Axios and OpenAI announced a new partnership with plans to launch local news outlets in four U.S. cities – including Huntsville, Alabama. 

In 2020, Axios launched a network of local newsletter-based media outlets to deliver “community-focused” news using a “smart brevity” style to digital-first formats. Since then, the media company has established a presence in 30 cities. Today, with outlets on the way to four more cities, OpenAI is stepping in to help fund the venture. 

“We’re a young company putting significant investment into this work, which advances our mission by finding novel ways for news and tech to work together and benefit each other as well as our users,” OpenAI’s announcement reads. 

“Today, we are announcing a new content partnership with Axios, and funding to help expand its local news coverage by building newsrooms enabled by our technology in four new cities—Pittsburgh, Pa.; Kansas City, Mo.; Boulder, Colo.; and Huntsville, Ala.”

OpenAI reports partnerships with nearly 20 media organizations and 160 news outlets, including The Associated Press, Condé Nast, News Corp, TIME, Reuters, and now, Axios. 

“We launched Axios Local nearly four years ago with the bold goal of bringing local news to communities across the country. OpenAI’s investment allows us to continue our expansion and aid us in bringing essential local news to deserving audience,” Jim VandeHei, Axios co-founder and CEO said. 

According to Axios, the technology won’t be used to report stories, “but to help build a system for creation, distribution, and monetization of our journalism,” VandeHei wrote. Their local newsroom model is “authored by on-the-ground reporters” across the select cities in which they operate.