Google is building an AI tool for journalists

 

Google is building an AI tool for journalists

Google is currently working on an AI tool tailored for news publishers, capable of generating article text and headlines. This development has the potential to significantly impact the journalism industry, and Google aims to collaborate with news outlets to implement this AI tool in their newsrooms.

According to a spokesperson from Google, their aim is to provide journalists with the opportunity to use these emerging technologies, thereby improving their work and productivity. The company draws a parallel with the assistive tools already available in Gmail and Google Docs.

Referred to internally as "Genesis," the project has reportedly been presented to prominent media companies like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal. However, Google's statement didn't specify these media organizations and highlighted their focus on smaller publishers.

It is crucial to understand that Google stresses the AI tool's purpose is not to replace journalists or their essential role in reporting, creating, and fact-checking articles. Rather, it is designed to complement their work.

As technology companies, including Google, race to implement generative AI features in workplace applications, concerns have arisen regarding the accuracy of these tools. Since they are trained on online information, there is a risk of errors and incorrect information being generated. News outlets like CNET and Gizmodo have experienced challenges when experimenting with AI tools to write stories, necessitating corrections.

Despite these challenges, many media outlets are still eager to explore the potential benefits of using AI technology to streamline tasks and boost productivity in their newsrooms.