Meta Partners with Reuters to Bring Real-Time News to Its AI Chatbot
Meta has announced a new partnership with Reuters that will see the return of news content to its platforms. Through this multi-year agreement, Meta's AI chatbot, Meta AI, will now be able to reference and provide links to Reuters' reporting when answering news-related inquiries.
Real-Time Responses
Starting immediately, users can expect to receive responses sourced from Reuters when inquiring about current events on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger through Meta AI. This collaboration marks Meta's first significant news partnership following the conclusion of previous relationships with publishers such as The Wall Street Journal for the now-defunct Facebook News tab.
Addressing Misinformation
While Meta has recently distanced itself from news content on its social platforms, the alliance with Reuters indicates a recognition that steering clear of news entirely is not viable as AI technology plays a more central role in Meta's offerings. Meta's AI will now furnish news-related queries with summaries and direct links to Reuters' coverage, ensuring access to information from a reputable and unbiased source.
Partnership Expansion
The agreement comes at a critical time as AI companies face increased pressure to combat misinformation, especially with the upcoming 2024 US presidential elections drawing near. Other tech giants have already made similar moves in this realm – OpenAI has partnered with various news outlets, and Microsoft recently pledged to compensate news providers for content utilized in its Copilot AI assistant.
Financial details of the partnership remain undisclosed, and it is unclear whether Reuters' content will contribute to the training of Meta's large language model, Llama. Reuters has been collaborating with Meta as a fact-checking partner since 2020, indicating a deepening of their existing relationship.
AI and News Content
This partnership signifies a cautious reintegration of news content into Meta's ecosystem, albeit through AI channels rather than traditional social media feeds. This strategic shift may assist the company in balancing user expectations for timely news updates while upholding its recent efforts to reduce political content on its platforms.
