Google is testing whether artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to write news articles, but insists it won’t replace journalists.
spokesman search giant It said it was in the “early stages of exploring ideas” to see how the technology could improve “jobs and productivity” in newsrooms.
They cite coming up with headlines and suggesting different writing styles as examples of things AI can do.
“Quite simply, these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the vital role of journalists in reporting, writing and fact-checking,” the spokesperson added.
But publisher executives who have seen Google’s pitch say it’s troubling, according to The New York Times.
On Wednesday, the paper revealed for the first time the company’s plans for AI journalism.
The company said it has held talks with Google, as have other U.S. media outlets, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Rupert MurdochNews Corp is the publishing empire behind The Sun and The Times.
Asked about the report, a News Corp spokesman said: “We have a good relationship with Google, which we appreciate. [Google CEO] Sundar Pichai’s long-term commitment to journalism. “
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Google relies on publishers for its Google News service, which aggregates articles.
Its search results are also often comprised of stories from mainstream and local media.
Last month, the company announced that it would remove links to Canadian publishers when the Canadian government enacts legislation requiring tech companies to negotiate compensation agreements with Canadian publishers.
Canadian media have long complained that tech companies are taking advantage of their jobs and reducing their ad dollars. Google argues that the new law is a “link tax” that will “break” the internet.
Facebook owner Yuan also opposed the law and is removing links to Canadian media from its platform.
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The New York Times report comes after one of the world’s largest news organizations, the Associated Press, revealed it would work with Chat GPT The creators of OpenAI explore how to use generative artificial intelligence.
Earlier this month, Sky News is also experimenting with whether artificial intelligence can perform news tasksincluding pitching and writing his own news stories, with mixed results.
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Other outlets have also sounded the alarm about the risks, with tech news site CNET forced to admit it uses generative artificial intelligence to write articles after publishing a story that pointed out embarrassing errors.
The Irish Times also had to apologize Publish an AI-generated opinion piece.
“A lot of newsrooms are thinking” about how to use the technology, said Professor Charlie Beckett of the Journalism Artificial Intelligence Initiative at the London School of Economics, which aims to help the media use AI responsibly.
But “if we all get lazy and expect ChatGPT to write our stories and scripts, things could get worse,” he warns.