In this premiere episode of The Intersect I sit down with Katie Drummond -- Global Editorial Director of WIRED -- to unpack one of the most urgent but under-examined realities of the last decade: the quiet erosion of journalism at the hands of AI and automation.
From the loss of local newsrooms to the rise of AI-generated content mills, journalism has been fundamentally reshaped by technology -- and the business models that now prioritize engagement algorithms over editorial judgment. We explore how early AI systems displaced thousands of journalists, how tech platforms siphoned away advertising revenue that once funded reporting, and how today’s news landscape reflects these foundational shifts.
Topics Covered:
- How AI quietly displaced thousands of journalists over the last decade
- The erosion of editorial power and the rise of engagement optimization
- Why local journalism collapsed -- and what filled the vacuum
- The dangers of AI-generated news and algorithmic storytelling
- How media business models shifted trust away from the newsroom
- What comes next for independent and bold reporting
- Why human editors are still essential in an AI-driven world
About Katie Drummond:
Katie Drummond is the global editorial director of WIRED, leading content strategy for the brand across all platforms and markets.
Prior to joining WIRED, Drummond was the senior vice president of global news & entertainment at VICE, where she led the global expansion of VICE News across Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and oversaw all VICE digital brands including Noisey, Munchies, Rec Room, Motherboard, and Waypoint. Previously, Drummond held editorial leadership positions at several media outlets, including as deputy editor of Bloomberg.com and Editor-in-Chief of technology website Gizmodo.
Drummond graduated from Queen’s University in Canada with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. She resides in Brooklyn.
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