The New York Times Develops Internal Chatbot Amid Legal Disputes

In 2023, The New York Times began developing its own internal chatbot, aiming to improve its digital tools and stay competitive in the AI-driven world.

This effort surfaced during legal disputes with Microsoft, which is investigating how The Times uses AI in its reporting.

Microsoft’s legal filings included a Slack conversation from 2023, where The Times’ product team instructed developers to avoid using external large language models while they worked on their chatbot.

This revelation raises questions about the tools The Times has created and whether they have been integrated into its operations.

So far, there is no confirmation on whether the chatbot is active or linked to the company’s recent technological updates.

The situation highlights the challenges media companies face in adopting AI while navigating legal and ethical issues tied to journalism and technology.