UK specialist media publisher Future signs strategic partnership with OpenAI

Specialist media distributor and publisher Future has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI and its ChatGPT tool.

Future publishes a range of specialist lifestyle magazines and websites, most notably for the games industry, Edge magazine, PC Gamer, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, and GamesRadar+.

The firm - headquartered in the UK - said the initiative "brings Future’s journalism to new audiences while also enhancing the ChatGPT experience," with ChatGPT users "able to access content from across Future’s portfolio, with attribution and links to the full original articles for transparency and further information."

The publisher has also developed chatbots "so users can engage more deeply with content from Tom’s Hardware and Who What Wear."

Future also revealed it would be using OpenAI's tools across multiple functions across its business, including sales, marketing, and editorial, "to boost productivity."

"Across Future's brands, we are focused on growing our engaged audience and building global communities. Our partnership with OpenAI helps us achieve this goal by expanding the range of platforms where our content is distributed," said Future CEO Jon Steinberg.

"ChatGPT provides a whole new avenue for people to discover our incredible specialist content. Future is proud to be at the forefront of deploying AI, both in building new ways for users to engage with our content but also to support our staff and enhance their productivity."

Future's Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) was retired after 25 years in May 2021 and replaced with Play, a new publication with the same editorial team but without the official Sony branding. However, in October 2024, Play too was shuttered.