Axios is increased presence in local newsletters from 30 to 34 cities. Trick? OpenAI is funding it. Continuing to pretend to benefit newsrooms, OpenAI partners with Axios in a three-year contract to cover Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Kansas City, Missouri; Boulder, Colorado; and Huntsville, Alabama. What will OpenAI receive in exchange for its funding? Oh, just a skill to use Axios content that answers user questions.
Like the 20 or so news outlets that OpenAI already works with, Axios seems to have forgotten that the scorpion actually stung the frog. Instead we have this enthusiastic statement from Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei: “We launched Axios Local nearly four years ago with the bold goal of bringing local news to communities across the country. OpenAI's investment allows us to continue our expansion and helps us bring important local news to deserving audiences.”
Axios will be able to use OpenAI technology to create its own systems and products based on artificial intelligence. However, VandeHei issued a memo to employees stating that the aforementioned technology will not be used for reporting (of course, because no one has been fired in favor of AI before – oh wait, wait a little longer And the list goes on). Axios announcement however, it indicates that New York Times is currently suing both OpenAI and Microsoft. for copyright infringement, so perhaps there is some awareness of what this is getting into.