German newspaper denies replacing editors with AI.
German tabloid company Bild has denied reports that it is laying off parts of its editorial team and replacing them with artificial intelligence and automated processes. The Guardian and other media outlets reported on June 21 that Bild’s parent publishing firm, Axel Springer SE, was planning to replace a range of editorial jobs with AI, citing an internal email. However, Bild Group’s director of communications, Christian Senft, told Cointelegraph that the reports were false and that they had no intention of replacing journalism with AI. Instead, Senft said the announcement was regarding a restructuring program for regional newspaper editions, which involves reducing from 18 regional editions to 12 by the end of the year, and the closing of 10 out of 15 regional offices, with many functions moving centrally to Berlin. Therefore, tasks such as secretariats and photo production are no longer necessary in the regions. Senft confirmed that the moves will affect employees in the low three-digit number. He also clarified that the announcement states that the company will increasingly use AI to support journalistic work. The rapid development of AI has nevertheless sparked concerns over job losses in the future.