In an attempt to engage young people with news media, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has used artificial intelligence (AI) to rap its articles. In order to gauge the response of 1,000 select young users, this test was conducted. The most popular song was a rap about Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour. The lyrics are somewhat awkward, and the production quality seemed similar to a fast-food jingle, but the news was still comprehended.
To better understand why young people are less interested in traditional news outlets, Aftonblade’s deputy editor-in-chief Martin Schori stressed the significance of how news content is presented. Schori stated that this creative measure may not be the future of news consumption, but it is an entertaining test. The AI-generated rap is a stark reminder that hip-hop tends to involve values, so Aftonbladet has an AI policy in place if and when its journalists utilize the technology in order to create headlines, transcribe interviews, or add subtitles to videos.
Other news organizations are also getting in on the AI-action. At the beginning of 2021, Buzzfeed used ChatGPT to generate quizzes and other content. This test reportedly gained 40% more attention than human-made content. Just this month, CNET used AI to generate a story but had to issue numerous corrections afterwards. All these instances provide insight into the current state of news media, as well as how technology firms are responding to changing consumer preferences.
