Google is reportedly testing an AI tool called “Genesis” that can write news stories. The tech giant has pitched the tool to major publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal’s owner, News Corp. The purpose of the tool is to act as a personal assistant for journalists, automating some tasks and freeing up their time. Google believes it is a responsible technology that can aid journalists in their work.
However, some executives who saw the tool in action found it unsettling, as it seemed to disregard the effort put into producing accurate news stories.
Google clarified that their intention
“For instance, AI-enabled tools could assist journalists with options for headlines or different writing styles,” the spokesperson added. “Our goal is to give journalists the choice of using these emerging technologies in a way that enhances their work and productivity, just like we’re making assistive tools available for people in Gmail and in Google Docs. Quite simply these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles.” a Google spokesperson said in a statement
Several news organizations, including NPR and Insider, are also looking into using AI responsibly in their newsrooms. The concern with AI-generated articles is that they may spread misinformation if not fact-checked or properly edited. CNET, an American media website, tried using generative AI to produce articles but ended up having to issue corrections for over half of them due to factual errors and possible plagiarism. Now, CNET adds a note to those articles indicating they were initially assisted by AI and later updated by a human writer.
Some executives who sat in on the presentation said the plan for the product was “unsettling” and glossed over the human effort required to write “accurate and artful news stories,” the New York Times reported.
