Newsroom Robots

In this live episode, host Nikita Roy sits down with Zach Seward, Editorial Director of AI Initiatives at The New York Times, recorded at the ONA x Newsroom Robots AI Leadership Summit in Detroit. With a background that spans journalism, product, and executive leadership, Zach brings a rare blend of newsroom insight and entrepreneurial thinking to the challenges of this AI era. Before joining the Times, he co-founded Quartz, where he served as editor-in-chief, CEO, and chief product officer, helping to pioneer digital-native journalism.Now at The Times, he's built a new editorial AI team from the ground up, experimenting with tooling, guiding newsroom adoption, and thinking through what comes next in how journalism is produced, distributed, and consumed.Key topics include:How the Times is using AI to support investigations, including analyzing hundreds of hours of leaked video and massive public data sets using custom LLM workflows.Echo, the in-house summarization tool that's helping reporters transform articles, headlines, and tags across a range of newsroom needs.Lessons from building a five-person AI team inside a 2,000-person newsroom and why newsroom trust and individual agency are central to successful adoption.Why Zach's team sees itself as an “AI enablement” group and how their newsroom-wide roadshow has sparked experimentation.The role of AI in reader experiences, from improving internal search to exploring voice interfaces that reimagine how audiences interact with journalism.What it means to build durable, future-ready news products in a media environment increasingly shaped by AI distribution and personalization systems.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When officials in Santa Clara County (home to Silicon Valley) publicly proclaimed they were not sharing data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they likely did not expect to be caught in a contradiction. Yet behind the scenes, those same officials had recently signed new contracts with the federal agency — a fact that might have remained hidden if not for a new generation of AI tools developed at Stanford University.This breakthrough was made possible by Big Local News, a Stanford-based initiative using AI to help local journalists uncover stories hidden deep within public records. As local newsrooms grapple with shrinking resources and overwhelming amounts of data, tools like these are helping restore investigative capacity where it's needed most.In this episode of Newsroom Robots, Cheryl Phillips, founder and co-director of Big Local News at Stanford University, joins host Nikita Roy to share how her team is building AI-powered tools that support watchdog journalism and make complex data more accessible to reporters across the country.Key topics include:Agenda Watch, a tool that scrapes and indexes public meeting agendas to surface early signals of newsworthy developments across thousands of local agencies.DataTalk, an AI assistant that turns natural language questions into campaign finance data queries, simplifying analysis for journalists without coding expertise.The use of generative AI and large-scale scraping systems to analyze police misconduct records and create public-facing accountability databases.How Big Local News uses Slack-integrated bots to deliver real-time alerts on layoffs and problematic fiscal audits to local newsrooms across the U.S.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to AI adoption, experimentation is easy—scaling is hard. So, what is the difference between AI projects that fade out and those that transform newsrooms? A strong infrastructure.In this episode of Newsroom Robots, Kasper Lindskow, the head of AI at JP/Politikens Media Group joins host Nikita Roy. Kasper shares how as one of Denmark's largest media groups they are building a scalable AI infrastructure across multiple news brands, balancing technical innovation with editorial values.Key topics include:The Platform Intelligence in News (PIN) Project — their comprehensive research initiative that brought together technical universities and social science departmentsMagna — their flagship AI suite that adapts to each publication's unique voice and offers tools from basic writing assistance to complex research capabilitiesHow JP/Politikens evolved from a single-newsroom AI team to a centralized unit with "local AI hubs" at each publicationThe "Values Compass" framework that ensures AI systems align with journalistic integrityHow they customized AI tools for different publications and integrated them into daily newsroom workflowsSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine a newsroom where AI agents assist with reporting, actively surface leads, analyze government data, and help journalists navigate complex investigations in real time. Norway's iTromsø is laying the groundwork for exactly that.In the second part of this episode with Rune Ytreberg, head of data journalism at iTromsø, and Lars Adrian Giske, head of AI join host Nikita Roy to share how their small but ambitious newsroom is systematically building an infrastructure for AI-powered journalism. This isn't just about isolated tools—it's about creating a cohesive ecosystem where AI enhances reporting at every level.Rather than simply bolting AI onto existing workflows, iTromsø is focused on building a structured data infrastructure that supports AI agents across multiple newsroom functions.Their vision includes:A centralized AI-powered data interface that allows journalists to filter, analyze, and cross-reference government records, public documents, and municipal archives.Automated news alerts that notify reporters when AI detects important patterns or anomalies in the data.A structured repository of historical data, ensuring journalists have context-rich information at their fingertips, allowing for deeper investigative work.This structured approach isn't just about efficiency—it's about creating a foundation where AI can play an active role in surfacing critical stories.iTromsø is designing an AI-ready newsroom—one where structured data, automated insights, and AI-assisted research come together to elevate investigative journalism.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Translating a journalist's gut instinct into code—is it possible? In Norway, iTromsø—a long-standing regional newspaper known for its investigative journalism and deep local coverage—has found a way.Their AI system, DJINN (Data Journalism Interface for News Gathering and Notification), acts like an experienced beat reporter, scanning hundreds of municipal documents and surfacing the most newsworthy leads. The impact? In their first week using DJINN, summer interns fresh out of journalism school produced five front-page stories—on a beat that usually takes years to master.In this episode of Newsroom Robots, I spoke to Rune Ytreberg and Lars Adrian Giske about iTromsø's structured approach to AI-driven reporting and how they built tools that strengthen their local journalism.Rune leads iTromsø's data journalism lab, where he has been developing AI-driven editorial solutions for 70 local newspapers within the Polaris Media Group since 2020. And Lars is the Head of AI at iTromsø and led the development of DJINN. Since its launch in 2023, 36 newspapers across Norway have adopted DJINN, sourcing documents from nearly half of all Norwegian municipalities.Key topics include:•How a small newsroom built AI tools to strengthen investigative journalism •Why their AI systems are designed for specific beats like urban planning and fisheries, reducing hallucinations and increasing precision.