The New York Times is embarking on an exciting new initiative to integrate generative AI into its newsroom. Zach Seward, the newly hired head of AI initiatives, announced that the team will be dedicated to testing the potential of generative AI and other machine-learning techniques to enhance reporting and the presentation of news to readers.
To support this endeavor, the publication is looking to fill roles such as machine learning engineer, software engineer, designer, and editors. The Times has already posted job listings for an associate editorial director for AI initiatives and a senior design editor.
The team, led by the editorial director for A.I. initiatives, will consist of colleagues with diverse engineering, research, and design talent. They will serve as a skunkworks team within the newsroom, collaborating with other teams in the news, product, and technology groups to bring innovative ideas from prototype to production.
The Times emphasized its commitment to maintaining the core principle that its journalism will always be authored and edited by expert journalists, even as it adopts AI tools.
The publication’s journey with generative AI has been complex, as it was among the first to block OpenAI’s web crawler from accessing its content. This led to a legal battle with OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that ChatGPT reproduced articles word for word, impacting reader relationships and revenue.
Many news organizations, including Axel Springer and the Associated Press, have also ventured into integrating AI, both generative and traditional machine learning, into their newsrooms. Yet, the relationship between AI and newsrooms remains challenging, given the prevalence of fake news and stories authored by AI. The Times’ initiative, however, aims to maintain the involvement of human journalists in news writing.
Overall, The New York Times’ exploration of generative AI marks an innovative chapter in journalism, as it seeks to maintain high standards of reporting while embracing technological advancements.
