On a more technical level, Raptive engineers have used the generative AI tool Copilot to perform unit tests, reducing eight hours of work into one, according to Bannister. In another instance, its database team used the technology to translate between coding languages, moving from SQl to MongoDB queries—simplifying a typically complex process.
At Politico, an internal team has identified an AI application that would scan its CRM software, analyzing inputs such as historical data and business cycles to present salespeople with clients with a high propensity to buy, according to Bowers.
Ultimately the sales staff would still make the client calls themselves, but the tool would reduce the prospecting timeline and helps them compile a more compelling pitch by drawing from volumes of historical precedent.
Right now, media organizations need to be asking themselves: What is the role of AI going to be in our company?
Adam Hillier, partner at executive search firm SRI
And at BDG, the publisher is using generative AI to provide a similar function for the RFP process, analyzing historical data and filtering for the KPI objectives of a client, according to chief technology officer Tyler Love.
When done manually, this process requires the branded content team to refine its pitch multiple times to make sure BDG has the highest likelihood of winning the business without committing so many resources to the effort that its profit margins suffer.
By combining data from its CRM, its back-office software DealDesk and Google’s Vertex AI, BDG has used generative AI to produce suggestions for pricing, creative and strategy, according to Love.
Internal education efforts
Outside of these experimental efforts, some publishers are also taking steps to familiarize their broader workforce with the technology.
At Politico and Raptive, company-wide hack-a-thons that pair engineers with non-technical staff have helped the companies introduce generative AI to their staff in a way that also reduces their anxieties about it.
Raptive has established an internal education program, called AI Squared, to train staff to use tools such as Pinecone, Copilot and new Photoshop applications. Politico and Newsweek have created internal teams to experiment with the technology and use those findings to inform future strategies.
More broadly, publishers like The Guardian and Axel Springer have established guidelines about how they intend to use the technology, which can help staffers view the tech as a tool rather than a threat.
These efforts have yet to translate to the hiring process substantially, as most companies are still in the test-and-learn phase, according to Adam Hillier, partner at the executive search firm SRI. But that will likely change in the next six to 12 months.