AI threatens future of journalism, New York Times publisher warns

A.G. Sulzberger, The New York Times Chairman and Publisher, speaking at WAN-IFRA's World News Media Congress. Photo: WAN-IFRA

The publisher of the New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger, has warned that artificial intelligence companies pose a growing threat to the future of journalism by using publishers’ content without adequate compensation. Speaking at the ongoing 77th World News Media Congress organised by the World Association of News Publishers in Marseille, France, on Monday, Sulzberger said AI companies were benefiting from journalism while weakening the news organisations that produce it. According to him, the growing use of AI-powered chatbots and search tools is reducing traffic to news websites and undermining the revenue needed to support original reporting. “The companies driving A.I., already among the richest and most powerful in human history, are consolidating their outsize control over our data and our attention. “At the same time, they are failing to embrace a core responsibility that comes with this power — to ensure the public has access to trustworthy news and information,” he said. Sulzberger argued that AI firms were using copyrighted content from news organisations to train their systems and generate responses for users, often without permission. “As a result, I fear we are careening toward a future with fewer and fewer journalists to do the expensive, difficult work of original reporting — going to places, talking to people, digging up information, covering important issues and events, providing context and analysis, investigating the powerful,” he said. Related News Kwara seeks AI partnerships, urges ethical regulation of emerging technologies Nollywood can no longer use afrobeats songs without license, says filmmaker Drone will be my defence minister – Sowore The New York Times publisher said journalism remained essential to democracy and public accountability, urging news organisations to defend their intellectual property rights and push for stronger legal protections. He said AI models rely on four key ingredients: talent, computing infrastructure, energy and data, noting that while technology firms pay for engineers, data centres and electricity, they often resist paying for the content used to train their systems. “The word itself seems almost designed to make creative and expressive work sound trivial, a ubiquitous commodity. A.I. companies take ‘data’ without consent or compensation. Their explanations for the theft keep shifting. They say innovation requires it. “They insist they’re just taking facts, which no one can own.