- A new digital media platform, Velora, utilises generative AI to enable a one-person newsroom
- The system coordinates news gathering, drafting, and publishing, with human editing at every stage
- Velora aims to transform specialised journalism and offers potential for white-label publishing solutions
A former editor of Cycling News has launched a digital media brand built to rethink the economics of specialist publishing, unveiling a “one-person newsroom” powered by generative AI.
Velora, created by Peter Stuart with co-founder Danny Bellion, has launched in beta after a five-week build. The project offers another live test – similar to Tomorrow’s Publisher – of how far automation can streamline reporting and production while keeping editorial judgment in human hands.
Stuart and Bellion, previously head of AI at fintech firm Capital on Tap, designed the platform so Stuart can operate as the sole editor while sustaining output on par with a small reporting team. The aim is not to mass-produce copy but to remove administrative overhead and leave more time for original reporting.
The system runs on a proprietary human-in-the-loop workflow developed by Bellion. It gathers and ranks news from hundreds of outlets, team sites and social feeds, identifies emerging topics and produces research briefs and outlines.
Once Stuart selects a story, the engine drafts copy for him to refine and check. It also manages the heavy lifting of digital publishing: verifying facts, selecting images, writing alt text, inserting internal links and uploading articles to the CMS. Stuart can publish by sending copy through Slack or email.
Stuart, who left Future’s Cycling News last month, says the goal is to counter low-quality AI aggregators by combining speed with human editing. “Anything with my byline has human involvement at every stage , and is always edited and signed off by me,” said Stuart in a launch statement on LinkedIn.
The site serves as a beta for Velora Digital, the underlying technology the founders hope to extend into other sports verticals. They are also exploring a white-label model for publishers seeking to cut costs without lowering standards.
- https://bikebiz.com/velora-cycling-unveils-new-cycling-media-platform/ – This article discusses the launch of Velora Cycling, a new cycling media platform co-founded by Peter Stuart and Danny Bellion, aiming to rethink how cycling journalism is produced by integrating AI while maintaining human editorial control.
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/peterstuartcreative_im-very-excited-to-announce-the-launch-of-activity-7404125023927500800-cIp3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAtYC40B2BEzj7j7pS_ZyvqvAhDvoyokHj0 – Peter Stuart’s LinkedIn post announcing the launch of Velora, highlighting the integration of generative AI in their ‘one-person newsroom’ model.
- https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/26/23773914/ai-large-language-models-data-scraping-generation-remaking-web – An article discussing the impact of AI and large language models on content generation and the web, relevant to Velora’s use of AI in journalism.
- https://www.wired.com/story/video-games-ai-copyright/ – A discussion on AI’s role in content creation and copyright issues, pertinent to Velora’s AI-driven publishing approach.
- https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-chatgpt-write-blogs-generate-ideas-best-prompts-2023-9 – An article exploring how AI tools like ChatGPT are used in content creation, aligning with Velora’s use of AI to streamline reporting and production.
- https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-isnt-good-enough-to-take-jobs-unlikely-mass-layoffs-2023-8 – A discussion on the limitations of AI in content creation, highlighting the importance of human editorial judgment, as emphasized by Velora’s founders.
Register for Editor’s picks
Stay ahead of the curve with our Editor's picks newsletter – your weekly insight into the trends, challenges, and innovations driving the future of digital media.
