Mo News Interview: News, AI and The Future Of Truth with the Atlantic's Nick Thompson
Nov 3, 2025
Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former editor of Wired, dives into the urgent issues of misinformation and AI's impact on journalism. He discusses the decline of trust in media and the ethical challenges posed by deepfakes and AI-driven content. Nick shares insights on The Atlantic's proactive deal with OpenAI and the need for fair compensation for creators. He also connects his ultramarathon running to leadership in media, emphasizing discipline and resilience, while reflecting on the balancing act of reporting responsibly amidst sensitive information.
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Barbell Media Economy
- The media landscape is polarizing into high-quality subscription hubs and creator-driven edges, hollowing out mid-sized local outlets.
- AI promises to rewrite discovery and revenue, creating existential risk for ad-dependent news models.
Make Deals With AI Firms
- Negotiate with AI companies rather than simply protesting their data use; seek payment or partnerships for scraped content.
- Being paid now is better than hoping AI harms the industry later and yields no compensation.
ProRata-Style Compensation Wins
- Legal fights and settlements will shape compensation, but a better outcome is transparent attribution and pro-rata payment for sources contributing to AI answers.
- Systems that break answers into percentage contributions can align incentives for creators and AI firms.
