Microsoft and OpenAI Invest $10 Million to Integrate AI in Local Newsrooms

The initiative, in partnership with the Lenfest Institute, aims to enhance business sustainability and innovation in journalism through AI tools and fellowships.

Five metro news organizations, including Chicago Public Media and Philadelphia Inquirer, will receive funding and software credits to implement AI technologies.
The program provides each outlet with a two-year AI fellow to develop projects focused on AI integration and business sustainability.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to explore AI's potential in local journalism, including transcription, content summarization, and audience engagement tools.
OpenAI and Microsoft are each contributing $2.5 million in direct funding and $2.5 million in software credits, with plans to support additional news organizations in a second grant round.
The program seeks to uphold ethical standards in AI use while addressing the challenges of AI-related copyright lawsuits faced by OpenAI and Microsoft.