The short version

Ben Thompson predicted on January 1, 2025: “…the answer for publishers in the age of AI is no different than it was in the age of Aggregators: build a direct connection with readers. This, by extension, means business models that maximize revenue per user, which is to say subscriptions (the business model that undergirds this site, and an increasing number…

Prediction by

Ben Thompson

On January 1, 2025

“…the answer for publishers in the age of AI is no different than it was in the age of Aggregators: build a direct connection with readers. This, by extension, means business models that maximize revenue per user, which is to say subscriptions (the business model that undergirds this site, and an increasing number of others).”

Follow-up

Many digital publishers have continued shifting toward subscriptions and memberships, and Substack-style newsletters, paid communities, and direct support models have proliferated. Ad-supported publishers reliant on programmatic display and search traffic remain under pressure, consistent with Thompson’s framing that subscriptions are the more resilient path.

From the High Caliber AI network — see the AI for PR module in the course.