Tech giant, Microsoft, is reportedly set to replace dozens of contract journalists as the company concludes plans to use automated systems to select news stories.
Curating of stories from news organisations, selection of headlines and pictures is currently done by journalists.
But soon, artificial intelligence will perform the tasks, Seattle Times reports.
The company has explained that the development was not due to coronavirus.
It explained that it was part of an evaluation of its business.
Microsoft said in a statement: “Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time to time, redeployment in others. These decisions are not the result of the current pandemic.”
By the end of June, around 50 contract news producers will lose their jobs but, full-time journalists will remain.
The Guardian reports that 27 of those affected are employed by UK’s PA Media.
“I spend all my time reading about how automation and AI is going to take all our jobs – now it’s taken mine”, one was quoted as saying.
(The Guardian)
