• The week in pictures
• Recommended reading from the editorial team

Dear readers,

The time has finally come - the new sailing season is starting! It's time to get out on the water again, set sail and enjoy the warm weather and good wind. There is hardly anything better than drifting on the water and feeling the joy and good humour that comes with sailing.

Whether you're an experienced sailor or a first-time sailor, sailing is a passion that unites us all. From the thrill of the perfect wind to the camaraderie of a regatta, sailing always promises unforgettable experiences and adventures in the great outdoors.

Hand on heart, did you notice straight away that the text up to this point was written by a so-called AI programme? It's frightening, but at the same time somehow fascinating how deceptively real, not to say authentic, the lines read - isn't it?

Admittedly, this is not a new realisation. Programmes such as ChatGPT or Bing have been the subject of much controversial debate in recent weeks. However, in my opinion, there will be no going back. I am certain that artificial intelligence will also find its way into the media landscape. If only because of the omnipresent pressure on publishers to economise. Why pay expensive editors when a computer can do the same job faster and cheaper?

But stop, is AI really on a par with us or even superior? This may be the case in some areas. The programme can already write a general email greeting quite well, as you can see from the example above. At this point, I will overlook the stylistic shortcomings, such as the various word repetitions, which I would delete if I were the text editor.

On closer inspection, however, the AI has done nothing more than put a few empty phrases and platitudes into text form. Nice to read, but very empty of content.

Of course, it is true that the quality of a text written by the AI stands and falls with the quality of what I, what we journalists, tell the programme to do. Which brings us to the core: What is the job of a journalist? To write an attractive, entertaining text - absolutely! But that is only the result of our actual work: first of all, to identify a relevant topic as such and then to research, check and filter the information that could be important for this topic and finally to prepare it in such a way that it is understandable for you as a reader.

The programmes can't do all that. How could they? They draw on what already exists and mix it up again. This does not create anything truly new.

In terms of sailing journalism, this means that AI does not go on board a brand new boat to test, evaluate and compare it in terms of sailing performance, workmanship and comfort. The AI does not go on sailing trips to give you first-hand impressions of the most diverse sailing areas around the world. The AI does not test chart plotters, on-board wheels or sailing clothing. Nor does AI conduct interviews with sailors who have experienced or achieved exciting, extraordinary or moving things. The list could go on and on.

Of course, this realisation is nothing new. The job of the sifting, evaluating and selecting journalist has become more important than ever, at least since an unmanageable amount of information has been flushed onto your PC, tablet or smartphone every day via the internet. This also applies to the field of sailing.

For a long time now, anyone who feels called to do so can spread their knowledge, their half-knowledge and also their very subjective opinion about emergencies at sea, ideal cruising boats, the best sailing areas, the most reliable navigation apps, about spectacular regattas, the best and worst harbours, about sailing contemporaries, perfect blue water equipment, ideal cruising routes. The list goes on and on.

But what is true and what can be relied on? Are these facts that are served up in sailing Facebook groups, on Instagram and YouTube or in one of the many sailing blogs and vlogs? Or are they really just the individual opinions of individuals? It is becoming increasingly difficult to find an answer to this question.

And now the AI is also writing texts! And also "composes" images to suit the client's taste. A dog that skilfully takes the mooring line of a yacht? No problem! Our picture editor recently tried it out. The result: a dachshund with shiny fur in the evening light on the jetty, a lead in its mouth leading to a boat, which can be seen in the cropped image. No professional photographer could have staged the scene more perfectly. And the photo could not be recognised as a work created by the AI. Not even the slightest inaccuracy would have caught the viewer's eye at first glance.

You can think that's bad. Or great. Personally, I'm torn on the subject. On the one hand, there are many new and as yet unimagined possibilities and opportunities. Perhaps even on a similar scale to around 25 years ago, when the internet took off and became an integral part of our everyday lives within just a few years.

On the other hand, I fear that in future it will be even more difficult than it already is today to distinguish fact from fiction. How will we recognise whether an excitingly written cruise report actually took place as described in the article? Or whether an interview with a sailor, a harbour master, a charter company, a club chairman was conducted by an editor at all. Perhaps the answers were simply compiled with the help of information, opinions and rumours fished for by an AI programme in the depths of the Internet - keyword Michael Schumacher and "Die Aktuelle".

It will become increasingly important for individual readers to take a very close look at who is providing them with information and how they are doing so. On the one hand, this requires them to think more than before, to use common sense. But trust is no less important. Which source can I believe without reservation, and with whom should I be more cautious?

We will certainly try out AI at YACHT and use the corresponding text and image programmes for our work if this proves to be useful and sensible. Even if we don't yet really know what lies ahead for us and ultimately for you as readers, we are looking to the future with an open mind.

YACHT has been an institution in German sailing for almost 120 years. During this time, it has constantly changed, evolved, developed and reinvented itself. It has long been more than just a printed magazine. Or a homepage. Or a presence on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

For many sailors, the YACHT is a companion. One that they can trust. Artificial intelligence or not, nothing will change in this respect.

How do you thinkYou about the topic? Write to us by e-mail at mail@yacht.de!

Pascal Schürmann

YACHT copywriter

PS: Incidentally, this is how the AI would have formulated the final sentence under this week's YACHT:"I wish all sailors a successful time on the water and hope that my reporting has helped to strengthen and enrich your passion for sailing. May the wind always be at your back and your sails always be full!"

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The week in pictures:

Recommended reading from the editorial team:

The Ocean Race

Always up to date- Daily updates

The fifth leg of The Ocean Race starts tomorrow! The race returns to Europe from Newport. With a 3,500 nautical mile transatlantic leg to Aarhus, Denmark. The leg is worth double points - the race for overall victory between Holcim - PRB, Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing. As always, you can find daily news, background information and updates on the race here on yacht.de!

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