This research project explores the journalism industry's reaction to new developments in generative artificial intelligence technology (ChatGPT, Google Bard, etc.). It focuses on the editorial policies and business strategies that have emerged to regulate newsroom uses of AI content production--what norms and practices have spread throughout the industry, and how have those norms and practices been created?

These questions are pursued through interviews with leading tech reporters and academics. The interviews are contextualized by extensive background research on the history of newsroom AI automation and contemporary frameworks for ethical AI integration. These two currents of research help form a conceptual framework that describes the debates, points of consensus, and conflicts surrounding AI in the journalism industry.

The study's main conclusion is that its own questions are somewhat unanswerable at present--the rapid speed of innovation and shifting attitudes of business leaders make it far too early to tell where industry norms will land. The study suggests that most journalists share this profound sense of uncertainty. Publications have hesitated to pursue aggressive AI adoption, especially for content production. The few that have pursued aggressive strategies have experienced public backlash that has served as a warning to others. Future work will be needed to assess the trajectory of policy standards and established norms as AI technology grows more complex and capable.