Re-Coding Publishing: The AI Pathway

Nearly a decade ago, a pivotal post about The AI Revolution: The Road to Superintelligence by Tim Urban profoundly shifted my perspective on AI - and frankly, not much has changed in how relevant it still feels! Here we are, years later, with the largest nations finally gathering to chat about AI's role in warfare and other big-deal risks - a bit late, perhaps, but better late than never. As someone in the media industry, this got me thinking deeply about how AI is reshaping our world.

So, I've distilled my thoughts into this article, reflecting on how AI is transforming the media landscape. Dive in, and hopefully, you'll snag some insights or spark new thoughts on this ever-evolving topic!

It feels like every week now, a new and improved GPT model drops, sending another 100,000 jobs and industries into an existential crisis. Just when you thought the digital transformation in journalism had clearly left it’s scars but slowly settled into a new normal, along comes AI, ready to mess it all up again.

Will everything we digitally consume soon be AI-generated?

Who's next on the white-collar chopping block? Lawyers clearly crammed all those laws for nothing, writing's now a useless skill, photography a waste of time and even dating will become a pure algorithmic adventure!

So clearly... AI is taking over the Newsroom, right? Look at Channel 1, which already plans to launch a network featuring news anchors that are not just powered by AI but are entirely AI-generated. We're talking digital voices and faces programmed to narrate the day's events without a human in sight.?

As this AI-driven media venture prepares to go live, it's worth pondering: What does this mean for traditional journalism? Are these AI anchors the new face of news, delivering reports with algorithmic precision, potentially without the human touch that colors much of our current media? Perhaps. But lets dig a little deeper.

Competitive Edge: Unique Content is the old-new Gold in Publishing & AI

Even if you're not in the media industry, it's hard to miss the discussions and the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in publishing & media. The value of exclusive, fresh content is skyrocketing, becoming a vital competitive advantage for AI platforms. Publishers are increasingly aware of safeguarding their content in the AI era, with powerhouses like 纽约时报 taking legal action against OpenAI and 微软 for using their content without permission. These measures highlight a growing trend among publishers to control how their material is utilized, ensuring that AI technologies do not exploit their work without proper licensing or compensation.

This isn't just about providing information anymore; it's about offering unique insights that distinctly differentiate one AI service from another. In the race to develop the smartest AI, technologies securing high-quality, proprietary content is becoming a crucial strategy. AI developers are now venturing beyond the expansive ocean of freely open internet text to discover content that offers something truly unique and engaging. This shift is sparking a major reevaluation of content value, elevating distinctive and insightful material to a crucial role that significantly boosts the capabilities of AI applications.

As this trend accelerates, journalists and content creators should take note. The future of journalism isn't just in covering news as it happens or repurposing information from global news wires; it’s about digging deeper to uncover unique findings and deliver profound insights. Quality journalism has always been defined by its ability to introduce fresh perspectives and exclusive content—attributes that distinguish it from mere content aggregation.

Echoing these thoughts, Mathias D?pfner, CEO of Axel Springer , has voiced a similar perspective on the need for journalism to evolve and innovate in the AI era. D?pfner emphasizes that AI should not merely serve as a tool for replicating existing content but as a means to expand the depth and breadth of journalistic output. He firmly believes that, "It's not, and has never been about copying content from Reuters or others." His philosophy stresses the importance for journalists to create content that is not only exclusive but also deeply impactful and engaging.

D?pfner’s vision for the future of journalism in the AI era calls for a proactive approach to content creation. He urges journalists to gear up and craft stories that meet the demands of AI platforms by focusing on stories that provide new discoveries that cannot be easily replicated or sourced from general news feeds. By doing so, they can ensure their work remains relevant and valuable in a landscape increasingly dominated by sophisticated AI technologies.

This approach not only secures a competitive edge for journalists in the digital age but also preserves the core values of the profession—ensuring that journalism continues to inform, educate, and inspire public discourse.

The Licensing Gold Rush

For publishers, the growing hunger for proprietary content is like hitting the jackpot. Licensing out this goldmine to AI’s isn't just boosting bottom lines —it's placing publishers at the innovation heart of AI. This dynamic change lets them monetize their assets in clever new ways, blasting their influence across broader audiences and ensuring their content doesn't just vanish into the digital ether but actually gets appreciated. It’s a revolutionary period, and publishers are again in the driver’s seat, ready to steer the narrative and make sure it's not only consumed but also cherished. Publishers are now tasked with crafting content that stands out, not only for its immediacy but for its lasting impact, transforming every article from mere information to a valued piece of intellectual engagement.

