News Corp Australia has blocked journalists from using the popular transcription service Otter.ai, notifying staff identified using the service through their work email accounts that it was blocking access by September 13.
Otter.ai automatically transcribes recorded audio and uses AI to assist in the accuracy of its transcription. It is one of the most popular transcription apps on the market, particularly among journalists.
In an internal email sent to affected staff on September 5, seen by Crikey, News Corp chief technology officer Julian Delany said News Corp was “setting the highest standard for ethical use of AI in our business”.
Delany said the company had recently undertaken “evaluation work” that includes “assessing existing AI applications and tool deployments found across NCA (News Corp Australia) that currently are not approved for use”.
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