•Embedding editorial expertise in AI development •How their fisheries database flagged irregularities and how their urban planning system transformed local accountability coverage.This is just Part 1 of our deep dive into how iTromsø is using AI to power investigative reporting. In Part 2, Rune and Lars will discuss their latest project: AI-powered research assistants that will proactively surface investigative leads for their journalists.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Brown, president of The Poynter Institute and former chair of the Pulitzer Prizes, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the Pulitzer Board's decision to require AI disclosure in prize submissions. In 2024, two Pulitzer Prize winners disclosed using AI in their work - City Bureau and Invisible Institute used machine learning to analyze police misconduct files for "Missing in Chicago," while The New York Times' visual investigations desk employed AI to identify bomb craters in Gaza. Of the 45 finalists that year, five had disclosed using AI in their submissions. In this episode, Brown discusses how the Pulitzer Board approached AI disclosure requirements and shares his perspective on technology's evolving role in journalism.Key topics include:The Pulitzer Board's approach to AI disclosure and transparencyHow newsrooms can bridge the divide between technical and editorial teamsWhy newsrooms need to take a longitudinal approach to technology adoptionThe importance of involving audiences in technological innovationLessons from journalism's digital transformation that apply to the AI eraSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Upasna Gautam, Senior Platform Product Manger at CNN and Chair of the Board of Directors at the News Product Alliance, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss her framework for AI integration in newsrooms. In this episode, Gautam breaks down her three-question approach to AI implementation and shares insights from building CNN's content management platform Stellar. Through practical examples from CNN's journey and her work with newsrooms globally, Gautam offers a systematic framework for evaluating which AI opportunities are worth pursuing.Key topics include:How CNN operates like a tech company Three essential areas for AI in news: workflow orchestration, data integration, and content modularityBuilding trust with journalists by focusing on concrete benefits over technology hypeFramework for evaluating AI opportunities that works for newsrooms of any sizeTransforming editorial teams into "mini PMs" who shape technology adoptionStrategies for successful AI implementation in resource-constrained newsroomsSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Agnes Stenbom, Sweden's AI Person of the Year and Head of IN/LAB and Trust Initiatives at Schibsted Media, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how one of the Nordic region's largest media groups is innovating with AI to reach underrepresented audiences and build trust in journalism. Stenbom is also an industry doctoral candidate researching AI in journalism and a co-founder of Nordic AI Journalism, a network advocating for the responsible use of AI in journalism across the Nordic region.In this episode, Stenbom highlights how Schibsted is leveraging AI to tackle news avoidance, experimenting with interactive formats, and navigating the challenges of responsible AI adoption in newsrooms.Key topics include:Using generative AI to create personalized, engaging formats such as rap-style news summariesDesigning AI tools for audience interactivity, including news concierges and custom avatarsSchibsted's FAST framework for managing AI risks in fairness, accountability, sustainability, and transparencyEthical dilemmas and risk mitigation in using generative AI for journalismInsights on fostering newsroom culture to embrace technological innovationSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ritvvij Parrikh, Senior Director of Product at Times of India, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how AI-powered personalization is transforming news distribution and why newsrooms need to rethink their approach to revenue optimization.Parrikh, who leads product development at India's largest English-language news organization, discusses their innovative approach to news personalization that increased click-through rates by 85% on web and 40% on mobile. His team developed a proprietary recommendation system that automatically optimized content distribution for individual readers. As an industry thought leader, Parrikh has been instrumental in demonstrating how newsrooms can build AI systems that balance editorial judgment with reader preferences while maintaining journalistic integrity.Key topics include:Building newsroom-specific recommendation systems that understand news cyclesThe critical importance of real-time data infrastructure for modern newsroomsWhy newsrooms should master focus on building the operational infrastructures to power AISign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Schori, Deputy Managing Editor and Associate Publisher at Aftonbladet, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how Sweden's largest newsroom built an AI hub, developing a wide range of innovative editorial tools, including a suite of AI-powered tools for the newsroom and a chatbot for the EU elections. As the Program Lead for the AI Hub, Schori shares the biggest wins, challenges, and key lessons from their experiments with AI in journalism.Key topics include:- The creation of Aftonbladet's AI hub and its impact on editorial workflows- How Aftonbladet used AI to engage readers with an EU election chatbot- Analyzing coverage using AI to track gender and diversity representation- Ethical considerations and maintaining editorial control with AI toolsSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Newsroom Robots, host Nikita Roy steps into the spotlight to answer your pressing questions about AI. Recorded during a session with the Online News Association (ONA), this episode covers a range of topics, from ethical considerations in AI-generated content to practical tools that can elevate your work.AI Tools Mentioned:Perplexity - A generative AI search engine that provides quick insights on any topic. Wobby - A data journalism tool that connects to open datasets, where you can ask questions in plain language and get clear AI-generated insights, reports, and visualizationsOpusClip - Converts long-form videos into short, engaging clips for social media, ideal for repurposing content.YESEO - A Slack-based AI tool for generating headline suggestions and SEO metadata, widely used in local newsrooms.Google's Pinpoint - A tool for investigative journalists using AI to search through massive amounts of documents, including handwritten ones.Natural Reader - An AI tool that reads text aloud with natural-sounding voices, perfect for those who prefer listening over reading.Whimsical AI - Creates diagrams and visualizations from your data inputs directly within ChatGPT.Elicit & Consensus - AI-powered search engines for academic research, useful for journalists covering specialized beats like health and science.Nota - A versatile tool for creating SEO content, summarizing articles, and even converting articles into videos.GPT for Sheets and Docs, Claude for Sheets - These tools bring AI directly into your Google Docs and Sheets, enabling you to draft, edit, and generate insights without leaving your document or spreadsheet.If you're interested in learning more about how AI is being implemented in newsrooms, sign up to receive a series of case studies on AI and journalism, researched and written by Nikita in collaboration with the Online News Association. Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), co-chair of the U.S. Congressional AI Caucus and one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in AI, shares her perspective on the opportunities and risks of AI with host Nikita Roy.With over three decades of experience in the U.S. House of Representatives representing parts of Silicon Valley, Rep. Eshoo has been a leading voice on technology and its implications. Her long-standing engagement with tech policy provides a unique perspective on the current AI revolution.Key topics discussed in this episode include:The growing concern over AI models training on news content without compensation.The challenge of combating misinformation in the age of generative AI.Bipartisan efforts in Congress aimed at democratizing AI.Addressing the threat of job displacement and evolving societal frameworks to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natali Helberger, Professor of Law and Digital Technology at the University of Amsterdam, joins host Nikita Roy to explore the complex ethical landscape of AI in journalism. In this conversation, they discuss everything from recommendation algorithms and filter bubbles to the EU AI Act and the future of responsible AI adoption in media.Recognized as one of the "100 brilliant women in AI ethics" to follow worldwide, Helberger is also the co-founder of the AI Media and Democracy lab at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on how AI and algorithms are transforming society and the media, with implications for law and governance. Helberger chairs the Council of Europe Expert Group on AI and Freedom of Expression and serves on the advisory board of the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford. She regularly advises national and European policymakers, including the European Commission, European Parliament, and UNESCO. Key topics include:The ethical challenges of AI-driven personalization in newsThe importance of audience inclusion and feedback in AI systems for newsThe limitations of simply labeling content as "AI-generated" and the need for more meaningful transparencyAn analysis of the EU AI Act and its implications for media companiesSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garance Burke, a global investigative journalist at the Associated Press, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the crucial role of journalism in holding AI systems accountable and the challenges reporters face in covering this complex topic. Burke, a global investigative journalist with The Associated Press, has been at the forefront of investigating the power and impact of AI technologies on society. Her data-driven reporting has prompted federal investigations, cabinet-level resignations, and congressional hearings. Burke's Pulitzer Prize-finalist work inspired an Emmy-winning documentary with FRONTLINE PBS. As a 2020 Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence-John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, she researched algorithms in government decision-making. Burke also led the development of the AI chapter in the AP Stylebook, which provides journalists with best practices for covering AI models. Key topics include:Investigating algorithmic bias and the data behind AI systemsStrategies for reporting on AI's deployment and performanceEducating the public on AI biases and impacts on democratic processesThe need for balanced and informative reporting on AI to avoid hype AI's Impact on Elections and Voter ManipulationSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ole Reissmann, Director of AI at Der Spiegel, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how the legacy German news organization is harnessing AI to enhance their journalism and streamline newsroom workflows.The episode explores Der Spiegel's initiatives to integrate AI into various aspects of its operations, from automating routine tasks like SEO title generation and fact-checking to developing audience-facing AI products, such as a browser plugin and audio article updates. Ole also shares insights on building an automated gender report using AI and the value of collaboration among German news organizations in advancing AI initiatives.Topics discussed include:Fostering a Culture of AI Experimentation in the NewsroomExploring Audience-Facing AI ProductsTesting and Prototyping AI ProductsBuilding Foundations for Future AI ProjectsEnhancing User Experience and Personalizing Content with AIBuilding an AI-powered gender reportCollaborating with German news organizations on AI initiativesPersonal experiments with AI and lessons learnedSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaemark Tordecilla, Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the potential of using custom GPTs for journalistic purposes. Jaemark is the former editor-in-chief and senior assistant vice president of News and Public Affairs at GMA News, the Philippines' leading digital news organization. For the past year as a Nieman Fellow, Jaemark has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible with custom GPTs – personalized versions of ChatGPT that can be tailored with specific instructions, knowledge, and capabilities to serve a particular purpose or task.In this episode, Jaemark shares his experiences creating custom GPTs like the COA Beta Assistant to summarize dense government audit reports. He dives into how custom GPTs can streamline processes across the journalism value chain - from data analysis and visualization to content creation and fact-checking. The episode explores the ease of building these AI tools without coding, integrating custom knowledge bases, and leveraging advanced capabilities like image recognition. Nikita and Jaemark also discuss real-world use cases, the power of democratizing access to AI for smaller newsrooms, and navigating the limitations of these models.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adrian Gill, the founder and CEO of Ad Hoc Industries and the former creative director of the Harvard Innovation Labs, joins host Nikita Roy to explore the transformative impact of AI, especially image generation tools, on the creative design industry.Gill brings a wealth of knowledge in creative direction, strategy, and brand management from his career, which includes serving as the Vice President for PUMA's $1.8B Global Footwear Division. His expertise spans across industries, from leading a global brand campaign for Barbados Tourism featuring Rihanna to producing innovative film content for VMware to simplify software virtualization.In this episode, Adrian and Nikita explore: How to enhance design workflows and speed up the ideation process with AI.How AI tools to discover innovative design solutions and expand creative boundaries.The role of AI in visual storytelling and its synergy with human creativity.Ethical considerations and responsible AI practices in design.Strategies for designers and creatives to remain competitive in an AI-driven landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mattia Peretti, former manager of Journalism AI at the London School of Economics and current Knight Fellow at the International Center for Journalists, joins host Nikita Roy to share insights on balancing AI innovation with journalistic integrity.The episode explores an AI literacy initiative at Internews, which created a platform for knowledge exchange and significantly improved the organization's understanding and application of AI technologies. The discussion also delves into the development of generative AI guidelines for newsrooms, using the example of The Guardian. The focus is on creating adaptable, value-driven principles rather than strict prescriptions. This approach allows for flexibility in the face of rapid technological changes while ensuring that the organization's foundational values remain intact. The Guardian's experience serves as a valuable case study for other newsrooms looking to navigate the integration of AI technologies. Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Florent Daudens, the outgoing Director of Newsgathering and Deployment at Canada's National Public Broadcaster, Radio-Canada, joins Nikita Roy to share how he led AI literacy initiatives in their newsroom. In his role, Florent focused on enhancing the news department with AI as well as managing operations across national, parliamentary, and foreign bureaus.With a passion for AI and technology trends, Florent has contributed to the digital evolution of major Canadian media outlets for over 15 years. Previously, he worked as the News Director at Le Devoir, where his tenure was marked by a digital transformation. This included the creation of specialized video and data visualization units and the introduction of innovative journalistic products. Florent also dedicates time to teaching digital journalism at the University of Montreal.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ezra Eeman, the Director of Strategy & Innovation at the Dutch Public Broadcaster NPO joins Nikita Roy to discuss NPO's AI strategy, revealing the complexities of navigating this frontier within a decentralized network of 13 broadcasters. From leveraging AI for accessibility and efficiency to cautious experiments with synthetic voices and avatars, NPO's approach offers a fascinating case study in balancing innovation with public trust.With almost 20 years of experience in media, innovation, and journalism, Ezra has been at the forefront of digital transformation. Previously he was the Change Director at international media company Mediahuis, where he was responsible for coordinating newsroom transformation and digital acceleration. He also served as the Head of Digital, Transformation and Platforms at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and prior to that, he was head of an innovation lab and journalist at VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host, Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Craig Newmark, internet pioneer and founder of Craigslist, joins Nikita Roy to talk about the past, present, and future of AI. Craig is a visionary whose profound contributions have shaped the landscape of digital platforms and supported the pillars of journalism. As the founder of Craigslist, he revolutionized the classified ads sector and transformed how people buy, sell, and connect within their local communities. Beyond his impact on the internet's landscape, Craig is a dedicated philanthropist, notably through the Craig Newmark Philanthropies where he has become a beacon of support for the work of journalists. His philanthropic journey is marked by significant contributions to some of the leading journalism schools, including the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism, aiming for a future where education in journalism is accessible to all, free of tuition​​. Craig's generosity has been instrumental in establishing the Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at Columbia University. His vision for a well-informed public has also led to supporting the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public addressing the critical issues of mis- and disinformation​​.Craig Newmark Philanthropies has contributed to Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society which supported the launch of a three-year initiative called the Institute for Rebooting Social Media.Craig has contributed to several other universities, focusing on initiatives that support journalism, cybersecurity, public service for veterans, and the digital information ecosystem. In this episode, Craig shares his thoughts on the challenges posed by large language models and how philanthropy plays a vital role in supporting the integration of AI into journalism.

From fine-tuning large language models, to discussing modular journalism, to developing an AI tool to help track misinformation, there's a lot to unpack from this week's conversation with Alessandro Alviani, the product lead for AI at Germany's Ippen Digital. We build upon the first part of our conversation from last week, where Alessandro shared his editor-centric approach toward building AI products. A core takeaway from this week's episode is the value of fine-tuning large language models on a newsroom's content. Fine-tuning is the process of taking a pre-trained language model that understands general textual patterns and customizing it by training the algorithm on writings from a specific domain – in this case, Ippen Digital's own journalistic content. By fine-tuning models on Ippen Digital's extensive corpus of local German reporting rather than just using out-of-the-box models like GPT-4, they are working on enhancing accuracy for tasks like headline writing, lead paragraph generation, and article summarization.Their editors and developers work side-by-side to ensure the AI's outputs match the desired quality standards and editorial voice. Additionally, Alessandro spotlighted their work in building personalized news experiences enhanced by modular journalism or “intelligent content.” Modular journalism involves breaking down articles into discrete, interchangeable components centered on key semantic themes – historical context, opposing views, critical data, etc. These content blocks can then be dynamically mixed and matched by an algorithm to generate personalized news experiences for different reader interests and preferences.We also discussed how developing AI assistants to break down a human-written news story into modules can enable the creation of customized article versions matching different reader interests or news products.Such repackaging of information to cater to diverse audiences is one of the potentials of AI in the newsroom. Thoughtful implementation of augmented writing tools could catalyze more engaging, personalized news without compromising editorial integrity. Of course, prudent precautions are necessary to develop algorithms in the newsroom. While AI has much potential for accelerating and enhancing reporting, we must understand its limitations in fully automating high-caliber journalism. The heart of quality storytelling – weaving together evidence and narratives to reveal truth and empower civil discourse – remains an irreplicable, fundamentally human endeavor.Ippen Digital's stance to develop AI solutions that empower rather than replace reporters seems wise. By bonding human creativity and AI productivity with an ethical approach to automation, journalism may structurally shift yet hold fast to its sacred commitments to transparency, accuracy, and public enlightenment.

