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