As we navigate the fast-paced world of technology, Time is taking a thoughtful approach to adopting AI tools, aiming to boost both internal processes and how they connect with their audience. Burhan Hamid, Time’s CTO, shared some insights at the Digiday Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado. He made it clear that any AI tool that uses Time’s data for training models is off the table. This is all about keeping their data safe and sound.
But it’s not just about data safety. Hamid’s also got the legal team involved to check out potential AI tools for data protection and indemnification. He believes in getting to know the people behind these tools, often asking, “Is it a two-person startup, or is there an actual company behind this?” While supporting small startups is great, it’s crucial to assess their sustainability and customer base.
Hamid pointed out the tricky balance between assessing risks and keeping up with AI’s rapid development. While Time partners with big names like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google, they also like to test smaller, innovative tools in controlled environments to see what sticks.
There’s also some understandable nervousness among employees about AI adoption. Hamid stresses the importance of getting comfortable with AI tools, saying, “It’s not the tools that are going to replace your job, but somebody else who knows how to use these tools can replace your job.”
One AI tool that Time has already embraced is Glean. About a third of the company uses it. Hosted on Google Cloud, Glean pulls data from various platforms into a user-friendly search interface, similar to a chatbot. They’ve even integrated it with ChatGPT through a deal with OpenAI.
Initially, Glean was rolled out to the sales and revenue teams, helping them create briefs and support ROI analysis. Hamid mentioned, “If you close one deal because you use Glean, it could justify the cost of buying that platform.”
Soon, Time’s extensive print archive will be available in Glean, making it easier for the editorial team to dig into past content for reference.
