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Major Publishing House to Replace Hundreds of Jobs With AI

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Summary

Bild, a German tabloid owned by the major European publishing house Axel Springer, is planning to replace hundreds of human editorial jobs with artificial intelligence. This includes roles such as editors, print production staff, subeditors, proofreaders and photo editors. This decision is part of a cost-cutting effort across Axel Springer's other brands, and could be a sign that other publishers will soon follow suit. However, AI-generated text still tends to lack a sense of depth, and may be unreliable in terms of fabricating citations, quotes, and facts. The move has been met with criticism from the German Journalists' Association, who deemed it "antisocial towards employees" and "extremely stupid economically".

Q&As

What publishing house is replacing hundreds of editorial jobs with AI?
Axel Springer is replacing hundreds of editorial jobs with AI.

What roles are expected to be replaced by AI?
Editors, print production staff, subeditors, proofreaders and photo editors are expected to be replaced by AI.

What have been some of the other cost-cutting efforts by Axel Springer?
Other cost-cutting efforts by Axel Springer include cutting a large chunk of employees at Insider earlier this year.

How is AI-generated text perceived in comparison to independent journalism?
AI-generated text is perceived to lack a sense of depth in comparison to independent journalism.

What has been the reaction to this move by the German Journalists' Association?
The German Journalists' Association has condemned the automation effort as "not just antisocial towards employees, but also extremely stupid economically."

AI Comments

👍 It is great that a major publishing house is experimenting with incorporating AI into their workflows in order to become a more efficient digital media company.

👎 This decision to replace hundreds of human jobs with AI is extremely concerning, as AI-generated text tends to lack depth and is unreliable.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about a major publishing house that is replacing over a hundred human editorial jobs with AI. It's a major escalation in the use of AI and could have major implications for the media industry.

Friend: Wow, that's huge. It's scary to think about how AI could replace so many roles in the publishing industry. It could potentially lead to a decrease in quality of content, as AI-generated text still tends to lack depth. It could also lead to the fabrication of citations, quotes, and facts.

Me: Yes, that's a real concern. People are already criticizing the move as being both antisocial and economically stupid. It will be interesting to see how this move affects the industry in the long-term.

Action items

Research the potential implications of AI-generated content for the media industry.
Reach out to media professionals who have experienced job displacement due to AI automation and learn from their experiences.
Consider the ethical implications of using AI to generate content and how it could impact the accuracy and reliability of journalism.

Technical terms

AI (Artificial Intelligence): AI is a form of computer technology that is designed to simulate human intelligence and behavior. It is used to create systems that can think, learn, and act like humans.
Automated Processes: Automated processes are computer-controlled processes that are designed to run without human intervention. They are used to automate repetitive tasks and reduce the amount of time and effort required to complete them.
Generative AI Tools: Generative AI tools are computer programs that are designed to generate content, such as text, images, or audio, based on input data.
Synthetic Content: Synthetic content is content that is generated by a computer program, rather than created by a human.