Is the era of AI writing newspapers upon us? The "quiet revolution" brought about by a Swedish newspaper company
Hello, I'm John, and I write a blog that explains AI technology in an easy-to-understand way!
We often hear people asking, "Will AI take away people's jobs?" However, today I would like to introduce some very positive news: "AI will help people and allow them to focus on their real jobs." The story takes place at Bonnier News, a major newspaper company in Sweden, a Nordic country. The "quiet revolution" they have achieved in the production of print newspapers is likely to provide a big hint when thinking about how we will work in the future.
It used to take six hours...newspaper production is a race against time
The newspapers we read every day. Do you know how each and every page is created? Where to place each article, and how large to make each photo? Deciding this is a task called "layout (page editing)." In the past, this task was done by professional editors, one by one, by hand.
Bonnier News also uses 16 pages of paper to lay out XNUMX pages of a local newspaper.4 to 6 hoursWith the deadline fast approaching, it was a race against time to lay out the information accurately and in an easy-to-read format within the limited time available. Reporters and editors not only spent a lot of time writing articles, but also on this layout work.
AI is the savior! The miracle of "Auto Print"
What dramatically changed this situation was Autoprint, an AI-enabled tool developed by Bonnier News. This tool is truly a savior for newspaper production. What exactly can it do?
Put simply,"A system in which AI automatically places articles and advertisements on the page."Specifically, AI will take over the following tasks:
- Articles written for the website are automatically streamed into the newspaper pages.
- Judge the importance of the article, the number of characters, and whether or not it has a photo, and place it in the most optimal location.
- We follow the design rules for the entire newspaper and create a beautiful, unified page.
* Adjust your ad to fit neatly within the space provided.
All of this is processed automatically by AI based on rules. It's like AI instantly solving complex puzzles that previously took humans hours to solve.
6 hours → 20 minutes! Amazing time-saving effect
So, how effective do you think has been as a result of introducing this "Auto Print" function?
The answer was astonishing. A 4-page layout that once took 6-16 hours took just XNUMX minutes.Only 20 minutesThis is revolutionary - the savings add up to hundreds of hours per day.
This dramatic change has had a huge impact on Bonnier News: reporters and editors who were previously drowning in layout tasks can now spend their time on more important tasks.
Will AI take away our jobs? No, it will put journalists back in the lead role.
Let's go back to the beginning of this article. You might be worried that if AI automates work, it will eliminate human jobs. However, Magnus Hultman, head of Bonnier News, firmly denies this.
His thoughts were,"AI is not meant to take away journalists' jobs, it's meant to put them back in the spotlight."That's it.
They believe that repetitive tasks like layout should be left to AI, and that human journalists should spend more time on creative, essential work, such as interviewing people, talking to local people, and writing high-quality articles. AI is not an "enemy" that takes away jobs, but a "reliable partner" that takes on tedious tasks.
Thanks to this initiative, Bonnier News has16 new local newspapers launchedThis is a great example of how the power of AI can revitalize local journalism in tough times when cost reduction is a must.
A good relationship between AI and humans
Of course, we don't leave everything to the AI. The layout created by Auto Print is always checked by a human editor called a "print editor" at the end, who makes minor adjustments if necessary. It is ultimately humans who guarantee the final quality.
The overwhelming speed of AI and the final decision-making ability of humans. Combining these two has made it possible to achieve "ideal collaboration between AI and humans" that balances efficiency and quality.
I felt that this Bonnier News case study was very encouraging, showing how AI will change the way we work. Rather than fearing AI as a "threat that will take away our jobs," how can we utilize it as a "partner that helps us?" It seems that such a positive perspective will become important in the coming age.
This article is based on the following original articles and is summarized from the author's perspective:
Bonnier News transformed its print production through
automation