How AI Can Spur a Rebirth of Media

What’s happening: Similarweb data released July 2 shows that since Google launched its AI Overviews in May 2024, the share of search queries ending without a click to a news site has jumped from 56% to nearly 69%. As reported by Luis Rijo for PPC Land, referrals from ChatGPT to news publishers skyrocketed—jumping from under 1 million visits between January–May 2024 to over 25 million in the same 2025 period, marking a 25× increase. Publishers like Reuters, New York Post, and Business Insider saw significant boosts via ChatGPT, yet these gains haven't offset the steep traffic losses from Google. Publishers have begun experimenting with new monetization strategies—including Google’s Offerwall, paywalls, and newsletter prompts—to adapt to this shifting referrer landscape.

Why it matters: The surge in ChatGPT referrals alongside record-high zero-click searches reveals a fundamental redistribution of traffic power. While Google’s AI Overviews increasingly keep users on-platform, ChatGPT is becoming a meaningful traffic source—especially for outlets that are well-represented in its citations. For media companies, this opens a new battleground: ensuring their reporting is visible and quotable in AI outputs. But with ChatGPT referrals still a fraction of Google’s past scale, the monetization challenge remains urgent. Content creators and publishers alike must adapt by tracking how AI tools attribute and link to their work, while exploring new formats—like explainers, Q&A, or utility journalism—that lend themselves to AI summarization. It’s not just about SEO anymore; it’s about AIEO (AI Engine Optimization).

What’s happening: In a recent piece for Semafor, Reed Albergotti argues that AI could usher in a renaissance for journalism—not by replacing reporters, but by empowering a new generation of media entrepreneurs. The article points to a growing trend of small, niche outlets launching with minimal staff and leveraging AI to handle research, summarization, and distribution. These tools are drastically lowering the cost of entry, enabling the creation of tightly focused publications that serve specific audiences. Albergotti highlights examples of founders using AI to quickly spin up newsletters, local sites, and trade publications that previously would have been economically unviable. Rather than signaling the end of media, AI is presented as a force that could decentralize and diversify it.

Why it matters: For media companies and content creators, the AI wave isn't just about efficiency—it’s about reimagining scale. AI is shifting the cost structure of publishing, allowing niche voices and verticals to flourish where traditional economics once discouraged them. This could lead to a more pluralistic media landscape, driven by specialized outlets that serve communities with depth and frequency. At the same time, legacy media must reconcile with a future where the competitive set includes AI-empowered solo operators. Winning in this new ecosystem will require not just editorial excellence, but operational adaptability—where AI becomes a core part of the workflow, not a perceived threat.

What’s happening: McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme have ended their doughnut partnership, which saw Krispy Kreme products sold in approximately 2,400 McDonald’s locations across the U.S. As reported by Heather Haddon for The Wall Street Journal, the initiative launched in 2022 and expanded nationwide in 2024, but struggled with supply chain issues, product freshness, and high distribution costs. These operational hurdles ultimately led to a $33 million net loss for Krispy Kreme in the first quarter of 2025. While McDonald’s praised the product and collaboration, Krispy Kreme concluded the partnership was financially unsustainable. McDonald’s will now refocus on core breakfast items, including new offerings like the Spicy Egg McMuffin and bagel sandwiches.

Why it matters: The breakdown of this partnership highlights how brand alignment alone isn’t enough to sustain collaboration without operational fit. For media companies and content creators, it’s a reminder that product expansions—especially those dependent on tight logistics and perishables—can quickly unravel at scale. The failure also signals a recalibration moment for both brands: McDonald’s doubling down on breakfast staples, and Krispy Kreme redirecting energy toward retail and franchise channels. As coverage shifts from hype to outcomes, this story is a case study in the hidden costs of co-branding and the importance of executional discipline behind feel-good brand moves.

