Times of India publisher enters content partnership with OpenAI

Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL), the Indian media conglomerate that publishes The Times of India and The Economic Times, has signed a content partnership with AI firm OpenAI. The agreement, announced this week, covers BCCL's English and Indian-language publications, including live news coverage.

Under the deal, ChatGPT may present a summary or excerpt from BCCL's reporting when a user inquires about a topic covered by the company. Each response will credit the publication and include a link to the original article on BCCL's website, aiming to drive traffic back to the publisher's site.

The companies will also explore how OpenAI's technology can support BCCL's internal operations, including archive searches, research support, data analysis, and backend processes. Financial terms of the agreement and timelines for this exploration have not been disclosed.

BCCL emphasized that its editorial independence will be maintained. The use of AI in news coverage will not influence editorial decisions, and all content creation processes will remain under human oversight. This partnership positions BCCL alongside other major news organizations that have established similar arrangements with OpenAI.