An Italian newspaper has made headlines by claiming to have published the world’s first edition entirely created by artificial intelligence. The initiative, spearheaded by Il Foglio, a liberal conservative newspaper, is part of a month-long journalistic experiment designed to showcase how AI can impact the news industry.
The "Il Foglio AI" edition, consisting of four pages, was incorporated into the regular print version and became available in kiosks and online starting Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Claudio Cerasa, the editor of Il Foglio, explained the experiment aims to demonstrate the potential functions of AI within a newsroom setting and provoke discussions about the technology's effect on journalism and public engagement.
In his announcement, Cerasa stated, "It will be the first daily newspaper in the world in kiosks completely created with artificial intelligence. For everything: writing, headlines, quotes, summaries, and sometimes even irony." This comment underscores the extent to which the newspaper relied on AI-generated content. Journalists' roles during this initiative were remarkably limited—they were tasked only with asking questions to an AI tool and reading the chatbot's responses prior to publication.
Amid the growing fascination with AI in media, the experiment by Il Foglio arrives at a critical juncture. Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that BBC News would also begin employing AI to curate more personalized content for its audience, indicating a trend toward the integration of AI across major news outlets.
The AI-generated letters included in the supplement illustrate the kind of engagement the initiative aims to foster. One letter humorously posed the question of whether AI would eventually render humans "useless." The AI's tongue-in-cheek response stated, "AI is a great innovation, but it still doesn’t know how to order a coffee without getting the sugar wrong." This example highlights a playful yet profound discussion about the practical capabilities of AI compared to human nuance.
Despite the intrigue surrounding this technological attempt, the journalism community remains cautious. Previous uses of AI in reporting have not always yielded commendable results. CNET faced backlash in 2023 after it published financial advice generated by AI, which was riddled with significant inaccuracies. Following a similar path, the Los Angeles Times had to retract an AI tool intended for rating bias in opinion articles after it was found to downplay the significance of the Ku Klux Klan.
Critiques often focus on the reliability of AI outputs. AI-generated content, while capable of seeming authentic, can fail to deliver factual accuracy—leading to greater concerns about credibility in journalism that is already struggling to earn the trust of the public amid an era of disinformation. Cerasa himself noted the delicate responsibility journalists have with this technology, stating, "It is just another Foglio made with intelligence; don’t call it artificial." Such reflections suggest a deeper discourse on the role of AI in journalism and its implications for the future.
The unfolding narrative around AI in newsrooms is significant not just for its technological aspect but also for its societal implications. While the boundaries of media technology expand, questions loom about the extent to which AI will, or should, replace human creativity and insight in journalism. As the lines between human-generated and AI-generated content blur, news organizations face the challenge of maintaining integrity and trust.
With the increasing prevalence of AI tools in media, as seen with Patch, a local news site that now relies entirely on AI to monitor and report local news, the public's perception will play a crucial role in how organizations navigate to adapt and integrate these advancements. Overall, Il Foglio's initiative presents an important case study in blending technology with journalism—one that could very well shape the future of how news is produced and consumed.
