The Digiday Podcast TikTok U.S., Disney-Kimmel + WTF is a chief AI officer with The Washington Post’s Sam Han
Sep 23, 2025
Join Sam Han, the Chief AI Officer at The Washington Post, as he unpacks the intriguing role of an AI overseer in a media environment. He shares insights on how AI strategies optimize paywalls, resulting in a 20% boost in customer value. Dive into the evolving landscape of TikTok's U.S. operations and Disney's media controversies, alongside discussions about Meta's shift towards usage-based licensing. Han also touches on the challenges of recruiting top AI talent amidst fierce competition from tech giants.
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TikTok US Plan Adds Government Supervision
- Reported TikTok US plan involves licensing a duplicate algorithm to a US ownership group including Oracle and Silver Lake.
- The US government will supervise the algorithm, raising concerns about state influence over recommendations.
Programming Decisions Can Be State-Directed
- Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel after FCC and political pressure, showing how government influence can shape programming.
- Media companies may comply to protect regulatory or merger-related business interests.
Publishers Push For Usage-Based AI Deals
- Publishers prefer usage-based AI licensing over one-off training payments to get paid for actual value delivered.
- Usage-based pricing ties payments to citations or query results rather than an upfront lump sum.