Episode Details

What happens when AI makes the news feel like it was made just for us, and the “objective” version quietly disappears?

Here we have something of a “very special episode” of AI-Curious. I was recently in Davos during World Economic Forum week, and was honored to speak on a panel on the Future of Media. This is that panel. 

We dig into the trust crisis in journalism, the attention economy, and how AI may accelerate the shift toward personality-led media and hyper-personalized information feeds. We also explore why misinformation is not new, but why AI makes it easier, faster, and more scalable, and what that means for democracy, markets, and everyday decision-making.

Across the conversation, we unpack a core tension: AI can help deliver more context, more viewpoints, and more interactive storytelling, yet it can also deepen filter bubbles by giving each person a “perfectly tailored” version of reality. We discuss incentives and business models, including subscriptions, creator-led journalism, community-based distribution, and ideas like micropayments, as well as the role of media literacy and education in helping audiences navigate what’s real.

Panelists

Lexi Mills (Moderator), CEO of Shift6 Studios

Jeff Wilser, Host of AI-Curious

Francesca Gargaglia, Co-Founder & CEO of social.plus

Mark Kollar, Partner at Prosek Partners

Johnny Gabriele, Co-Founder & CEO at Daedalus Partners

Key topics we cover

• 03:07 — Trust, attention, and the rise of personality-led media reshaping news consumption
• 05:22 — Why AI accelerates a pre-existing media business crisis, and how trust erodes as convenience rises
• 12:48 — Algorithms before generative AI: engagement incentives, anger, and the personalization trap
• 17:29 — The “personalized Walter Cronkite” future and the risks of hyper-customized news
• 26:58 — Micropayments, creator platforms, and whether new economics can reward truth
• 27:23 — Media literacy: teaching people how to evaluate sources and resist “feed-based reality”
• 38:18 — Global perspectives: access, affordability, radio’s role, and how personalization may spread worldwide

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