Can AI programs be trusted to report the news?

As local newspapers grapple with dwindling budgets and overloaded journalists, some newsrooms are experimenting with an idea that skeptics say threatens the very role of reporters: integrating artificial intelligence into the newsroom.

Editors remain cautious about the use of AI in reporting, one major reason being that it cannot distinguish between fact and fiction. But used responsibly, they say, it can provide a cost-effective toolkit to ease the load on local journalists while augmenting their coverage – for instance, with AI-produced summaries of city council meetings.

Silicon Valley AI firm...