The latest move is said to be part of a broader initiative at the newspaper to make room for more external opinion articles from other publications, Substack writers, and amateur columnists.

AI WRITING COACH ‘EMBER’ IN ACTION

Sources mentioned to The New York Times that Ember could automate many functions usually provided by human editors and offer a “story arc” tracker showing how a piece is progressing.

It is also reported that the tool has a sidebar displaying key sections of a story such as an “early thesis,” “supporting points,” and a “memorable conclusion.” The New York Times adds that writers can also access an AI assistant to provide prompts and “developmental questions.”

‘RIPPLE’ PROJECT AND HUMAN EDITORIAL REVIEW

The project internally called Ripple at the company and sources say articles will be accessible on the newspaper’s website and app without a subscription requirement.

According to The New York Times, as the publication aims to secure its first partnerships later this summer, the inclusion of an AI writing coach will be part of the “final phase” that could begin testing this fall. It is also reported that articles will be reviewed by human editors before publication and this section will be separate from the newspaper’s current opinion section.

WINDS OF CHANGE AT THE WASHINGTON POST

The Washington Post has undergone significant changes in the past few months. The newspaper’s owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly intervened to cancel its support for Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.

According to a February article in The New York Times, the billionaire then told staff that the Post would no longer publish opinion pieces against “freedom of expression and free markets”.

The Ripple project aims to appeal to readers seeking “greater diversity” than the newspaper’s current opinion section.