ProPublica Joins Lenfest Institute AI Collaborative and Fellowship Program

Published: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 4:34 pm

ProPublica Joins AI Initiative to Enhance Investigative Journalism

New York, NY – ProPublica, the renowned investigative journalism non-profit, announced Wednesday its participation in a collaborative effort to explore the responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its reporting processes. This initiative, supported by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, aims to leverage AI technologies to improve efficiency and impact in investigative reporting.

As part of the program, ProPublica will hire an engineer for a two-year fellowship. This engineer will focus on how machine learning can assist the organization's engagement reporting group, which relies heavily on crowdsourced investigations and community-sourced leads. The goal is to explore how AI, particularly large language models, can help evaluate, categorize, and route incoming tips more effectively, ensuring journalists receive crucial information faster.

The initiative, known as the Lenfest AI Collaborative and Fellowship, also includes The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, The Baltimore Banner, and Arizona State University's NEWSWELL. The participating news organizations will collaborate to share their findings, product developments, and technical insights with the broader news industry. The program, launched in October 2024, is backed by significant funding from OpenAI and Microsoft, totaling $10 million.

The Lenfest Institute emphasizes the importance of ethical AI usage in advancing sustainable solutions for local news. The program aims to help local news publishers build sustainable businesses by leveraging new AI technology.

BNN's Perspective: This initiative represents a cautiously optimistic step forward. While the potential of AI to streamline investigative reporting is undeniable, it's crucial to prioritize ethical considerations and transparency. The collaborative approach, with shared learnings and open-source development, is encouraging. The focus on responsible implementation, as highlighted by the Lenfest Institute, is vital to ensure AI serves to enhance, not undermine, the integrity of journalism.

Keywords: ProPublica, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Investigative Journalism, Machine Learning, Lenfest Institute for Journalism, OpenAI, Microsoft, Newsroom, Journalism, Technology, Ethics, Large Language Models, Crowdsourced Investigations, Engagement Reporting, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Baltimore Banner, Arizona State University, NEWSWELL, Local News, Sustainable Journalism.

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