OpenAI's AI Tools Empower Newsrooms

OpenAI is actively embedding its artificial intelligence technology within news organizations, aiming to deepen reporting, enhance content accessibility, and strengthen reader relationships. The company highlights how its tools help journalists cover more ground, make archives searchable, and reach wider audiences through translation and new formats.

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Companies working on this

Profiles of the companies named in this story, with funding and a one-liner from our database.

OpenAI

Private / $100B+ est

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.

Axios

$430M

A digital media company providing smart, efficient news coverage across various industries.

Associated Press

Global news agency providing breaking news, photos, and video to media outlets worldwide.

Business Insider

Global news organization covering business, technology, and the economy for ambitious, curious people.

These AI applications are permeating newsroom, product, and business workflows. OpenAI's renewed support for the American Journalism Project, which spans dozens of publications across 38 states, underscores this commitment. They also continue to support the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and WAN-IFRA.

OpenAI stresses that human journalists and editors remain central to the process, with AI serving as a tool to augment, not replace, human judgment. This approach is evident across various news outlets.

Empowering Journalism

Publishers are leveraging AI to enhance research and reporting. The Associated Press uses OpenAI technology for tasks including scanning news and podcasts, verifying images and video, and structuring Supreme Court filings. This allows journalists to focus more on original reporting, a sentiment echoed by other newsrooms like The Associated Press AI.

POLITICO employs AI to analyze public documents for deeper reporting and to tailor client sales experiences. Axios has developed custom GPTs for internal policy checks, interdepartmental support, and refining copy with its signature "Smart Brevity" style, including a "FOIA Refiner GPT" to improve open-records requests.

The Philadelphia Inquirer developed Scribe, an AI tool that summarizes public meeting transcripts and scores developments based on newsworthiness. Axel Springer utilizes AI for audience features and to help journalists analyze commentary and surface developments, with brands like Business Insider and WELT benefiting from these advancements.

Future is building an editorial platform integrating AI agents and flexible workflows. Le Monde uses fine-tuned translation models within ChatGPT to accelerate its English-language publications, freeing up journalists for core reporting.

PRISA Media integrates AI across editorial tools for trend tracking and news briefings. Vera, a conversational assistant, serves EL PAÍS subscribers, while AI models automate content vectorization and translation for PRISA.

The Daily Beast's Data Scouts, powered by OpenAI, help teams move from information to action by identifying opportunities and recommending next steps, often integrated within Slack for seamless collaboration.

The American Journalism Project’s Product & AI Studio, supported by OpenAI, aids local news organizations in responsible AI adoption. Nonprofit newsrooms like Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) in Puerto Rico use custom GPTs for donor communications, preserving their authentic voice.

CPI's ChatGPT-powered translation workflow has inspired others, such as Enlace Latino North Carolina and Boyle Heights Beat, to expand their reach and offer real-time bilingual coverage.

Growing Audiences and Enhancing Reader Experiences

Condé Nast uses AI to power new reader engagement methods. Bon Appétit's AI-powered Test Kitchen Assistant allows home cooks to query its extensive recipe archive in real time.

The Atlantic created an interactive murder mystery game, "Lemony Snicket’s Suspicious Incident in Dubious Park," using ChatGPT's API to power character interactions.

Eater offers an AI-powered restaurant search, connecting natural language queries with its dining recommendations. Future launched ChatGPT Plugins to better present and activate its content for readers.

Who What Wear uses AI to provide personalized fashion recommendations anchored to its content. Le Monde now offers an audio version for every article, designed to reflect its editorial identity.

The San Francisco Standard's AI-first subscriber app delivers personalized briefings and interactive content modules. BILD's AI assistant, Hey_, acts as a daily companion, answering reader questions and offering interactive widgets.

Chicago Public Media is using OpenAI models to transcribe 40 years of WBEZ audio archives, making local journalism searchable and accessible.

Strengthening the Business of News

News Corp is developing AI-powered "Knowledge Agents" that combine structured data with business knowledge to answer complex analytical questions.

The Seattle Times developed an AI prospecting agent using ChatGPT Enterprise, reducing lead generation time from hours to minutes and directly driving new sales.

These initiatives demonstrate AI's practical integration into news products and businesses. The OpenAI Academy for News Organizations aims to share learnings and use cases for broader adoption.

OpenAI's investment and partnerships in the news industry are ongoing, with a focus on building tools that support sustainable news organizations and high-quality journalism.