Axel Springer's Upday app to transition to AI-based news generator by mid-2024

Berlin-based media house, Axel Springer, announced on Friday that its news app, Upday, will transition to a fully AI-based platform by mid-2024. The company plans to utilize this new AI technology to explore the opportunities it presents for journalism and the news industry. The KI-driven platform is set to launch under the name Upday in summer 2024. An inside source revealed to the German Press Agency that Axel Springer will gradually part ways with all Upday employees by mid-2025, affecting approximately 70 staff members across Europe. As soon as Upday becomes a solely AI-based product, it will be managed from another department within Axel Springer, resulting in the closure of the Springer Upday GmbH and Co. The German Journalists' Association (DJV) called on Axel Springer to provide alternative job opportunities within other media outlets under its umbrella. The association emphasized that Springer, as a leading media company, must fulfill its social responsibility. "If this happens, it would be the first case where a journalistic news service is almost entirely replaced by robots," said Mika Beuster, Chairman of the DJV. He added that AI should not be a substitute for journalism and stated that relying on AI-based portals would only give the illusion of journalism. Axel Springer explained in its statement that the goal of Upday's strategy is to provide users with up-to-date news on topics of interest in the digital world. The media house also announced the termination of its collaboration with electronics giant Samsung by the end of this year. "The product, 'Upday for Samsung,' was originally designed as a news service for Samsung and quickly gained millions of users through pre-installation on smartphones and other devices," explained Axel Springer. "Within a few years, the offering expanded to 34 European countries. The service will remain unchanged for more than a year on existing Samsung devices." From next year onwards, Springer will use the Upday brand on a smaller scale for the new AI-driven platform, as stated in the release.