How publishing execs are incorporating generative AI tools into their workflows

By Tim Peterson • October 21, 2024 •

Ivy Liu

This article is part of Digiday’s coverage of its Digiday Publishing Summit. More from the series →

If the computer is a bicycle for the mind, then generative AI technology promises to upgrade that computer into a motorized vehicle.

During the recent Digiday Publishing Summit in Key Biscayne, Florida, publishing executives discussed to what extent they are incorporating generative AI tools in their own and their teams’ workflows, as covered in the video below.

From assisting in email writing to transcribing meeting notes, the uses varied. So did the executives’ opportunities to use generative AI tools in a professional capacity. But even if they’re only messing with Midjourney on their own time, familiarizing themselves with these tools is becoming an important part of the job.

“Prompt engineering and knowing how to write a good prompt is going to become one of the most critical skills for a lot of folks in their day-to-day. And so making sure that I’m continually writing prompts and refining them and trying to get better outputs — even if I don’t end up using it in my day to day workflow — I think it’s just an important skill and muscle that I’m trying to develop and build,” said Bailey Evans, executive director of strategic operations at The New York Times.

How publishing execs are incorporating generative AI tools into their workflows

Publishers’ uses of gen AI tools range from assisting in email writing to transcribing meeting notes.