Il Foglio’s AI trial boosts sales and reshapes thinking

The results are in. Italian daily Il Foglio has reported a sales boost and positive reader engagement after a month-long experiment publishing AI-generated content alongside its traditional journalism.

Following the success of the trial, the newspaper plans to introduce a regular weekly AI supplement and use the technology selectively in areas outside its core expertise, such as astronomy.

Editor Claudio Cerasa described the project as a world first: a four-page print insert written entirely by artificial intelligence, distributed daily with the main newspaper throughout the trial. Speaking to journalists, he made clear that Il Foglio views AI as a complementary tool rather than a substitute for human reporters.

“Some publishers see AI as a way to have fewer journalists and more machines. That is very wrong and self-harming,” said Cerasa. Instead, he argued, AI opens new opportunities for newsroom roles, particularly for professionals skilled in asking the right questions and guiding the machine’s output.

Cerasa praised several aspects of the AI’s performance. He noted that it displayed a “genuine” sense of irony and could produce fast, detailed book reviews – tasks that would often take human writers considerably longer. However, he emphasised that the AI required careful, directive input. “It’s like a hitman: it does what you tell it to do, and nothing else,” he said.

The experiment also highlighted the technology’s weaknesses. Cerasa pointed out that AI lacks the ability to challenge ideas or editorial guidance, something he values highly in a newsroom. “If you give a journalist guidance for an article, for me it’s good to hear them say ‘no’, to hear them disagree with you. This discussion is fundamental but doesn’t happen with AI,” he said.

Accuracy remains another limitation. Cerasa recounted that the AI sometimes produced factual errors and outdated information, at one point refusing to acknowledge Donald Trump’s 2024 election win. “These machines reason in a probabilistic way and can get things wrong,” he warned.

This has been a problem that many AI journalism experts have observed. Some models are dealing with data from before last year’s presidential election and, in trying to be helpful, correct “President Donald Trump” to “former President Donald Trump”. In their world, it’s still President Biden.

Despite these flaws, Il Foglio’s editorial team concluded that the AI supplement was well received by readers. “The insert sold well, and readers liked it,” Cerasa said. Feedback gathered over the month-long trial showed that audiences appreciated the additional content and the experiment’s spirit of innovation.

In the weeks ahead, Il Foglio plans to publish an AI-written insert every Friday, while continuing to explore limited uses for the technology across other sections. Cerasa stressed that while AI will play a larger role, it must always serve journalistic goals, not replace them. “Technology must push us to do better journalism, not give up on it,” he said.

Source: Noah Wire Services