News Corporation Secures ‘Historic’ Partnership with OpenAI

News Corporation has unveiled a groundbreaking multi-year agreement with OpenAI, giving the artificial intelligence developer permission to use content from its renowned publications in response to user queries.

This strategic partnership aims to enhance OpenAI’s products with reliable and high-quality news sources.

The deal covers content from prominent News Corp titles including The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and The Australian. OpenAI will also gain access to the extensive archives of these publications, such as The Times, which dates back to 1785. However, the deal does not extend to content from other News Corp companies.

This partnership is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to work with media organizations to provide its AI technology with authoritative information, and ensure it operates within the boundaries of copyright law. Previous collaborations include partnerships with Axel Springer, Associated Press and the Financial Times.

Generative AI, which produces human-like content based on prompts, relies on large-language models created from massive data sets, including news articles. The quality of these models is directly influenced by the reliability and depth of the information on which they are based.

The creative industries have raised concerns about the unauthorized use of their content by AI developers. Several companies, including The New York Times and Sony Music, have taken legal action against OpenAI for using their intellectual property without proper compensation.

News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson highlighted the deal’s transformative potential for journalism. Speaking to Fox Business, he emphasized the importance of combining artificial intelligence with ‘real intelligence’ to uphold the standards of journalism.

In a memo to staff, Thomson recognized the deal as a pivotal moment for premium journalism in the digital age. He noted the challenges media companies face due to the dominance of digital distributors and expressed optimism in leveraging this partnership to protect and enhance the value of quality journalism.

Publicly, Thomson noted: “We believe this historic agreement will set new standards for veracity, virtue and value in the digital age. We are pleased to have found principled partners in Sam Altman and his talented team, who understand the commercial and social significance of journalists and journalism. This groundbreaking agreement is not an end, but the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, echoed these sentiments, describing the partnership as a proud moment for both journalism and technology. “We value News Corp’s history as a leader in breaking news and are excited to improve our users’ access to high-quality reporting. Together, we are laying the foundation for a future where AI deeply respects, enhances and upholds the standards of world-class journalism.”

This historic partnership marks a new era in the collaboration between artificial intelligence and premium journalism, promising to deliver insightful and integrity-based content immediately to users around the world.