Google tests AI-powered news writing tool

Google announced on Thursday that it is working with media institutions to design a new AI-powered tool to assist journalists in preparing and writing their news stories.

The project was first revealed by The New York Times, which is collaborating with The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to test the new product.

According to the report, based on unnamed sources, the tool, internally known as "Genius," is still in the early testing phase, but its performance has caught the attention of some news executives who expressed "concerns" about its implications.

A Google spokesperson stated, "In partnership with news publishers, especially smaller publishers, we are in the early stages of exploring how AI can help journalists in their work."

The company emphasized that the tool is intended to act as an assistant to journalists and editors by providing options for headlines or different writing styles.

The announcement comes after an agreement between OpenAI and The Associated Press, granting the developer of the "ChatGPT" program a license to use the agency's archive dating back to 1985 for the purpose of training artificial intelligence.

In a joint statement last week, the two organizations stated that the agreement allows OpenAI to use a portion of The Associated Press' text archive, while the latter benefits from the technology developed by "ChatGPT" and its expertise in product development.

The Associated Press has been using other forms of artificial intelligence for nearly a decade, including automated writing for corporate earnings reports and summarizing some sports events.

The widespread use of "ChatGPT" since last year has raised significant concerns in various sectors, including the media, due to its ability to write convincingly on complex topics in seconds by just being fed simple words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP