OpenAI donates $5 million to US news projects

The creators of ChatGPT have previously signed deals with The Associated Press and Shutterstock.

Image: Shutterstock

ChatGPT creator OpenAI has committed $5 million to the US News Project, the news organization announced Tuesday, in its latest partnership with a media outlet.

AJP said the deal aims to further develop artificial intelligence to assist and support local journalism. In addition to the $5 million, OpenAI has committed $5 million in API credits to the organization, giving the organization broad access to OpenAI's growing catalog of AI products at the developer level.

"To ensure that local journalism remains an essential pillar of our democracy, we need to be conscious of the potential power and pitfalls of new technologies," said Sarabeth Berman, chief executive of the U.S. News Project, in a statement. With this partnership, our goal is to promote the ways in which AI can enhance journalism, not harm it."

The American News Project was established in 2019 to support nonprofit news organizations. The AJP said the funding will be used to establish a technology and artificial intelligence studio and build a team to evaluate applications of artificial intelligence, and plans to provide grants to support other media organizations exploring the potential of artificial intelligence.

Last week, the Associated Press said it had signed a deal with OpenAI, which will give the artificial intelligence creator access to the AP's vast archive of news stories dating back to 1985. In exchange, AP said the agreement would allow the media access to AP OpenAI's suite of products and technologies.

"We're delighted that OpenAI recognizes that fact-based, nonpartisan news content is critical to this growing technology," said Kristin Heitmann, AP senior vice president and chief revenue officer. , and they respect the value of our intellectual property."

In addition to working with media organizations, OpenAI recently signed a six-year deal with stock media platform Shutterstock. The deal gives OpenAI access to stock photos, videos and music hosted on Shutterstock. All three groups represent constituents that many believe are directly threatened by the generation of artificial intelligence.

While the AJP is enthusiastic about the potential of using AI to report news, the group does acknowledge the technology's shortcomings, including its potential to be used to spread misinformation. In June, the United Nations issued a warning against bad actors using AI-generated deepfakes to spread misinformation on social media.

“These risks are exacerbated by rapid advances in technologies such as generative artificial intelligence. It is clear that business as usual is not an option,” UN Secretary-General Guterres said at the time.