By BBC
Sci & Tech
The curating of stories from news organisations and selection of
headlines and pictures for the MSN site is currently done by
journalists.
Microsoft is to replace dozens of contract journalists on its MSN
website and use automated systems
to select news stories, US and UK
media report.
The curating of stories from news organisations and selection of
headlines and pictures for the MSN site is currently done by
journalists.
Artificial intelligence will perform these news production tasks,
sources told the Seattle Times. Microsoft said it was part of an
evaluation of its business.
The US tech giant said in a statement: “Like all companies, we evaluate
our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased
investment in some places and, from time to time, redeployment in
others. These decisions are not the result of the current pandemic.”
Microsoft, like some other tech companies, pays news organisations to
use their content on its website. But it employs journalists to decide
which stories to display and how they are presented.
Around 50 contract news producers will lose their jobs at the end of
June, the Seattle Times reports, but a team of full-time journalists
will remain.
“It’s demoralising to think machines can replace us, but there you go,” one of those facing redundancy told the paper.
Some sacked journalists warned that artificial intelligence may not be
fully familiar with strict editorial guidelines, and could end up
letting through inappropriate stories.
Twenty-seven of those losing their jobs are employed by the UK’s PA Media, the Guardian reports.
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