Google tests AI news writing tool: How it will work
There have been a lot of talks about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing journalists. It could become a reality. Now, Google is working on an AI tool that can write news. The company demonstrated it to news organizations, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal's owner News Corp. Let's see what Google's new tool is and how it'll work.
Why does this story matter?
Several journalists have expressed their fears about AI throwing the media industry into disarray. We got a first-hand demonstration of that when Axel Springer SE, Europe's largest publishing house, announced the replacement of a range of editorial jobs with AI. We are yet to see a full-fledged implementation of AI in media houses. Google's new tool could change that.
Genesis can take in facts and spit out news content
Google's new AI tool is called 'Genesis' internally. According to The New York Times, it can absorb different information, including daily current events and facts, and generate news content. The executives who were present at the event had mixed responses to Genesis. Some said it seemed Google took for granted the effort that goes into creating accurate and artful news stories.
Genesis will be a personal assistant to journalists: Google
What does Google intend to do with Genesis? Will it replace journalists? Google sees Genesis as a personal assistant to journalists. Jenn Crider, the company's spokesperson said, "These tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles." She said tools like Genesis "could assist journalists with options for headlines or different writing styles."
AI in journalism hasn't produced great results so far
If Genesis can generate factually accurate information, it will be a helpful tool for journalists. Alternatively, the tool could be misused in stories that require a nuanced approach. A recent AI-generated story published on io9 about Star Wars had multiple factual errors. CNET also used AI to write stories that were mainly focused on SEO farming rather than the news itself.
Google's track record adds to fears about Genesis
However, we must also consider Google's track record. The company's AI tool for the health industry, Med-PaLM 2, has produced more inaccurate and irrelevant information in testing than doctors. Genesis also comes at a time when multiple governments have asked the tech giant to give a larger share of its advertising revenue to local news outlets.
