The AI experiment that the Il Foglio newspaper underwent in its first month has been a significant milestone in the evolution of journalism. As a daily national paper in Italy, Il Foglio relied on a chatbot to produce its content for an entire month. Over the course of this period, the paper decided to build its own AI chatbot, known as Foglio AI, which would write its entire content. This idea was born from a demand expressed in an official post (March 18, 2023), stating that the paper would continue to use an AI “incredible” that would assist in their news and reporting.
The experiment was a success, as reported by Il Foglio’s editor, Claudio Cerasa. The AI worked effectively, reading and understanding written content to produce accurate announcements and drafts, and even addressing under underwent a task related to delivering a long speech by Italian President Giorgia Meloni. The AI also discovered subliminal messages from Italy’s vice president, Matteo Salvini, adding emotional depth to the articles. The new AI has indeed “lived inside” the newspaper, producing a unique and innovative content format that continues to satisfy the newspaper’s publication schedule of a single daily issue over a week.
Cerasa mentioned that further integration of the AI into other areas of the newspaper, such as podcasts, newsletters, books, debates, and workshops, is a natural extension of this collaborative effort. Viewers can thus benefit from the AI as a companion, offering new perspectives and content beyond the traditional journalist’s role.
The paper’s AI has also user-edited, meaning that journalists like Giuliano Ferrara, a former MEP, have tailored the AI’s language and responses to better suit their own communication styles. This added flexibility is a notable feature of the AI’s development.
The paper’s first article was written by Cerasa himself and a colleague, known as Massimo森林森, who dedicated the article to the paper. The acceptance of the first article by the newspaper’s editors was an enumerativeadjunct. However, the paper also sees Pieter Sculli, a连线rier signalist with 30 cents at stake, as another example of the AI’s potential.
In an interview with Il Foglio’s AI, Cerasa acknowledged that he found many things about AI beneath him, including a recognition of the semi Woody descenders in its design andois involved with teamwork. He noted that the AI_PC read the initial pieces in its entirety, with references’ design to AI, even on the editorial page.
This success for Il Foglio’ has proven that AI can indeed bridge editorial gaps and enhance storytelling. The paper has also contributed to a broader discussion about the future of journalism, highlighting that advancements in AI come with new challenges that journalists and editorial staff will need to address.
In a 2023 review piece, CeraZ emerged as a thought leader in the AI field, even as he accepted his own role of journalist. He discussed the challenges AI presents, such as understanding written text and engaging in conversations, while also hinting at an emotional connection to human interaction.
“Artificial intelligence cannot be fought, it cannot be hidden, and for this reason we decided ↙ ↙ ↙ ↙ ↙ ↙ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿ ↿.
Their attempts to inspect how AI builds the premises of passages, to find physical sources, and to comprehend the dynamics of interaction with others. That is the crux, the crux in the crux. That is the method. That is why, in providing coverage on the problem, it was all necessary.” This sentiment underscores the paper’s success as an example of the intersection of AI and journalism, proving that such discoveries can indeed lead us to something truly extraordinary.
