The Future of Media with Noah Smith and Chris Best, CEO of Substack
"Moment of Zen"
Intro
This chapter discusses the evolution of media, focusing on the decline of Twitter and the rise of AI-generated content. The conversation delves into implications for authenticity, personal identity, and the changing nature of human interaction with information.
Today on Moment of Zen, we're airing a conversation with economist Noah Smith and Substack CEO Chris Best discussing the evolving media landscape. They dive into whether Twitter's dominance is waning, what features a successor platform would need, and how artificial intelligence is set to transform media as we know it. This conversation originally took place live on Noah's Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
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RELATED LINKS:
Eugene Wei's Status as a Service: https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2019/2/19/status-as-a-service
Twitter, Threads, and Remote Work with Eugene Wei:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zSxuEAgUUlptJHNEr2Q7O
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X / TWITTER:
@noahpinion
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION:
Breaking News Platform Concept
- Noah proposed Substack could replace Twitter's former role as a breaking news hub by recruiting OSINT specialists and citizen journalists to create live blogs
- These would function as both real-time updates and daily digest newsletters, solving the chicken-and-egg problem of audience vs. content
AI's Impact on Media
- AI will serve as a "force multiplier" for writers rather than replacing them entirely
- Key applications: summarization, curation, and search enhancement
- Writers may use AI teams to amplify their unique perspectives and research capabilities
Platform Evolution
- Twitter's decline attributed to the shift from chronological to algorithmic feeds (pull to push media)
- The "age of Twitter" for breaking news lasted roughly 2011-2023
- Substack currently excels at day-after analysis but lacks real-time news capabilities
Geopolitical Concerns
- Noah expressed pessimism about US competitiveness against China due to population size (4x difference)
- Concerns about weakened alliance systems under recent US foreign policy
- Worries about falling behind in electric/battery technology due to policy and cultural resistance
Content Abundance Problem
- Both noted the challenge of infinite content creation vs. scarce attention
- Emphasized importance of choosing content that shapes who you become, not just what you want right now
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