260706 ABC News Channel 1PM — ABC AI

The ABC has told staff it’s embracing artificial intelligence through the organization. It includes rolling out tools to staff, hiring for AI-specific roles, and running a pilot program of using AI to help turn regional radio bulletins into online stories. The broadcaster says this technology can help journalists free up time for reporting. Experts and journalists warn misuse could damage trust in one of Australia’s most trusted news organizations. Cam Wilson is the ABC's national AI technology reporter and joins us here in the studio. The ABC emailed staff late last month, saying they’ve got a range of initiatives that we’re launching with the overarching idea that generative AI was created with ChatGPT at the end of 2022. It’s happening, and it’s a technology that we should try to embrace to get the benefits while mitigating the risks. The ABC is cautiously welcomed by unions and experts who said you know, if you do it as you say you're going to do it responsibly, then you could see this being something that we would like to see. Essentially, there’s a balancing act. The ABC initially stated its plans for rollout was cautious, but the AI principles put out in 2024 said that any use of AI needs to be disclosed. The ABC remains a little behind other public broadcasters around the world, and it's not practical to say every time AI use is used. It’s in all kinds of things now. AI touches everything now, so there are many places where AI uses. There are guidelines saying that if you're using this tool, you think it will affect how this content looks and feels to audiences, you need to tell them that. The ABC has also made a new guideline stating that the ABC needs to disclose any use of AI in the production of content. It’s not transparent because the initial principles put out in 2024 said that any use of AI needs to be disclosed. The ABC is glad I'm not the person who has to come up with these principles themselves.