The cross-functional group will explore, test and implement AI in Aftonbladet to make work more efficient and the experience for users more relevant.
“It’s important for us to not just keep up – but to lead this development,” says Martin Schori, deputy editor-in-chief at Aftonbladet.
The AI hub consists of seven employees from the news-, sports and podcast departments, and from the tech team.
The group will have full focus on identifying, experimenting and implementing AI solutions. It can be about new tools and services, but they will also investigate work processes to make them more efficient – and more fun. The hub must also ensure that Aftonbladet uses AI in a responsible and transparent manner.
“AI has taken the world by storm and all media houses are now investigating how to use it. Aftonbladet has a tradition of being at the forefront and the hub is a way of continuing to keep that position,” says Lena K Samuelsson, publisher at Aftonbladet.
The goal is not only to optimise how they work today but also to find completely new ways of delivering journalism to readers, listeners and viewers. Emilia Cederholm, Breaking News Editor of Sportbladet, is the project lead for the hub.
“It’s a very exciting project and I’m looking forward to working with this super engaged and talented team, who will now have the chance to dive into the world of AI and then pass it on to the entire Aftonbladet and our audience,” she says.
Since the AI boom last winter, several of Schibsted’s news media brands launched initiatives using new technology, including Aftonbladet. Among other things, they now have tools for automatic subtitling of videos and a transcription tool that converts sound to text in seconds. In addition, Aftonbladet has AI-generated summaries in selected articles on Aftonbladet.se.
“Technology is clearly not a goal in itself but a tool to achieve the goal: a modern and efficient news service. The hub will be an important part of this. It feels great that we can make such a big investment with competent and wonderful colleagues,” says Martin Schori.
