BERLIN (Reuters) – Axel Springer is shutting down the news outlet Upday, the German publishing giant said on Friday, in plans to revive the brand as a “trend news generator” driven by artificial intelligence.
Upday will close by the end of the year in its current form, with the new service scheduled to launch in the summer of 2024.
A spokesperson said jobs at Upday are being eliminated during the transformation process, adding that the company would examine whether staff can continue to work elsewhere in the group.
Of a one-time workforce of 150, 70 staff members remain, the spokesperson said.
The aim of the transformation is to explore “the opportunities that (artificial intelligence) presents for journalism and the news industry”, the company said.
Upday has been pre-installed on Samsung cell phones and other devices under a deal between Axel Springer and the South Korean company in 2015. It expanded into 34 European countries.
Axel Springer owns top-selling German tabloids Bild and Welt, as well as U.S. political news website Politico. The company plans to transition from print media to digital news.
(Reporting by Klaus Lauer, Writing by Nette Nöstlinger, Editing by Rachel More)
