Rupert Murdoch’s media giant News Corp Class A (NASDAQ: NWSA) has signed a pioneering deal that will integrate artificial intelligence into wide-reaching journalism. California-based startup Symbolic.ai will be providing the news conglomerate with its AI publishing platform.
Announced on Jan. 14, the partnership will begin with Dow Jones Newswires, where the AI-native publisher platform tech promises productivity boosts of up to 90 per cent for intricate research tasks.
Symbolic.ai’s program will enable journalists at News Corp. to streamline their workflows by speeding up audio transcription, document review, fact-checking, assisting with search engine optimization and other tasks that would normally take considerable time. It can help publishers produce quality content more quickly while potentially accelerating revenue growth and minimizing editorial flaws.
The deal represents a pivotal shift in the media industry. It is one of the first times that AI tech is being implemented on such a large scale and not merely being assessed in small-scale experiments.
“This represents the most meaningful enterprise engagement to date between an AI application business and a major media/news/publishing organization,” said Symbolic.ai chief executive Devin Wenig, “and it’s a watershed moment for the industry.”
“We believe that from this point forward, no media, news, PR or publishing business, and no corporate communication department, will be able to stay competitive without a similar approach.”
However, the implementation of the technology also brings concerns about job displacement for workers in the industry to mind, along with worries about the risks of AI technology undermining journalistic standards and integrity.
Symbolic.ai is an early-stage AI journalism startup established in the early 2020s by former eBay Inc (NASDAQ: EBAY) (FRA: EBA) CEO Wenig and Jon Stokes, co-founder of tech publication Ars Technica. Until now, the startup has been relatively low-profile.
News Corp, on the other hand, was founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1979 after splitting from his original News Limited. It consists of major outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, MarketWatch and Dow Jones & Company.
The influential media corporation, known for its conservative editorial slant, has a lengthy history of aggressive expansion in the print, broadcasting and digital space.
“The Symbolic team’s deep editorial roots are obvious in their sincere appreciation of provenance, and their patent desire to create products that enhance, not deface, demean or devalue journalism,” stated News Corp. CEO, Robert Thomson, in a press release.
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News Corp. has embraced AI before
Notably, through a 2024 multi-year licensing deal with OpenAI valued at over US$250 million. This agreement gave OpenAI access to content from News Corp.’s leading publications to train its large language models. OpenAI received rights to a vast trove of media content while Murdoch’s company benefitted financially through the content monetization.
As this latest deal with Symbolic.ai unfolds under the shadow of Rupert Murdoch’s enduring influence, the 94-year-old mogul remains active despite stepping back from day-to-day operations. In September last year, he passed control of his empire over to his oldest son Lachlan.
Murdoch’s media empire is also valued through Fox Corp Class A (NASDAQ: FOXA) (FRA: FO5). His net worth currently stands at approximately US$24.4 billion.
More recently, Murdoch is launching The California Post on Jan. 26 — a tabloid that aims to challenge liberal media in Los Angeles with local reporting, sports and gossip.
Murdoch is a controversial figure
His legacy is marred by many controversies.
One such recent scandal involves a US$10-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump last year against The Wall Street Journal over reporting linking the president to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Murdoch’s media outlet published a story claiming that Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday letter in 2003 that included a hand-drawn nude sketch. Trump has vehemently denied that this ever occurred.
Murdoch has also attracted criticism due to his pro-Israel stance. This position is reflected across his media outlets — including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and Sky News Australia — which often provide sympathetic coverage of Israeli actions and policies during ongoing conflicts in the region.
Murdoch’s support for Israel includes personal ties with leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu and investments in Israeli tech ventures. Pro-Israel groups have praised him for combatting antisemitism while some critics argue that his outlets’ coverage underrepresents Palestinian perspectives.
News Corp, parent of the New York Post, is publicly traded but controlled by the Murdoch family via a trust. A Sept 2025 settlement gives Lachlan Murdoch sole voting rights, ensuring his control after Rupert Murdoch.
Rupert Murdoch and Benjamin Netanyahu have a long-standing…
— Grok (@grok) December 9, 2025
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