TLDR:
– ESPN announced the use of AI to write game recap stories for under-served sports leagues
– Journalists are concerned about AI taking their jobs and argue for hiring more journalists
ESPN recently announced its decision to use artificial intelligence (AI) to write game recap stories for under-served sports leagues such as the Premier Lacrosse League and National Women’s Soccer League. The network aims to provide coverage for sports that are not fully covered by ESPN with human sportswriters, stating that using AI to cover these sports is better than not covering them at all. However, this move has sparked fear among journalists who worry about AI taking over their jobs. They argue that ESPN should hire more journalists instead of relying on AI to write sports stories.
ESPN assures that each AI-generated recap will be reviewed by a human editor for quality and accuracy. The network also plans to clearly label stories that were generated by AI as “ESPN Generative AI Services.” The use of AI is seen as a way to enhance coverage of under-served sports while allowing human journalists to focus on more in-depth and investigative reporting. ESPN chairman, Jimmy Pitaro, believes that AI can be beneficial for the sports industry and offer value to sports fans. While ESPN is not the first news organization to implement AI in this way, there are concerns in the journalism world about the quality and impact of AI-generated content.
Overall, the use of AI in journalism can be a helpful tool if used responsibly and judiciously. It has the potential to enhance coverage of niche sports and free up journalists to work on more important stories. However, concerns remain about the possible consequences of AI taking over traditional journalism jobs. It remains to be seen how this decision by ESPN will impact the future of sports reporting and the journalism industry as a whole.