The Lenfest Institute grows landmark program with expanded OpenAI support

The program embeds AI technologists within newsrooms to develop practical tools and policies for responsible AI adoption. Fellows have worked on projects like Dewey—a search tool for archived reporting at The Philadelphia Inquirer—and Scrape, which automates lead monitoring. At Chicago Public Media, AI-assisted translation cut Spanish-language coverage time from hours to minutes. Lessons from the pilot emphasize trust, problem-driven development, and cross-organizational collaboration. The next phase will scale these efforts by sharing tools, frameworks, and technical resources to benefit hundreds of news organizations.