AI is increasingly part of how journalists research, analyze, and tell stories. In this Forum conversation, journalists, editors, and technologists come together to talk about how AI is being used in news organizations today, what responsible integration looks like in practice, and how guidance and shared learnings can help ensure these tools strengthen high-quality journalism and serve the public interest.

Immediately following the Forum talk, an OpenAI Academy workshop will feature concrete demos and workflows from Scott Smallwood, founder of Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom covering higher education and from Evan Hirsch, who led AI integration at NBC News Now.

OpenAI Forum speakers:

Additional speakers to be announced

Jim VandeHei - Jim VandeHei is the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Axios, one of the most celebrated digital media success stories of the past decade. Before founding Axios, VandeHei co-founded and was CEO of Politico. Prior to this, VandeHei spent more than a decade as a reporter, covering the Presidency and Congress for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. He was named National Editor of the Year in 2016.

Mike Allen - Mike Allen is a co-founder of Axios and author of the flagship daily newsletters Axios AM, Axios PM and Axios Finish Line. Before founding Axios, Allen was a co-founder of Politico, where he created the Playbook franchise and helped build the company for its first decade. He is also an alumnus of TIME, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Sarabeth Berman - Sarabeth Berman is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Journalism Project (AJP), the first venture philanthropy dedicated to local news. Since becoming AJP’s first CEO in 2020, she has led the organization in raising more than $243 million and building a portfolio of 54 nonprofit local news organizations nationwide. AJP supports the launch of new outlets and helps existing organizations grow and sustain their businesses; Fast Company named it one of the most innovative companies of 2023.

Shira T. Center - Shira T. Center is the Vice President of Innovation & Strategic Initiatives at Boston Globe Media Partners, where she leads enterprise AI adoption across four newsrooms and 800 employees, integrating AI into editorial workflows, governance, and revenue-generating products. She previously served as the Globe’s Political Editor. Before joining the Globe, she was a Washington-based political journalist whose work appeared in The Washington Post, Roll Call, Politico and National Journal.

OpenAI Academy for News Organizations speakers:

Scott Smallwood - Scott Smallwood is the co-founder and CEO of Open Campus, a national nonprofit media organization dedicated to local reporting on higher education. Open Campus partners with local newsrooms in 18 different cities to cover the colleges that matter to communities. Before founding Open Campus in 2019, Smallwood spent nearly two decades at The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he was managing editor and director of digital products.

Evan Hirsch - Evan Hirsch spent 20 years in television news as a senior producer and editorial leader at NBC News, MSNBC, and CBS News — and before that, in local newsrooms from Philadelphia to Syracuse. Without writing a line of code, he built AI tools now embedded in NBC News’ daily workflow, including one that scans local news sites to surface stories with national potential. His latest AI solutions help journalists edit broadcast copy faster and navigate complex legal documents. He holds a dual degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse and Maxwell Schools.

This is an in-person event. Parts of it may re-air later in the OpenAI Forum.