Unlocking the power of AI : 6 lessons from AP for publishers

Next-generation AI chatbots are like London buses. You wait ages for one, and then three come along at once (ChatGPT, Google’s Bard AI and Microsoft’s new-look Bing).This has several significant implications for publishers, potentially shaking up everything from search to advertising and content generation. Although the initial hype has been met with a reality check, this is still the hottest thing in tech and media right now. Moreover, it’s worth remembering that AI is already integral to the work of many publishers and media companies. In fact, it has been for some time. In 2014, the Associated Press (AP) was one of the first news organizations to adopt AI. Since then, they have continued to be a trailblazer, using this technology for story gathering and content creation, as well as the distribution of material. What can other media companies learn from AP’s expertise with this tech? To help unpack this, we spoke to Aimee Rinehart, program manager for The Associated Press’s Local News AI initiative, about some of the lessons their work has yielded. Although Rinehart’s work is focused on AI in local news and journalism, these efforts offer lessons for publishers of all shapes and sizes. Here are six things publishers need to know