Google testing if AI can write news – however insists it will not substitute journalists

Google is testing whether or not synthetic intelligence (AI) can be utilized to put in writing news articles – however insists it will not substitute journalists.

A spokesperson for the search giant mentioned it was within the “earliest stages of exploring ideas” for the way the know-how may improve “work and productivity” in a newsroom.

They cited developing with headlines and suggesting completely different writing kinds as examples of what AI may do.

“Quite simply, these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating and fact-checking their articles,” the spokesperson added.

But executives at publishers who’ve seen Google’s pitch mentioned it was unsettling, The New York Times reported.

The paper was the primary to disclose the corporate’s plans for AI-powered journalism on Wednesday.

It mentioned it had held talks with Google, as had fellow US retailers The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal – plus Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corp, the publishing empire behind The Sun and The Times.

Asked concerning the report, a News Corp spokesperson mentioned: “We have an excellent relationship with Google, and we appreciate [Google CEO] Sundar Pichai’s long-term commitment to journalism.”

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How AI could change future of journalism

How Google makes use of news

Google depends on publishers for its Google News service, which aggregates articles.

Its search outcomes are additionally usually made up of tales from mainstream and native media retailers.

Last month, it introduced it could take away hyperlinks from Canadian publishers when the nation’s authorities enacts laws requiring tech corporations to barter pay offers with them.

Canadian media has lengthy complained that tech corporations are piggybacking off their work and costing them promoting income. Google has argued the brand new legislation is a “link tax” that will “break” the web.

Facebook proprietor Meta additionally opposes the legislation and is pulling hyperlinks to Canadian retailers from its platforms.

Read extra: Transparency ‘crucial’ over how AI is trained

Are AI newsrooms the longer term?

The New York Times report comes after the Associated Press, one of many world’s largest news businesses, revealed it could accomplice with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to discover the way it may use generative AI.

Earlier this month, Sky News also experimented with whether AI could perform journalistic tasks, together with pitching and writing its personal news tales, with combined outcomes.

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Other retailers have offered warnings as to the dangers, with know-how news website CNET pressured to confess it had used generative AI to put in writing articles after embarrassing errors have been identified in revealed tales.

The Irish Times additionally needed to apologise for publishing an opinion article generated by AI.

Professor Charlie Beckett of the London School of Economics’ JournalismAI initiative, which helps retailers trying to leverage AI responsibly, has mentioned “a lot of newsrooms are thinking through” what to do with the tech.

But “if we all get lazy and expect ChatGPT to write our stories and scripts, they may get worse”, he warned.