Gannett, the company that owns USA Today and a ton of small newspapers, posted a job for an AI Sports Editor. Not an Allen Iverson sports editor, which would be sick, but an artificial intelligence sports editor:

The USA TODAY NETWORK is seeking an AI Sports Editor with a strong background in data automation, AI tools and leading sports journalists toward sustained readership and revenue growth.

This role will lead a cutting-age digital news team that blends human reporting with AI technical expertise to storify data, automate content and create new reader experiences without losing sight of quality and the USA TODAY Network’s enduring responsibility to form connections with the communities it serves.

As AI Sport Editor, you will have the opportunity to coach sports news and technical skills while creating a culture of innovation to distinguish the USA TODAY Network from national competitors. This is production-oriented work, focused on creating readership and revenue growth.

The candidate must have basic journalism and phone/videoconference interview skills, a strong work ethic, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment. On some days, this job requires using AI tools to create new content ideas and concepts. Other days, the job will focus on troubleshooting, mentoring and acting as a liaison to Network sports leaders or technical partners. Strong organization skills are required.

This job is part of the USA TODAY Network, which includes Sports Media Group, more than 200 local newsrooms and USA TODAY.

The USA TODAY Network believes in the lasting role of human journalists and is committed to harnessing technology that helps journalists more effectively serve readers. AI tools help create time and resources for journalists to focus on the irreplaceable work of interviewing, beat development and watchdogging the powerful.

The running joke is that when robots take over the workforce, the only job will be doing maintenance on the robots. In this case, it looks like they’re using A.I. to supplement the work of actual humans, which makes sense in theory. Every use of A.I. makes sense in theory, it’s the “in practice” portion that actually matters. Every employer on the planet, in every field of work, is going to look for a way to integrate artificial intelligence to reduce costs and streamline processes. You would be dumb not to.

The question is how it fits into sports journalism. You can’t send ChatGPT down to the Sixers game with a microphone, to get lectured by Doc Rivers. But you can use ChatGPT to write joke posts, like Crossing Broad’s award-winning Robot Story of the Week. You can also use it like this:

ChatGPT, can you give me a paragraph or two with Brandon Graham’s NFL statistics?

“Brandon Graham had a remarkable 15-season career with the Philadelphia Eagles, establishing himself as one of the franchise’s most consistent and impactful defensive players. Over 206 career games, he recorded 487 total tackles, including 359 solo tackles and 128 assisted tackles. Known for his relentless pass rush, Graham accumulated 76.5 career sacks, with his best single-season mark coming in 2022 when he notched 11 sacks. He also forced 23 fumbles, consistently disrupting opposing offenses.

One of the defining moments of Graham’s career was his game-sealing strip-sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII, a play that helped secure the Eagles’ first-ever Super Bowl championship. Despite suffering a triceps injury in the 2024 season, he made a comeback to contribute in Super Bowl LIX before announcing his retirement. His resilience, leadership, and clutch performances cemented his legacy as one of the greatest defensive players in Eagles history.”

Bang bang, two paragraphs right there. Copy and paste and you’re well on your way. Pretty scary… or is it?

editor’s note: everything you read on Crossing Broad, except for Robot Story of the Week, is written by a human. there’s no way a robot could ever be dumb enough to write what we write anyway