Low-cost AI tools to help journalists work smarter

Journalists and media outlets may feel unable to keep pace with the rapid advancement of AI. 

The encouraging news? A variety of powerful, free or low-cost AI tools are readily available. When utilized effectively, these tools can serve as virtual assistants that facilitate faster, more accurate, and innovative reporting.

Here are a series of AI tools journalists can use to transcribe interviews, translate text, dub videos, and more. As with all AI, it is essential to verify the work produced by these tools as they can make mistakes.

Transcription

• Otter.ai offers a generous free plan with 300 monthly minutes. It can provide real-time notes from meetings, including summaries and identification of speakers. It also seamlessly integrates with video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet.

• Whisper, from OpenAI, is an automatic speech recognition (ASR) tool that can transcribe, and translate non-English audio into English. It has been trained on an extensive dataset of multilingual audio, enabling it to support numerous languages and effectively manage deep or accented speech. It is free to install Whisper for offline use.
• Google Recorder is a mobile tool designed to capture audio and provide real-time transcription for Pixel devices. It operates without an internet connection, enables keyword searching, and permits users to edit and share transcripts. It is available for free on Google Pixel devices.

Translation

• Google Translate, a veteran in the industry, accommodates a wide range of languages and multiple input methods, such as text, speech, handwriting, and images. Thanks to its integration with Android, Chrome, and Google Lens, it continues to be one of the most accessible and adaptable AI translation tools worldwide. It is free to use.

• DeepL is a German-made AI translation software highly regarded for its exceptional quality in machine translation. Although it provides a more limited selection of languages compared to Google Translate, it is favored by linguists for its attention to nuance and tone. Additionally, it features both a web interface and API access, making it appropriate for journalists and businesses to use. DeepL is free to use with plans starting as low as $8.74/month.

Dubbing

• Dubverse is a video dubbing tool that seamlessly translates and voices videos in over 60 languages using lifelike synthetic voices. It includes features like subtitle generation, voice cloning, and lip-syncing, enabling quick and efficient multilingual content creation. The tool is free for basic use with paid plans starting at $9/month.
• Heygen generates high-quality videos from text, utilizing either custom or stock avatars. It offers features such as multilingual dubbing, voice cloning, and lip-syncing, facilitating the rapid production of localized video content. It is free for basic use with paid plans starting at $29/month.

Video

• Lumen5 can convert blog posts, press releases, and more into visually appealing videos featuring branded colors, fonts, and styles. Perfect for promotional content in newsrooms or explanatory videos. The tool is free to use with paid plans starting at $19/month.
• Invideo offers pre-designed templates for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok, among other features. It’s excellent for producing engaging, shareable news summaries. The tool is free for basic use with paid plans starting at $28/month.
• Pictory is helpful for repurposing video content. It can convert lengthy videos such as interviews or webinars into concise, captioned, highlight clips that are suitable for social media sharing. The tool offers a 14-day free trial with plans starting at $19/month.

• Wisecut is ideal for brief videos. It can eliminate silences, incorporate subtitles, and recommend music. It’s excellent for transforming interviews or press conferences into clips suitable for social media. The tool offers a free trial and has paid plans starting at $10/month.

• CapCut is free and easy to use, featuring AI capabilities for background image removal, text-to-speech, transitions, and trending effects that are popular on TikTok, among other features. Plans start from $9.99 per month.

• Veed.io offers subtitling, translations, screen recording, and brand templates. It is well-suited for creating polished news packages or explanatory videos. The tool is free for basic use with paid plans starting at $12/month.

Voice generation

• Play.ht can generate personalized AI voices that align with your brand or emulate a particular journalist’s style, ensuring uniform narration throughout stories. The tool offers a free trial to test its features.
• ElevenLabs provides high-quality, expressive speech synthesis, allowing you to modify tone, pacing, and style for impactful or documentary-style storytelling. The tool is free for basic use with plans starting at $5/month.
• Artlist features an extensive library of voices and background music categorized by genre, mood, and application. The tool starts from $9.99/month.

Image generation

• Leonardo.ai is excellent for producing lifelike illustrations, concept art, or tailored news graphics that appear professional for fast-breaking news. The tool is free for basic use, with paid plans also available.
• Ideogram is used primarily for logos and text-centric designs. It is suitable for crafting program logos, segment titles, or social media graphics with personalized text integrated. The tool is free for basic use with paid plans starting at $7/month.
• Playground produces high-quality, stylized portrait images that are valuable for feature illustrations, fictional reconstructions, or editorial artwork. The tool is free for basic use with paid plans starting at $12/month.

Photo by Markus Winkler via Pexels.