What if your daily news was delivered as an AI-generated rap song? Or if an AI chatbot helped you process difficult news stories? These aren't scenes from a sci-fi film – they're prototypes being developed by Schibsted Media Group, one of the largest media companies in the Nordic region.
Through their innovation unit, IN/LAB, they're tackling one of journalism's most significant challenges: reaching the 30% of people who actively avoid news.
In this episode of Newsroom Robots, I spoke with Agnes Stenbom, Sweden’s AI Person of the Year and head of Schibsted Media's inclusion lab, IN/LAB, and Trust Initiatives. She is leading a radical initiative to co-create the future of news with "news outsiders." Agnes is also an industry doctoral candidate researching AI in journalism and a co-founder of Nordic AI Journalism, a network advocating for the responsible use of AI in journalism across the Nordic region.
Here are three key insights from our conversation:
1️⃣ The Future of News Might Not Look Like News at All
Remember when news was just about reading articles? Agnes and her team at IN/LAB are reimagining that narrative. Through their groundbreaking "News as Music" project with Aftonbladet, Schibsted's leading Swedish news brand, they transformed traditional articles into AI-generated rap songs. Although legal complexities around AI-generated music put this project on hold, it revealed something powerful: young audiences engage with news when it speaks their language. As Agnes pointed out, humans have always shared stories through music – from lullabies to campfire songs. So, why not news?
To learn more about the Aftonbladet’s AI Innovation Hub, check out our previous episode with Martin Schori.
2️⃣ The Power of Letting Go of Control
Newsrooms have traditionally maintained tight control over how their stories are told. But Agnes's team is exploring something radical: letting users co-create their news experience. From customizable AI news anchors to personalized "news concierges," they're researching what happens when audiences can shape the news they receive and how they receive it. It's an uncomfortable shift for journalists, but as Agnes notes, younger generations expect to have a voice in their media experiences.
3️⃣ Innovation Requires Cultural Transformation, Not Just Tech
What sets Schibsted's approach apart isn't just their cutting-edge AI experiments – it's their commitment to transforming organizational culture. Through their AI Academy program, they've trained thousands of employees across departments. Just as importantly, they foster open discussions about risks and concerns alongside opportunities. As Agnes emphasized, the real competitive advantage lies not in the tools but in a newsroom's ability to transform, rethink, and innovate.
What fascinated me most about my conversation with Agnes was how Schibsted uses AI to tackle more profound questions about journalism's role in society. They're not just exploring how AI can make news more efficient – they're asking how it can make news more meaningful for those who have turned away from it. In an era of declining trust in the media, perhaps the most innovative thing we can do is show that we're truly listening.
🎧 Listen to our full conversation, where we delve into everything from AI risk assessment frameworks to the future of human expertise in journalism available now on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms.
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