Loading summary
A
Today on the podcast, we're going to talk about two big deals, one with OpenAI and one with Google, both involving making new deals with the news. This is something that's really interesting because we've essentially seen this trend for a while, but it seems like it's picking up. And today in regards to OpenAI, we found out that OpenAI is bankrolling Axios expansion into four new markets. This is one of the first times where we actually get inside the deal that's going on. We get a little bit of intel and we are literally seeing, you know, news organizations that have been struggling for quite a long time over the last few years start to literally get funded completely by AI companies. So this is absolutely fascinating. I'll be breaking down everything going on. Before I get into that, I wanted to say if you've ever wanted to start an online side hustle or grow and scale your business with AI tools, I would love to have you as a member of the AI Hustle school community. We have over 300 members. Like last month this was a hundred dollars a month, but we've dropped the price. It is a January New year's discount to $19 a month. So if you want to get in, we record exclusive content every single week. Stuff I don't post anywhere else where I essentially break down exactly what tools, strategies, workflows I am using, what AI tools to grow and scale my businesses. So this is something that you'd be interested in doing. The link is in the description or the show notes. And, and I would love to have you as a member of the AI Hustle school community. All right, let's get into what's going on. The first thing I wanted to talk about is Google. So we're going to get into OpenAI deal in a minute because I think that's really interesting. But I want to say Google has just made a new deal with the Associated Press that's essentially bringing more real time info, real, more real time news into Gemini, their chatbot. Now, the reason why I think this is interesting is because this is an area that I think is going to be win or lose for a lot of AI companies. When I look at companies like Anthropics Claude that doesn't have access to the Internet, it blows my brain and I'm like, what is going on? This is terrible. It's like, honestly, one of the biggest reasons why I don't use Claude on a very regular basis. It's just not having access to the Internet very frequently. I am now finding myself using grok, which is grok.com and the reason why is because they have access to everything that's going down in real time. Because essentially this is Xai's tool. And so if you're going to ask it something like, you know, what is happening in politics today, if you go and ask that to, you know, something like Claude, it's going to struggle and it's going to say something like, I should note that my knowledge cutoff is April 2024. Okay, so. So last year, not very useful for me. It doesn't know what's going on. If you go over to something like grok and even ChatGPT is now doing great with Internet, it's going to be able to find stuff. So they're grabbing a lot of this information from news if they want it to be really cutting edge. And that's what these deals are essentially spelling out. This is what we're seeing with Google. And now OpenAI is making more and more of these deals. And I think the reason is because they all have to compete quite directly with grok.com, which is kind of the new standalone website. This used to just be built into, you know, it was just built into essentially X or Twitter. And that was not super. I don't know, in my opinion, like, I hate going to like another website, like a social media website to have to use a tool. So the fact that Grok now has just grok.com and they've made a standalone app on the iPhone, I think is very, very smart. Now if you go to Grok and you ask, you know, what's happening in politics, it's going to give you a breakdown. Donald Trump is preparing to be sworn in as president. There is, you know, substantial changes within the administration and it's talking about what's going on there, all of this stuff. You know, there's mention of Project 2025, whatever, it's just got all this stuff. And what's interesting to me is there's news sites that are sourced for all of this information, but also you can click on X posts and you can see what people on X are actually, you know, saying about the news and what's going on there. So you're seeing actual, you know, like commentary and people, whatever. And then you can also go over and look at all of the news sources with this. So this is very powerful, I think, I think Claude, 100% is going to lose out big time if they don't implement this. And we're seeing that, you know, ChatGPT does a fairly good job with this. So I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna roast them on this, but I think with all of this going down, we definitely are gonna need to see more and more of these kind of news deals because not everybody has access to, you know, the, just the giant data set that GROK has. And so Elon's XAI is gonna really start out competing a lot of these players. Okay, what is going on with the deal? So obviously they're trying to make this thing more useful. That's what Jafar Zayed, Google's VP of Global News part said. They said as we develop new AI offerings and products, we're identifying specific types of information and data that can help improve our products and services for people everywhere. This new feed will particularly, will be particularly helpful to our users looking for up to date information. So they're talking about the Associated Press. I made this deal with the Associated Press. They're going to be getting all of their articles in there. A lot of times when these deals happen it's like, oh, we could go train off of your data, AKA we like they already did, they already trained off of like associated presses data. They just don't want to get into a lawsuit. I'm assuming that's one element of it. The other element though is really like they want to have cutting edge information, you know, rag model that can go and grab the latest stuff that Associated Press is writing, probably get an API straight into like the most cutting edge news and they're going to compete directly with, with something like Grok essentially in that. So Google has a long standing relationship with them. Part of this is to use their data. OpenAI has also been making all