Big Ideas From deepfakes to dodgy headlines, what’s going on in your newsfeed? — journalism, AI and the algorithm
May 11, 2026
Rita Arrigo, AI consultant who helps companies use generative tools responsibly. Dr Mathew Marques, psychologist studying trust and misinformation. Ian Dunt, political columnist focused on conspiracies and media. They discuss AI’s role in news, how algorithms shape what you see, the economics pushing automation, deepfakes and wartime fakes, platform defences, media literacy and ways to reclaim a healthier information diet.
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Episode notes
Don't Let AI Write Your Articles
- Avoid using AI to write whole articles because it destroys journalistic quality and readership.
- Ian Dunt shows BuzzFeed and Reach PLC declines as examples where AI-written content led to reputational and commercial collapse.
BuzzFeed's AI Rise Then Crash
- BuzzFeed used AI initially for quizzes then for articles and spiked in share price before collapsing.
- Ian Dunt cites BuzzFeed's jump to ~$15 per share then fall to around $0.50 after reliance on AI content.
AI Reveals Not Causes Newsroom Decay
- AI adoption in news often signals pre-existing newsroom decline driven by broken economics, not just a tech choice.
- Ian Dunt links staff cuts and click-driven workloads to the moment editors decide to replace reporters with AI.
