Axios, OpenAI go big in local
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes:
Axios and OpenAI this morning announced a multiyear deal to bring Axios Local to four new cities: Pittsburgh ... Kansas City, Missouri ... Boulder, Colorado ... and Huntsville, Alabama.
Why it matters: No company in America is investing in more local expansion than Axios, owned by Cox Enterprises. This expansion will bring us to 34 cities.
A memo to staff says Axios doubled local advertising in 2024, and will double the Axios Local sales staff immediately.
- OpenAI is helping fund the expansion into four new cities, and providing additional technical assistance to help speed Axios expansion into many more.
Our memo to Axios staff says the goal is to spread to 100 or more cities in the future.
- Axios and OpenAI entered into the three-year agreement after deep, months-long discussions about how artificial intelligence can assist with bringing local news to more locations.
What they're saying: "AI can play a transformative role in supporting local journalism," OpenAI head of media partnerships Varun Shetty said.
- "Our partnership with Axios will help establish new operations in four cities. We're excited to see how Axios uses our technology to support quality reporting and tackle opportunities that they, and other local news organizations, face."
Fun fact: All Axios staff now have access to the enterprise version of OpenAI. 50+ of our colleagues have volunteered to help team-by-team AI experimentation.
- We see AI as a vital part of our long-term plans — not to report stories, but to help build a system for creation, distribution and monetization of our journalism.
Go deeper: Open AI to fund four new Axios Local newsrooms.