of these deals and they have partnerships with Financial Times, Axel Springer and News Corp, which owns the Wall Street Journal. Then we also have, you know, Perplexity, which is kind of like the AI powered search engine that's competing with Google. And they have a program that they launch that essentially allows publishers to earn a little bit of revenue whenever their story is mentioned or there's kind of a link out to them. Now what's interesting is this is something that kind of launched or got announced back in July of last year. So this isn't anything brand new and I haven't heard a lot of people talk about how lucrative or any of the numbers related to that. But I do think this is a good, I think this is a good trend and probably a good way to, to see that we're, you know, we're getting some sort of monetization and compensation for people that are writing content that's getting included. So a bunch of these deals, like I mentioned, have this kind of training component. So Conde Nast, famously, the publisher, agreed to let a bunch of different AI players have licensing agreements to train their AI models on their archives, all of the content that they have. And this is like AI is saying, like, all these AI companies are like, oh, yeah, this is like, to make our model better. Really, I think it's just trying to shield them from copyright claims. So that's the big thing. But what's interesting here is there was a recent study done by Columbia University saying including the data from these news articles into the training set doesn't actually make these chatbots that much better. So Columbia University's TOE center for Digital Journalism, they did the study and they showed essentially that chat GPT from OpenAI misquoted content even from publishers that have agreements with OpenAI, meaning they got these agreements, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's accurately quoting the information there. So that is quite interesting. In any case, I think this is something that is going to be really important for a lot of news organizations. This is a great new monetization method, something that they are definitely struggling with right now. And so I think this is something we're going to see more and more of. Okay, last thing I wanted to cover is OpenAI's deal with Axios. They're essentially bankrolling Axios to expand into four new areas. Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Missouri, Boulder, Colorado, Huntsville, Alabama. They're expanding into four new local areas because Axios kind of has this thing where they'll go and make like newsletters and kind of this local news newsletter thing going on. I think it's very smart. Axios also uses a lot of AI to essentially help them come up with their news, their snippets, their summaries, what's going on. And no doubt they have deals with OpenAI sure to help fund their expansion. But I guarantee axios is using OpenAI as their AI provider to help them summarize and create a lot of their news services. So it's kind of like, you know, a deal where OpenAI is paying them. They're probably paying OpenAI in credits. Maybe they're even getting paid in credits. So this is very interesting. Axios or Open AI in a blog post said, in the next phase of our work, including our latest partnership with Axios, we're focusing on helping publishers more effectively integrate our tools to benefit their missions and their business. So really like they. Like I was saying, this isn't just about opening I getting access to Axios, but it's about OpenAI helping news companies use them instead of other people. So I think this is a great deal for both of these companies. I'm really curious to see how this rolls out with AI in the news in the future. Are journalists going to go extinct? Because everything's going to be written by AI and maybe just. And before you say like, oh, that's crazy, you know, who's going to write, who's going to find out information? I think citizen journalism is taking off to a huge degree last year on the right and on the left, I think we're going to see this more and more and people are just kind of publishing this on Substack or on X or on Blue sky or wherever. And I think that a lot of these news organizations that we see today are eventually just going to be AIs that have maybe like an editorial team, but they go and scrape these data sources, the conversations, the stuff there. Maybe there's people that go and review some of the facts to try to make sure it's legit. But at the end of the day, I think this is where a lot of news is going and so it's gonna be interesting to see where that goes in the future. But that's just me making my predictions. All right, if you're. If you enjoyed the episode today, the number one thing I would really appreciate is if you could leave a review for the podcast. I really appreciate them. I read them all over. On Spotify you just hit the about tab and on Apple you just leave some stars and some comments. I'd appreciate it if you are interested. Like I mentioned, don't forget to check out this AI Hustle school community. The link is in the show notes. If you're interested in growing or scaling your current business with AI tools, I break down everything you need to know with dozens of videos and an incredible community of over 300 people. Thanks so much for tuning in to the podcast today and I will catch you next time.
Podcast Summary: The Joe Rogan Experience of AI
Episode: AI Revolutionizes News: OpenAI and Google Partnerships
Release Date: February 10, 2025
In the latest episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience of AI," the host delves into significant developments in the intersection of artificial intelligence and the news industry. Titled "AI Revolutionizes News: OpenAI and Google Partnerships," the episode explores major partnerships between leading AI companies like OpenAI and Google with prominent news organizations. The discussion highlights the implications of these collaborations for both the future of journalism and the AI landscape.
OpenAI’s Expansion through Axios
One of the central topics is OpenAI's collaboration with Axios, where OpenAI is financing Axios's expansion into four new markets: Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Missouri, Boulder, Colorado, and Huntsville, Alabama. This move not only supports local journalism but also integrates AI tools to enhance Axios's news production.