Publishers are already grabbing new opportunities by forging strategic alliances with AI-Tech players. Deals like the one between Axel Springer and OpenAI are pioneering the use of proprietary content to turbocharge AI's capabilities. Axel Springer’s deal to feed rich content from sites like POLITICO and Business Insider into OpenAI’s hungry language models is a move that boosts AI’s contextual accuracy.

These deals are a win-win: AI gets a feast of high-quality data while publishers open new revenue streams and increased digital influence. These collaborations prove publishers are not just adapting to, but actively powering the AI-media merge. They ensure AI technologies are employed in ways that respect journalistic integrity.

But let’s keep it real—we’re often talking about the tech titans like 微软 , Google DeepMind , 亚马逊 , Meta . So, what’s in it for the little guys? Can independent players find their place, and do these giants truly have publishers' best interests at heart??

As this trend gains momentum, more publishers may see the light, recognising the potential of these partnerships. As AI tech keeps advancing, the thirst for authoritative content is likely to spike, prompting even more innovative deals within the industry. These moves underscore publishers' vital role in keeping editorial oversight tight, ensuring AI-crafted content stays true to its journalistic roots. This oversight is crucial for preserving brand integrity and public trust as AI increasingly influences the media!

AI-Training: Battle Over Community-Generated-Content

The models need to learn, and that requires A LOT OF DATA! Real-life data is ideal, but sometimes synthetic data is used as well. So the move toward AI-driven publishing isn't all smooth sailing, particularly when it involves the use of community-generated content (UGC), to train models, like that from Stack Overflow , where the community is at "significant unease" about content being used without proper compensation or control - some seriously annoyed developers have started to deliberately deceiving AI by tampering with the data they provide. It's a bit like secretly rigging the game to watch AI stumble. This tactic, highlighting the "garbage in, garbage out" principle, starkly illustrates the pitfalls AI can encounter when trained with intentionally misleading information. This underscores just how vital it is for AI to have a solid truth filter, because without it, AI might as well be sifting through a digital dumpster.?

But overall, this concern points to a broader issue: the need for ethical practices in AI development that respect community-sourced knowledge. As the digital age progresses, it’s critical that we anchor our advances in practices that ensure fair compensation, transparency in data use, and respect for intellectual property rights. These aren't just lofty ideals; they are crucial for maintaining trust and cooperation in the tech ecosystem. Our goal should be innovation that is both sustainable and responsible, enriching all stakeholders without sacrificing the integrity of the communities that contribute to these technologies.

Within this context, the landscape of mergers and acquisitions in the AI and user-generated content sectors is experiencing significant activity. This surge is driven by strategic efforts to seize opportunities that can enhance competitive edges with proprietary content. For instance, 华特迪士尼公司 ’s acquisition of a substantial stake in Epic Games serves as a prime example of leveraging user-generated content in innovative ways. Through this deal, Disney taps into Fortnite 's deeply engaged user base, integrating UGC to boost its gaming and entertainment platforms, thereby gaining insights that could transform its broader content strategy.

Similarly, Google's strategic alliance with Reddit, Inc. to train AI models underscores the growing trend of utilizing user-generated content to refine AI capabilities, enhancing the ability to predict user interests from natural conversations. This partnership not only helps Google in refining its search algorithms but also prompts important discussions about the ethical use of UGC, highlighting the necessity for oversight. Roland Eisenbrand mentioned at the OMR conference that Chat Gpt uses approximately 2% of its training data from Reddit but gives this data extra weight during training.

These developments indicate quite a shift in how content is valued and monetized in the era of AI. Publishers and content platforms are increasingly aware of the need to not only secure rights to UGC but also to ensure that it's used responsibly, sustaining user trust. As these trends continue, the role of ethical oversight and strategic alliances will become more critical in ensuring that the benefits of AI and UGC are realised across the board without compromising foundational ethical standards… But I am done swinging the Ethics Hammer :)?