What’s happening: A new wave of personal finance transparency is gaining traction on TikTok and Instagram through the hashtag #paydayroutine. As reported by Kristen Bayrakdarian for The New York Times, creators—mostly Gen Z—are posting detailed breakdowns of their income and spending, often sharing paycheck allocations down to the last dollar. These videos go beyond generic budgeting advice by providing real, contextualized financial snapshots, like one from a 26-year-old PICU nurse in Atlanta earning $96,000 a year. The trend reflects a shift from secrecy to openness in personal finance, modeling practical money habits for a generation navigating rising costs and student debt. It’s an evolution of the “soft life” era, but grounded in spreadsheets and savings goals.

Why it matters: The rise of #paydayroutine content taps into a cultural and economic moment defined by transparency, precarity, and a collective recalibration of what financial stability looks like. On a macro level, persistent inflation, rising rent costs, and student debt burdens have made financial planning more urgent and more public. On a micro level, many younger workers are navigating adulthood with a digital-first mindset, turning to peer-generated content for guidance where institutions have fallen short. These videos make budgeting social, expressive, and even therapeutic—replacing shame with shared strategy. At a time when the cost of living often outpaces wage growth, documenting every dollar becomes both a tool for survival and a subtle act of resistance.

What’s happening: A brewing internal conflict has reignited over the fate of the Golden Globes. As reported by Nicole Sperling for The New York Times, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)—which oversaw the awards for decades—voted to reconstitute their organization and formally investigate the 2023 sale of the Golden Globes to Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture led by Jay Penske and Todd Boehly. The deal, made amid scandal and intended to dissolve the HFPA, never received formal approval from California’s attorney general. Now, around 77 journalists are alleging the sale was fraught with conflicts of interest, NDAs, and suppressed competing bids. They’ve also voted to remove Helen Hoehne as president, escalating tensions with the current Golden Globes leadership.

Why it matters: This dispute reflects deeper tensions around legacy, ownership, and accountability in Hollywood’s evolving awards ecosystem. As prestige ceremonies grapple with waning cultural influence and commercial reinvention, the Golden Globes have become a battleground for control between journalistic integrity and corporate consolidation. The HFPA’s move signals a refusal to be sidelined and taps into broader industry conversations about transparency, ethics, and the preservation of institutional credibility. In a post-scandal era where trust and optics are paramount, this conflict may shape how awards shows define legitimacy and navigate their futures.

What’s happening: During ESPN’s July 4 broadcast of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, viewers were treated to a new Mint Mobile ad featuring Ryan Reynolds and Richard Galanti, the former CFO of Costco known for defending the chain’s iconic $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combo. As reported by Alex Weprin for The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds dubbed Galanti Mint’s new “Chief Anti-Inflation Officer,” highlighting the wireless brand’s long-standing $15/month pricing. The ad, produced by Reynolds’ marketing firm Maximum Effort, cleverly borrowed cultural equity from Costco’s inflation-proof hot dog legacy to reinforce Mint’s value-driven positioning. Though humorous, the campaign also aligns with Reynolds’ broader marketing playbook—blending pop culture, brand storytelling, and economic commentary.

Why it matters: This campaign taps into inflation fatigue, a collective obsession with price stability, and nostalgia for trusted value symbols. By invoking Costco’s famously immovable hot dog price, the ad transforms a lighthearted moment into a sharp statement about consistency amid economic volatility. It also underscores how brands are leaning on personality-driven narratives and culturally embedded pricing icons to make abstract value propositions emotionally resonant. The moment wasn’t just clever—it was strategically timed to maximize relevance on a holiday broadcast rooted in tradition, competition, and Americana.

What’s happening: Streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube are seeing a rise in bizarre, low-quality AI-generated songs—many created to game algorithms rather than express artistic intent. As reported by Kate Knibbs for Wired, tracks like “I Caught Santa Claus Sniffing Cocaine” and “sensual butt” ballads by creators like BannedVinylCollection are earning millions of streams and infiltrating user playlists. Some streaming services are struggling to contain this influx: Spotify hosts at least 13 such AI acts with a combined 4.1 million monthly listeners, and Deezer says 18% of its daily uploads are AI-generated—yet offers no option to block or filter them. These tracks aren’t just quirky or chaotic—they're emblematic of a growing category critics are calling “AI slop.”

