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brings together industry
leaders to discuss the impact of AI on journalism.
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Roundtables will focus on the risks ChatGPT and similar
technologies pose to publishers’ control over their articles,
inaccurate news, and how AI can benefit local and national
newsrooms.
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Attendees include the Guardian, Telegraph, NewsUK, BBC, ITN
and Sky News.
Artificial intelligence’s impact on the delivery of accurate and
trustworthy news will be up for discussion today (Thursday 12
October) at roundtables led by Culture Secretary and attended by key figures in
the UK’s media sector.
Representatives from major national news outlets - such as Sky
News, Financial Times and the Independent - as well as the News
Media Association (NMA) and research firms Reuters Institute for
the Study of Journalism and Enders Analysis will come together to
consider the challenges and opportunities of AI for the
publishing and broadcasting industry. The Culture Secretary will
hear directly from the sector to help inform the Government’s
broader work on AI policy.
Top of the agenda will be concerns about news organisations
losing control of their copyright material to develop and train
AI models like ChatGPT, increased competition from AI firms and
others who may have lower editorial and ethical standards and the
spread of AI-generated mis/disinformation.
The meetings will also consider the opportunities AI presents to
newsrooms across the UK, looking particularly at how this
developing technology can benefit local and regional news outlets
and help publishers become more financially sustainable. For
instance, AI has the potential to drive productivity by
streamlining administrative tasks, cutting overhead costs and
freeing journalists to concentrate their efforts on meaningful
reporting while retaining human editorial oversight.
Culture Secretary said:
“The rapid development of AI poses huge questions for the future
of our country’s world-class news industry. I want to make sure
that we are supporting journalists and writers who are grappling
with the impact of this revolutionary technology.
“The UK is a world leading democratic AI power and globally
renowned for our rigorous and fearless press. We want to make
sure we are also leading the world in how we respond to this
developing technology so the things that are precious to us - our
creative industries, our media - are protected, whilst harnessing
the benefits that this innovation brings.
“One of my focuses is how to enhance press freedom. I want to
listen closely to the views of the media industry to make sure
journalists are protected from the risks of AI while benefiting
from the opportunities it offers.”
The meetings will cover the Intellectual Property Office’s work
to develop a new code of practice, aiming to
ensure appropriate protections for copyright material, including
news publisher content, while making content licences more
available for the development of AI models. The UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and
Consumers Bill currently going through Parliament looks to
rebalance the relationship between major tech platforms and those
who rely on them, including news organisations, to drive
innovation and boost fair competition. For example, rules
could be introduced requiring greater transparency over the
algorithms used by tech firms which drive traffic and revenue to
news publisher websites.
These discussions follow the publication of the AI Regulation White Paper,
which set out the UK’s context-based, pro-innovation approach for
the regulation of AI, and are part of a wider sector engagement
plan for the government to understand how this revolutionary
technology impacts different industries.
***ENDS***
Notes to editors
See full list of attendees below. The discussion points raised in
the meetings will be carefully considered and engagement with the
sector is ongoing. The meeting will take place at 100 Parliament
Street this afternoon.
Invitees to the roundtables
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FT Strategies
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National World
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Newsquest
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Iliffe Media
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National Union of Journalists
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Public Interest News Foundation
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Reach
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Society of Editors
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London School of Economics
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National Council for Training of Journalists
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Press Association
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NLA Media Access
