Why AI threatens publishers such as Business Insider

Pete Pachal of The Media Copilot writes about the dangers of using artificial intelligence for news organizations such as Business Insider.

Pachal writes, “As part of its AI-forward agenda, Peng touted AI-powered features like its site search and dynamic paywall. She also noted that 75% of the staff are now using AI tools—specifically ChatGPT Enterprise—with a goal of reaching full adoption. The company is building prompt libraries and encouraging cross-team sharing of AI use cases.

“While that direction is sound, it still feels like it’s in the early stages. Compare it with a newsroom like Reuters, which is embedding AI modularly into editorial workflows under a clear framework: reduce, augment, transform. It’s great that BI is exploring—but without a systematic approach, true transformation will be fragmented. And relying on a single AI provider like OpenAI, while convenient given the partnership, limits flexibility.

“For other digital outlets staring down irrelevance or contraction, BI’s roadmap is a case study. It’s imperative to rethink not just traffic, but the entire concept of measuring success through it. Sure, ad impressions still drive the bottom line—and that won’t change overnight, or ever. But a long fade seems inevitable. The first step is shifting to metrics that prioritize engagement, impact, and loyalty. That’s the path to cultivating direct reader relationships—essential to building media brands that are sustainable in the AI era.

“BI’s pivot is in the right direction, but lasting change won’t come from trimming headcount or introducing new tech alone. The digital media survivors of the AI era will be the ones who clearly know who they serve—and why they’re worth returning to. That takes more than adaptation. It takes reinvention.”