New York Times approves AI tools for editorial staff

The New York Times is integrating AI tools into its editorial and product operations, introducing an internal tool named Echo for summarizing articles and other tasks. Staff were informed via email that they would receive training on these AI tools, which are intended to assist in editing, coding, and generating social media content. The publication has set clear guidelines for AI usage, emphasizing that AI should not draft or significantly alter articles, nor input confidential information. The Times aims to enhance journalistic capabilities while ensuring that expert journalists remain accountable for all published content. Approved AI tools include GitHub Copilot for coding, Google’s Vertex AI for product development, and OpenAI’s non-ChatGPT API, among others. This move comes amid ongoing legal disputes with OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright issues related to AI training on its content.