In this issue: OpenAI gives some insight into what 2.6 billion daily requests actually look like. Why journalism has a fighting chance with the help of user needs. Cecilia Rikap on why we’re dumbing ourselves down to match AI’s limitations. Plus: How ChatGPT trained me for the Berlin Marathon and then watched me suffer in the heat.
Previous Issues
Worldviews Wrapped in Algorithms
In this issue: The AI hype cycle hits a new phase—real debates replace Terminator fantasies. Alba Mora Roca on why being polyamorous with AI models matters for Global South journalism. Plus: ONA highlights.
When AI Companies Pay the Price
In this issue: Anthropic pays $1.5 billion to settle the first major AI copyright lawsuit—but it’s not about training, it’s about piracy. CBC’s Rignam Wangkhang on journalism’s existential threat and why we need to get brave. Plus: I tested Google’s SynthID watermarking and learned why spotting AI content is harder than counting fingers.
You’re Holding It Wrong: The ChatGPT Edition
In this issue: When ChatGPT fails at basic geography, who’s really holding it wrong? The Wall Street Journal’s Tess Jeffers on lightweight AI experiments and changing audience expectations. Plus: When AI tools promise to fix your prompts.
The Traffic Apocalypse That Hasn’t Happened Yet
In this issue: MIT’s questionable 95% AI failure report. Google’s “Nano Banana” makes faking influencers stupidly easy. Nieman Lab’s Andrew Deck on why aggregation jobs are disappearing faster than anyone realizes. Plus: How I built a web app with GPT-5 in one hour.
Prove You’re Human or Get Blocked
In this issue: AI browsers surf on your behalf while media companies wrestle with the subscriber question. Sonali Verma on why human connection beats chatbots in breaking news. Plus: My battle to teach Claude not to mangle quotes (spoiler: it involved a lot of CAPS LOCK).
Jumping Bunnies and Shrinking Context
In this issue: OpenAI’s messy GPT-5 launch strips away the magic. The jumping bunnies are fake, and so is everything else in our feeds. Questions for you, the reader. Plus: I vibecoded a Strava data exporter and compared four AI models as marathon coaches.
The Great Middleman Revival
In this issue: While humans disappear into AI search engines, bots offer micropayments. Cloudflare wants to be your middleman (for a cut). Newsroom Robots’ Nikita Roy on reclaiming audience relationships. Plus: I tested ChatGPT Agent and Perplexity Comet on real tasks—and learned something about AI bias.
Magic Tokens and Modern Luddites
In this issue: From capturing crawler bots to putting traffic cones on robotaxis—meet the new Luddites leading the resistance. Meanwhile, the article is dying, replaced by liquid experiences that adapt to you. David Bauer from Republik on building an AI culture of curiosity over fear. Plus: The magic tokens that unlock better prompts and why vibecoding’s honeymoon phase is over.
Fakecasts and Rainbow Sparkles
In this issue: AI Overviews invade Google Discover while AI Mode sparkles for attention. Why some journalists are living in an AI bubble while others remain oblivious. Alexandra Borchardt on the three strategies every newsroom needs. Plus: I created a “fakecast” and immediately regretted it.
AI’s Next Land Grab: Your Browser
In this issue: The battle for your digital middleman or why AI companies are turning to browsers. Three use cases from Germany. Thomas Benkö from Switzerland’s Blick on treating AI like a cheeky colleague. Plus: How to rename screenshots automatically with Google Gemini from the command line.
Journalism’s AI Challenge Isn’t Tech—It’s Purpose
In this issue: Essential AI reading that cuts through the hype. Context engineering becomes the new buzzword. Bonnier’s Freja Kalderén on why AI is forcing journalism back to basics. Plus: My quest for the perfect AI writing tool led to some creative Cursor experiments.
When AI Meets Amateur Hour
In this issue: Elitist panic over amateur writers. 93 AI journalism initiatives mapped out. The BBC goes all-in on generative AI. Model mayhem at OpenAI. And Hugging Face’s Florent Daudens on Software 3.0 and why we’re all becoming coders just by talking to machines.
The GenZ Reality Check Media Needs to Hear
In this issue: Announcing the first German-speaking who’s who for AI and journalism. ChatGPT is (probably) not making us dumber. Using Dia, the AI-first web browser. And media innovator Sara Inkeri Vardar wants friction and failures for meaningful change.
The End of the Web As We Know It
In this issue: The web’s slow death by a thousand AI cuts. The 75 AI and journalism experts to follow right now. Jaemark Tordecilla on what actually works in AI journalism (and a killer feature). Search results you can hear. Plus: Make Claude access your blog posts.
