Google is paying newsrooms five-figure sums to test a platform that can produce three AI-powered articles daily.
The developments, which have only just emerged, have caused great concern in the world of journalism. Will artificial intelligence replace journalists? Will the quality of journalism decline? Or is this the beginning of a new era? Here’s all you need to know.
Google signs deal for AI-powered articles
Some fear that AI will take jobs away from entry-level journalists and reduce the quality of reporting. The risk of spreading disinformation is also a concern. Google argues that the platform is designed to help journalists and give more people access to news.
Google is working on a new experimental tool to help small and local news organizations. It will make it easier to produce fact-based content using publicly available data sources. Google spokesperson Meghann Farnsworth told Gizmodo that the tool is “responsibly designed” and aims to produce “high-quality journalism.” Farnsworth also emphasized that these tools will not replace “the core role journalists have.”
The media sector, especially technology, is also struggling with layoffs. Against this backdrop, Google is working on an artificial intelligence platform that makes producing factual content from publicly available data sources easier.
On the other hand, the situation has caused great concern in the journalism community. The free content offered by Google is very different from the content produced by traditional journalistic methods.
Journalists spend time and effort researching and writing news stories and make a living from it. Google’s new artificial intelligence platform ignores this labor and focuses on fast and cheap content production.
However, the increase in AI-generated content on the internet has also raised major concerns. Research shows that most of the content circulating on the internet is produced with artificial intelligence.
Journalists and the media industry have to adapt to this change and develop new strategies to capitalize on the opportunities that AI presents. At the same time, steps must be taken to ensure the ethical use of AI and the protection of the fundamental principles of journalism.
Is AI a threat or an opportunity for journalism? The answer to this question depends on how we approach this development.
Featured image credit: Obi – @pixel8propix / Unsplash
