Media: Italy's Il Foglio becomes first newspaper to go fully AI-generated

Il Foglio, a conservative liberal daily newspaper in Italy, has made history by becoming the first in the world to publish an edition entirely created by artificial intelligence.

This groundbreaking initiative is part of a month-long journalistic experiment aimed at examining the impact of AI on the way we work and live, according to the newspaper's editor, Claudio Cerasa, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The four-page edition, dubbed Il Foglio AI, has been integrated into the regular broadsheet format of the newspaper. It was made available both in print on newsstands and online starting from March 18. “It will be the first daily newspaper in the world on newsstands created entirely using artificial intelligence,” Cerasa declared. “For everything. For the writing, the headlines, the quotes, the summaries. And, sometimes, even for the irony.” He went on to explain that journalists' involvement would be limited to "asking questions [into an AI tool] and reading the answers." This experiment arrives as global news organizations continue to grapple with how best to incorporate AI into their operations.

Earlier this month, one foreign media company announced plans to use AI to offer more personalized content to its audience. The front page of Il Foglio AI features a story titled "The paradox of Italian Trumpians," which discusses US President Donald Trump and criticizes those who oppose "cancel culture" yet either ignore or "celebrate" Trump's despotic behaviour. 

Another article on the front page, “Putin, the 10 betrayals,” highlights Vladimir Putin’s “20 years of broken promises, torn-up agreements, and words betrayed." In a rare positive piece on Italy’s economy, one article points to a report from Italy’s national statistics agency, Istat, which shows that recent income tax reforms have led to salary increases for around 750,000 workers, marking a positive shift in the country’s financial outlook. Page two delves into the growing trend of “situationships,” exploring how young Europeans are moving away from traditional, steady relationships. 

Throughout the publication, the articles are well-structured, clear, and free from noticeable grammatical errors. However, none of the stories contain direct quotes from human sources. The final page features AI-generated letters to the editor, with one letter asking whether AI will eventually render humans “useless.” The AI response humorously points out, “AI is a great innovation, but it doesn’t yet know how to order a coffee without getting the sugar wrong.” 

Cerasa emphasised that Il Foglio AI represents “a real newspaper,” noting that the project is an example of “news, debate, and provocations.” It is also a practical demonstration of how AI can function in the journalistic world and a reflection on the potential consequences of AI in daily newspaper production. “It is just another Il Foglio made with intelligence, don’t call it artificial,” Cerasa concluded.

By Naila Huseynova