In a significant development, the Associated Press (AP) has signed a two-year agreement with artificial intelligence (AI) firm OpenAI. The partnership involves offering OpenAI access to AP’s extensive news archive and, in return, OpenAI will provide the news agency with its expertise in technology and product development. This collaboration marks one of the first deals between a major news organization and an AI company, highlighting the growing popularity of AI in various industries.
Under the terms of the agreement, OpenAI will gain access to a selection of AP’s text archives dating back to 1985. Additionally, the AP will leverage the AI algorithm’s expertise to enhance its own operations. However, both parties are still working on finalizing the specifics of the deal.
By enabling OpenAI’s access to its news archive, the AP aims to position itself as a leader in newsroom standards for the use of generative AI. Generative AI refers to a system that can generate its own text or media content in response to prompts. The AP hopes to contribute to the development of a framework that ensures intellectual property protection and fair compensation for content creators, allowing newsrooms of all sizes to benefit from AI technology in journalism.
Kristin Heitmann, AP’s Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, expressed the organization’s commitment to supporting a framework that protects intellectual property and ensures fair compensation for content creators. She emphasized the need for news organizations to have a voice in shaping the future of AI implementation in the industry.
OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, acknowledged the value of AP’s input and access to its high-quality, factual text archive in enhancing the capabilities and usefulness of OpenAI’s systems. OpenAI recently released its latest model, GPT-4, which demonstrated impressive problem-solving abilities and image recognition.
While GPT-4 falls short of human-level performance in real-world scenarios, it exhibits human-level performance across various professional and academic benchmarks. OpenAI’s continued development and collaboration with the Associated Press signal the expanding role of AI in improving newsroom functionalities and creating more engaging content.
This partnership between the Associated Press and OpenAI underscores the mutual benefits that can be achieved through collaboration between news agencies and AI companies. As AI technology continues to advance, such partnerships will likely play a pivotal role in shaping industry standards and facilitating innovation in the field of journalism.