Italian daily newspaper Il Foglio has created an insert for its print edition entirely using generative AI, down to letters to the editor. The “Il Foglio AI” is a four-page section wrapped into the slim broadsheet edition of the conventional newspaper. Il Foglio editor Claudio Cerasa called the AI edition “the first daily newspaper in the world on newsstands created entirely using artificial intelligence,” according to The Guardian.
Project is part of a month-long experiment in journalists using AI
Journalists at Il Foglio used AI to create the headlines, subheads, and article content for both political and human interest stories, as well as letters to the editor. One letter to the editor addressed generative AI itself, stating “AI is a great innovation, but it doesn’t yet know how to order a coffee without getting the sugar wrong.” (This was translated from Italian by The Guardian.)
Like many organizations, Il Foglio is experimenting with how employees might shift from creating content or products themselves into a role that might be more properly called prompt engineering. Cerasa said the project will last for one month and examine the impact of generative AI “on our way of working and our days.”
The Guardian did not specify which AI model was used to generate content.
AI-generated content and structure
The AI edition includes articles covering international and domestic affairs. The front page of the AI edition includes a feature on U.S. President Donald Trump, a critique titled “10 betrayals” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a positive story about income tax reforms in Italy. A human interest story on page two discusses a shift among young Europeans from steady romantic relationships to “situationships.”
According to The Guardian, the AI-generated articles adhered to journalistic structure, contained no grammatical errors, and were “straightforward” to read.
However, the article on Trump begins with a vague statement about the president’s notoriety, reading like an aggregation of other content and failing to bring in an Italian angle or offer a unique hook. (eWeek read the article using Google Translate.)
Cerasa maintains the AI edition qualifies as “a real newspaper.”
“It is just another [Il] Foglio made with intelligence,” he said. “Don’t call it artificial.”
Concerns about AI in journalism: Accuracy, copyright, and originality
The use of AI in journalism continues to be a subject of debate. While some media organizations explore AI-driven content creation, concerns persist regarding accuracy, originality, and intellectual property rights.
Last year, The New York Times and Daily News brought a lawsuit against ChatGPT maker OpenAI regarding copyrighted content. In January, authors including journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates brought a legal challenge against Meta alleging that the large language model LLaMA was trained using pirated copies of their work.
Generative AI is still prone to hallucinations. Since large language models remix existing content, some journalists and artists have found their output to be bland or to lack a specific voice or perspective.