By Sara Guaglione • December 27, 2023 • 5 min read •
Welcome to our editorial series that takes a look at what’s happening across the media, media buying and marketing sectors now that 2023 is closing and a new year is on the horizon. Don’t miss out on more insightful content from our series.
What were the words that mattered most in 2023? “AI,” “ChatGPT,” and “hallucinate” caught the world’s attention as technology made leaps forward, especially with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other companies’ efforts towards large language models (LLMs).
Now that generative artificial intelligence technology is having a significant impact on media organizations, Digiday spoke to the leaders of four editorial teams — from Business Insider to Trusted Media Brands. Here are their predictions on how generative AI is all set to transform the media industry next year — and how they plan to respond:
Integrating AI slowly and internally while taking a look at mistakes made by others
Execs at Business Insider, Forbes, and Trusted Media Brands are clear about one thing: approaching generative AI with caution is vital. Rushing into using the technology doesn’t bode well, especially for editorial production.
“The tool is exciting, but it also comes with legal and ethical questions,” said Business Insider’s editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson. “Journalism is one of those professions where you do something wrong, people get hurt. So, we really want to be careful.”
Next year, Carlson said his editorial team will take “incremental steps” to integrate generative AI, “but don’t expect any big changes.”
What next?
Jacob Salamon, TMB’s vice president of business development, has his eyes on “cautionary tales” of what happens when publishers rush into using the technology too quickly and make “silly mistakes.” He’s focusing on how AI can help writers with their first drafts and research, “before we think about anything that’s going to be customer-facing or reader-facing.”
The technology will continue to improve — and get ‘scarier’
Forbes’ chief content officer Randall Lane wants his employees to get to grips with generative AI tools and familiarize themselves with the capabilities as the technology continues to advance.
