The ABC announced yesterday that it is about to launch itself down a slippery slope by evaluating the use of AI to generate digital news articles derived from radio bulletins.
I am disappointed. If the ABC does not invest the time and effort to write its own content, why should we, the people, put in our time and effort to read it?
The ABC has struck a deal with Anthropic to have Claude generate regional news articles, so that ABC journalists will have more time for “original news-gathering” and for doing “routine tasks more efficiently.”
Well, we the people have options. It is not difficult for regional consumers to prompt Claude as follows: “Claude, what’s happening in my neck of the woods that I would be likely to care about? Send me an update every morning.”
Claude will provide customised answers that regional Australians will be able to read faster than they can navigate to their local ABC website to read articles that were written by Claude anyway, but not customised for their interests.
ABC management should acknowledge that the written word exists to convey not just facts, but also the insights of the writer. The human writer.
The first sentence in the About the ABC section of its website says, “We provide trusted news and information to help Australians navigate contemporary life.” Where does it discuss outsourcing the work to Anthropic’s Claude?
ABC, the people of Australia deserve to be given a fair go.
Statement of Human Authorship
AI had no role in drafting or writing this note.
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