Carolyn DiPaolo
Last month, some Palm Beach Post stories started appearing with items at the top summarizing the story and a disclosure that the “Key Points” were created using artificial intelligence.
Last week, the union that represents reporters and photographers at The Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News, called on owner Gannett to stop the practice.
Why it’s important: Cash-strapped mainstream publishers may see artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to increase efficiency and reach, but the lack of transparency in AI systems raises worries about bias and errors creeping into local news stories.
- There is also the risk that artificial intelligence will replace reporters, undermining independence, accuracy and credibility.
What’s happening: A letter from the Palm Beach News Guild asks for the pause because it wants to protect members’ jobs. Guild leaders also object to the use of their journalism to train the algorithm without a labor contract or separate agreement on the practice.
Here’s the disclosure that appears at the end of stories with the AI highlights:
The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more.
What they’re saying: “This pilot program was extremely concerning to us because it was rolled out absent of an agreement between the union and the company on AI,” local guild leaders said in a statement to Stet.
- The local union, formed four years ago, has gone the entire time without a contract. Negotiations continue.
Flashback: Gannett paused its AI experiment with high school sports stories last year after some mistakes appeared in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.
The other side: Post Executive Editor Rick Christie referred questions about AI policy to Gannett, which described the AI feature as optional and up to each reporter on whether to use it.
Yes, but: The Palm Beach News Guild leadership said on Friday that it has documented recent instances when the technology was used without the writer’s knowledge, consent or ability to review before publication.
I am a co-founder, writer and editor for Stet News. I am also a former senior editor at The Palm Beach Post. For 20 years, I oversaw some of the most consequential stories published by the paper, including the “Corruption County” reporting project that led to multiple arrests of elected officials. I am a member of the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2013. I live in West Palm Beach with my husband, Bill DiPaolo.
