The Atlantic’s AI Gamble with Nicholas Thompson

Aug 8, 2025

Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and a veteran of Wired and The New Yorker, shares insights into the publication's AI revolution. He discusses the creation of an AI task force aimed at adapting to declining search traffic and explores bold licensing agreements, including one with OpenAI that stirred editorial concerns. Thompson emphasizes the ethical considerations of AI in journalism and the balance between maintaining subscriber trust and innovative experimentation. Their conversation reveals how personalized AI tools could redefine reader engagement with news.

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INSIGHT

Search Traffic Is Disappearing

The Atlantic found search would vanish as Google becomes an answer engine.
Nicholas Thompson warns no clear replacement exists for web traffic in an agent-filled world.

INSIGHT

Agents Can't Act Reliably Yet

Early agents converse fluently but fail to act reliably on complex tasks.
Nicholas Thompson expects improvement but notes they don't yet drive publisher traffic.

ADVICE

Monetize Human And Bot Audiences

Prioritize retaining human readers via apps, newsletters, and print.
Prepare to monetize bots via blocking, licensing, or ad integrations.

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From “subscriber‐financed stalwart” to AI trailblazer—how The Atlantic built an AI task force, overhauled its search strategy, and struck bold licensing deals to future-proof quality journalism.

This week on The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal sits down with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, to unpack how one of America’s most storied publications is navigating the AI revolution. Under Nick’s leadership, The Atlantic has become a rare legacy‐media success story—profitable, subscriber-driven, and bold in its AI strategy. From launching an internal task force post-ChatGPT to pivoting away from Google-first traffic, to striking a licensing deal with OpenAI despite staff unease, The Atlantic’s journey offers a playbook in balancing journalistic integrity, business sustainability, and technological innovation. Nick brings both enthusiasm for AI’s potential and a clear-eyed realism about its impact on news discovery and trust.

Pete and Nick dive into: 🔹 The AI Task Force’s findings on search traffic decline and what it meant for The Atlantic’s business model 🔹 Behind the scenes of The Atlantic’s licensing agreement with OpenAI—and why it ruffled editorial feathers 🔹 How “agents” and personalized AI tools will reshape how readers find and engage with journalism 🔹 The Atlantic’s ethics playbook for AI: rules, guardrails, and editorial oversight 🔹 Striking the balance between subscriber trust, profitability, and fearless experimentation

Whether you’re a media professional, tech enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of news, this episode offers rare insight into how a leading publication is plotting its course through one of the most tumultuous eras in media history.

🎙 Guest: Nicholas Thompson | CEO, The Atlantic | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasthompson

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This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.

Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License