Open AI, WAN-IFRA and the Association of Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine (AIRPPU) have announced a new initiative to support Ukrainian news publishers by building practical artificial intelligence capabilities and accelerating innovation across their organisations. Issued as a joint press release on Monday 7th September 2026 from WAN-IFRA, AIRPPU and Open AI, the programme aims to help news organisations harness AI to strengthen sustainability, efficiency and resilience of independent journalism during continued conflict.

The programme combines two components: Newsroom AI, supporting organisations selected by AIRPPU in developing AI-driven newsroom projects, and Business Transformation, supporting AI-driven commercial and operational projects. The Newsroom AI Masterclass Series brings together international experts to share practical knowledge, case studies and implementation strategies spanning editorial workflows, audience engagement, product development, revenue generation, organisational change and responsible AI adoption.

The Newsroom AI Catalyst will provide deeper, hands-on support to ten participating Ukrainian news organisations as they identify high-impact use cases, develop implementation roadmaps and pilot AI-enabled solutions. All organisations will receive credits to Open AI's API to facilitate bespoke newsroom solutions. The Newsroom AI Masterclass Series began on August 5, 2026, with the Newsroom AI Catalyst set to launch on September 17, 2026.