"There is no map," WAN-IFRA AI in Media Lead Ezra Eeman told editors, publishers and newsroom leaders gathered in Marseille.
For an industry accustomed to navigating disruption, the statement was both unsettling and liberating.
The internet had a roadmap. Mobile had a roadmap. Social media eventually had a roadmap. But artificial intelligence is creating a fundamentally different environment—one in which technology increasingly mediates the relationship between publishers and audiences, while the rules of value creation, distribution and discovery are being rewritten in real time.
"That is not how the new world works. The map does not fully explain what's happening now," Eeman said.
The challenge facing publishers, he argued, is not simply adopting AI tools. It is learning how journalism survives and thrives when AI becomes the primary interface through which people access information.
Charting a Course Without a Map
Rather than offering a blueprint, Eeman outlined the choices publishers are already making as they attempt to navigate the uncertainty.
Some are taking a defensive approach.
According to data he shared, 56 percent of publishers have blocked AI bots from accessing their content.
Others are pursuing engagement.
Another 31 percent are actively negotiating or striking licensing agreements with AI companies.
Neither approach is universally right, Eeman suggested.
"It depends on your setup and size."
The larger point is that publishers must make deliberate choices about how they participate in the emerging AI ecosystem.
Because in a world where AI systems increasingly summarize, interpret and distribute information, ownership and control matter more than ever.
"Without control, no market. No ability to capture value," Eeman warned.
For decades, publishers competed for audience attention. Today they are also competing for their place within AI systems that may become the dominant gateway to information.
From Ingredient to Destination
Eeman argued that one of the greatest dangers facing publishers is becoming accessory.
The challenge is not to fall into an ingredient, but survive as the destination.
As AI systems generate answers, summaries and recommendations, journalism risks being reduced to an ingredient inside someone else's product.
If publishers merely supply content to AI systems, they risk losing audience relationships, subscription opportunities and revenue streams. If they create distinctive experiences, services and products that users actively seek out, they remain relevant regardless of how information is distributed.
The future, Eeman argued, will favor organizations that understand emerging AI behaviors and adapt accordingly.
"Understand AI habits, avoid commodity, master scarcity, grow your own intelligence, serve the agents."
The message reflected a growing consensus that abundance makes uniqueness more valuable.
"Market favors exclusive, specific and authenticity."
In a world flooded with AI-generated content, original reporting, trusted brands, expertise and human judgment become strategic advantages.
Learning While Moving
What made the discussion notable was that no speaker claimed to have solved the problem.
Instead, leaders from some of the world's largest news organizations described their own efforts to navigate uncertainty.
Fabrice Bakhouche, chief executive of SIPA Ouest-France Group, acknowledged that publishers are still trying to understand what AI will mean for their organizations.
"The impact on roles, processes and management is only beginning to emerge," he said.
"There is no clear picture on impact."
His response has been to encourage experimentation while avoiding paralysis.
"Bottom-up approaches are relevant," he said, cautioning against becoming "too conservative."
Rather than waiting for certainty, organizations must learn through action.
At British 24-hour broadcaster Sky News, the challenge is equally complex.
Managing Director Jonathan Levy described an industry facing "constant, simultaneous and accelerating" disruption.
Quoting former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron, Levy called this period "head-spinning change in media consumption."
Sky's answer has been to embrace innovation while maintaining its core journalistic mission.
"We must deliver trusted journalism and simultaneously build the aircraft while in flight," Levy said.
The organization is pursuing a premium, video-first future while continuing to cover breaking news around the clock.
For Levy, successful navigation depends on leadership that acknowledges uncertainty rather than pretending certainty exists.
"Honesty, leadership in transition, not pretending to have answers."
The objective is not to eliminate uncertainty but to create enough confidence for organizations to move forward.
Building the Scaffolding
At Reuters, AI strategy leader Jane Barrett described a different approach to charting a course.
Rather than focusing primarily on technology, Reuters has concentrated on building structures that allow experimentation without sacrificing trust.
She outlined three layers of what she called "scaffolding."
The first is editorial: governance committees, updated guidelines and clear rules governing AI use.
The second is technological: approved tools, data security protections and content safeguards.
The third is psychological: creating a culture where experimentation is encouraged and failure is accepted as part of learning.
"Failure is learning," Barrett said.
Her observation that "10 percent is about AI, 20 percent about technology, 70 percent about people and processes" captured a theme repeated throughout the day.
The challenge is not simply deploying AI. It is helping organizations adapt to a new reality.
Following Signals, Sharing Failures
Perhaps the most revealing part of Eeman's presentation was his acknowledgment that the industry remains in the early stages of transformation.
"No publisher has a map," he said.
Instead, organizations are navigating through experimentation, observation and collaboration.
The goal is not to discover a single correct route but to learn from one another's successes and mistakes. "Sharing signals, failures."
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