Tech donors fund media fellowship shaping coverage of their pet issue

Published November 14, 2025 5:30am ET



A network of tech donors skeptical of artificial intelligence is paying to insert reporters in major newsrooms who go on to report stories amplifying their concerns about risks in AI development, a Washington Examiner review has found.

The Tarbell Center for AI Journalism’s fellowship program places reporters at prestigious news organizations such as Bloomberg, TIME, the Information, the Guardian, NBC News, the Verge, the Los Angeles Times, and others while simultaneously paying their salaries. The group paying those salaries is funded through donations from Open Philanthropy, the EA Infrastructure Fund, the Future of Life Institute, and the Survival and Flourishing Fund, all of which have strong connections to the effective altruism movement.

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