New 6-month programme from WAN-IFRA and OpenAI supports AI-native product development
Two years after the launch of the Newsroom AI Catalyst accelerator and having supported more than 140 newsrooms worldwide in their effective use of AI technologies, WAN-IFRA—the World Association of News Publishers— and OpenAI partner again. This new collaboration aims to help publishers move beyond experimentation into the development of AI-native news products through the AI Futures Lab programme.
This novel initiative offers 24 media organisations across the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions the opportunity to convert existing prototypes into full product solutions that bolster editorial trust and drive strategic AI initiatives to benefit their operations and their audiences. Over six months, 24 teams will work on building scalable AI-native products for both editorial and commercial purposes.
“With innovation going hand in hand with transparency and accountability, the news industry is moving rapidly from experimentation and prototypes to real AI-powered products. A core role of WAN-IFRA is to help our members stay at the cutting edge of technological development as they build these new solutions. This collaboration will accelerate the development of AI-enabled news experiences that serve audiences in radically new ways, and we’re excited to see what innovations emerge,” underlines Stig Ørskov, WAN-IFRA’s CEO.
According to WAN-IFRA’s World Press Trends report, almost 30% of publishers consider their AI workflow implementation to be advanced; however, many still face challenges in introducing AI to support monetisation or audience engagement. This programme will focus on these two areas to ensure newsrooms remain sustainable in a digital-first landscape.
Tom Rubin, Chief of Intellectual Property and Content at OpenAI, says:
“We’re excited to support the launch of the AI Futures Lab, helping newsrooms across Asia-Pacific and Latin America turn promising ideas into successful AI solutions. Throughout our partnership with WAN-IFRA, we’ve seen news publishers across the world use AI to benefit both their operations and audiences. This new programme will help even more newsrooms take the next step and deploy AI to support high-quality journalism, improve reader experiences, and benefit the industry.”
Programme Structure and Outcomes
The AI Futures Lab builds upon the learnings of previous accelerators, while offering technical mentorship, product, and strategy coaching. At the end of the programme, participants will have developed products that can be integrated into editorial and commercial workflows, supported by frameworks to monetise these via AI-first infrastructure.
Furthermore, participants will benefit from an extension of the Newsroom AI Catalyst Development Fund. Once again, newsrooms will receive API credits, using OpenAI technology to drive innovation throughout the news media industry.
The selection process for participants will be by invitation only, with cohorts expected to kick off in May 2026. This programme reinforces WAN-IFRA’s commitment to equipping newsrooms with the knowledge required to produce sustainable journalism while ensuring the resilience and trustworthiness of their business models.
Contact – Inquiries
For more information, please contact Kevin Anderson, Director, Digital Revenue Network, WAN-IFRA: kevin.anderson@wan-ifra.org
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ABOUT WAN-IFRA. WAN-IFRA is the World Association of News Publishers. Its mission is to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media. WAN-IFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society. With formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, it derives its authority from its global network of leading news publishing companies and technology entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy from its 80 national association members representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. www.wan-ifra.org.
ABOUT OPENAI. OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits everyone. For more information, please visit openai.com.
