AI is already changing the media landscape

Good morning, humans.

The latest innovations in Artificial Intelligence are affecting the way users can receive news, significantly impacting the media.

In today's Newsletter we include:

• AI is already changing the media landscape

  • Suing AI companies

  • Blocking AI crawlers from their websites

  • Striking deals with big tech companies

• ChatGPT4 now remembers more information

• China presents Vidu, its AI video model

• GitHub just announced Copilot Workspace.

• Money is flowing towards AI

• 80% of PM tasks will be eliminated by 2030

• Guides to get started with AI

Let's get started!

AI is already changing the media landscape

Imagine you want to search for information on the latest election polls. Previously, you would go to Google, type your question, choose a preferred news site, and sift through the article for the latest poll results. Then, if you wanted more information, you would repeat the process.

Now, in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots like ChatGPT4, Perplexity, Copilot, Grok can scan all sources and summarize the latest poll data for you, saving you several minutes.

And guess what? People are loving this new approach.

According to a report from The Verge, 61% of Gen Z and 53% of Millennials are using AI tools instead of traditional search engines like Google to research topics.

What does this mean for the future of news?

Firstly, it means that news agencies should be really concerned about AI companies consuming all their content and delivering it in a more appealing format via chatbots.

Their responses have varied:

• Going on the offensive: Suing AI companies

• Defense: Blocking AI crawlers from their websites

• Alliance: Striking deals with big tech companies.

Suing AI companies

The latest case in this battle between traditional media and AI is the lawsuit filed by eight prominent US newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. This joins the existing lawsuit from The New York Times against the same companies.

News companies have traditionally relied on advertising revenue from search results. However, the growing adoption of AI tools poses a significant challenge to this business model. News companies, especially text-based ones, are particularly vulnerable to AI crawlers collecting their content to train AI models for free.

Blocking AI crawlers from their websites

A study conducted by Originality AI, an Ontario-based startup specializing in AI detection, analyzed 44 leading news sites. The results showed that virtually all of these sites, including newspapers like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, as well as general interest magazines like The Atlantic and specialized sites like Bleacher Report, are blocking web crawlers used by AI companies. These crawlers are used to collect data for training chatbots and other AI projects.

Striking deals with big tech companies

Financial Times has reached an agreement with OpenAI to license its content and develop AI tools, becoming the latest news organization to collaborate with the AI company.

With this, Financial Times joins news organizations that have signed deals with OpenAI to license content for training AI models, including Business Insider, Politico, European publications Bild and Welt, Associated Press (AP), El País, and Le Monde.

ChatGPT4 now remembers more information

Previously, every time you started ChatGPT, you had to repeat everything about yourself and your goals (like, "I write a newsletter about AI, etc."). We're waiting for GPT-5 to solve all this. Meanwhile, OpenAI has developed some solutions.

Initially, Custom Prompts were implemented, allowing users to customize how ChatGPT responds.

Now, the Memory feature is being rolled out to Plus users in the United States, designed to allow ChatGPT to remember facts about you throughout conversations.

Some of the details that ChatGPT will be able to remember:

• Past jobs, current skills, and future goals.

• Key elements you typically include in your emails.

• Your preferred tone, voice, and writing style.

• Tools you frequently use in project management or software.

China presents Vidu, its AI video model

China introduces Vidu, its AI video model. Vidu, an AI model capable of creating high-definition video using generative AI, was presented in Beijing, developed by Tsinghua University and the Chinese AI company ShengShu Technology.

GitHub just announced Copilot Workspace.

It's a cloud-based IDE with Copilot-based agents that can plan, write, and debug code for any idea. Sign up on the waiting list.

Money is flowing towards AI

According to Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024, investment in generative AI is skyrocketing. Despite a decrease in total private investment in AI last year, funding for generative AI continues to grow, nearly octupling since 2022 to reach $25.2 billion.

80% of PM tasks will be eliminated by 2030

Gartner claims that by 2030, 80% of today's project management tasks will be eliminated as artificial intelligence takes over.

Guides to get started with AI

1. Mastering Midjourney: Beginner's Guide to AI Images

2. Is Midjourney Free? Pricing, Plans, and Free Alternatives

3. How to use the best Midjourney styles for your prompts

Thanks for reading.

See you next week! Hi 👋 I'm Erik Knobl, Product Designer by day and Generative Artificial Intelligence explorer on weekends. I share my learnings in this newsletter. Consider subscribing to stay in touch.