October 23rd.Microsoftand OpenAI announced that they are offering up to $10 million (currently about Rs. 71,295,000) in grants to select media organizations to encourage them to experiment with newsrooms using the AI ToolsThe grant includes $2.5 million in cash and $2.5 million worth of Microsoft and OpenAI software and corporate credit. The grant includes $2.5 million in cash and $2.5 million worth of Microsoft and OpenAI software and corporate lines of credit.
The news comes as the companies continue to face a series of copyright lawsuits, including from The New York Times, The Intercept, Raw Story, AlterNet, Center for Investigative Reporting and Alden Global Capital. These lawsuits continue despite the fact that the companies have entered into licensing agreements with a number of media organizations.
The first round of funding will be allocated to Newsday, the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Public Media and the Seattle Times. These media organizations will receive funding to hire a two-year fellow who will work on using Microsoft Azure and OpenAI credits to develop new AI tools and implement them in real-world applications. The program is part of a partnership between Microsoft, OpenAI and the Lenfest Media Institute to promote local media.
Tom Rubin, OpenAI's Chief Intellectual Property and Content Officer, said in a press release, "While nothing can replace the core role of journalists, we believe that AI technology can help in the research, investigation, distribution and monetization of important news."
Microsoft and OpenAI will later award grants to three additional media organizations. The AI applications these media organizations will explore include using the technology for transcription, content summarization, and creating a "conversational" search tool for archives.