Rather than AI replacing journalists, Alessandro Alviani believes editorial teams can leverage AI to enhance and augment their work. Formerly as the Editorial Director at the Microsoft News Hub, Alessandro experienced firsthand the consequences that replacing human editors with automated systems caused. Drawing from his experience he says that the key is to empower journalists with AI tools rather than displace them. "It's our responsibility to help editors develop a more realistic approach to AI," he says.Now, as the Product Lead on AI at the German newsroom Ippen Digital, Alessandro has led the creation of a range of innovative AI products - from interview transcription tools to illustration generators - with transparency, responsibility, and human oversight as key principles. What I found particularly interesting was his three-pronged strategy towards an editorial-first approach to building AI products: internships with his product team, having two editors embedded within his 10-person team, and deep-dive discovery sessions across their newsrooms to understand editorial needs. This approach, which emphasizes collaboration and hands-on involvement, led to innovations such as an editorial assistant that was developed with input from human editors. With transparency and human oversight as guiding principles, Ippen's AI team built a self-evaluation system on top of their generative AI tools to automatically evaluate the quality of their output.Through their internal AI training programs, Ippen Digital strives to give every employee - not just technologists - a solid understanding of how AI models function, where they fall short, and why human judgment is irreplaceable.My biggest takeaway from Alessandro was this: by proactively shaping how AI gets built and deployed, journalists have an opportunity to set their direction. The future of news isn't human versus AI - it's human augmented by AI. And for the survival of quality journalism, getting that balance right is imperative.In the second part of our conversation out next week, Alessandro discusses how Ippen Digital is working on fine-tuning large language models for specific newsroom tasks. He also discusses his collaboration with colleagues at The Times of London as a 2022 JournalismAI fellow, where he developed a tool and methodology for journalists to track manipulated narratives, especially those from state-run media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Jarvis joins Nikita Roy in the second part of his conversation to discuss how journalism business models will be affected by the rise of generative AI.In the first part one, Jarvis shared his thoughts on whether generative AI companies should be allowed to use news media's copyrighted content to train their AI models.Jarvis has been the director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York and the author of "The Gutenberg Parenthesis: The Age of Print and its Lessons for the Age of the Internet." He also co-hosts the podcasts "This Week in Google" and "AI Inside"..Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host, Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Jarvis joins Nikita Roy to discuss whether AI companies should be allowed to use news media's copyrighted content to train their models. Jarvis is a veteran journalist and professor who recently testified to the US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and Law on AI and the Future of Journalism. He's been the director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is the author of six books, most recently "The Gutenberg Parenthesis: The Age of Print and its Lessons for the Age of the Internet." He co-hosts "This Week in Google" and "AI Inside" podcasts. Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host, Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aliya Itzkowitz and Sam Gould from FT Strategies join Nikita Roy to discuss the capabilities of multimodal AI and AI agents within the publishing industry. Discover further insights and practical examples of these technologies in the Newsroom Robots newsletter, featuring insights from host, Nikita Roy. Aliya is a Manager at FT Strategies where she has consulted over 30 publishers across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Her work focuses on the critical shifts facing publishers today, including rethinking revenue models and understanding how to leverage AI. Before the FT, she worked at Dataminr, bringing AI technology to newsrooms, and at Bloomberg as a journalist. Aliya has a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Oxford.Sam is a data scientist at FT Strategies and has worked in consulting, helping clients to solve strategic business challenges using data. He has helped organizations in both the public and private sectors, from tech to healthcare to consumer products, define their AI roadmaps and strategies. He has also worked as a data scientist, designing and building data and AI systems. Sam designed the FT Strategies AI Design Sprint methodology working in partnership with the Google News Initiative.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aliya Itzkowitz and Sam Gould from FT Strategies join Nikita Roy to discuss their AI Design Sprint that they used to help nearly 20 publishers identify and validate potential AI opportunities. Aliya is a Manager at FT Strategies where she has consulted over 30 publishers across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Her work focuses on the critical shifts facing publishers today, including rethinking revenue models and understanding how to leverage AI. Before the FT, she worked at Dataminr, bringing AI technology to newsrooms, and at Bloomberg as a journalist. Aliya has a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Oxford.Sam is a data scientist at FT Strategies and has worked in consulting, helping clients to solve strategic business challenges using data. He has helped organizations in both the public and private sectors, from tech to healthcare to consumer products, define their AI roadmaps and strategies. He has also worked as a data scientist, designing and building data and AI systems. Sam designed the FT Strategies AI Design Sprint methodology working in partnership with the Google News Initiative.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for insights from host Nikita Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nina Brown and Jared Schroeder join Nikita Roy to break down the intellectual property implications of generative AI models and explore the legal implications of using generative AI in newsrooms. They examine the risks and liabilities associated with Generative AI outputs and historical legal precedents that could shape Generative AI regulations.Nina Brown is an award-winning assistant professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She researches the legal issues with deep fakes, content regulation on social media, and emerging issues related to works created by artificial intelligence. She holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and practiced law for several years before joining the Newhouse faculty. Jared Schroeder is an associate professor of media law at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. His research focuses on freedom of expression and emerging technologies, particularly in press rights in the networked AI era. He is the author of three books, including his upcoming book, The Structure of Ideas: Mapping a New Theory of Free Expression in the AI Era, published by Stanford University Press.✉️ Stay updated with the Newsroom Robots newsletter! Sign up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicitas Carrique, Executive Director of the News Product Alliance joins Nikita Roy to discuss the key components of building a successful AI product strategy in newsrooms. She also discusses the role of AI in the product development process and offers insights on evaluating AI tools and vendors.As the Executive Director of the News Product Alliance she has built a community of support and practice for news product professionals and product thinkers working together toward a more sustainable and ethical future for the news industry.The Future Today Institute's 2023 Tech Trends Report spotflighted her as "One to Watch" in the news industry for her leadership. In her prior role as the Innovation Director at Sembra Media, Felicitas worked extensively with news organizations across Latin America, Spain, and the United States, promoting innovation and spearheading product design and systems development within the organization. Felicitas is also a Professor and guest lecturer in several universities, including Universidad Católica Argentina, where she co-created the first news product class in Latin America.✉️ Stay updated with Newsroom Robots newsletter! Sign up here.Referenced: Custom GPT - AIProductGPT: Add AI to your Product Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does a newsroom leader spearhead AI innovation when AI still remains a buzzword to much of their staff? Louise Story joins Nikita Roy to highlight the opportunities AI presents for reporting, content creation, user experience, and personalization. Story also discusses the role of journalists in the AI era and the potential impact of generative AI on the business model of the news industry.Louise is the former Chief Technology & Product Officer and Chief News Strategist at The Wall Street Journal. She's also been the Executive Producer & Senior Editor of Live Broadcast at The New York Times and taught at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and the Yale School of Management. With her unique blend of journalism and technology expertise, Louise has pioneered AI innovation in one of the world's most prestigious newsrooms. She's the industry's first and only individual to have worked as a senior masthead news coverage leader and a chief technology officer, and the first woman to serve as CTO at a major U.S. news organization. As a veteran journalist who drove major AI implementations at The Wall Street Journal, Louise broke down seemingly abstract concepts into an actionable vision for news companies.Subscribe to the Newsroom Robots newsletter for insights from host, Nikita Roy. Referenced:News Industry: What to Do on AI Right NowAI and News: Tech Basics

David Clinch, the Vice President of Partnership at Mather Economics and Managing Director at Media Growth Partners, joins Nikita Roy to discuss the critical choice between building or buying AI tools in newsrooms. With his extensive experience advising major publishers, David sheds light on how AI is reshaping newsroom strategies and the critical trade-offs news organizations face in the era of AI adoption. David has worked as an international journalist at ITN and CNN, and then as a media executive at both Storyful and Mather Economics.Throughout his three decade career at the intersection of the news and technology industries David has created an unrivaled network and a skill set built on direct experience of innovative journalism and successful business strategies in the digital age. From his time as an early evangelist for the adoption of digital technology and social media at CNN, David has become an expert in both the opportunities and risks involved in connecting journalism to technology. Helping to build a successful digital news organization at Storyful also helped him understand what is involved in developing a business strategy that can build sustainable growth and diversified revenue streams. This passion for journalism and the appropriate application of digital technology and resources is at the core of David's current work at MGP, helping news organizations not only survive, but thrive, in a way that has a real impact in society.

