AI insights from a media roundtable

We need to reframe our operating models to be more flexible, enabling us to respond to the changing environment quickly. That means systems, processes and people need to be retooled and retrained for flexibility and the ability to handle ambiguity.”

E&P columnist Imtiaz Patel is a media executive who has led growth, digital innovation and revenue strategy across major news organizations.

I recently organized and moderated a roundtable of media executives to discuss the implications of changes in consumer behavior due to AI adoption and how this is impacting their businesses, and consequently, how they are rethinking business models. We had a broad range of attendees. These were senior executives representing cable, radio and publishing. It included national publications, local news operators and niche players. It included news organizations that were newsletter-first or social media-only. Suffice to say, we had broad representation.

I wanted to bring this group together to begin the conversation because AI will have one of the most profound impacts on our industry, and it’s not way off in the distance. It’s here now, and if we are not prepared, the consequences will be grim.

Let’s start with some data.

ChatGPT adoption has increased eightfold between November 2023 and April 2025.

Adoption by 50% of households is expected to take three years. This compares to six years for mobile adoption and 12 years for desktop internet.

Fifty percent of Google searches currently have AI summaries, and this figure is expected to reach 100% within two years. We’ve seen what this means for search traffic to publishers.

Everyone present felt a sense of urgency, recognizing that their business models would be disrupted. But they faced two clear challenges in responding to this. First, the path AI adoption will take, and its implications, are unknown. Without a clear understanding of potential outcomes, making informed investment decisions is challenging. Second, the challenge lies in balancing short-term financial goals with longer-term needs. This was especially true of the public companies in the room, and even for the private companies — meeting their yearly budget goals was considered a necessary requirement.

What emerged were a few key themes that the group as a whole was focused on.

AI for efficiency, not for bylines (yet)

There was skepticism around the idea of AI-written stories (“confidently wrong,” repetitive). However, they were aligned on using AI to streamline workflows — summarization, transcription, content assembly, social listening and customer insights. Efficiency within an existing business model was the primary focus.

From ‘content is king’ to community and connection as the moat

There was consensus around the idea that trust in the brand and community engagement would be critical in the near future. As search traffic declines, consumers must seek out news organizations as their go-to source for trusted news and develop a level of affinity with the brands. Key to this was engagement shifting toward live experiences, events and two-way conversations (“talk with the consumer”).

News as a services business with diversified revenue

Diversifying revenue sources beyond traditional subscription and advertising revenue was seen as necessary. They were exploring adjacent products and higher-touch offerings — sponsored events, research /insights for advertisers, reduced reliance on programmatic and data-driven services.

Distribution and brand control remain strategic tensions

With search dominated by the hyperscalers, the attendees discussed the idea of pulling audiences to owned properties versus meeting them on platforms. The emphasis is on sharpening brand identity, controlling quality/standards, and courting the “premium, high‑intent” consumer segment, where engagement and pricing power are stronger.

Operating model: tech‑first, partnership‑heavy and pressed for speed

With the challenge of balancing short-term and longer-term goals, a view emerged that companies might need to create a “skunkworks” operation, separate from the current business, and think in a completely different way, with streamlined decision-making and leveraging partnerships to achieve their objectives. No one had anything like this underway.

What’s clear from this group (and I have no doubt it’s a representative group) is that AI has us all concerned, but there is no clear vision on what needs to be done. While building engagement and trust in our brands is essential, it alone will not be enough.

My perspective is that news organizations should develop a few hypotheses on how things may evolve over the next three to five years. We clearly don’t know which outcome is most likely, but we can come up with a few options.

No matter which scenario becomes reality, there are foundational things we will need in each scenario. The tech infrastructure, data layer, analytics and other related components will be necessary in every potential outcome. That’s what we should be investing in now.

We need to reframe our operating models to be more flexible, enabling us to respond to the changing environment quickly. That means systems, processes and people need to be retooled and retrained for flexibility and the ability to handle ambiguity. We may require a completely outsourced backend operation, and perhaps anything centered on content development, revenue and consumer-focused is all that organizations should own.

Imtiaz Patel is a media executive who has led growth, digital innovation and revenue strategy across major news organizations. As chief consumer officer at Gannett, he oversaw consumer revenue and marketing for USA TODAY and 200+ local publications. As CEO of The Baltimore Banner, he built a digital-first newsroom from scratch, reaching 60K subscribers and $10M in year-one revenue. He previously held leadership roles at Dow Jones and has advised publishers like The Philadelphia Inquirer. Based in New York, Imtiaz is passionate about the arts, food and Liverpool FC. He can be reached at imtiazp99@gmail.com.