The New York Times Approves AI Tools For Newsroom Use

The New York Times has given the green light for its newsroom staff to use artificial intelligence tools in editing, summarizing, coding, and even writing.

According to an internal email reported by Semafor, both product and editorial teams will receive AI training as the publication introduces new AI-powered resources to assist journalists.

Semafor reports that one of the biggest additions is Echo, an in-house AI tool designed to summarize articles, briefings, and other internal materials.

The company has also approved several external AI tools for its staff, including GitHub Copilot for coding, Google’s Vertex AI for product development, and OpenAI’s non-ChatGPT API—though access to the latter requires legal approval.

The Times sees AI as a way to enhance journalism rather than replace human work. Semafor reports that its editorial guidelines state:

“Generative AI can assist our journalists in uncovering the truth and helping more people understand the world. Machine learning already helps us report stories we couldn’t otherwise, and generative AI has the potential to bolster our journalistic capabilities even more.”

Beyond reporting, Semafor reports that AI tools will help staff with various newsroom tasks. Journalists are encouraged to use them for generating SEO-friendly headlines, crafting summaries, brainstorming ideas, and improving audience engagement.

The company also suggests using AI for research, analyzing documents, and even creating content like news quizzes and FAQs.

In an internal training video, the Times demonstrated AI’s role in journalism, including how reporters could use it to develop interview questions for a startup CEO.

AI tools may also assist in producing social media content, quote cards, and multilingual translations, making the publication more accessible to global audiences, as noted by Semafor. However, the company emphasizes that AI is not a “magical solution” but a tool to support its mission.

The New York Times has had a tense history with generative AI. It was among the first news outlets to block OpenAI’s web crawler from accessing its content.

This decision later escalated into a lawsuit against OpenAI and its key investor, Microsoft, accusing ChatGPT of reproducing its articles verbatim, damaging its relationship with readers, and cutting into its revenue.

It’s uncertain how much AI-edited content The New York Times will permit in published articles. The publication has maintained that its journalism will remain in human hands, stating last year that Times journalism will always be reported, written, and edited by journalists, as noted by The Verge.

The company reiterated this commitment a few months later, emphasizing the continued role of human oversight.

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While AI can speed up processes and enhance efficiency, human journalists will remain at the heart of reporting. The Times continues to explore AI’s potential, but with careful oversight to maintain its journalistic integrity.