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Exploring what the future of news could look like with the increasing prevalence of AI
This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development
Engaging the Gen Z Audience: Insights from Will Media
As we’ve seen throughout this report, the future of news delivery looks set to run alongside developments in AI technology, with the two entities becoming increasingly inextricable as we move toward a point where each of our individual online spaces is as unique, tailored, and personalised as our own homes.
Together with AI advancements, this future looks promising – particularly with the emergence of exciting new tools, such as personalised chatbots, which will revolutionise the way we get our news. These chatbots can deliver tailored news content to users based on their interests and preferences, enhancing the overall news delivery experience and driving engagement – all of which is surely good news in an age where misinformation poses a real threat to society.
By leveraging AI, news organisations can analyse vast amounts of data, detect patterns, and curate personalised news feeds, allowing individuals to stay informed in a more efficient and immediate way. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more sophisticated news delivery methods that cater to individual needs with increasingly specialised, nuanced applications.
What if?
Personalised Chatbots, such as SnapChat’s new ‘My AI’ application, will function as a news delivery companion: something like a very 21st-century paperboy/girl that delivers news stories to you on a daily basis – only, in this modern iteration, the stories are deliberately tailored to you.
‘My AI’, a product of social media platform Snapchat’s integration of ChatGPT, is not only capable of generating conversations but also offers an innovative way to consume news and promises to deliver important information in the readily digestible format preferred by Gen-Zers.
Harnessing the power of ChatGPT, My Al can curate and deliver news updates to users within the Snapchat platform. While this feature has the potential to enable users to stay more informed and engaged with current events, its current state still has limitations in terms of response capabilities.
The concept of sitting down to your morning coffee and, rather than the thud of a thick newspaper landing on your doorstep, it’s an irresistible ‘ping’ that lets you know your specially curated rundown of today’s events and current affairs is already here, ‘My AI’ is a natural next step.
The integration of My AI with Snapchat’s chatbot interface enables users to have interactive conversations with the AI ‘persona’ in order to glean additional insights, receive recommendations, and subsequently get the most out of your news service.
You can ask it specific questions and so begin to understand the personal relevance of a story to you, as well as ask for information on how new developments in one story might affect others or impact things on a wider scale.
An example
For example, you might ask your news companion how the Russia/Ukraine conflict will affect global gas prices (information which, a year ago, would have been invaluable to economies across Europe).
Now is the perfect time to prepare
In its current state, the technology has not yet reached the level that we are envisioning. Making today the perfect opportunity to begin preparations for where the technology is heading.
Our example is shown below on Snapchat’s My AI.
As Wojciech Ehrenfeld, Head of IT Services for Ring Publishing Poland, says in the 2023 WAN-IFRA Report:
For newsrooms, there are two pillars: the first is well known, that content is the king. And the second pillar is delivery – delivery is the queen right now; she calls the shots. AI is helping to deliver the content to the right audience thanks to personalisation technologies and to technical topics – personalisation is almost impossible by humans.
Wojciech Ehrenfeld, Head of IT Services for Ring Publishing Poland, slide 14/21 of WAN-INFRA Report
Moreover, the integration of AI technology in news delivery allows for efficient content curation and filtering. My AI can analyse vast amounts of news articles and prioritize the most relevant and reliable information for users, which can help combat the issue of information overload and ensure that users are exposed to accurate and trustworthy news sources.
According to Snap’s CEO Evan Spiegel in an article in The Verge:
The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day.
Evan Spiegel
and so this,
Implementation treats generative AI more like a persona.
Snapchat releases ‘My AI’ chatbot powered by ChatGPT – The Verge
We can, therefore, envisage a future wherein individuals and news content collide in previously unimaginable ways.
Offering convenience, personalisation, and efficient content curation at users’ fingertips, tools such as My AI and the slew that are sure to follow its lead herald the beginning of an exciting new era in news delivery. Though, as with anything relating to AI technologies, care must be taken to avoid some rather insidious pitfalls.
This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development
With key insights into how AI is influencing Gen Z’s media habits – from content personalisation to combating information overload – the report demonstrates clearly how AI is becoming an essential tool in creating a more resonant media experience for Gen Z.
Click here to access the report
