This Associated Press handbook is based on real practices from their early work in automated journalism. It was published in early 2017.

The 24-page booklet covers staffing and training, the fit for newsroom AI systems, and the limitations observed.

Their conclusions:

  • Technology changes and journalism doesn’t
  • AI is susceptible to the same biases and errors as humans
  • AI is not a silver bullet
  • Journalists can best leverage AI once they understand the technology
  • There are ethical considerations inherent in journalism’s use of AI

NOTABLE SECTIONS

  • Risks associated with unchecked algorithm news generation 
  • Potential for workflow disruptions
  • The growing gap in skillsets

REPORT AUTHORS

  • Francesco Marconi – Manager of strategic planning and development
    at Associated Press and an innovation fellow at The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University 
  • Alex Seigman – Computational journalist and a master’s candidate
    at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism
  • Machine Journalist – An amalgamation of various artificial intelligence systems.

SEE FULL REPORT

The Future of Augmented Journalism: A guide for newsrooms in the age of smart machines | ASSOCIATED PRESS | February 2017

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