Partnered by Open AI, WAN-Ifra has launched its South Asia Newsroom AI Catalyst accelerator with an event in New Delhi.

The intensive accelerator programme aims to fast-track artificial intelligence adoption in newsrooms. The first phase took place last week, focussing on helping the participating publishers define and develop AI-driven projects for their newsrooms.

Participants outlined project goals through a structured learning process, which will be further refined with coaching sessions running through to March.

The first cohort includes 16 news organisations spanning legacy print brands and digital-first platforms. Participants will create prototype projects that will be iterated upon in the coming weeks, culminating in a final presentation in April.

Two three-month accelerators are planned, each featuring a structured curriculum with weekly modules, hands-on workshops and a prototyping hackathon. The programme begins with an in-person workshop, followed by bi-weekly mentoring and peer-led sessions.

Call for applications for the second South Asia catalyst is scheduled for June.

WAN-Ifra chief executive Vincent Peyrègne says AI presents both challenges and opportunities for newsrooms: “With the support of OpenAI, we aim to empower South Asian newsrooms to harness AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring high-quality journalism remains sustainable.”

OpenAI India public policy lead Pragya Misra said the launch of Delhi programme marked an important step in its collaboration with WAN-Ifra, “helping news publishers from across South Asia unlock new capabilities and contribute to a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for the future of journalism.”

The South Asia catalyst is part of a global accelerator programme supporting 128 newsrooms across Europe, Asia and Latin America. More information from Magdoom Mohamed or Thai Anban Chokkalingam.

• WAN-Ifra South Asia’s AI Forum takes place from February 19-20 in Bangalore, focussed on the future of artificial intelligence in the news media industry. The Forum is followed by a study tour visiting tech companies in the city, on the afternoons of February 20-21.