Data Drought Ahead: Looming Shortage of "Quality" Text

Research from 美国麻省理工学院 is waving a big red flag for us: by 2026, we might just run out of the good stuff—high-quality text data for AI. That's right, the internet is going dry, emphasising a need for fresh, engaging content that satisfies not just us humans but our AI Overlords too. So, what’s the game plan? Publishers need to turn it around for us and possibly come up with new content strategies.?

Now, what might this futuristic content look like? Some people are buzzing about the idea of adding richer metadata and annotations. This could give AI a bit of a context, helping it grasp and process our content with a bit more finesse.

And here I am, not doing any of that while writing this…! Useless words for the AI? Meanwhile, over at LinkedIn , they're experimenting with Collaborative Content. One way to build up a kind of “Expert”-generated, peer-reviewed content feast that could be just the right snack for an AI. It’s like we’re on the brink of creating a whole new content cuisine that could keep both our human readers hooked and give AI some much-needed brain food.

The Human Touch in AI-Generated Times

In this AI-dominated era, where machine-generated content is as common as uninspired, boring and obviously AI-generated article cover photos, there's a growing appreciation for the one thing AI still trips over: genuine human creativity.

It's a golden opportunity for publishers to shine a spotlight on the irreplaceable value of content crafted by actual humans. Imagine positioning these human-crafted articles as the premium choice in a world a wash with AI-generated text and those dull AI cover images. Human creativity and insight deliver a richness and depth that AI hasn’t mastered yet (though, who knows how long that will last...). By emphasising these unique human qualities, publishers can not only justify juicier price tags but also attract advertisers who are absolutely craving to link their brands with content that represents authenticity, trustworthiness, and real engagement.

What’s with Blockchain and the other Web3 stuff?

When it comes to Blockchain and all that Web3, NFT buzz from a few years ago, I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit outside my comfort zone. However, stringing together what I've picked up, it seems like a potentially great match for managing content in the digital age. Imagine a world where blockchain technology could track every time AI uses your article to spit out something new. You'd see it all in a transparent, unchangeable record. This isn't just about keeping tabs; it's about making sure you get paid too. With digital watermarking, it could be possible to manage who's using your content and even ensure you're getting the royalties you deserve. But it sounds a bit like cyberpunk, doesn't it? (Anyone reading this and in the matter, feel free to chime in!) But digital right management could turn into a real game-changer by making content distribution smarter, more secure, and maybe even more profitable.?For now, publishers can charge per API call - like Reddit started doing it a few months ago, or strike huge flat fee deals like Springer.

Prediction & Conclusion

I may not have Scott Galloway 's flair for bold predictions at industry events like OMR , but hey, let's give it a shot and predict the future of journalism with a dash of humor.

1. Seal of Approval: Striking a deal with the big AI players will become the new "organic" label for news. If you're in with the AI elite, your content is hot and human.
2. Beyond Text: Newsrooms will morph into creative studios, using AI to pump out content that spans beyond text to immersive experiences, all aimed at maximizing engagement.
3. Journalists Rejoice: No more doom and gloom about AI stealing jobs at premium publishers. Journalists will get back to the roots of their training—think deep investigative pieces, without the grunt work.
4. Choose Your Player: Publishers will play matchmaker, deciding which AI gets their sweet content based on who's best for text, video, and more. It’s all about strategic licensing!
5. Quality Rollercoaster: Brace for a dip in content quality—it might get a bit rough before AI learns the in and outs of Pulitzer-price journalism.
6. AI News Craze: AI-generated news isn't just a fad; it’s here to stay and will start pulling in the crowds.
7. LLM Money-train: Working with Large Language Models isn’t just cool; it’s going to be a major money-maker as a new revenue stream.
8. Traffic Issue: As chatbots and direct-answer AIs get better at satisfying our curiosity, I expect overall referral traffic to news sites to take a hit.
9. Google's Comeback: Watch for Google to unleash its "Code Red" strategy in a bold move to dominate the AI-enhanced search arena and beyond again.
10. AI Love Affairs: As AI tools become more integrated into newsrooms, the line between tool and teammate might just blur, and something romantic will happen.

So... Let's embrace this wave of change—perhaps cautiously, but also with an eye for the immense potential it holds. The fusion of AI into the fabric of content creation promises not just enhanced creativity but also heigh efficiency across the board.

I started with him, so lets finish this with some of Tim Urban 's famous drawings from his Artificial Intelligence Revolution Post: