The New York Times hires Quartz co-founder to lead AI initiatives in news production

The New York Times has hired Zach Seward, co-founder of Quartz, as its first editorial director for AI initiatives. Seward will work with newsroom leadership to establish guidelines for the use of generative AI in news production. He is also expected to build a small team to experiment with AI tools, prototype ideas, and design AI training programs for journalists. The move comes as news organizations are cautiously exploring AI tools for tasks such as automating publishing and generating headlines. AP has an official partnership with OpenAI. The Times has already begun allowing newsroom staff to experiment with AI tools. But concerns remain about the potential impact on quality, jobs, and transparency, as recent examples show.