In this second part of the episode with Simon Willison, he shares how Datasette, the open-source data exploration and publishing tool he built, could help journalists perform data analysis with minimum technical expertise. He also shares some fun use cases of ChatGPT in his personal life. Simon, a former software architect at The Guardian and a JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, currently works full-time to build open-source tools for data journalism. Before becoming an independent open-source developer, Simon was an engineering director at Eventbrite. He is also renowned for his work as the co-creator of the Django Web Framework, a key tool in Python web development.If you're intrigued to discover how Datasette works and how it can help you in your newsroom, don't miss the opportunity to connect directly with Simon Willison.

Simon Willison, the creator of the open source data exploration and publishing tool Datasette, joins Nikita Roy to discuss the recent turmoil at Open AI and the new features unveiled at OpenAI's first developer conference earlier this month.They discuss the security risks inherent in generative AI applications and explore the usefulness of small language models for journalists, particularly for analyzing sensitive data on personal devices.Simon, a former software architect at The Guardian and JSK Fellow at Stanford University, currently works full-time to build open-source tools for data journalism. Prior to becoming an independent open source developer, Simon served as an engineering director at Eventbrite. He is also renowned for his work as the co-creator of the Django Web Framework, a key tool in Python web development.

Lynn Walsh, the Assistant Director of Trusting News, joins Nikita Roy to discuss how newsrooms should think about their relationship with audiences when adopting AI. She also highlights opportunities to use AI to enhance trust and engagement with the news.Lynn is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who has worked in investigative, data and TV journalism for over 15 years. Currently at Trusting News, she works to help rebuild trust between journalists and the public. She is also an adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University and a past national president and Ethics Chair for the Society of Professional Journalists.

Dr. Mario R. Garcia, Senior Adviser on News Design and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, joins Nikita Roy to discuss how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing news design and creating new opportunities for visual storytelling.Mario shares insights from his extensive research and his new book, 'AI: The Next Revolution in Content Creation,' on how AI is being applied in newsrooms globally.Mario offers his perspective on the emerging skill of prompt engineering and discusses ways in which journalism educators can teach the responsible use of AI.Mario is the CEO and Founder of Garcia Media, a global consulting firm, and has been involved in redesigning and rethinking more than 700 publications across 120 countries, including notable ones like The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. He is also the author of 15 books.He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for News Design, the Journalism Medal of Honor from the University of Missouri for Distinguished Service in Journalism, and the Charles O'Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Additionally, People Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States.

Paul Quigley, the CEO of NewsWhip, joins Nikita Roy to discuss how NewsWhip aids newsrooms in identifying trending stories and predicting viral news through real-time social media monitoring and analytics. He discusses how his team is integrating large language models and shares his perspective on the transformative impact that generative AI could have on the news media business model.NewsWhip, an innovative technology, is utilized by PR professionals and journalists in over 80 countries. Leading newsrooms, including the Associated Press, Reuters, and BBC, are among its users.NewsWhip provides low-cost access to its tools for numerous researchers, universities, and NGOs. Since 2017, NewsWhip has played a key role in tackling misinformation. It is utilized by the WHO and numerous fact-checking organizations to counter political disinformation.Before founding NewsWhip, Paul was an attorney based in New York City, specializing in international dispute resolution. He holds law degrees from Trinity College Dublin and an LLM in International Law from NYU. He is a winner of the Emerging EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Newsroom Robots now has a newsletter! Subscribe to receive podcast summaries and be the first to know when a new episode is released. Sign up here.In this episode, Jeff Sonderman, the founder and CEO of Delta Flow Solutions, joins Nikita Roy to discuss the transformative potential of generative AI in streamlining business operations across analytics, marketing, product management, and content accessibility. Jeff also shares insights from his experiments with AI, particularly in converting unstructured data from PDFs into hyperlocal news reports.Jeff is the former Deputy Executive Director of the American Press Institute, where he created the Metrics for News analytics software, revolutionizing audience data for over 200 news enterprises, and invented the Source Matters software to enhance source diversity in newsrooms. He has been a Media Transformation Challenge fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education and continues to blend innovation with journalism.Tune in for an episode to brainstorm diverse use cases, demonstrating how generative AI can be a game-changer on both the business and product side of running a newsroom.

