The short version

Ben Thompson predicted on March 1, 2024: “In the short term, technology often makes old business models even more powerful before it kills them. So you have something like a newspaper, I used to be limited to my geographic area. Now I can reach the whole world. Oh, and a few years later, everyone can reach the whole world. I…

Prediction by

Ben Thompson

On March 1, 2024

“In the short term, technology often makes old business models even more powerful before it kills them. So you have something like a newspaper, I used to be limited to my geographic area. Now I can reach the whole world. Oh, and a few years later, everyone can reach the whole world. I mean pure competition, I’m screwed. And that is certainly a concern about this model.”

Follow-up

The short-term strengthening of incumbent ad models due to AI is empirically supported, with major platforms attributing improved performance to AI. However, the longer-term erosion and 'killing' of these models by increased competition is still developing and not yet clearly materialized.

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