Artificial intelligence is no longer a promise of the future: it is an earthquake shaking the foundations of the publishing business. That is how Adriana Menezes Whiteley, director of FT Strategies, the consulting arm of the prestigious Financial Times, sees it. In an exclusive interview, the executive issues a warning that should chill the blood of any media owner: “After destroying the perception of content value, it is much harder to rebuild it.”
According to Whiteley, AI is not just a more efficient tool, but a tectonic shift that reshapes the entire value chain. Media outlets no longer compete only among themselves: they now also compete with their own sources —governments, sports clubs, markets— and with new players that capture attention and data at scale. “What was once considered ‘publishing’ is now blurring,” she explains. “AI opens the door to services that we wouldn’t even recognize as editorial.”
The consultant identifies a recurring mistake in newsrooms trying to ride the AI wave: the obsession with “shiny toys.” “Many launch quick experiments that never scale,” she says. “A client confessed to us: ‘We have more pilots than American Airlines.’” The recommendation is clear: first, define the “moat” —the sustainable competitive advantage— and understand where differentiation will lie in a world where AI-generated content is abundant and free.
For Latin American media, the challenge is even more complex. Whiteley notes that many were pioneers in video, a format resistant to AI but difficult to monetize online. The erosion of subscription prices and the lack of first-party data prevent product personalization and increased engagement. “In many markets, the perception of content value has already been destroyed,” she insists. “Rebuilding it requires a step-by-step approach, with subscription tiers, personalized content, and community.”
The executive proposes a practical framework for assessing revenue vulnerability to AI: audit which content is easily replicable and which provides real differentiation. “Organizations that do not have a trust-based relationship with their audiences are the most exposed,” she warns. And she adds: “Moving from digital-first to AI-first involves deep cultural changes. Sometimes it is traumatic for newsrooms to consider AI capabilities.”
Regarding revenue diversification, Whiteley highlights two overlooked areas: auditing the customer journey to identify subscriber churn points and optimizing pricing. “There are always immediate gains to reduce churn intent,” she assures. “And data services, especially in B2B, are the most valuable opportunity for those with unique datasets.”
Finally, the director of FT Strategies insists that the future is not in content volume, but in the ability to generate specific value for specific communities. “Media with better first-party data are better positioned to monetize,” she concludes. “The competitive advantage will lie in personalization, hyper-personalization, and the creation of micro-niches. And in building direct relationships with users who stop being mere readers and become an active part of the product.”
Para mí, lo que dice Whiteley es verso de corporación. Destruyeron el contenido, sí, pero la solución no es venderse con datos pedorros. ¡Los medios tienen que ser del pueblo, no un negocio más del capitalismo! Mientras los mismos tiburones manejen todo, la confianza es humo. ¡Basta de negocios, queremos prensa popular, carajo!
para mi esta mina se hace la boluda la IA no es el problema la izquierda con su agenda woke mato el periodismo y ahora lloran ellos regalaron el contenido no la IA confianza? dale si los medios son todos vendidos firmado @ElVerdaderoGaucho