AI in the Newsroom: 3 Easy-to-Use AI Tools to Try
Photo by Pixabay.
We’ve seen it for years in the movies we’ve watched, depicted in cartoons with predictions of its use upon inception, and the many murmurings over the past few years of its inevitability. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is officially here and at our fingertips!
In all fairness, artificial intelligence has been around for a very long time. There were developments and theories going back as far as the 1600s. The first AI program was a Chess Computer program created by Alan Turing. Since that moment, there have been many benchmarks in history that have led us to where we are today with AI.
With its inevitability, we all must adapt to AI in our personal and professional lives. How does that affect those that work in the media and the newsroom who traditionally sourced news themselves or via their network? For one, adapting to new technology is one of the skills journalists say will be needed by the next generation of reporters.
But with all the tools being introduced, where does one start? Here are just a few tools that media professionals can adopt in their day-to-day as they begin to navigate the world of AI and how it will impact the industry.
1. For Writing: Copy.ai
Summary: Copy.ai is a copy generator that creates high-quality content with its built-in prompt library that helps generate ideas, brainstorm keywords and research, draft new copy, re-write existing copy, and even create new meta descriptions. After receiving the generated copy, the user can proof the content and make any adjustments to ensure that it fits the desired tone and subject.
Pricing: Copy.ai is free with a 2,000-word per-month limit. The pro version begins at $36 per month. Enterprise options are also available.
2. For Editing: QuillBot AI
Summary: Need help with that sentence you’ve reread a hundred times and can’t quite seem to get it right? The highlight of QuillBot is its ability to simultaneously rephrase any text shared while retaining the correct tone, vocabulary, and style. The tool can also help you rephrase content to be more creative, concise, or formal. Other standout features are the tool’s ability to check for plagiarism and its grammar checker.
Pricing: Quillbot’s free version is limited to 125 words. The premium version is $19.95 when billed monthly, $13.33 billed semi-annually, and $8.33 per month when billed annually.
3. For Design/Creative: Adobe Firefly
Summary: Adobe’s generative AI tool presents creatives and visual journalists with the ability to edit video, model 3D renderings, photo edit, and much more with available text prompts.
Pricing: Adobe Firefly is available with an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription that includes Photoshop.
Remember: Use These Tools Wisely
These AI tools are just a few of those available for journalists and those in media/newsrooms. Applications can range from helping journalists research a story to writing, editing, verification, and beyond. When using AI in media and as a journalist, it’s imperative to use it ethically as it can never really be held accountable for its work, but media personnel and journalists can. It’s extremely easy to rely on AI, but it should be a tool used in support of the traditional and valuable skills of those in newsrooms.
This article was drafted and written without the use of AI.
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Darnell Wilson Jr. is a Promotional Communication/Account Management professional with a love of story telling!
