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Seven to Use AI to Write News Articles Following Mass Redundancy Fallout

Crikey

ENRICHED

Details

Date Published
18 June 2026
Priority Score
2
Australian
Yes
Created
19 June 2026, 04:00 am

Authors (1)

Description

Seven staff have been introduced to an AI tool with a retro codename to help write news articles based off existing TV scripts, Crikey can reveal.

Summary

Seven West Media has implemented a generative AI tool named 'Clippy' (to be renamed 7START) to automate the conversion of TV scripts into digital news articles following significant editorial staff cuts. The deployment raises critical concerns regarding the erosion of journalistic oversight and the potential for automated misinformation within the Australian media landscape. While primarily focused on operational automation rather than frontier safety, the development highlights early-stage risks of AI-generated content replacing human verification in high-reach news environments. This implementation underscores the ongoing tension between media sustainability and the integrity of information ecosystems in Australia.

Body

Seven staff will use a new AI tool to write online news articles based off the broadcaster’s TV scripts, with bosses telling journalists they “need to start using it” and the system already being rolled out in its Sydney and Melbourne offices. The move has sparked concern from staff who spoke to Crikey, with the broadcaster still reeling from a mass round of redundancies that has seen several high-profile journalists leave in recent weeks. The new AI tool in question has been dubbed “Clippy” (reminiscent of the pesky Microsoft Office assistant tool from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s), with it apparently soon to be renamed 7START.