A new project has been launched in a bid to help show the benefit artificial intelligence can bring to small newsrooms.

The London School of Economics has announced the launch of the AI Academy for Small Newsrooms, which aims to help participants gain “a practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges offered by AI technologies”.

The programme is designed by the JournalismAI team at Polis – the journalism think-tank at the LSE.

It is backed by the Google News Initiative and the course will take place over six weeks, starting in September.

Announcing the programme’s launch, the LSE said: “As its name suggests, the Academy is targeted at small newsrooms that want to learn how AI can be used to support their journalism.

“It will equip participants with the knowledge and capabilities they need to take the first concrete steps in their AI-adoption journey.”

It added: “The course will be taught by a mix of working journalists, researchers, and media professionals who are leading the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence in the industry.

“Participants will leave the Academy with a practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges offered by AI technologies, examples of successful implementation, and a co-created action plan to guide the development of AI projects in their news organisations.”

More information can be found here.