In a groundbreaking initiative, Microsoft and OpenAI, in collaboration with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, have launched the AI Collaborative and Fellowship programme to help newsrooms adopt artificial intelligence (AI). Announced on Tuesday, the programme will see more than $10 million (approximately £8.3 million) provided in both direct funding and enterprise software credits to enhance AI adoption and innovation in journalism.

This two-year programme is designed to support local and independent journalism by empowering news outlets to explore and implement AI technologies. The first five news organisations selected to benefit from the initiative include Chicago Public Media, Newsday (Long Island, NY), The Minnesota Star Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Seattle Times. Each will receive $2.5 million (£2 million) in direct funding, with an additional $2.5 million in enterprise credits to access proprietary AI software.

The programme’s goal is to encourage newsrooms to leverage AI for a range of purposes, such as analysing public data, building news archives, and creating innovative AI tools tailored for journalism. These AI-driven tools are expected to help news outlets improve operational efficiency, manage vast datasets, and enhance the storytelling process.

The Lenfest Institute’s Local Independent News Coalition (LINC) will lead the collaborative effort with eight metropolitan news organisations in the US. Together, they will share insights, product developments, and technical knowledge to help replicate their innovations across the industry. The programme seeks to create a ripple effect, driving AI adoption in smaller newsrooms and ensuring the broader media ecosystem benefits from technological advancements.

A second round of grants will fund three additional news outlets. OpenAI, in a blog post, explained that recipients were chosen after a comprehensive selection process based on their potential to utilise AI for business sustainability and newsroom innovation.

This initiative highlights the growing importance of AI in journalism, positioning it as a key tool for the future of media.