How can we better understand the current AI hype?

Francesco Marconi’s "Newsmakers" is something of a foundational book for anyone working at the intersection of AI and journalism. It’s a useful reminder that much of what we now describe as the "AI revolution” in media has deeper roots. Newsrooms were already experimenting with automation and machine learning throughout the 2010s. What I appreciate most about the book is that it captures a moment when innovation felt ambitious yet grounded — before today’s gold-rush mentality took hold.

In a more analytical vein, the Ethnographic study “AI Hype and its Function” by Nadja Schaetz and Anna Schjøtt sharpens that perspective. The authors argue that hype isn’t merely noise or exaggeration — it performs a function. Future visions are generative: they coordinate actors, mobilize funding, and legitimize innovation. This lens helps us see AI not just as a technology, but as a narrative force that actively shapes institutions, expectations, and decision-making.

Are we taking AI seriously enough?

Many of us picture the “end state”: AI transforming journalism, changing workflows, maybe even redefining what a news product is. But the crucial steps in between often get overlooked—those are all about user behavior.

I notice it in myself: If a product isn’t immediately intuitive, I instinctively look for a chat field to operate it, just as I do on platforms like Canva. That’s a subtle but profound shift. I don’t think the article as a product will disappear, but we are entering a post-navigation era, where interaction becomes conversational and intent-driven.

That interface, where user intent meets journalism, is far too important to hand over to tech platforms. Shaping and understanding user behavior isn’t something we should outsource; it needs to be at the heart of our own strategic and product thinking. There’s so much potential if media organizations keep evolving their own websites and product experiences, rather than leaving that crucial space for others to define.

And by the way, these questions are highly relevant for us as a news agency: How can we deliver verified information in ways that truly fit our clients’ needs?

What's a good hobby to pick up?

I can really recommend joining nature walks with strangers to observe wildlife. You can’t imagine what or who you might come across. I’m doing an amphibian walk in a few weeks, and sometimes that kind of small adventure is exactly what you need.