A couple of years ago, the AI question for most publishers was whether to experiment. That has been settled. AI is now at work in newsrooms, archives, ad sales and production, and the harder conversation is about what it is doing to the business around it.
Search is the pressure point. Answer engines summarise journalism without sending the reader on, and referral traffic is falling as a result. Publishers are split between signing licensing deals and blocking crawlers, with more of them now looking to negotiate collectively. Before any contract is signed, it is worth knowing which of your content is genuinely hard to replace and exactly what rights are being sold.
AI might be able to knock out something quickly, but speed isn’t the same as value and fluency isn’t the same as truth.
Toby Wiseman AI in practice: Hearst UK
Inside the business the picture is brighter. Regional groups use AI-assisted reporting for routine local stories, which frees other reporters to get out of the office. B2B publishers have turned deep archives into search tools that answer readers' questions, and at least one has sold subscriptions off the back of it.
Whether the human checks survive cost pressure is the open question. So far, the industry's bet is that original, specialist journalism and a direct relationship with readers will hold their value however the technology moves.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on AI in publishing, from licensing strategy and search to newsroom case studies and editorial policy, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
Before rushing in to make deals with AI companies, publishers need to properly evaluate the value of their content, says Sajeeda Merali, CEO of the Professional Publishers Association.
The biggest puzzle for publishers today is where to find audiences and how to keep them. How to meet this challenge was the focus of the latest AOP CRUNCH event, writes AOP’s Richard Reeves.
emap’s Nursing Times was quick to explore the potential of AI when it launched its LLM search service last year. Sixteen months on, Robin Booth tells us what they’ve achieved so far and how they plan to use AI next.
Newsquest has published over 10,000 articles with the aid of AI. Jody Doherty-Cove, head of editorial AI, tells us how and why Newsquest is deploying AI across its newsrooms.
Toby Wiseman, MD, content, tells us how Hearst UK is using AI now and where he sees the best opportunities for future development.
Most publishers are trialling AI tools to some degree, but how many are actually seeing quantifiable benefits from their efforts? Meg Carter talks to Ana Jakimovska, head of AI strategy at Mediahuis, about their approach to AI adoption.
Steve Pinches, chief product and technology officer at Which?, looks at the tech opportunities and challenges facing his company and the wider consumer publishing sector.
Peter Barr-Watson, chief technology officer at The Independent, looks at the tech opportunities and challenges facing his company and the wider news media sector.
Reuters Institute’s ‘Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2026’ report shows how publishers are reacting to the twin threats from AI answer engines and human creators, writes Nic Newman.
Having humans involved in the process has been what’s given publishers the license to explore all that artificial intelligence has to offer…
Peter Barr-Watson, chief technology officer at The Independent, looks at the tech opportunities and challenges facing his company and the wider news media sector.
Publishers should heed the saying, ‘prepare for the worst, hope for the best’, because, as Dickon Ross says, the ‘worst’ must be just around the corner.
In a world where AI overviews are cannibalising brands’ content and algorithms are keeping audiences hooked on social media platforms, says Dominic Lobley, could purpose-led content help publishers retain a real competitive edge?
Global tech trends are forcing publishers to reevaluate their reader relationships.
Despite the obvious challenges, Douglas McCabe has spotted an outbreak of cautious optimism.
The sector’s adaptability is pointing to a more diversified future, says Chris Sherrard.
In this world awash with mis and disinformation, publishers need to invest in trusted content, says Andy Marshall.
Success in future will require a laser-like focus on proprietary insight, trusted brands, and deep community engagement, says Maria Wallace.
In a very unpredictable landscape, Jackie Scully sees reasons to be hopeful, particularly for those committed to meaningful storytelling.
The task ahead is clear, says Anke Beck: to harness AI not as a threat but as a catalyst.
AI will continue to be front and centre for publishers this year. John Barnes lists seven things you need to bear in mind…
Quality journalism with knowable provenance still commands attention, says BlueToad’s Hutch Hicken.
AdvantageCS’s Philippe van Mastrigt has five strategies to safeguard and strengthen your business model in the face of AI challenges.
Publishers don’t have to choose between a black-box platform or build everything from scratch. The alternative, says Full Fat Things’ Vicky Macey, is a modular, flexible approach.
Preciso's Piero Pavone is an experienced programmatic & native advertising specialist. Here, he shares his perspective on how publishers are responding to disruptive formats, and why native advertising is emerging as a more sustainable path forward.
