ISLAMABAD: Google is creating AI-driven tools to aid journalists in researching and crafting news articles, a move that may cause unease within the media industry, which has experienced significant job losses in recent years.
The tech giant said it is collaborating with media organizations. Especially smaller publishers, to offer AI-powered resources that can provide headline options and assist with various writing styles.
According to Google spokeswoman Jenn Crider, the company’s objective is to offer journalists the option of using emerging technologies to enhance their work. Similar to the assistive tools available in Gmail and Google Docs.
She clarifies that these AI-powered tools are not intended to replace journalists’ crucial role in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles.
However, introducing these AI-powered platforms, like ChatGPT, will likely intensify the ongoing debate. They are concerning the advantages and risks associated with such technologies. While these platforms have impressed users with their ability to mimic human speech. Concerns have been raised about issues such as copyright infringement, misinformation, and the potential replacement of human workers.
The global media industry is facing significant challenges, including successive rounds of layoffs due to a decline in print advertising revenues. For instance, in the first five months of 2023, US newsrooms witnessed a record 17,436 job cuts.
Although some media organizations have starts to adopt generative AI, newsrooms, in general, have been cautious in embracing this technology. For news-gathering purposes due to concerns about its accuracy, potential for plagiarism, and copyright issues.
Recently, the Associated Press made headlines by partnering with OpenAI, granting the creator of ChatGPT. It has access to the news organization’s archives dating back to 1985. This collaboration aims to leverage the vast historical data to train the AI model further.
