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A local publisher is exploring the idea of leveraging artificial intelligence to assist journalists, raising union concerns about the potential impact such a move could have on jobs. ing.
Reach plc has established a working group to determine the extent to which chatbots, programs that allow robots to converse directly with humans online, can assist reporters covering topics such as weather and traffic reports. Did.
In recent years, some regional news groups have paid to use the PA’s RADAR (Reporters and Data and Robots) service. With this service, our team of reporters uses official databases and article templates to create automated reports on topics such as health, crime, and employment.
Reach chief executive Jim Mullen (pictured) said his company’s use of AI would be a “tool to support our editorial teams,” but the National Union of Journalists said such a move would have no impact on the work of journalism. We share the concern that there is a possibility that
According to the Financial Times, Reach is particularly focused on a chatbot called ChatGPT developed by American company OpenAI.
Jim told the paper: “We tasked a working group across our technical and editorial teams to explore the potential and limitations of machine learning such as ChatGPT.
“In the future, we see the potential to use this to support journalists with everyday stories such as local traffic and weather, or to find creative uses outside of traditional content areas. thinking about.”
Last month, Reach announced it would cut 200 jobs across departments, with about half of those jobs expected to be editorial.
Chris Morley, the National Union of Journalists’ reach co-ordinator, told the FT: “We are seeking a meeting with the company” over its AI plans.
“We’re concerned that the company didn’t talk to us from the beginning because it could affect employment,” he said. We lost his 200 jobs within the group and it was a painful process. ”
Chris told HTFP: “The company’s active investigation into the use of AI in the editorial process has not been raised with the union, and we have no complaints about where we believe AI may be used.”・We are paying close attention to Mr. Mullen’s comments.”
“The publishing industry has lacked stability for many years, and our members have endured multiple layoffs over that time. So where and how companies like Reach seek to utilize this technology It is no wonder that they continue to be convinced that this is the case.
“Apart from the potential impact on capabilities within the editorial process, it is clear that there are significant concerns about how effective AI will be in industries where human nuance and understanding are important.
“There is a business risk regarding potential loss of brand reputation due to concerns that systemic flaws due to early issues with AI have become apparent in recent weeks. We look forward to discussing with NUJ well in advance what plans we have and how this may impact our members in the future.”
Francesco Marconi, co-founder of computational journalism firm AppliedXL, explained to the FT that the use of ChatGPT in journalism will be “functionally supportive”.
“The framework to think about this is to assume that GPT was an intern who could help edit certain parts of the report, but not write the original report,” he said.
Leach declined further comment on the plans when contacted by HTFP.
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