Association of Online Publishers

AI-volution and the opportunities for digital publishers

Date: 23 May 2024 , 9:00 - 12:00
Venue: Charlotte Street Hotel, London

Our CRUNCH series continues to be supported by our TAB partner Google

The last twelve months have seen an explosion of Generative AI technologies, and with it, a redefining of the way that we work. As an industry, digital publishers need to develop new strategies and policies to adapt to this transformative new technology or risk being left behind – but it’s also critical to implement safeguards to mitigate the risks. We sat down with leading digital publishers to understand how Gen AI is transforming the industry, and how publishers are responding.

Bitesize

Like any technology, you can’t implement AI in your organisation without a plan. You have to start by understanding how it supports your people and your processes, what it does to deliver against your strategic objectives, and how it aligns with your values.
People are at the heart of successful, responsible AI usage. The best uses of AI in digital publishing are the ones that free up your team from the mundane tasks that chain them to their desks, allowing them to be more creative.
Guidelines are important to create the space for innovation. When faced with the unknown, it can be too overwhelming for people to know where to begin but by defining what you consider to be outside of your brand, you can inspire more experimentation within your organisation.
Be AI-agnostic and avoid being locked into a single model. You may have organisational guidelines about whether you should be working with open or private source AI tools, but it’s important to challenge people to try a range of different AI solutions, because they have different strengths and weaknesses depending on your needs.
Whether you’re an AI-optimist or an AI-sceptic, now is the time to lean in. You have to get involved so that you can have a role in how these technologies develop and shape our industry.
As Gen AI threatens to cut into search traffic, publishers should double down on what they do best: delivering unique, trusted, high value content. AI-aggregated information might be useful for consumers in certain situations, but publishers’ greatest strengths are in delivering high value information when people are looking for a single source of truth. Embrace your expertise.