Ernest Kung, the AI Product Manager for The Associated Press joins Nikita Roy to share how the AP has been helping local newsrooms implement artificial intelligence into their workflows as part of the Local News Initiative. He also discusses the deal that AP signed with OpenAI and the newsroom's recently published AI guidelines. Before joining the AP, he was an award-winning local television news producer and writer. Ernest pursued a master's degree to shift into the technology development side of news to make it easier for journalists to do their jobs. He earned a Master of Business Information Systems with Distinction from the University of Canterbury where his research project was on AI for journalism in Aotearoa New Zealand. Ernest worked for 15 years in the newsrooms of CBS-owned and affiliated stations in Los Angeles, San Diego and Portland, Oregon. He also holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Beckett, Professor and Founding Director of Polis, the international journalism think tank at the London School of Economics and Munmun De Choudhury, Associate Professor of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology, join host Nikita Roy in this episode. Together, they explore the intricacies of AI-generated misinformation, its potential implications on election and the role of the news industry in keeping the public informed and safeguarding democracy. This episode is a recording of the virtual panel at the Online News Association's Onward 2023 event on September 29, 2023.Charlie Beckett is a professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics.He currently leads the Polis Journalism and AI project. Charlie was director of the LSE's Truth, Trust and Technology Commission that reported on the misinformation crisis in 2018. He was an award-winning journalist at LWT, BBC and ITN. He began his news career on the South London Press and ended it as a programme editor at Channel 4 News.Munmun De Choudhury is an Associate Professor of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. Associate Professor of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. She is best known for laying the foundation of a new line of research that develops computational techniques for understanding and improving mental health outcomes through the ethical analysis of social media data. Munmun's work has been recognized by multiple awards and recognitions, and her research has contributed to the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on The Healing Effects of Social Connection. Munmun serves on the Board of the International Society for Computational Social Science. She is on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee examining research on social media's impact on the well-being of young people. Tune in for a comprehensive discussion on the evolving role of the news industry in the AI era and its pivotal role in safeguarding democracy.

Uli Köppen, Head of AI + Automation Lab and Co-Lead of BR Data at Germany's Public Broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), and Miranda Marcus, Head of BBC News Labs, join Nikita Roy for a conversation on how AI has been a part of their newsrooms. This episode is a recording of the virtual panel at the Online News Association's ONWARD-2023 event on September 28, 2023.Uli Köppen is Head of the AI + Automation Lab and Co-Lead of the investigative data team BR Data at Germany's Public Broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk. In this role, she's working with interdisciplinary teams of journalists, coders, and product developers. She and her teams are investigating AI and automation for algorithmic accountability reporting, as well as using this technology for data-driven journalistic products. The teams are building on the lab experience to form strategy for using AI and automation for journalism. As a Nieman Fellow 2019, she spent an academic year at Harvard and MIT, and she was part of the Online News Association's Women's Leadership Accelerator 2022. Together with her colleagues, she has won many national and international awards.Miranda leads BBC News Labs, an interdisciplinary innovation team that combines software engineering and journalism. The team works collaboratively across BBC News, World Service, and BBC Product to explore topics from automation in authoring, addressing news avoidance and data-driven newsgathering. They develop and test prototypes with journalists and audiences to inform long-term strategy and the production of innovative content in the short term. Miranda's background combines design, AI research, data policy, digital innovation, and social science.Tune into this episode to hear about how two of Europe's most prominent public broadcasters have been integrating AI.

Nick Diakopoulos, Communication Studies and Computer Science Professor at Northwestern University joins Nikita Roy to discuss the opportunities fine-tuning Large Language Models offer for news organizations, and the impact of generative AI on news production and the broader information ecosystem. Nick directs the Computational Journalism Lab and is Director of Graduate Studies for the Technology and Social Behavior doctoral program. He's also the author of the award-winning book "Automating the News: How Algorithms are Rewriting the Media," published by Harvard University Press. His research focuses on computational journalism, including automation and algorithms in news production and algorithmic accountability and transparency. Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francesco Marconi, the co-founder and CEO of AppliedXL, joins Nikita Roy to discuss the opportunities and challenges that Large Language Models present to the news industry, emphasizing the need for collaboration between tech companies and newsrooms. Francesco also covers copyright and data access challenges and proposes long-term business model innovations to support news organizations and the AI sector. He also shares how his company AppliedXL uses AI combined with human expertise to detect events in real-time biotech data and generate specialized reporting for STAT News.Francesco shares his perspective from years of experience leading AI initiatives at major news organizations. He served as the R&D Chief at The Wall Street Journal, leading a team of data scientists and computational journalists in developing AI-driven newsroom tools. Before that, he managed AI strategy at the Associated Press and co-led their content automation and artificial intelligence efforts. Francesco has been an affiliate researcher at the MIT Media Lab and a Tow Fellow at Columbia University. His work and ideas have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Politico, Forbes, and the World Economic Forum. His book, "Newsmakers: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Journalism," was published by Columbia University Press in 2020.On Tuesday, he testified before the UK Parliament's Communications and Digital Committee as an AI expert on Large Language Models. The committee held evidence sessions exploring the benefits of LLMs to the UK economy, their immediate risks, potential catastrophic impacts, and the broader challenges posed by this technology.Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Dinn joins Nikita Roy to talk about building AI bots for his Toronto news startup, Torontoverse. Chris also explores the Online News Act's effects in Canada and AI's potential impact on the news industry.Chris is the Emmy award-winning founder and publisher of Torontoverse, a Toronto-based digital news startup harnessing cutting-edge technology for local news delivery. He earned his Emmy in Technology and Engineering for his contributions at mDialog, an innovator in integrating live video streams with advertisements, later acquired by Google.At 19, Chris entered the media realm, selling ads for his college newspaper. His zeal for innovation guided him to mDialog, where he was instrumental in reshaping the video ad landscape. Following its acquisition by Google, Chris dedicated six years as a software engineer focusing on publisher ads. In 2022, he launched his publishing venture, torontoverse.com.Referenced in the episode: Meet TorontoBot: Torontoverse's AI-powered municipal budget analystTry out TorontoBotHow Torontoverse built their AI-powered newsletterThoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Hansen joins Nikita Roy to discuss how generative AI can enhance data journalism, particularly by accelerating coding tasks. The discussion also addresses bias and privacy concerns associated with AI models.Mark is the East Coast Director of The Brown Institute for Media Innovation, a collaborative initiative between Columbia Journalism School and Stanford's