11:22 am - April 4, 2025
Bulletin, which uses Google’s Gemini to summarise its journalism, hits one million views in a day
The Independent’s new AI-driven news service, Bulletin, is outperforming traditional articles in reader engagement and has already surpassed one million views in a single day, according to UK editor Chloe Hubbard.
Speaking at Advertising Week in London, Hubbard said the service – designed to produce five to ten bullet summaries of existing articles – had “washed its face” commercially. The tool uses Google’s Gemini AI technology and is currently hosted in the top navigation of The Independent’s website, with plans for a standalone site, app and audio briefings.
The summaries are credited to the journalists who wrote the original pieces and are overseen by editors. “Lots of people want to read about things, but they don’t necessarily have the time to read 2,000 words,” said Hubbard. The focus is on complex topics such as US tariffs or shifts in the automotive industry, though lighter stories with curiosity-led headlines are also included to drive traffic from platforms like Google Discover.
Independent chief executive Christian Broughton said Bulletin stories have, in some cases, ranked higher than full-length articles in Google search results. He also confirmed that the service had led to seven new hires, and rejected the idea that AI would result in newsroom cuts.
“The AI is becoming a really good journalist,” said Hubbard, who added that audiences often preferred the Bulletin format to full articles. Broughton said editorial oversight would remain central and stressed that all summaries would carry a human byline.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/bulletin-the-independent-ai-summaries-time-poor/ – This article discusses The Independent’s launch of Bulletin, an AI-powered news service that uses Google AI tools to summarize content for time-poor audiences. It highlights the role of journalists in overseeing AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and quality.
- https://www.1950.ai/post/the-independent-s-ai-bulletin-smart-innovation-or-a-shortcut-to-misinformation – This post explores The Independent’s Bulletin service, detailing its use of Google’s Gemini AI for generating concise news summaries. It addresses both the benefits and challenges of integrating AI in journalism, including speed and the risk of misinformation.
- https://www.noahwire.com – This source could potentially provide further information on The Independent’s Bulletin service, although specific details about its content or engagement metrics are not directly available from the provided search results.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Independent – While not directly about Bulletin, this Wikipedia page on The Independent provides background information on the newspaper and its history, which contextually supports discussions around its innovative approaches to journalism.
- https://www.google.com/ai – This is Google’s AI platform page, which indirectly supports the mention of Google AI tools being used by The Independent. It provides information on the capabilities of Google’s AI technology, including content summarization.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears recent as it mentions ongoing developments such as a launch during Advertising Week in London. However, without a specific date, it’s hard to assess if it’s been reported before.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
While direct quotes are provided, their origin could not be independently verified online due to lack of specific sources or dates. The quotes seem to originate from recent statements by UK editor Chloe Hubbard and CEO Christian Broughton.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable publication, Press Gazette, known for its coverage of the media industry.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about The Independent’s AI-driven service align with broader trends in the media industry regarding AI integration. The reported engagement and future plans suggest a plausible and ongoing initiative.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears fresh and well-supported, with a high level of source reliability. While some quotes lack verification, the overall context and plausibility suggest a credible report.
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