"Google Experimenting with AI-Powered News Writing Tool"

Google has announced a collaboration with news publishers to develop a new AI-powered tool aimed at assisting journalists in their reporting and writing processes. Referred to internally as "Genesis," the project is currently undergoing early testing, with The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal participating in its trial phase.

According to anonymous sources cited in The New York Times' report, the tool's capabilities have left some news executives feeling "unsettled" due to its impressive performance. However, a Google spokeswoman clarified that the objective of this collaboration is to explore the potential of providing AI-enabled tools to support journalists, particularly those from smaller publishing outlets. The intention is not to replace the essential role played by journalists in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles.

The envisioned tool will act as a co-pilot for reporters and editors, offering options for headlines and different writing styles, as stated by Google. This move comes in the wake of OpenAI's partnership with The Associated Press, wherein OpenAI was granted access to AP's archives dating back to 1985 to train its AI, known as ChatGPT. The agreement entails OpenAI licensing part of AP's text archive while allowing AP to leverage OpenAI's technology and product expertise.

The news industry expressed concern last year when ChatGPT emerged on the scene for its ability to produce convincingly written content on complex topics from minimal prompts, and this has spurred further developments in AI tools within the journalism domain.