Newsroom Robots

Agnes Stenbom, Sweden’s AI Person of the Year and Head of IN/LAB and Trust Initiatives at Schibsted Media, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how one of the Nordic region’s largest media groups is innovating with AI to reach underrepresented audiences and build trust in journalism. Stenbom is also an industry doctoral candidate researching AI in journalism and a co-founder of Nordic AI Journalism, a network advocating for the responsible use of AI in journalism across the Nordic region.In this episode, Stenbom highlights how Schibsted is leveraging AI to tackle news avoidance, experimenting with interactive formats, and navigating the challenges of responsible AI adoption in newsrooms.Key topics include:Using generative AI to create personalized, engaging formats such as rap-style news summariesDesigning AI tools for audience interactivity, including news concierges and custom avatarsSchibsted’s FAST framework for managing AI risks in fairness, accountability, sustainability, and transparencyEthical dilemmas and risk mitigation in using generative AI for journalismInsights on fostering newsroom culture to embrace technological innovationSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Ritvvij Parrikh, Senior Director of Product at Times of India, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how AI-powered personalization is transforming news distribution and why newsrooms need to rethink their approach to revenue optimization.Parrikh, who leads product development at India's largest English-language news organization, discusses their innovative approach to news personalization that increased click-through rates by 85% on web and 40% on mobile. His team developed a proprietary recommendation system that automatically optimized content distribution for individual readers. As an industry thought leader, Parrikh has been instrumental in demonstrating how newsrooms can build AI systems that balance editorial judgment with reader preferences while maintaining journalistic integrity.Key topics include:Building newsroom-specific recommendation systems that understand news cyclesThe critical importance of real-time data infrastructure for modern newsroomsWhy newsrooms should master focus on building the operational infrastructures to power AISign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Martin Schori, Deputy Managing Editor and Associate Publisher at Aftonbladet, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how Sweden’s largest newsroom built an AI hub, developing a wide range of innovative editorial tools, including a suite of AI-powered tools for the newsroom and a chatbot for the EU elections. As the Program Lead for the AI Hub, Schori shares the biggest wins, challenges, and key lessons from their experiments with AI in journalism.Key topics include:- The creation of Aftonbladet’s AI hub and its impact on editorial workflows- How Aftonbladet used AI to engage readers with an EU election chatbot- Analyzing coverage using AI to track gender and diversity representation- Ethical considerations and maintaining editorial control with AI toolsSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

