New York Times is now using AI to edit stories
What's the story
The New York Times has jumped on the AI bandwagon, launching tools to help with editing copies, summarizing information, coding, and writing.
The publication has also created an internal AI tool, Echo, capable of summarizing articles and briefings.
The move was announced through an internal email, which said both product and editorial staff will receive AI training.
Usage protocol
New guidelines for AI tool usage
NYT has released new editorial guidelines detailing the approved uses of Echo and other AI tools.
The guidelines encourage staff to use these tools for suggesting edits, revisions, creating summaries, promotional copy for social media platforms, and SEO headlines.
A training video was also shared with employees showing how AI can be used in tasks like developing news quizzes or suggesting interview questions.
Limitations
Restrictions on AI usage in newsroom
The NYT has also placed some restrictions on the use of AI in its newsroom.
The company has asked staffers not to use AI for drafting or significantly altering an article, bypassing paywalls, including third-party copyrighted materials, or publishing AI-created images/videos without clear labeling.
It remains unclear how far the publication will go with AI-edited copies in its published articles.
Human touch
NYT's commitment to human journalism
Despite the use of AI, The New York Times still wants to keep a human touch in its journalism.
In a memo last year, the outlet promised that "Times journalism will always be reported, written and edited by our expert journalists."
This promise was reiterated in the company's generative AI principles adopted in May 2024, stating that any generative AI use must start with facts vetted by their journalists.
Toolset expansion
Other AI tools approved by The New York Times
Apart from Echo, The New York Times has also approved a few other AI tools for use.
These include GitHub Copilot as a programming assistant, NotebookLM, Google Vertex AI for product development, the NYT's ChatExplorer, OpenAI's non-ChatGPT API, and some of Amazon's AI products.
This expansion of the AI toolset comes as part of a broader trend among publications to incorporate more advanced tech into their operations.