Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger discusses the challenges facing journalism, including legal battles with AI companies over copyright and political pressure from the US government. The interview highlights the tension between technological innovation and the preservation of independent reporting.
Why it matters
The future of journalism is being reshaped by AI-driven information consumption and political scrutiny, impacting the sustainability of the news industry.
Sulzberger, who took on the publisher role about a decade ago and has been an influential leader in the Times’ much-lauded push into digital innovation, has no shortage of defending to do lately. Nearly three years ago, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies illegally used New York Times journalism to train AI models. That legal case, in which motions are still being filed about discovery requests, is only one front in a broader battle: The Trump administration is waging an ongoing war on press freedoms—most recently with an outrageous attempt to subpoena Times journalists over coverage of the president’s Qatar-gifted jet to be used as Air Force One—while AI companies radically reshape the way people find and consume information online.
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