In this special episode of Newsroom Robots, host Nikita Roy steps into the spotlight to answer your pressing questions about AI. Recorded during a session with the Online News Association (ONA), this episode covers a range of topics, from ethical considerations in AI-generated content to practical tools that can elevate your work.AI Tools Mentioned:Perplexity - A generative AI search engine that provides quick insights on any topic. Wobby - A data journalism tool that connects to open datasets, where you can ask questions in plain language and get clear AI-generated insights, reports, and visualizationsOpusClip - Converts long-form videos into short, engaging clips for social media, ideal for repurposing content.YESEO - A Slack-based AI tool for generating headline suggestions and SEO metadata, widely used in local newsrooms.Google's Pinpoint - A tool for investigative journalists using AI to search through massive amounts of documents, including handwritten ones.Natural Reader - An AI tool that reads text aloud with natural-sounding voices, perfect for those who prefer listening over reading.Whimsical AI - Creates diagrams and visualizations from your data inputs directly within ChatGPT.Elicit & Consensus - AI-powered search engines for academic research, useful for journalists covering specialized beats like health and science.Nota - A versatile tool for creating SEO content, summarizing articles, and even converting articles into videos.GPT for Sheets and Docs, Claude for Sheets - These tools bring AI directly into your Google Docs and Sheets, enabling you to draft, edit, and generate insights without leaving your document or spreadsheet.If you're interested in learning more about how AI is being implemented in newsrooms, sign up to receive a series of case studies on AI and journalism, researched and written by Nikita in collaboration with the Online News Association. Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), co-chair of the U.S. Congressional AI Caucus and one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in AI, shares her perspective on the opportunities and risks of AI with host Nikita Roy.With over three decades of experience in the U.S. House of Representatives representing parts of Silicon Valley, Rep. Eshoo has been a leading voice on technology and its implications. Her long-standing engagement with tech policy provides a unique perspective on the current AI revolution.Key topics discussed in this episode include:The growing concern over AI models training on news content without compensation.The challenge of combating misinformation in the age of generative AI.Bipartisan efforts in Congress aimed at democratizing AI.Addressing the threat of job displacement and evolving societal frameworks to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Natali Helberger, Professor of Law and Digital Technology at the University of Amsterdam, joins host Nikita Roy to explore the complex ethical landscape of AI in journalism. In this conversation, they discuss everything from recommendation algorithms and filter bubbles to the EU AI Act and the future of responsible AI adoption in media.Recognized as one of the "100 brilliant women in AI ethics" to follow worldwide, Helberger is also the co-founder of the AI Media and Democracy lab at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on how AI and algorithms are transforming society and the media, with implications for law and governance. Helberger chairs the Council of Europe Expert Group on AI and Freedom of Expression and serves on the advisory board of the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford. She regularly advises national and European policymakers, including the European Commission, European Parliament, and UNESCO. Key topics include:The ethical challenges of AI-driven personalization in newsThe importance of audience inclusion and feedback in AI systems for newsThe limitations of simply labeling content as "AI-generated" and the need for more meaningful transparencyAn analysis of the EU AI Act and its implications for media companiesSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Garance Burke, a global investigative journalist at the Associated Press, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the crucial role of journalism in holding AI systems accountable and the challenges reporters face in covering this complex topic. Burke, a global investigative journalist with The Associated Press, has been at the forefront of investigating the power and impact of AI technologies on society. Her data-driven reporting has prompted federal investigations, cabinet-level resignations, and congressional hearings. Burke's Pulitzer Prize-finalist work inspired an Emmy-winning documentary with FRONTLINE PBS. As a 2020 Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence-John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, she researched algorithms in government decision-making. Burke also led the development of the AI chapter in the AP Stylebook,  which provides journalists with best practices for covering AI models. Key topics include:Investigating algorithmic bias and the data behind AI systemsStrategies for reporting on AI's deployment and performanceEducating the public on AI biases and impacts on democratic processesThe need for balanced and informative reporting on AI to avoid hype AI's Impact on Elections and Voter ManipulationSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Ole Reissmann, Director of AI at Der Spiegel, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss how the legacy German news organization is harnessing AI to enhance their journalism and streamline newsroom workflows.The episode explores Der Spiegel's initiatives to integrate AI into various aspects of its operations, from automating routine tasks like SEO title generation and fact-checking to developing audience-facing AI products, such as a browser plugin and audio article updates. Ole also shares insights on building an automated gender report using AI and the value of collaboration among German news organizations in advancing AI initiatives.Topics discussed include:Fostering a Culture of AI Experimentation in the NewsroomExploring Audience-Facing AI ProductsTesting and Prototyping AI ProductsBuilding Foundations for Future AI ProjectsEnhancing User Experience and Personalizing Content with AIBuilding an AI-powered gender reportCollaborating with German news organizations on AI initiativesPersonal experiments with AI and lessons learnedSign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.

Jaemark Tordecilla, Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, joins host Nikita Roy to discuss the potential of using custom GPTs for journalistic purposes. Jaemark is the former editor-in-chief and senior assistant vice president of News and Public Affairs at GMA News, the Philippines' leading digital news organization.  For the past year as a Nieman Fellow, Jaemark has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible with custom GPTs – personalized versions of ChatGPT that can be tailored with specific instructions, knowledge, and capabilities to serve a particular purpose or task.In this episode, Jaemark shares his experiences creating custom GPTs like the COA Beta Assistant to summarize dense government audit reports. He dives into how custom GPTs can streamline processes across the journalism value chain - from data analysis and visualization to content creation and fact-checking.  The episode explores the ease of building these AI tools without coding, integrating custom knowledge bases, and leveraging advanced capabilities like image recognition.  Nikita and Jaemark also discuss real-world use cases, the power of democratizing access to AI for smaller newsrooms, and navigating the limitations of these models.Sign up for the Newsroom Robots newsletter for episode summaries and insights from host Nikita Roy.