Semafor executive editor Gina Chua explains its Microsoft-sponsored ‘Signals’ format

Semafor's Gina Chua tells Press Gazette how its soup-themed news bot works.

A montage showing a picture of Semafor executive editor Gina Chua alongside two screenshots of how the start-up's new AI-driven breaking news feed Signals appears on its website. — Left: Semafor executive editor Gina Chua (picture: Semafor). Right: Screenshots of how stories written for Semafor's 'Signals' format appear on its website. (Pictures: Press Gazette)

Signals, Semafor’s AI-driven news feed which is the subject of a “substantial” Microsoft sponsorship, was built not by the tech giant but by the start-up’s own newsroom.

The sponsorship deal, which sees Microsoft help Semafor to refine the tool, marks a new approach to generative AI companies for news publishers.

It also makes Semafor one of the first newsrooms to heavily and visibly incorporate ChatGPT into its workflow.

Bron Maher

@bron_maher

Bron Maher is Press Gazette's senior reporter, covering US and UK media. He joined Press Gazette in November 2021 from Newsguard, a US start-up that reviews how far news sites adhere to journalistic standards.