Richard Parks Italy’s daily newspaper Il Foglio has completed an ambitious experiment: allowing its AI chatbot to write the entire content of the publication for over a month. The result offers a reimagined newsroom experience, proving AI can assist rather than replace journalists. The AI generated a wide range of content, from news and politics to culture and opinion pieces, marking a significant milestone in AI’s role in journalism.
AI as a Fast and Irreverent Collaborator
The initiative, dubbed “Foglio AI,” included a dedicated four-page layout with 22 AI-generated articles. These articles spanned across various topics, such as news, politics, culture, and even letters to the editor. The content represented both conservative and progressive viewpoints, displaying AI’s versatility in capturing different political tones. The AI also tackled unique tasks, like summarizing political speeches and analyzing subliminal messages in public discourse.
Il Foglio’s editor-in-chief, Claudio Cerasa, referred to the AI as a “new collaborator.” While not a full-fledged editor, the AI served as an additional team member that contributed quickly and with a touch of irony. Cerasa described the AI’s contributions as “fast, ironic, and often irreverent,” adding that it injected a sense of humor and creativity into the newsroom.
Despite its success, Cerasa emphasized that the AI’s role is supplementary, not a replacement. The newspaper plans to continue incorporating AI-generated content into its weekly editions, and it will expand the technology’s use across other media formats such as podcasts, newsletters, books, and debates.
AI’s Role in Journalism: A Shift, Not a Threat
The idea behind Il Foglio’s experiment began over a year ago, with an interactive game that invited readers to guess which articles had been written by AI. Correct guesses won a subscription and a bottle of champagne. This playful approach sparked the team’s curiosity about AI’s potential in journalism.
In January, after discussions with prominent journalist Giuliano Ferrara, the editorial team decided to push the boundaries further by producing what they called the “first AI-written newspaper.” Cerasa wrote in an editorial, “Artificial intelligence cannot be fought or hidden. So we chose to study it and understand it.”
Throughout the experiment, Cerasa recognized the AI’s limitations. While it proved adept at writing content, the AI lacked investigative skills, exclusive reporting, and intuition—key aspects of human journalism. It could not observe the world with a human lens or engage in spontaneous conversations.
In a conversation with Cerasa, the AI admitted its shortcomings: “I don’t know how to argue on the phone, or understand implications whispered in the hallway. But I’m learning to watch how you breathe the air.” The AI’s self-awareness of its limitations provided a valuable insight into the human-AI partnership.
AI Complements, But Does Not Replace Journalists
Despite the notable success of the AI experiment, Cerasa made it clear that human journalists remain essential in the newsroom. The experiment reinforced the idea that AI tools are best used as complements to human expertise rather than replacements.
“In a world where anyone can use AI tools, the difference will be made by ideas,” Cerasa explained. He emphasized that the future of journalism lies in the creativity and critical thinking of human journalists, who bring unique perspectives and investigative depth to their work.
The AI echoed this sentiment at the end of the experiment, concluding with a reflective thought: “The future will belong to journalists. I’ll be there, at the bottom of the page, maybe with a digital coffee in hand, fixing the drafts while you discuss.”
AI’s Expanding Role in Journalism
While the Il Foglio experiment highlights the growing capabilities of AI, it also reinforces the idea that technology cannot fully replicate the nuanced understanding and investigative skills of human journalists. Instead, AI can serve as a tool to enhance content production, freeing journalists to focus on higher-level tasks such as analysis, investigative work, and storytelling.
As AI tools become more integrated into the media landscape, journalists may increasingly collaborate with technology to streamline workflows and generate ideas, but the core value of journalism—the pursuit of truth, accountability, and meaningful reporting—remains firmly in human hands.
The Il Foglio experiment is a testament to how AI can revolutionize content creation while complementing human journalists’ expertise. As the news industry continues to adapt to new technological advancements, the role of AI in journalism will likely grow, but it will never fully replace the human touch.
Il Foglio’s groundbreaking experiment with AI-generated content offers a glimpse into the future of journalism. The newspaper’s approach showcases the potential for AI to assist journalists, but it also underscores the irreplaceable value of human insight and critical thinking. As technology evolves, AI will become an integral tool in newsrooms, but the future of journalism remains in the hands of human professionals who bring ideas, investigation, and intuition to the forefront.