Post peak AI? Think again | How Mail Online is weathering Google volatility
And how The Economist is using AI to publish instantly in multiple languages extending its global reach
Good morning and welcome to your Press Gazette Future of Media newsletter on Thursday 19 September, in association with the Twipe Digital Growth Summit.
Connect with peers and expand your industry knowledge on 8 October in Brussels. Get 20% off your tickets with code 'PressGazette20'.
I'm not going to declare that we are post peak AI, but we are definitely post peak AI excitement in the news industry.
I spent an intensive week meeting top news industry leaders last week at various Press Gazette events and, with one or two exceptions, the current response to AI in the newsroom is "meh".
Yes, automation has delivered some incremental improvements. But the technology does not appear to have transformed journalism, yet.
Hallucinations remain a fundamental blocker preventing widespread use of generative AI in the world of facts.
Google AI overviews are back, but they are shonky as hell.
And AI-generated images and illustrations just look creepy.
But lest we get complacent, media consultant Matthew Scott Goldstein has issued a wake-up call to publishers about how AI will yet transform news media. Take a closer look at platforms like Perplexity, he says, which already reads the news and delivers a tailored summary for those who don't have time to visit publishers directly.
The whole universe of search-based content discovery is about to be turned on its head, he argues.
Speaking at Press Gazette's Future of Media Technology Conference Mail head of SEO Carly Steven explained how the world of search has become more volatile and harder to predict than ever. Along with three other experts, she shared her insights into how publishers can work more productively with the tech giants. More reports from that conference to come over the next week.
And, still on AI, The Economist has revealed how it is using the technology to provide auto-translated articles at scale without need for human intervention - which is far from an easy thing to do. Read our interview with Economist senior editor for AI initiatives Ludwig Siegele.
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On Press Gazette
Google killing publisher voucher codes overnight part of wider trend, says Mail exec
“We used to be able to tweak a headline, add some links and get something back. It used to be so easy… All that control is gone. I could not do that anymore.”
How The Economist is using AI to extend its global reach
“The only thing we can do is, if it’s really embarrassing, we’ll take it down and the next version in 20 minutes will be better.”
AI revolution for news publishers is only getting started
“For a glimpse into the future, stop using Google Search and switch to a novel generative AI search engine. It’s the swiftest way to envision what the future holds,” writes Matthew Scott Goldstein.
Press Gazette highlights
Unified solution offers publishers unrivalled print and digital efficiency (promoted)
David Knowles: Telegraph journalist who made huge impact in a short life
Guardian considers sale of Observer to Tortoise after reporting £36.5m deficit for 2023/24
Four columnists quit Jewish Chronicle over standards, secrecy and ‘bias’
BBC’s Clive Myrie paid at least £66,000 by police, financial services industry and others
How DPG Media invested in print technology to help it focus on digital (promoted)