AI has influenced the news industry in two main ways. On one hand, it gives readers more dynamic, personalized experiences. On the other hand, AI-driven tools streamline journalists’ workflows, automating routine tasks and enhancing content discovery. However, industry reports and key figures highlight challenges, especially in accuracy, bias, and trust regarding AI. Trust is a fundamental value in journalism, and publishers must tread carefully since losing the public’s trust at such a pivotal moment will have far-reaching consequences.
To better understand the practical impact of AI chatbots in the news industry, we spoke with Fabio Napoli, Business Digital Director at RCS, about their new AI chatbot in the L’Economia app, and with Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, who shared insights on how audiences feel about AI-generated content and how publishers can maintain trust.
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AI Chatbots to improve user experience and engagement
RCS Mediagroup, publisher of leading Italian titles like the Corriere della Sera and La Gazzetta dello Sport, recently signed an agreement with OpenAI, the first of its kind for the Italian news industry. This collaboration has already led to the integration of an AI-powered virtual assistant in the L’Economia app, enhancing user experience with personalized searches and tailored summaries.
While unique in Italy, RCS’s focus on using AI to drive engagement with its products mirrors a broader industry trend. Germany’s Bild, for example, uses the Hey_ Bild chatbot to guide users through content. Similarly, Argentina’s Clarín has implemented UalterAI to offer busy readers different ways to summarise articles in various formats. The main goal for publishers is to provide a better user experience, while simultaneously having readers spend more time engaged with their platforms.
But this is just the first step of the collaboration between RCS and OpenAI: “The first product to benefit from this collaboration is the L’Economia app, but the goal is to launch new thematic verticals in the coming months,” explains Fabio Napoli. This includes recent initiatives like the new Parenting app, offering expert advice, news, and practical tips on parenting from conception through adolescence.
Napoli highlights the need for more investment to develop AI products in the Italian language, stating, “The goal is to develop new [AI] products, but for this to be possible, OpenAI and other platforms need to invest in the Italian language.”
The investment in this proprietary technology is substantial. “It was necessary to develop a unique product that is currently unparalleled in Italy,” says Napoli. He adds, “Our strategy is focused on offering subscribers high-performance products with a top-tier user experience.”
RCS’s approach offers a clear example of how AI can enrich the user experience and provide additional value to readers.
AI Chatbots to streamline newsroom efficiency
Beyond enhancing reader engagement, AI has made strides in improving newsroom efficiency. A clear example of this trend is Germany’s OVB Media, which developed Wortwandler, an AI-powered editing software that has greatly improved its editorial workflow. By automating routine editing tasks for their most common article formats, Wortwandler has saved OVB Media half a million euros annually by replacing a team of external editors.
Similarly, the latest INMA report about the problems GenAI solves for newsrooms highlights how Der Spiegel has developed an in-house AI fact-checker. This tool assists journalists in quickly verifying information, speeding up the reporting process while maintaining the accuracy and trustworthiness of the content.
Exploring findings from the OK Computer report
The efficiency gains from such tools are undeniable. However, adopting AI tools like chatbots does not come without its challenges, and an important one to tackle is how audiences perceive them. The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) report OK Computer? highlights that while some audiences understand the potential benefits of AI chatbots, such as increased efficiency and personalized experiences, there is also significant skepticism. Many users doubt the true capabilities of AI and worry when AI-generated content is not clearly distinguished from human-produced work. One report participant noted, “It is very important that there is human supervision. I trust a human more, because we have the ability to analyse and discern, while AI is not sensitive, it has errors, it does not know how to decide what to do. It does not have a moral compass.”
Nic Newman, senior research associate at RISJ, stresses the importance of transparency with AI tools. “It probably makes sense to be as transparent as possible with any audience-facing uses of AI in the short term to maintain trust”, he advises, highlighting the need to clearly label AI-generated content to prevent misunderstandings.
Nic Newman also encourages newsrooms to establish clear guidelines and provide training to responsibly use AI tools in newsrooms. “There should be clear guidelines and training around the use of chatbots internally, given the continued risk of mistakes (or hallucinations),” he advises. This highlights the need for a structured approach to AI integration, ensuring that while efficiency is enhanced, the integrity of the content remains uncompromised. Moreover, Newman urges that internally produced AI tools undergo regular monitoring and updates to ensure they remain effective and reliable.
Especially when developing public-facing tools, Newman advocates for transparency and careful labeling to manage user expectations. He points out that, at this stage, “audience-facing chatbots such as Climate Answers from the Washington Post and Ask FT should be clearly labeled as experimental with known limitations and room for error clearly set out throughout the application.” By doing so, news organizations can benefit and learn to use AI responsibly while preserving the trust and credibility essential to their relationship with audiences.
As publishers gain experience with AI, the examples of OVB Media, Der Spiegel, and Nic Newman’s advice provide a valuable guide to benefit from AI without alienating your readership.
Conclusion
The widespread adoption and varied applications of AI make it seem like this technology is now indispensable. But if AI is already transforming our industry in such radical ways today, what will journalism look like in five years?
Nic Newman warns us that AI’s potential comes with significant responsibilities. What if, instead of simply using AI to keep up with the demands of modern news consumption, we used it to set new benchmarks for quality and trust in journalism? What would that look like?
RCS’s partnership with OpenAI is the latest example of what’s possible when innovation is paired with a deep understanding of audience needs. But it also raises a critical point: Shouldn’t all publishers be thinking beyond just catching up to these trends? What if the true power of AI lies not in replacing what we do but in enabling us to do things we’ve never done before – telling stories in ways that were previously impossible and engaging readers on levels we haven’t yet imagined?
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