AI presents a tremendous opportunity for journalism. Our industry, our businesses and our communities need us to meet this moment with ethics, integrity and focus.


About the Program

The AI in Journalism Initiative is your home for resources to learn, experiment with and incorporate emerging technologies into your day-to-day. The program also convenes thought-provoking conversations on trends and where you need to focus in the upcoming months to achieve greater audience reach and business sustainability.

ONA’s AI programming drives knowledge and strategy in news organizations through these key efforts in 2024:

  • Practical training: Multi-part series of virtual and in-person learning sessions examining specific ways AI tools have been incorporated into newsrooms, including applications for audience engagement, headline generation, elections reporting, data journalism and growth strategies.
  • AI Mini-Lab Sessions: Energetic, expert-led opportunities to play with a specific AI tool and explore use cases.
  • AI Innovator Collaborative: Monthly small-group gatherings for ONA members who are already experimenting with AI tools.
  • Convenings and critical conversations: Driving the discussions that will inform the industry’s use of these technologies. ONA will engage those leading AI efforts in journalism and technology companies, as well as explore key questions on areas such as ethics, copyright, equity and bias.

What We Offer

Practical Training

Virtual training sessions for journalists looking to get started with AI tools and explore different applications for news.

AI Innovator Collaborative

Monthly virtual gatherings for ONA members already experimenting with AI tools, to share ideas and learn from each other.

Mini Lab Sessions

Low-stakes, facilitated sessions to play and experiment with a new tool and see real-time use cases from others in the industry.

Partnerships

Explore opportunities to support the AI in Journalism Initiative, suggest a tool to feature in a Mini Lab Session or share fresh ideas.


All Events

Tuesday, Feb. 13 – AI Innovator Collaborative: Kickoff Session

Tuesday, Feb. 28 – Introduction to AI tools

Tuesday, March 12 – AI Innovator Collaborative: Business and Operational Uses for AI

Wednesday, March 20 – AI and Fact-Checking in an Election Year

Tuesday, April 9 – AI Innovator Collaborative: Trust and Transparency around AI Use

Wednesday, April 24 – AI Tools for Journalists Part II

Wednesday, May 8 – Leveraging AI in Your Audience Engagement Strategy

Tuesday, May 14 – AI Innovator Collaborative: Our Favorite AI Tools Edition

Wednesday, May 22 – Prompt Writing

Thursday, May 30 – AI and Visual Journalism: Ethics, tech, copyright and more considerations for newsrooms and photojournalists

Tuesday, June 4 – Ask Nikita Roy All your Newsroom AI Questions

Wednesday, June 5 – Prompt-Writing Mini-Lab

Friday, June 14 — AI + Transparency: How newsrooms can build and maintain audience trust

Tuesday, June 11 – AI Innovator Collaborative

Tuesday, June 18 – Image Creation Tools

Tuesday, July 9 – AI Innovator Collaborative

Wednesday, July 10 – Image Creation Mini-Lab

Wednesday, July 24 – AI Audio Innovations: Transforming Content Creation and Engagement

Monday, July 29 – Implementing AI in Your Classroom or Student Newsroom

Thursday, Aug. 8 – AI and Data Journalism

Tuesday, Aug. 13 – AI Innovator Collaborative

Thursday, Aug. 15 – Mini Lab: AI Tools for Audio Journalists

Sept. 18-21 – ONA24 in Atlanta

Tuesday, Oct. 8 – AI Innovator Collaborative

Tuesday, Nov. 12 – AI Innovator Collaborative

Tuesday, Dec. 10 – AI Innovator Collaborative


 

Get updates about new AI training and resources

Tell us what you would most like to see in future programming and where you’re located, which will help us explore potential regional opportunities.

 

Partners

Funding for ONA’s AI in Journalism Initiative is generously provided by Microsoft. To learn more about supporting ONA’s AI programming, contact Hanaa Rifaey, Head of Strategic Partnerships, at hanaa@journalists.org.


Additional resources

A Practical Newsroom Guide to Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a disruptive technology worldwide. With the advent of a variety of AI tools like ChatGPT, newsrooms have a unique opportunity to experiment and … Learn about this subject.

Powering Trusted News with AI: Navigating the Present and Shaping the Future

AI has arrived and will need to be adopted by newsrooms swiftly to keep up with audiences ever growing expectations when it comes to technology. There are many advantages of … Learn about this subject.

A Roundtable Discussion on the Latest in AI Innovation

  In September 2023, ONA hosted a redux of the popular ONA23: Philadelphia session, A Roundtable Discussion on the Latest in AI Innovation. Microsoft’s Liz Danzico and Matt Masterson and … Learn about this subject.

Join ONA

Become an ONA member for access to the AI Innovator Collaborative and for free or discounted registration to all AI training. ONA members help sustain our mission to inspire and support innovation in digital journalism.

Learn more about ONA membership