Google is currently in the process of testing a tool called 'Genesis,' which uses artificial intelligence technology to generate news articles.
According to The New York Times, Google pitched the product to them, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal’s owner, News Corp., as a "personal assistant for journalists" that will allow them to multitask and focus on other projects while the tool helps write the stories.
Allegedly, the tool possesses the capability to intake information, including details about ongoing events and proficiently produce comprehensive news content with the information it gathers.
The New York Times reports that according to three people familiar with the matter, "some executives who saw Google’s pitch described it as unsettling, asking not to be identified discussing a confidential matter. Two people said it seemed to take for granted the effort that went into producing accurate and artful news stories."
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The news comes as news organizations express interest in using artificial intelligence tools. The Associated Press announced last week that it licensed a portion of its news story archive to OpenAI to explore how AI can be harnessed to advance news content generation.
These tools have raised concerns among writers from not just media outlets but also authors and script writers due to the system’s tendencies to inaccurately push information that closely mimics human language and grammar, which makes it challenging to spot.
A Google spokeswoman, Jenn Crider, told The New York Times that this tool and partnerships with outlets are in the earliest stages of "exploring ideas," but the tool is mostly intended to provide help with writing styles or headline ideas.
"Quite simply, these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles," said Crider.
