1. The Lenfest Institute, OpenAI, and Microsoft have launched a $10 million AI Collaborative and Fellowship program aimed at enhancing the sustainability of U.S. metro news organizations. Five newsrooms will receive funding to hire AI fellows, enabling them to explore AI-driven tools and strategies to innovate and improve local journalism.2.
Lenfest Institute, OpenAI, and Microsoft Join Forces for Local Journalism
In an exciting development for local news, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism has partnered with OpenAI and Microsoft. Together, they announced a $10 million AI Collaborative and Fellowship program aimed at enhancing the sustainability of U.S. metro news organizations.
What’s New?
The initiative will provide funding and resources to five major news organizations, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and Chicago Public Media. Each organization will receive grants to hire AI fellows for two years. These fellows will focus on integrating AI technologies to improve business models and audience engagement.
“We believe that AI technology can help in the research, investigation, distribution, and monetization of important journalism,” said Tom Rubin, Chief of Intellectual Property and Content at OpenAI.
Major Updates
Each participating organization will receive both financial support and credits for using Microsoft Azure. This funding will enable them to experiment with generative AI tools tailored for local journalism. The program encourages collaboration among newsrooms, fostering an environment of shared learning and innovation.
Projects selected for the fellowship include:
- Chicago Public Media: AI for transcription, summarization, and translation to expand content offerings.
- The Minnesota Star Tribune: AI summarization and content discovery for journalists and readers.
- Newsday: AI public data summarization tools for readers and businesses.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: A conversational search interface for archives using AI.
- The Seattle Times: AI-assisted advertising and sales analytics.
What’s Important to Know?
This initiative aims to empower local newsrooms, ensuring they can compete with larger organizations. The Lenfest Institute’s executive director, Jim Friedlich, emphasized the importance of ethical AI use in journalism.
“We will help empower local newsrooms to explore, implement, and advocate for AI business solutions,” Friedlich stated.
With a two-year pilot program in partnership with the Local Independent News Coalition (LINC), this initiative is set to make a significant impact. By sharing results and best practices, these organizations can serve as models for the future of local journalism.
As AI continues to evolve, its integration into journalism could redefine how news is produced, distributed, and monetized.
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