School of Engineering. Mark began his tenure at Columbia Journalism School over a decade ago, serving as a Professor and teaching computational and data journalism courses.An investigation in one of his classes examining the bot economy behind the sale of fake followers on Twitter garnered significant attention. It became a front-page story in the New York Times and was part of a package of stories that secured the 2019 Polk Award for National Reporting. Additionally, it was shortlisted for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.Mark Hansen earned his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BS in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Davis.Referenced:Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences by Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh StarSeeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. ScottData Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren KleinThoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liam Andrew, the Chief Product Officer at The Texas Tribune joins Nikita Roy to discuss how they built a data warehouse and analytics hub to provide transparency around key metrics for their newsroom. Liam also shares how The Tribune has implemented tools like automatic content tagging and content recommendations using AI. In his role at the Tribune, Liam leads the newsroom's software strategy and operations, and oversees the engineering, design, and analytics teams. He joined the Tribune in 2015 as a developer, bringing a background in software engineering, product strategy, and user experience design from media startups and academic research labs. Tune in to hear how a non profit newsroom in the United States has been leading in AI adoption. Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uli Köppen, head of the AI + Automation Lab at German Public Broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, joins Nikita Roy to discuss how BR's newsroom has integrated AI across its entire news cycle. Uli shares her team's work on algorithmic accountability, AI strategy, generative AI experiments, and their experience integrating AI in the newsroom.Uli also co-leads BR Data, the newsroom's investigative data team. The award-winning team at BR Data is pioneering the future of AI in journalism, drawing upon the experience of journalists, coders, and product developers to specialize in investigative data stories, interactive storytelling, and experimentation with AI. In 2019, she spent a year at Harvard and MIT as a Nieman Fellow, focusing on algorithmic accountability, machine bias, and automation in journalism. She also participated in the Online News Association's Women's Leadership Accelerator in 2022.Tune in to learn about advanced AI-driven media from one of Europe's leading voices in the field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Caplan joins Nikita Roy to discuss the evolving landscape of AI tools by analyzing their use cases, addressing the challenges they present, and offering tips for enhancing productivity through strategic AI adoptionJeremy Caplan is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He also leads the school's Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program — a 100-day online curriculum that guides independent journalists to build new ventures.Before transitioning to academia, Jeremy was a Time Magazine reporter writing about digital innovation. He is also the person behind Wonder Tools, a weekly newsletter that zeros in on the most useful digital tools to boost productivity. He studied public policy at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and subsequently earned an MS in Journalism as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University and an MBA as a Wiegers Fellow at Columbia University.He is a violinist who formerly served as the Concertmaster of the International Symphony Orchestra in Israel. Tools discussed in this episode: ChatGPTClaudeBing ChatbotBardPoePersonal.aiWoebotCharacter.aiRunwayMLKapwingDescriptWotchit.aiSuperhumanBloks.app4149.aiSupernormalIntros.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Brodbeck joins Nikita Roy to discuss his experiments using generative AI in his local newsroom, from creating completely AI-generated newsletters and AI-generated videos to ad copy and back-office support. He also shares his views for other small newsrooms looking to experiment with AI. Scott is the founder and CEO of Local News Now, which owns and operates three hyperlocal news websites in the United States, covering the Northern Virginia region. A former TV news writer and producer, Scott was also a founding board member of the Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION).Tune in to hear about Scott's early experiments with generative AI in his newsroom. Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second part of this episode with Elite Truong, she shares her work leading AI products like Metrics for News and Source Matters at the American Press Institute for local newsrooms. She shares how AI can help local news and her advice for product managers looking to incorporate emerging tech, like generative AI.Elite is the Vice President of Product Strategy at the American Press Institute. Formerly, she was the Director of Strategic Initiatives at The Washington Post. In the first part of the episode, she discussed her experience working on emerging technologies. Before joining The Post, Elite spent four years at Vox Media, three as the product manager for off-platform storytelling, primarily negotiating with tech platforms to create user experiences that benefited news consumers. She serves as the Board Secretary for the News Product Alliance and is on the advisory board for Democracy Day.Tune in for the second part of this episode with Elite and hear about her current work at The American Press Institute. Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elite Truong joins Nikita Roy to delve into her journey of leading AI products, first at The Washington Post and now at the American Press Institute, in a special two-part episode. In part one, Elite shares insights from her work on Heliograf, The Washington Post's robot reporter that debuted in 2016. She discusses the evolution of the product under her leadership and explores the potential of computer vision in assisting journalists, particularly when covering traumatic events. Join us for part two of this episode, where we discuss her current role at the American Press Institute and her perspective on the potential applications of generative AI in newsrooms.Elite is the Vice President of Product Strategy at the American Press Institute, where she manages data products like Metrics for News and Source Matters that empower local newsrooms to make strategic decisions. Formerly, she was the Director of Strategic Initiatives at The Washington Post, where she led the newsroom R & D team to capture younger and more diverse audiences by creating projects driven by emerging technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, 3D, and augmented reality. Before joining The Post, Elite spent four years at Vox Media, three as the product manager for off-platform storytelling, primarily negotiating with tech platforms to create user experiences that benefited news consumers.She serves as the Board Secretary for the News Product Alliance and is on the advisory board for Democracy Day.Don't miss out, as Elite recounts her initial experiences with AI product development at The Washington Post in this episode.Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aimee Rinehart, the Senior Product Manager of AI Strategy for The Associated Press  joins Nikita Roy to discuss how AP is using AI and the tools being built as part of AP's Local News AI Initiative. Aimee shares AP's current approach of learning and experimentation with generative AI through projects around translation, image identification and search. Before joining AP, Aimee served as the Deputy Director of First Draft's New York Bureau, where she helped journalists and newsrooms navigate the mis- and disinformation during the 2018 and 2020 U.S. election cycles. In 2018, she managed Comprova, a project to monitor and analyze misinformation and disinformation around the 2018 Brazilian elections. Aimee started working online in 1996 and was a digital originator at The New York Times, and returned to print briefly as an editor at the Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels.Tune in to hear how one of the largest news organizations is navigating the adoption of AI and automation technologies while also assisting local newsrooms. Thoughts or questions? You can reach us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.