In the wake of news that OpenAI is being sued by a group of authors for copyright infringement and that the creator of ChatGPT is facing an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, the AI research lab and The Associated Press (AP) have signed a collaboration agreement announced to explore the potential applications of generative AI in news products and services. Through the collaboration, the two organizations will share select news content and technology, with OpenAI gaining access to select publisher content dating back to 1985.
Under the terms of the agreement, OpenAI will license a portion of AP’s text archive, while AP will have access to OpenAI’s advanced technology and product expertise. The collaboration aims to responsibly create and use AI systems connected to media and the information economy.
A cautious approach to AI
The partnership is a continuation of AP’s nearly decade-long effort to integrate automation into its journalism. Despite its exploration of AI, the AP has said it maintains a cautious approach to generative AI and does not use it in news stories. However, OpenAI will train its AI models on AP news stories for the next two years. This move is expected to improve the capabilities and usability of OpenAI systems, according to Brad Lightcap, Chief Operating Officer at OpenAI.
“OpenAI is committed to supporting the vital work of journalism, and we are eager to learn from The Associated Press as they explore how our AI models can positively impact the news industry,” Lightcap said in the press release announcing the partnership. “The AP remains the market leader in the use of AI; their feedback – along with access to their high-quality, factual text archive – will help improve the capabilities and usability of OpenAI’s systems.”
Since 2014, AP has been automating corporate earnings reports and previews and summaries of sporting events in an effort to reduce time and energy costs for its reporters. The news organization also uses AI to help transcribe audio and video from live events.
Ethical use of AI in news media
Earlier this year, AP announced AI-powered projects that will publish Spanish-language news alerts and document public safety incidents in a Minnesota newspaper. The outlet also launched an AI search tool that should make it easier for news partners to find photos and videos in the library based on “descriptive language.”
Kristin Heitmann, AP’s Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, underlining what it sees as a steady and ethical approach to integrating AI tools into the industry.
“Generative AI is a rapidly evolving space with huge implications for the news industry. We are pleased that OpenAI recognizes that fact-based, unbiased news content is essential to this evolving technology, and that they respect the value of our intellectual property,” said Heitmann.
“AP strongly supports a framework that ensures that intellectual property is protected and content creators are fairly compensated for their work. News organizations need to sit around the table to make sure this happens so newsrooms big and small can use this technology to benefit journalism.”
The development is important both in timing and nature, as several lawsuits have emerged in recent months regarding the ethical and legal implications of training sets used in generative AI programs from Midjourney, Stability AI, and others.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by an nft now contributor in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.