Bloomberg’s AI-Generated Summaries: A Mixed Bag
Experimenting with AI in Journalism
Bloomberg, the financial news powerhouse, has been experimenting with using artificial intelligence to help produce its journalism. While the idea is to provide a quick summary of the main points of an article, it hasn’t always gone smoothly.
Correcting Errors
The news outlet has had to correct at least three dozen AI-generated summaries of articles published this year. One such instance occurred on Wednesday, when Bloomberg broke news about President Trump’s auto tariffs. The article correctly reported that Mr. Trump would announce the tariffs as soon as that day. However, the bullet-point summary of the article written by AI inaccurately stated when a broader tariff action would take place.
Other News Outlets’ Experience
Bloomberg is not alone in trying AI. Many news outlets are figuring out how best to embrace the new technology and use it in their reporting and editing. The newspaper chain Gannett uses similar AI-generated summaries on its articles, and The Washington Post has a tool called "Ask the Post" that generates answers to questions from published Post articles.
Challenges and Controversies
However, problems have popped up elsewhere. Earlier this month, The Los Angeles Times removed its AI tool from an opinion article after the technology described the Ku Klux Klan as something other than a racist organization.
Bloomberg’s Response
Bloomberg News said in a statement that it publishes thousands of articles each day, and "currently 99 percent of AI summaries meet our editorial standards." The company added that it is transparent when stories are updated or corrected, and when AI has been used. Journalists have full control over whether a summary appears, both before and after publication, and can remove any that don’t meet their standards.
A.I. Summaries: Complementing Journalism
The AI summaries are "meant to complement our journalism, not replace it," the statement added. Bloomberg announced on January 15 that it would roll out the AI-generated summaries on top of news articles. The summaries consist of three bullet points condensing the main points of the article.
Editor-in-Chief’s Take
John Micklethwait, Bloomberg’s editor in chief, laid out the thinking about the AI summaries in a January 10 essay, which was an excerpt from a lecture he had given at City St. George’s, University of London. "Customers like it — they can quickly see what any story is about. Journalists are more suspicious," he wrote. "Reporters worry that people will just read the summary rather than their story."
Conclusion
While AI-generated summaries may have their benefits, such as providing a quick overview of an article, they are not without their challenges. Bloomberg’s experience highlights the need for careful editing and fact-checking to ensure the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many AI-generated summaries have been corrected by Bloomberg?
A: At least three dozen AI-generated summaries of articles have been corrected by Bloomberg this year.
Q: What are the benefits of AI-generated summaries?
A: AI-generated summaries provide a quick overview of an article, allowing readers to quickly understand the main points of a story.
Q: What are the challenges of AI-generated summaries?
A: AI-generated summaries can be inaccurate, omit important information, or provide incomplete context, which can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
Q: What is the future of AI-generated summaries in journalism?
A: AI-generated summaries are expected to continue to play a role in journalism, providing a quick and concise overview of articles. However, it is essential to ensure the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content through careful editing and fact-checking.
