As former Google director Jim Albrecht suggests a future where AI reshapes news into conversations, not everyone is ready to bid the written article farewell. In reaction, Guild’s Ashley Friedlein nods to the lasting power of community engagement, while Vox Media’s Andrew Losowsky takes a stand for the article’s survival and AI’s potential to enhance, not eclipse, human connection. Coordinator of our (Mx3’s) Next Gen Panel, Pierre Caulliez, points to his generation’s preference for active rather than passive engagement with content.
In this article (ahem 😉
- Albrecht: Users will interact less and less with the actual articles and instead talk about the articles with what the tech industry used to call “intelligent agents”.
- Friedlein: While the value of “news” may have gone down and younger generations care less about esteemed media brands, the value of “connections” and “conversations” endures.
- Losowsky: I don’t think articles are dead … Text still has excellent value as part of the mix, while genuine conversation and connection around all published formats will only grow.
- Caulliez: The idea of shifting towards more conversational news through AI is interesting, [but] there’s a real need for authenticity and genuine human connection in the mix.
Jim Albrecht was Google’s Director of News Ecosystem Products from 2017 to 2023. My colleague Adri Kotze shared a link to an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post, titled “The real wolf menacing the news business? AI”.
He discusses his work for publishers at Google, resurfaces some old publisher-platform arguments, and expands on the future with AI within a similar context. If you have time, read the full article here. It’s worth it, even if only to get an ex-Googler’s perspective on the business.
One of the things that got my attention is Albrecht’s views on the demise of “articles”, i.e., the very thing you are reading now and what he himself wrote for WaPo, in favour of “conversations”.
It reminded me of a few years back when the launch of voice assistants was all the rage, and we had publishers at events talking about how they were developing content for it. Could this be the moment when that future will actually become true?
Albrecht writes, “In the print era, publishers created ‘articles,’ printed them on paper and distributed that paper to their readers. The web changed everything about the distribution and the literal paper, while the articles remained mostly untouched. But in the future, publishers will have to think less about those articles and more about conversations with users. The users will interact less and less with the actual articles and instead talk about the articles with what the tech industry used to call ‘intelligent agents’.”
Personally, I ascribe to the idea that AI will change how people interface with content. I also like the idea of layering conversations around content triggers. I thought it best to ask two people who know all about community and conversation and next gen trends about Albrecht’s thoughts.
Ashley Friedlein is the founder of Guild, the platform for professional communities. While the value of “news” may have gone down and younger generations care less about esteemed media brands, he believes the value of “connections” and “conversations” endures.
“I’d point to the rise of podcasting (The Rest is Politics and Political Currency in the UK are two examples in the political debate area), which isn’t about facts/news but conversations and debate around the analysis of the news.
“Or look at the success of Tortoise Media, especially with younger generations, where it is all about conversations and the subscriber value is anchored around audio and active participation (e.g. their ThinkIns), not around breaking news.”
Andrew Losowsky, head of community product at Vox Media (read our recent Mx3 Barcelona interview with him here):
- Is not convinced by Albrecht’s “intelligent agents ”argument.
- Disagrees with Albrecht’s pronouncement on “articles”.
- Agrees with his views on connections and conversations.
- Is excited about how AI can help grow human connection instead of replacing it.
“I can see the end-user value of asking Google a question and getting a clear, correct answer without having to visit a webpage. I’m less convinced by the idea that people enjoy chat interactions with robots (or even people they don’t know) and want to use that to get information.
“Also, I don’t think articles are dead just because mass search traffic is going away. In a world of TikTok, podcasts, YouTube, newsletters, social media, and Instagram, it’s also a little misleading to say the work of publishers has ‘remained mostly untouched.’ Instead, it’s been enhanced by new formats and ways of storytelling. Text still has excellent value as part of the mix, while genuine conversation and connection around all published formats will only grow.
“The current vision of AI has been imagined for short-term profit-maximising more than people. I’m more excited about how the flattening of search into identikit responses could lead to a rise in other types of online experience that contrast with AI-centred service: smaller, topic-centred communities with purpose and oversight, apps that build off federated platforms to bring new and weirder experiences; a flourishing of new ways to use to AI to help grow human connection, instead of replacing it.”
Pierre Caulliez is the Co-founder of Yoof, a Gen Z advisory, and coordinator of our very own Next Gen Panel. He tells me:
“As a Gen Z, our generation prefers active rather than passive engagement with content. Traditional articles often don’t meet our needs for quick and engaging information. We’re drawn to formats that allow us to interact and digest content easily.
“However, while the idea of shifting towards more conversational news through AI is interesting, there’s a real need for authenticity and genuine human connection in the mix. It’s not just about using technology for the sake of innovation; it’s important that it enhances the storytelling experience in a meaningful way. Even as we embrace digital platforms, the authenticity of the content remains a key factor for us.
“For instance, when Snapchat introduced its conversational chatbot feature called ‘My AI’, it shed light on the difficulties of integrating AI into digital interactions. This addition, designed to facilitate conversation, has been met with scepticism by many in our generation, who find it intrusive rather than helpful.”
Insofar as written articles, he does not believe Gen Z aren’t interested in reading them, but only where they serve a very specific purpose.
“Gen Z’s relationship with written content is selective, primarily sought for in-depth exploration or specific research needs. We might scan long articles rather than engage deeply, reserving such engagement for when it truly matters—like academic research or topics of deep personal interest. In contrast, our daily content diet leans towards formats that offer quick, immersive and engaging experiences.”
Care to contribute to this conversation? Feel free to email an article to cobus@mx3hq.com 😉
* Andrew and Pierre will be at Mx3 Barcelona on 12-13 March, where Andrew will be a speaker, while Pierre will be in our Huddles lounge as one of our consultants with whom attendees can book one-to-one meetings. There is more about the summit and how to sign up here.
