Mirror owner publishes first articles written using AI
THE owner of the Daily Mirror and Daily Express newspapers has begun publishing articles written using artificial intelligence as it grapples with pressure to cut costs.
Reach has published two articles authored using an AI system called Scribe on its local news sites, its chief executive Jim Mullen said.
However, the announcement failed to halt a collapse in its share price, which tumbled as much as 12pc after it said annual operating profits had declined by 27pc.
The company, which also owns the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and hundreds of other regional titles, has outlined plans to cut hundreds of jobs as it battles rising costs and declining revenues.
Reach has used AI software to write articles on In Your Area, its local news and information site, as part of a test that could expand.
The pieces are shown as having been written by the Inyourarea Community without reference to them being produced by software.
In January US publisher Buzzfeed said it would start using the CHATGPT chatbot to help create pieces such as quizzes. Mr Mullen said that journalists at Reach’s titles had suggested use of the tool. He added: “There’s no corporate drive to produce content either quicker or cheaper. It’s about allowing our journalists to focus on stuff that they want to do.
“There isn’t any large-scale plan to remove editorial costs through AI. It’s there to support editorial.”
Reach said in January it would cut about 200 jobs in an attempt to save at least £30m. Print revenues fell by 3.5pc last year, with a 15.9pc drop in advertising. Digital revenues grew by 1pc.
Total revenue declined 2.3pc to £601.4m, and operating profits dropped by 27.4pc to £106.1m. Pre-tax profits were down 10pc at £66.2m, while Reach booked an extra £11m charge for legal costs related to phone hacking.
Under Mr Mullen, the former Ladbrokes boss appointed in 2019, Reach is expanding into the US. He said the company was hiring about 100 staff in Manhattan.
Shares have halved in the past year.