Microsoft, OpenAI Fund News Outlets for AI Testing

Through the Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship program, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, a pioneer in creating solutions for the next generation of local news, announced a significant new partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday. The partnership will assist newsrooms in investigating and putting into practice ways that artificial intelligence can support innovation and business sustainability in local journalism.

Chicago Public Media, Newsday (Long Island, NY), The Minnesota Star Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Seattle Times will each be awarded a grant in the first round of funding to employ a two-year AI fellow to work on projects that primarily enhance business sustainability and integrate AI technologies within their respective companies. Additionally, OpenAI and Microsoft Azure credits will be awarded as part of the fellowship to support these media’ experimentation and tool development for local news. In order to exchange lessons learned, product innovations, case studies, and technical data that will aid in replicating their work in other newsrooms, the news organizations will collaborate with one another and the larger news industry as part of the initiative. In a second round, fellows will be granted to three more organizations.

The first slate of AI Collaborative and Fellows participants will work on projects that centre on using AI to analyze public data, develop new AI-based news tools and products, improve the usage of news and visual archives, and increase audience engagement. The Lenfest Institute oversaw an application process that selected the projects with help from Nota, a supplier of AI tools for journalism, and FT Strategies, a worldwide media consultancy.

“We think AI technology can assist in the research, investigation, distribution, and monetization of important journalism, even though nothing will completely replace the crucial role of reporters.” Through programs like The Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship, we’re committed to helping smaller, independent publishers and making sure they have access to the same state-of-the-art resources and opportunities as larger companies,” stated Tom Rubin, OpenAI’s chief of intellectual property and content. “We think AI can help local news thrive, as it is a particularly vulnerable area of journalism.”

The projects that were chosen are:

1. Chicago Public Media, which owns public radio station WBEZ and publishes The Chicago Sun-Times, will concentrate on using AI for translation, summarization, and transcription in order to increase the variety of information available and attract new audiences.
2. The Minnesota Star Tribune will test AI-powered content discovery, analysis, and summary for its reporters and readers.
3. As part of its marketing services, Newsday will develop AI tools for summarizing and aggregating public data for its reporters, readers, and companies.
4. The Philadelphia Inquirer plans to create a conversational search experience for its archives using artificial intelligence technologies. Additionally, it will use AI to track and evaluate media created by regional organizations and municipalities.
5. Before sharing the lessons learned with other departments and business operations, the Seattle Times will leverage AI platforms to help with go-to-market advertising, sales training support, and other sales analytics.

“Local media is essential for educating and informing the public, exposing misconduct, and promoting civic participation. Teresa Hutson, corporate vice president, technology for fundamental rights at Microsoft, stated, “We will collaborate with the Lenfest AI Fellowship to promote AI innovation that can assist news organizations in developing new products to expand their reporting, discover new revenue streams, and ultimately create a more sustainable future.” “We hope that these news organizations will serve as industry leaders, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can improve the news industry’s future.”

OpenAI and Microsoft are each contributing $2.5 million in direct cash and $2.5 million in software and enterprise credits, for a total of up to $10 million, to support the new Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship program and resources. The Local Independent News Coalition (LINC) of The Lenfest Institute, which consists of eight of the biggest independently owned metropolitan news organizations in the US, is collaborating on the two-year trial project.

With support from The Lenfest Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, LINC is one of six Communities of Practice under its direction. Chicago Public Media (WBEZ and The Chicago Sun Times), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Dallas Morning News, Newsday (Long Island, New York), The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Times, The Minnesota Star Tribune, and The Tampa Bay Times are all part of LINC.

OpenAI is a corporation that does research and implements AI. Its goal is to guarantee that artificial intelligence serves the interests of all people.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) develops AI-powered platforms and technologies to provide creative solutions that satisfy our clients’ changing demands. With the goal of enabling every individual and every business on the earth to do more, the technology firm is dedicated to responsibly expanding access to AI.

By funding sustainable business models at the nexus of community and local media in Philadelphia and around the country, the Lenfest Institute for media develops solutions for the next era of local news.