It’s cliche now to say that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed everything, but it’s also inescapably true.
AI is so deeply entrenched in our everyday lives that it has paradoxically become almost invisible – a recent report by Reddit, GroupM and WPP found that only 1 in 6 consumers can often tell when they’re using AI-enabled tools. At the same time, AI’s rapid rise and widespread integration has sparked apprehension about its potential to disrupt various sectors of the workforce. For publishers, these concerns are particularly acute.
Publishers face the dual challenge of embracing AI’s efficiencies while safeguarding the integrity and quality of human-authored content. The rise of AI-powered search, referrals, and summaries, threaten to draw viewers – and advertisers – away from publisher domains.
The fear is not just about the displacement of journalists, but the erosion of creativity, engagement, and the authenticity that readers expect and that brands invest in. Having already contended with multiple pressures on their monetisation model, including the rise of walled gardens and social media platforms, AI presents a complete fracture.
Nevertheless, publishers can’t turn back the clock – the AI age is here and it’s here to stay. So they find themselves at a crossroads, needing to balance preservation of their core values with a competitive imperative to innovate.
The only way for publishers to truly overcome the challenges being presented by AI is to wield it themselves.
The AI content questions
Of course, the big question is: can AI itself produce quality journalism? If it can, does it matter whether the content belongs to a human or a machine? Right now, that’s a big “if.” We’re still some way off from AI delivering the kind of investigative depth, nuance, and narrative understanding that great journalism demands. In the short term, AI-generated content poses a greater threat than a substitute for human reporting.
Look no further than the proliferation of low-quality, ‘made-for-advertising’ (MFA) sites. These are designed to game search algorithms and drive cheap traffic, with the models behind these sites becoming more capable of mimicking tone, structure, and even editorial voice but ultimately serving terrible user experiences.
On the other hand, AI also has the potential to distinguish between good and bad content. It can analyse whether a page is useful, well laid out, or overwhelmed by intrusive ads.
If AI can make those distinctions and prioritise better experiences in rankings and referrals, it could actually reward publishers who invest in quality over clickbait.
Harnessing AI in ways that deliver results
Indeed, as it applies to attracting viewers and so ad spend, AI presents a transformative tool — understanding the types of creative and content that will resonate most with audiences and drive performance.
This also marks a departure from the linear targeting model publishers have relied on for years, where a user is assigned to a basic segment and monetised accordingly. In contrast, AI unlocks nuance, empowering publishers to make better decisions and build environments where quality journalism propels genuine value for advertisers.
We’re talking about deeper insight into content, context, sentiment, interest, intent, and suitability. These are not abstract ideas; they are actionable data points that advertisers expect, and AI can process at scale, transforming how ads are served and how users experience content. The result? A hyper-relevant experience for users—and higher-yield ad opportunities for publishers.
Advertisers are leaning into this technology to step up relevancy to unprecedented levels but also scale, optimise, and automate ad production. This includes creating ad copy and product descriptions and automatically augmenting images based on performance and granular audience data. Whether it be live product discounts, the weather, or sports scores, tailoring ad content in real-time to heighten relevance and enhance impact. What would take a team of designers and media buyers to orchestrate, AI does in seconds.
A full embrace of the future
Ultimately, this debate expands far beyond the media. It’s not just about whether AI will replace humans. It’s about whether humans who use AI will replace those who don’t.
For publishers, the choice is clear: adapt and learn to harness the technology, or risk falling behind. The opportunity isn’t just to automate—it’s to augment. AI can help editorial teams make smarter decisions, craft better content strategies, and deliver hyper-relevant ad experiences that drive both engagement and revenue.
The tools are here. The challenge is to use them without compromising the values and standards that make journalism worth protecting in the first place.
Thomas Ives, Co-Founder, RAAS LAB
