The New York Times has started allowing its product and editorial teams to integrate AI tools into their workflows, potentially for tasks like writing social media copy, crafting SEO headlines, and generating code. This move follows the introduction of an internal AI tool named Echo, designed to assist with summarizing content.
In an email to staff, the publication outlined a variety of AI tools that can be used for creating web products and developing editorial ideas. The guidelines encourage editorial staff to use AI for brainstorming, suggesting edits, conducting research, and generating interview questions. The Times cautioned against using AI to draft or make substantial revisions to articles, or to handle confidential source material.
The paper hinted at future AI applications, such as digitally voiced articles and automatic translations into multiple languages. The approved AI programs for use include GitHub Copilot for coding, Google’s Vertex AI for product development, NotebookLM, certain Amazon AI tools, and OpenAI’s non-ChatGPT API under a business account.
This initiative comes amid the Times’ ongoing legal battle with OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of copyright infringement for allegedly training their generative AI models on the publisher’s content without permission.
