Bastion Digital is partnering with the Google News Initiative (GNI) to develop and lead an AI pilot program for newsrooms across Australia. The GNI AI Workshops program aims to support up to 12 small to medium news organisations to experiment with and learn about generative AI within a structured framework.

The 16-week program is open to newsrooms of varying AI expertise levels and will provide tailored training, one-on-one mentoring, and support to launch AI-driven content, product and revenue experimental pilots using Google’s tools.

The program is led by Bastion Digital’s Director Jenni Ryall, a former journalist, editor and media executive, and Principal Consultant Shaun Davies, who has a background in journalism and AI applications for news content.

Applications for the program are open until September 10, 2024. The program will utilise Google’s tools, including Gemini, Pinpoint, and AI Studio, to run experiments on content, product and revenue.

"Publishers in Australia are coming to Google seeking guidance and tools on how to take advantage of generative AI, which is at the core of many of our products. The GNI AI Workshops will continue our strong history of working with the news ecosystem to grow their audiences by understanding digital tools, including AI," said Google News Lab Lea,d Uma Patel.

Patel said: "The more publishers start experimenting with the technology, the more they will understand which opportunities are most valuable and how to maintain editorial control in their processes."

"The information ecosystem is continuing to evolve at intense speed – and supporting news organisations to innovate with the newest tools on the market is essential to equipping them for the future. We provide a tried-and-tested experimental and safety framework to ensure news organisations are comfortable to play and learn with these new technologies," said Bastion’s Jenni Ryall.

Industry advisors for the program include Lisa Muxworthy, the former editor-in-chief of news.com.au, and AI expert Dr Jason Jingshi Li, the founder of technology consultancy Learning Machines.

"AI has the potential to increase efficiency in the newsroom and, with a focus on innovation, introduce more creative ways to connect with audiences, but it's important to consider when and how the technology is used. My role as an advisor on this program is to ensure that experiments with generative AI products are conducted in a manner that benefits newsrooms while respecting their values and maintaining journalistic integrity," said Muxworthy.