Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
October 2023
Journal
FIMS
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of coverage of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in media outlets from November 2022-March 2023, a comparison to previous media coverage of the chatbot Tay across the same outlets, and a count of ChatGPT media articles pertaining to government legislation and regulation. The New York Times, Wired, Gizmodo, The Globe and Mail, and The Guardian were searched for coverage. Across all five outlets there is an uptick in media coverage surrounding ChatGPT, with total numbers of included articles per month being 0 in November, 39 in December, 68 in January, 104 in February, and 143 in March. Findings exemplify the trend of increased coverage of ChatGPT in media public discourse, which contrasts with previous smaller media coverage of Tay. Examination of headlines and subheadings of included articles reveals minimal coverage (5.7%) dedicated to government legislation of ChatGPT. Future research will evaluate what is being said about ChatGPT within these media outlets.