Keen On America Excited and Terrified: The Atlantic CEO on Journalism's AI Reckoning
Jan 25, 2026
Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former Wired editor, brings tech journalism savvy. He explores AI as a powerful reporting tool and a threat to publishers. He talks copyright battles, whether AI firms will pay for original work, and how journalism might adapt through licensing, subscriptions, and new business strategies.
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Build An Open-Source AI Stack
- Invest in open-source AI layers and licensing to foster startups and diverse competition.
- Thompson recommends Europe build connections in the open-source stack to boost its AI ecosystem.
AI Is Tool And Threat For Media
- AI is simultaneously the best tool for journalism and an existential business threat to publishers.
- Nicholas Thompson says AI can find needles in haystacks while also potentially obliterating publishers' models.
Copyright Will Decide Journalism's Fate
- The legal fate of copyright will largely determine whether publishers thrive in the AI era.
- Thompson argues AI firms should properly license training content and share revenue with creators.