Why it matters: The spread of AI slop music marks a tipping point in the collision between automation and cultural quality control. As algorithmic platforms prize engagement and volume over curation, they become ripe targets for mass-produced content that exploits recommendation systems. This raises urgent questions about authorship, value, and artistic integrity in an era where virality can be manufactured by prompt, not passion. While some users may find amusement in the absurd, the long-term risk is a platform environment flooded with derivative, dehumanized output—blurring the lines between parody and pollution. Music, once a deeply personal and expressive medium, risks becoming just another vector for scale-driven noise.

What’s happening: H&M is rolling out AI-generated “twins” of 30 real-life models to digitally showcase clothing, using images of human models to create realistic virtual replicas. According to Semafor, these AI twins will be controlled creatively by the original models and used in marketing and social media campaigns, aiming to reduce the need for large-scale photoshoots. H&M emphasizes that this approach supplements—but does not replace—real talent, highlighting its intention to stay “human‑centric.” The initiative allows fewer in-person shoots while maintaining the brand’s style identity.

Why it matters: This move taps into macro trends like cost optimization and digital scalability, while raising micro-level ethical and creative concerns. On one hand, AI twins offer brands faster content production and reduced logistics costs—critical in a sluggish retail climate. On the other, they thrust forward questions about labor displacement, consent, and compensation for creative professionals. The approach also touches on broader themes of authenticity: if a model’s digital likeness is frozen in time, what does that mean for evolving representation? H&M’s emphasis on agency-owned digital identities nods to emerging regulatory structures, but the broader fashion ecosystem must still reconcile efficiency with equity and transparency in visual storytelling.

What’s happening: Netflix is diving headfirst into shark programming with two new entries—Shark Whisperer and All the Sharks—timed to compete with legacy cable events Shark Week (Discovery) and SharkFest (National Geographic). As reported by Tony Maglio for The Hollywood Reporter, Shark Whisperer follows marine conservationist Ocean Ramsey in a more immersive, conservation-focused portrayal of sharks, directed by My Octopus Teacher’s James Reed. Meanwhile, All the Sharks introduces a competition format where marine teams race to photograph the most shark species. This marks Netflix’s most aggressive move yet into thematic, seasonal programming traditionally dominated by cable. It also comes just weeks after the 50th anniversary of Jaws, amplifying the summer’s shark-saturated content slate.

Why it matters: Netflix’s push into shark content is less about aquatic fascination and more about media muscle. It signals the streamer’s growing strategy of appropriating cable’s cultural rituals—summer tentpoles, holiday drops—and reframing them with global talent and elevated formats. While Discovery leans into spectacle and Nat Geo into science, Netflix is crafting prestige docu-hybrids that resonate across its global subscriber base. This isn’t just a programming rivalry—it’s a symbolic passing of the baton from broadcast traditions to on-demand dominance. With massive reach and an evolving brand of documentary storytelling, Netflix is redefining what “appointment viewing” looks like in the streaming era.

What’s happening: Microsoft has initiated a major round of layoffs—around 9,000 jobs company-wide, including hundreds in Xbox studios—aimed at reducing costs amid a heavy pivot toward AI development and infrastructure. In the wake of these cuts, Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Game Studios, shared a now-deleted LinkedIn post urging laid-off employees to lean on AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot. He suggested using AI to aid resume writing, career planning, job searching, networking outreach, and even emotional self-care—describing them as helpers to “reduce the emotional and cognitive load” of job loss. While framed as caring guidance, the post sparked sharp backlash from creatives who felt it dismissed the human toll of layoffs.

Why it matters: From a brand strategist’s lens, this episode underscores the fragile optics when big tech pushes AI-driven solutions amid job cuts—especially in creative industries. Xbox's move to position AI as an emotional aid may alienate its cultural base of developers and creatives, reinforcing a narrative of detachment in leadership. It reflects a wider identity shift: Microsoft is fine-tuning its global branding toward efficiency and innovation, but this recalibration risks eroding trust among the human capital it relies on. Going forward, brands in any sector leaning on AI must balance promoting tools with empathetic communication and active support—rather than suggestion alone.