--- title: "Business Insider’s Parent Company Signs Deal With OpenAI" description: "Business Insider and Politico owner Axel Springer has announced a \"global partnership\" with ChatGPT maker OpenAI." date: "2023-12-13" modified: "2023-12-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/business-insiders-parent-company-signs-deal-openai" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "journalism" - "OpenAI" --- # Business Insider’s Parent Company Signs Deal With OpenAI ![Business Insider and Politico owner Axel Springer has announced a "global partnership" with ChatGPT maker OpenAI.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* German media giant Axel Springer, which owns *Business Insider* and *Politico* and many other publications, has [announced]() a "global partnership" with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to "strengthen independent journalism in the age of artificial intelligence." "With this partnership, ChatGPT users around the world will receive summaries of selected global news content from Axel Springer’s media brands," reads a [statement]() by Axel Springer VP Adib Sisani. "ChatGPT’s answers to user queries will include attribution and links to the full articles for transparency and further information." The announcement adds that "quality content from Axel Springer media brands" will be used to train its AI models. The timing of the announcement is interesting, to say the least. The news comes after the use of AI tech in journalism has flared up numerous controversies throughout the year, from [*CNET* quietly publishing error-laden]() and [plagiarized AI-generated material]() to *BuzzFeed* catching flak for publishing large numbers of [low-quality AI-generated travel guides]() to *USA Today* owner Gannett being forced to halt the publication of [flawed AI-generated sports roundups](). Most recently, [*Futurism* reported]() that renowned magazine *Sports Illustrated* had been publishing product reviews that were bylined by completely made-up writers with AI-generated profile pictures. Roughly two weeks of media coverage and outrage from the magazine's staff later, [several top executives]() and [the CEO]() of *SI*'s publisher The Arena Group have been fired. Only time will tell whether Axel Springer will have learned from these mistakes, and plenty of questions remain about its partnership with OpenAI. The statement is extremely vague; beyond enriching the "users' experience with ChatGPT" to create "new financial opportunities," we still don't know how deep the integration will go and how much human oversight there will be. According to Sisani's statement, ChatGPT's answers will "include attribution and links to the full articles for transparency and further information." But whether the output will be vetted by human staffers, let alone if writers and editors will ever be financially rewarded for the content they provide is still unclear. The journalism industry has already suffered several notable setbacks this year, with layoffs hitting countless publications including household names like *[Wired]()*, the [*Los Angeles Times*](), and the *[Washington Post]().* In many ways, Axel Springer's latest collaboration is likely an attempt to find new revenue sources as ad dollars [keep drying up](). "We want to explore the opportunities of AI-empowered journalism," said Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner in a statement, "to bring quality, societal relevance and the business model of journalism to the next level." But whether the collaboration will end up being fruitful beyond lining the pockets of the media company's executives — or triggering even more AI content-related scandals — remains to be seen. After all, ChatGPT's glaring shortcomings have yet to be meaningfully addressed, from severe "[hallucinations]()" to [botched summaries]() of existing content. In other words, using AI for nonfiction purposes comes with plenty of risks, and staffers at Axel Springer's publications will have their work cut out to ensure their readers aren't being fed misleading information and potentially downright lies. **More on OpenAI:** *[Bizarre Theory Claims ChatGPT Is Suffering From Seasonal Depression]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()