BuzzFeed says it will use AI to help create content, stock jumps 150%
By Oliver Darcy, CNN Business
BuzzFeed said Thursday that it will work with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to use artificial intelligence to help create content for its audience, marking a milestone in how media companies implement the new technology into their businesses.
Jonah Peretti, the company’s co-founder and chief executive, told employees in a memo that they can expect “AI inspired content” to “move from an R&D stage to part of our core business.”
Peretti elaborated that the technology will be used to create quizzes, help with brainstorming, and assist in personalizing content to its audience. BuzzFeed, for now, will not use artificial intelligence to help write news stories, a spokesperson told CNN.
“To be clear, we see the breakthroughs in AI opening up a new era of creativity that will allow humans to harness creativity in new ways with endless opportunities and applications for good,” Peretti said. “In publishing, AI can benefit both content creators and audiences, inspiring new ideas and inviting audience members to co-create personalized content.”
“When you see this work in action it is pretty amazing,” Peretti added, vowing to “lead the future of AI-powered content.”
The news sent BuzzFeed’s sagging stock skyrocketing more than 150% in trading Thursday to more than $2 a share.
Media industry leaders have increasingly said that artificial intelligence will revolutionize their businesses.
While BuzzFeed is the biggest digital content creator to move to implement OpenAI’s technology into its business, some other outlets have taken similar steps.
CNET recently used an artificial intelligence tool to help write stories. But the process did not go smoothly, with a number of articles ultimately requiring corrections.
In a note published online Wednesday, CNET Editor-In-Chief Connie Guglielmo apologized for the errors and said new processes had been put in place to prevent them in the future.
But, Guglielmo said, the outlet will not shy away from using artificial intelligence moving forward.
“The process may not always be easy or pretty, but we’re going to continue embracing it — and any new tech that we believe makes life better,” Guglielmo wrote.
The Associated Press also began using artificial intelligence to automate news stories nearly a decade ago.
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