- Google is pitching news organizations on its new AI tool for journalists, per the NYT.
- Some executives were unsettled by the AI, but Google says it can't replace journalists.
Google is testing an AI tool known as "Genesis" that can write news articles, The New York Times first reported.
It can generate news content based on details such as current events, and is being pitched to the likes of the Times, The Washington Post and News Corp — which owns The Wall Street Journal and The Times of London — three people familiar with the matter told the newspaper.
People who saw Google's pitch told the Times that it lacked an understanding of the effort that goes into producing accurate news stories, and that they found the AI unsettling.
Insider reached out to News Corp and The Washington Post for comment but didn't immediately hear back. The New York Times declined to comment.
"In partnership with news publishers, especially smaller publishers, we're in the earliest stages of exploring ideas to potentially provide AI-enabled tools to help journalists with their work," a Google spokesperson said in a statement sent to Insider.
They said the company wanted to enhance journalists' productivity in the same way that AI tools are becoming available in Gmail and Google Docs.
"For instance, AI-enabled tools could assist journalists with options for headlines or different writing styles," the spokesperson added.
"Quite simply these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles," they added.
Google's tool comes after several news organizations around the world have announced that they will look into how AI can help journalists.
That includes The New York Times, Insider, and Gannett — the largest newspaper publisher in the US.
But the nascent technology has already caused problems in newsrooms, with The Irish Times forced to remove a hoax opinion article partially written with ChatGPT.
And last month, Europe's best-selling newspaper — Germany's Bild tabloid — laid off around 200 people and warned about future cuts due to "the opportunities of artificial intelligence," The Guardian reported.