Monetization and AI Integration
OpenAI is not just providing financial support but is also facilitating the integration of AI tools to help news organizations streamline their operations. By offering AI-powered summarization and content creation, OpenAI aims to make news production more efficient and scalable.
Enhancing Gemini with Real-Time News
The host discusses Google's new deal with the Associated Press (AP), which aims to incorporate more real-time information into Google's AI chatbot, Gemini. This partnership ensures that Gemini delivers up-to-date news, enhancing its competitiveness against other AI models lacking similar capabilities.
Competitive Edge in AI News Delivery
By leveraging AP’s extensive news resources, Google seeks to provide Gemini with a continuous stream of fresh content, positioning it strongly against competitors like Anthropic’s Claude, which lacks consistent internet access for real-time updates.
Comparing AI Models: Claude vs. Grok
A significant portion of the discussion centers around the necessity of real-time data access for AI models. The host contrasts Anthropic’s Claude, which has limited internet access and lagging knowledge cutoffs, with Xai’s Grok, which provides up-to-date information by sourcing data from current news and social media.
Implications for AI Competitiveness
The ability to access and integrate real-time news data is highlighted as a critical factor that could determine the success or failure of AI chatbots in the competitive market. Models like Grok that offer real-time updates are seen as having a significant advantage over those that do not.
OpenAI’s Partnerships with Major Publishers
OpenAI has established agreements with several major publishers, including Financial Times, Axel Springer, News Corp (owner of the Wall Street Journal), and Conde Nast. These partnerships involve licensing agreements that allow AI companies to train their models using publishers' archives, ensuring access to a vast array of quality content.
Monetization Strategies for News Organizations
The host highlights innovative monetization methods where publishers can earn revenue when their content is referenced or linked by AI-powered platforms. This approach provides a new income stream for struggling news organizations.
Effectiveness of AI Training with News Data
A noteworthy point of discussion is a recent study by Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism, which found that incorporating news articles into AI training datasets does not significantly enhance chatbot performance. The study revealed that models like ChatGPT sometimes misquote content even from publishers with licensing agreements, raising questions about the efficacy of such partnerships.
Implications for Future AI-News Collaborations
This finding underscores the need for more robust methodologies in AI training and highlights potential limitations in current AI-news partnerships. It suggests that while data access is crucial, the quality and implementation of that data are equally important.
Predictions on Journalism Evolution
Towards the end of the episode, the host speculates on the future of journalism, contemplating whether traditional journalism roles might diminish as AI becomes more integrated into news production. The possibility of AI-driven news outlets supported by minimal editorial oversight is discussed, alongside the rise of citizen journalism as a complementary force.
Balancing AI Efficiency and Human Oversight
The discussion emphasizes the importance of maintaining human oversight to ensure the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated news, suggesting a hybrid model where AI handles routine tasks while humans focus on critical analysis and fact-checking.
The episode "AI Revolutionizes News: OpenAI and Google Partnerships" offers a comprehensive exploration of how AI companies are reshaping the news industry through strategic partnerships and innovative monetization models. While these collaborations present promising opportunities for enhancing news delivery and supporting struggling news organizations, they also raise important questions about the accuracy of AI-generated content and the future role of human journalists. As AI continues to evolve, the balance between technological advancement and human oversight will be crucial in determining the trajectory of journalism in the digital age.
Notable Quotes:
[06:45] “Google has just made a new deal with the Associated Press that's essentially bringing more real-time info, more real-time news into Gemini, their chatbot.”
[10:15] “If you ask something like, what is happening in politics today, Claude is going to struggle and say my knowledge cutoff is April 2024. Grok, on the other hand, can provide a comprehensive and current overview.”
[16:45] “Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, launched a program allowing publishers to earn revenue whenever their story is mentioned or linked, offering a much-needed monetization avenue.”
[18:30] “OpenAI has partnerships with Financial Times, Axel Springer, News Corp, and more, allowing them to train their AI models on extensive and reputable news archives.”
[21:10] “Columbia University’s study showed that ChatGPT misquoted content from publishers it’s partnered with, indicating that merely having access to data doesn’t guarantee accuracy.”
[24:30] “OpenAI is essentially bankrolling Axios to expand into four new areas... Axios is using OpenAI as their AI provider to help them summarize and create a lot of their news services.”
[25:50] “Are journalists going to go extinct because everything’s written by AI? I think citizen journalism is taking off, and we'll see more AIs with editorial teams scraping data and verifying facts.”
This summary encapsulates the episode's key discussions and insights, providing a structured overview for readers unfamiliar with the podcast. It highlights the strategic moves by OpenAI and Google in the news sector, examines the competitive landscape among AI models, and contemplates the evolving role of journalism in an AI-driven future.