The New York Times (NYT) is assembling a team to investigate the application of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI and machine learning, in its newsroom.
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Zach Seward, recently appointed to spearhead AI initiatives, will lead the team, comprised of engineers and editors, including a machine learning engineer, a software engineer, a designer, and a couple of editors. The objective is to prototype the use of generative AI and other machine learning technologies in the newsroom. Emphasizing that journalism will remain the work of expert journalists, the NYT sees AI tools as aids to broaden reach and enhance reporting.
This move aligns with the trend of news organizations exploring AI integration, such as Google testing AI for news story production. Despite AI’s controversial role in newsrooms, the NYT aims to responsibly and beneficially incorporate AI, acknowledging past challenges and legal disputes with OpenAI and Microsoft.
