinkedIn Community AI, Research, & Data Science Voice | Experienced Analytics, Strategy, & Innovation Leader/Mentor | Board Director | Subject Matter Expert | PhD Tech student | Harvard Business Analytics Program
Bloomberg employs "Cyborg," a generative AI technology, to assist in composing complex financial reports, efficiently processing numerical data to generate insightful articles. Similarly, The Los Angeles Times utilizes "Quakebot," a sophisticated AI system, to swiftly produce news articles about earthquakes, ensuring timely delivery of crucial information. Reuters has integrated generative AI into their newsroom workflows to automate the production of sports recaps and financial summaries. This not only saves valuable time for journalists but also ensures consistency in reporting. BBC has experimented with an AI-driven system called "Juicer" that can sift through multiple data sources and generate drafts for news articles.
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Darius G.
AI - ChatGPT Lecturer for B2B Sector & Facilitator for the Education Sector | Speaker | Transforming Learning through AI tools
I would describe it as journalism's quest for trust in the AI era. According to the Stanford University Foundation Model Transparency Index, there are notable trust gaps in Large Language Models (LLMs). These models' "black box" nature complicates transparency and accountability, crucial in journalism for maintaining credibility and public trust. Addressing these issues requires careful integration of AI with human oversight and ethical guidelines in news production.
Another use of generative AI in journalism is to deliver personalized news to readers, based on their preferences, interests, and behavior. By using natural language understanding (NLU) and machine learning techniques, generative AI can analyze the content and metadata of news articles, as well as the user profiles and feedback, and generate customized summaries, headlines, recommendations, and notifications that suit each reader's needs and tastes. For example, the New York Times uses a generative AI system called Editor to create personalized newsletters and push alerts for its subscribers, while the BBC uses a similar system called Juicer to generate tailored news feeds for its online users.
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Darius G.
AI - ChatGPT Lecturer for B2B Sector & Facilitator for the Education Sector | Speaker | Transforming Learning through AI tools
As an AI expert, I see a significant social dilemma in personalized news delivery using generative AI. These systems, like the New York Times' Editor and BBC's Juicer, adapt news to individual tastes and behaviors. While this customization improves the reader experience, it also runs the risk of creating echo chambers in which readers are only exposed to news that confirms their previous ideas, thereby smothering alternate viewpoints and critical thinking.
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Dagmar Eisenbach
Director at Salesforce | Chair of Board Oikocredit | Certified NED and Coach | AI for productivity and learning | Impact Investor | Archer
Beyond echo-chambers: Mastering the Art of Rich Personalized news Personalized news delivery offers a dynamic, user-centric approach to news consumption, but it comes with challenges. 1. Transparency Businesses should be transparent about how they use user data and personalize content. Users should have the option to adjust their preferences and provide feedback. 2. Diverse Content Encourage users to explore a variety of sources and topics, not just content that aligns with their existing views. 3. Fact-Checking Implement rigorous fact-checking mechanisms to prevent the spread of misinformation. Striking the right balance between personalization and diversity, and between engagement and privacy, is key.
A more advanced use of generative AI in journalism is to create new forms of news storytelling, that combine text, images, audio, and video, and that leverage the power of imagination, emotion, and interactivity. By using deep learning and generative adversarial networks (GANs) techniques, generative AI can synthesize realistic and diverse media content, such as photos, voices, faces, or animations, that can enhance the narrative and visual impact of news stories. For example, the Guardian used a generative AI system called GPT-3 to write an op-ed from the perspective of an artificial intelligence, while the Reuters used a similar system called Wav2Lip to generate lip-synced videos of news anchors speaking different languages.
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Darius G.
AI - ChatGPT Lecturer for B2B Sector & Facilitator for the Education Sector | Speaker | Transforming Learning through AI tools
Creative news storytelling, enhanced by generative AI, represents a huge advancement in how we consume and understand news. The reach of journalism can be greatly broadened by using AI to translate news stories into different languages. This goes beyond merely breaking down language barriers; it's also about providing diverse global perspectives to audiences who might otherwise remain isolated due to language constraints!
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Umaid Asim
CEO at SensViz | Building human-centric AI applications that truly understands and empowers you | Helping businesses and individuals leverage AI | Entrepreneur | Top AI & Data Science Voice
Imagine a newsroom where generative AI is like a helpful buddy to journalists. It can quickly sort through a lot of data to find interesting bits for a story. For example, it can create a basic draft on local election results, saving the journalist time. Or, in a story about climate change, AI could help make easy-to-understand visuals from lots of environmental data. The real magic happens when journalists and AI work together. They create stories that connect with people. But, it's important to always tell the truth, even when using fancy AI tools.
A final use of generative AI in journalism is to ensure the ethical and responsible production of news content, that respects the principles of accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability. By using natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision techniques, generative AI can help journalists detect and correct errors, biases, plagiarism, or misinformation in their own or others' work, as well as verify and attribute the sources and authors of the content. For example, the New Yorker uses a generative AI system called Grammarly to check the grammar and style of its articles, while the Wall Street Journal uses a similar system called Trust Project to label and rate the quality and credibility of its news stories.
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Matthieu Lorrain
Global Head of Creative Innovation, Google EBX
Generative AI in journalism is also a guardian of ethical standards, aiding in producing news that upholds accuracy and fairness. Utilizing NLP and computer vision, it helps identify errors, biases, or misinformation. The New Yorker's adoption of Grammarly to refine articles and the Wall Street Journal's use of the Trust Project to evaluate news credibility exemplify AI's role in nurturing trust and integrity in journalism. This technology is not just about creating content but also ensuring it meets the rigorous ethical norms expected in the media.
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Shivi Deveshwar
Business Systems Analyst @ Minnesota Power | Data Mining, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing
AI systems are being developed to identify and mitigate biases in reporting, fostering a culture of ethical journalism. Initiatives like The Ethical Journalism Network are exploring how AI can be used to ensure news accuracy and fairness, flagging potentially problematic content for human review. Moreover, organizations are utilizing AI to maintain transparency in news sourcing and to combat the spread of misinformation. By setting ethical guidelines for AI in journalism, the industry is striving to uphold integrity in the age of automation.
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Emil Aydinsoy
PhD C.
There is one example I would like to share. When a company or public figure tries to get in touch with articles published about them a smart filtering metric can be used. So what is happening; - A filter for specifically selected keyword bag of words are selected - A fuzzy logic or anything similar is created to find the matches even if it is not the exact word - An LLM model is also can be deployed to find the content and sentiment of the article Then just by some basic programming language magic filtered articles can be sent to your mail or any platform you desire. This can also be implemented for the specific topics that you are tracking.
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Frank D. Lawrence, Jr.
AI-Powered UX Designer | Expertise in Generative AI & Conversational AI tools | Prompt Engineer Certified | Content Strategist | Emerging Technology, Software & Data Researcher
Journalism Generative AI offers many opportunities for creativity and diversity. However, the content generated accurately must reflect a broad range of perspectives that shed light on experiences and people often underrepresented in mainstream media. Algorithms must be trained on inclusive datasets to avoid perpetuating biases. Being mindful of the ethical implications of automated content creation can ensure this technology empowers communities of color instead of harming them. The goal is to not only improve the output of information but also to amplify voices, fostering a greater democracy. 🙌🏾