OpenAI to host newsroom AI forum with Axios, Boston Globe, and nonprofit media leaders

In-person Washington event will examine responsible AI integration and feature practical newsroom workflows.

OpenAI is convening senior newsroom leaders, nonprofit media executives, and AI practitioners in Washington, D.C. for an in-person forum focused on how artificial intelligence is being integrated into journalism.

The event, titled AI in Newsrooms: Responsible Innovation and the Future of Journalism, brings together executives from Axios, Boston Globe Media Partners, American Journalism Project, and other national media organizations to discuss current AI use cases, governance models, and editorial safeguards.

Immediately following the forum discussion, an OpenAI Academy workshop will provide practical demonstrations of AI workflows already deployed inside newsrooms.

Senior media leaders to address AI adoption

Speakers include Jim VandeHei, CEO and Chairman of Axios; Mike Allen, Co-Founder of Axios; Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project; Shira T. Center, Vice President of Innovation & Strategic Initiatives at Boston Globe Media Partners; Scott Smallwood, Co-Founder and CEO of Open Campus; and Evan Hirsch, Senior Producer & AI Strategist.

The discussion will examine how AI tools are currently being used for research, analysis, editing, and workflow automation, and what responsible integration looks like in practice. The stated focus is on how automation can support reporting without weakening editorial standards.

The session forms part of the OpenAI Forum series and will include opening remarks and a panel discussion before transitioning into hands-on demonstrations.

Academy workshop to showcase newsroom tools

The OpenAI Academy segment will feature Scott Smallwood and Evan Hirsch demonstrating AI applications used inside newsroom environments.

Smallwood leads Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom covering higher education in partnership with local outlets across 18 cities. Hirsch previously spent two decades in broadcast journalism, including senior editorial roles at NBC News, MSNBC, and CBS News. He has built AI tools embedded in daily newsroom workflows, including systems that scan local news sites to surface stories with national potential and assist with editing broadcast scripts.

The event is in-person only, with parts expected to re-air later as part of the OpenAI Forum series.

Journalism, automation, and human judgment

AI is increasingly embedded in how journalists research, draft, edit, and distribute content. News organizations are testing tools to reduce repetitive tasks, surface patterns in data, and accelerate copy production. At the same time, questions around verification, bias, attribution, and governance remain central.

The stated aim of the forum is to explore what AI can responsibly automate so newsrooms can reclaim time for reporting and editing. But across the industry, one principle remains consistent: technology may assist the process, yet editorial judgment, accountability, and ethical decision-making must remain human-led.

Automation can support workflows. It cannot replace newsroom standards, investigative instincts, or the responsibility journalists hold to the public. As AI tools become more capable, the defining question is not how much can be automated, but how clearly humans remain at the center of editorial decisions.

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