Generative AI’s opportunities far outweigh the threats for news publishers, and there are quick and immediate wins to be had by newsrooms, according to a new report released today by INMA.

News Media at the Dawn of Generative AI provides journalists and media professionals a foundation to evaluate the opportunities and threats emanating from the popular technology.

The 91-page report is written by INMA Smart Data Initiative Lead Ariane Bernard and explores: 

• The foundations for generative AI.

• Legislation, regulation, and the law.

• Generative AI’s core issues for news publishers.

• How media can practically use generative AI now.

The report is available for free to INMA members and may be purchased by non-members here.

Among key learnings in the report:

• Why AI is blossoming now in the public consciousness. 

• What generative AI does well and today’s blind spots. 

• Governance, copyright, legislation, and Fair Use: the strains and what media companies can do now to get in front of the tension between technology and the law.

• What publishers find safe and unsafe about proceeding with generative AI.

• A checklist of what newsrooms can achieve now with generative AI. 

Generative AI offers media companies opportunities to find efficiencies, improve productivity, shift resources to high-value journalism, and create new user value propositions. 

Riding a wave of popularity, generative AI vaulted to the top of media c-suites thanks to the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E, among others.

“INMA aims to shorten the runway on the hottest topic in news media today,” said Earl J. Wilkinson, executive director and CEO of INMA. “This report will better ground us, spotlight the opportunities, contextualise the threats, and advance the flag of a subject that is morphing into an insights phase. It is a must-read for C-suite leaders, newsrooms, and product teams.”

News Media At the Dawn of Generative AI represents INMA’s second foray in three months into the implications and early practical uses of the technology. AI Guide and ChatGPT Promptbook for News Marketers was released in January.

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