Jennie Baird outlines the extensive overhaul of BBC.com at NewsTECHForum, aiming to enhance user experience and secure commercial revenues amid economic pressures. BBC Studios is undergoing an extensive transformation of its global digital news brand under the guidance of Jennie Baird, the organisation’s chief product officer, as part of efforts to enhance international consumer engagement. Speaking at the NewsTECHForum in New York, Baird outlined the substantial overhaul of BBC.com, which aims to modernise the platform in light of increasing economic pressures and to attract a more global audience. Launched nearly three years ago, Baird’s initiative is pivotal for BBC Studios,…

Diversity efforts among nine prominent media publishers are stagnating or regressing, according to a recent survey. Nine prominent publishers’ reports on workforce demographics reveal a mixed landscape in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, with a significant portion of the industry showing stagnation or regression in staff diversity. The findings, compiled by Digiday, highlight that approximately one-third of these companies have failed to make any notable progress this year. Condé Nast, Gannett and The Washington Post exhibited improved diversity in their staff compared to the previous year. In contrast, Business Insider, The Los Angeles Times and NPR experienced a decline…

The 51-year-old magazine is transforming into a multifaceted storytelling organisation, successfully adapting its journalism for film and podcasts. Publishers are exploring many different ways to diversify their revenue streams. For Texas Monthly, a prominent regional magazine in the US, this has involved adding a touch of Hollywood glamour. The magazine is increasingly positioning itself as a multifaceted “journalistic storytelling organisation.” This evolution began about five years ago when the publication refined its approach to content, enhancing its capabilities in multimedia storytelling. Under the leadership of Megan Creydt, the executive producer for TV, film and podcasts, the magazine has established a…

A new browser integrating ChatGPT’s capabilities will position itself against Google and Microsoft. OpenAI has unveiled plans to launch a new browser that harnesses its generative AI capabilities, integrating ChatGPT to transform the online experience for users. This initiative positions OpenAI to compete directly with dominant players such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The forthcoming browser is expected to build on the framework of OpenAI’s existing tool, SearchGPT, which is currently available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. SearchGPT enables real-time web access, allowing users to perform tasks ranging from retrieving specific information to aggregating content efficiently. OpenAI aims to expand…

The Chinese giant has launched Xiaodu AI Glasses, featuring an integrated AI assistant Chinese tech titan Baidu has introduced a new pair of smart glasses featuring a built-in AI assistant, marking its entry into the growing market of AI-powered wearable technology. This launch comes as Baidu also reported a slight decline in third-quarter revenue, although it exceeded market expectations. Earlier this month, Baidu unveiled its Xiaodu AI Glasses, designed to compete with Meta’s popular Ray-Ban smart glasses. With functionalities that incorporate Baidu’s Ernie AI and access to its extensive maps and search features, the glasses are equipped with at least…

The publisher aims to enhance cooking experiences for home chefs through personalised recipe suggestions. News Corp Australia has unveiled the introduction of an AI-powered virtual recipe assistant, dubbed “TasteBud”, within the popular Taste app. The new feature aims to assist Australian cooking enthusiasts in streamlining their culinary quests by offering tailored recipe suggestions based on the ingredients they have on hand and their specific dietary preferences. TasteBud is embedded in the Taste app, leveraging the well-established culinary resources of the brand, which boasts 50,000 tested recipes. This new feature is designed to interact with users in a conversational manner, allowing…

Financial firms offer many lessons for publishers in how to name their AI assistants, with varied strategies emerging that influence user engagement and perceptions of technology. Financial firms are increasingly exploring the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) assistants into their services, presenting a modern approach to customer service and operational efficiency. A significant design consideration that these firms face is the naming of their AI tools. The debate centres on whether giving an AI a human name encourages user engagement or creates confusion about the AI’s capabilities. Various financial companies have adopted differing strategies. Bank of America’s AI assistant, “Erica”,…

The trend of speeding up media consumption is gaining momentum, driven by cognitive adaptation and technological advancements. Fast-forward is no longer just for skipping ads. The practice of speeded-up media consumption is become increasingly prominent across many different kinds of media. Nicholas Quah, a critic with New York Magazine and Vulture, has publicly advocated for accelerating the playback of not just podcasts but virtually all forms of media. This trend, while contentious to some, aligns with evolving cognitive habits and technological conveniences. Podcasts have seen a notable shift in listening speeds. Data from Audible reveals that around five per cent…

Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet are set to increase their combined AI expenditure to more than $200 billion, marking a bold strategic shift in the face of previous investor concerns. The four largest internet and software companies — Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet — have revealed plans in their quarterly earnings reports to intensify their expenditure on artificial intelligence (AI) development, despite previous doubts from Wall Street. This year their combined capital expenditures are projected to exceed a monumental $200 billion, with expectations set to continue, if not increase, into the next fiscal period. Three months ago, criticism from investors…

Initially available to paid subscribers, OpenAI plans to extend access to its new search feature to free users and educational institutions. OpenAI has introduced a real-time AI-powered search feature to its popular ChatGPT platform. This new addition, initially available to paid subscribers and those on the waitlist for SearchGPT, will be extended to free users, educational institutions and enterprise clients in the coming weeks. OpenAI has not launched a completely new application but integrated this search capability into the existing ChatGPT interface. Users can either rely on ChatGPT to automatically decide when to search the web based on their queries…