The news outlet uses an on‑site generative AI engine to deliver contextual answers and related stories from its own content archive.

On 24 March 2026, REV Media Group of Malaysia announced the deployment of a generative AI-driven question‑and‑answer engine on the website of its news outlet, the New Straits Times (NST).

The upgrade marks part of a broader digital transformation to modernize how Malaysian readers access and engage with the publication’s real‑time content archive. The firm manages more than 30 media brands across Malaysia, and serves about 10m monthly visitors. It had been seeking ways to improve how readers navigate large volumes of news data.

Traditional search tools limit users to keyword‑based queries, often producing lengthy lists of search results instead of concise, contextual answers. The NST’s newsroom also face the challenge of maintaining user engagement at a time when audiences increasingly expect conversational and immediate responses to information needs.

To address these issues, the NST team worked with an external vendor to integrate an on‑site generative AI engine that can interpret natural‑language questions and provide short, sourced answers drawn from its own verified editorial material. The system also helps readers explore broader context around a topic by linking related stories within the same domain. The project introduced several functional changes:

  • Use of natural‑language processing and retrieval‑augmented generation to reference trusted in‑house content
  • Integration of conversational interfaces customized to news and current‑affairs workflows
  • Real‑time content indexing to ensure accuracy and timeliness of responses
  • Built‑in analytics to measure engagement rates and reader pathways through connected articles

The group’s Chief Operating Officer, Nicholas Sagau Tony Ngimat, said the generative AI tool, named DeeperDive, supports the company’s ongoing effort to deepen audience interaction and explore new forms of digital engagement and revenue diversification” By integrating it into NST, “we are using cutting-edge AI to enhance engagement, drive deeper content exploration, and create new avenues for revenue growth, all while reinforcing our brand as a trusted source of news and information.”