Dutch publishers support ethical training of AI model

Dutch news publishers have partnered with research institute TNO to develop GPT-NL, a homegrown AI language model trained on legally obtained Dutch data.

The project marks the first time globally that private media outlets actively contribute content to shape a national AI system.

Over 30 national and regional publishers from NDP Nieuwsmedia and news agency ANP are sharing archived articles to double the volume of high-quality training material. The initiative aims to establish ethical standards in AI by ensuring copyright is respected and contributors are compensated.

GPT-NL is designed to support tasks such as summarisation and information extraction, and follows European legal frameworks like the AI Act. Strict safeguards will prevent content from being extracted or reused without authorisation when the model is released.

The model has access to over 20 billion Dutch-language tokens, offering a diverse and robust foundation for its training. It is a non-profit collaboration between TNO, NFI, and SURF, intended as a responsible alternative to large international AI systems.

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