Since GenAI is such an exciting, fast-moving space, I thought I would share some of the more interesting forecasts with you in this newsletter before we start winding down for the winter holidays.

Today I bring to you predictions come to you from some members of the INMA Generative AI Advisory Council, a group of brilliant AI practitioners from media companies in different corners of the world who meet once a month to discuss what they are doing, thinking, and preparing for. 

Thinking beyond AI

Toughts from Lyn-Yi Chung, deputy chief editor at CNA Digital in Singapore:

To stand out, newsrooms will have to start thinking beyond AI for efficiency and optimisation. They should focus on creating intuitive, AI-powered experiences that give visitors a sense of time well spent on their site or with their brand.

Gone are the days where creating endless reams of content, hoping that something gets carried by the winds of third-party algorithms is a viable strategy. You don't want to be relegated to an occasional footnote on an AI answer engine.

Newsrooms will also have to work on dealing with testing fatigue for AI solutions among their handful of champions and early adopters, and formalise the setting up of cross-functional teams to spread the load.

Newsrooms that embrace product-thinking, strong user empathy and that can make AI more accessible across the board will likely race ahead.

How AI will evolve

Thoughts from Rohit Saran, managing editor, The Times of India in New Delhi:

At the individual level, I expect AI’s impact to move from solving “first-generation” issues (e.g. grammar, structure, translation, transcription …) to addressing “second-generation” issues, like being reporters’ and editors’ digital twin helping them do better and faster ideation, research, writing, coding, publication.

At the institutional level, in large newsrooms, I expect AI to start delivering measurable and system-wide improvements in workflow simplification, time and quality improvements, and product improvements. In effect, company-wide improvements in all 3 Ps — process, product and people. Definitive ROI on AI will be visible.

At the industry level, I think individual journalists and “non-journalist” storytellers will become a bigger and more formidable challenge to mainstream news media companies. This could lead to complete remaking of the news media business in two to three years.

A balancing act

Thoughts from Sarah Owsik, AI business partner at Mediahuis in Brussels:

2025 will be about smartly balancing between creating near-time value quickly and adapting and learning to navigate into the future. 

For 2025 and beyond, the key will be to strike the right balance between thinking aggressively about the big changes that will come and thinking small enough to move forward with creating near-time value.

This entails strengthening collaboration between journalists, AI experts, and product experts, defining together what “good” means in the context of GenAI as a starting point to learn and improve. The more we get GenAI solutions empowering our journalists integrated in their workflow in an intuitive way, the better we can accelerate adoption.

But when it comes to navigating to the future, this won’t suffice.

GenAI will keep on challenging us to sharpen what sets us apart as a publisher, to define and redefine what the unique fingerprint of our journalism is, the specific fingerprint GenAI doesn’t have. Although we don’t know where we will end up in the longer term, we’ll further shape a common language within our organisation when it comes to thinking about the future so we’ll know what to do next.

Looking outward, you can already see the potential paths to more and new value creation with GenAI in 2025. The rise of AI agents will translate to new possibilities in streamlining workflows and interacting with readers as the technology evolves. Also, Big Tech enabling their AI assistants to interact with other products — for example, Spotify joining the Google Gemini ecosystem gives food for thought.

Next year will be about generating value with GenAI in the way we bring our journalism in our products to our readers. But the keyword here is value, and not GenAI, keeping in mind that our readers define where true value lies.

While GenAI becomes more sophisticated, the human role will become even more critical. Our unique abilities — creativity, empathy, contextual understanding, and our moral compass — are essential in maintaining journalistic integrity and trust.

Second looks

Thoughts from David Cohn, senior director of Advance Local’s Alpha in Berkley, California:

The hype wave around AI has peaked (or close to it), but its impact on the industry hasn’t yet been felt. 

What I predict isn’t that AI will take us “boldly where no one has gone before.” Instead, it will help us revisit old territory, digging deeper into abandoned wells to uncover untapped value, hidden insights, and opportunities once deemed impractical. 

So, what are some “pivots” that were once deemed infeasible that might be worth a second look using new technology?

Human-centred interactions

Thoughts from Liz Lohn, director of product/AI at The Financial Times in London:

GenAI will drive a return to offline, experiential, and peer-led engagement. The oversaturation of digital channels and declining trust in algorithmically curated content are driving a profound shift in audience behaviour.

Instead of passively consuming endless feeds of personalised content, audiences are seeking richer, more meaningful ways to engage — through immersive experiences, offline interactions, and trusted micro-communities.

In-person and hybrid events will keep playing an increasingly vital role in this shift, becoming key environments for consuming information, finding inspiration, and building authentic connections. Platforms like Reddit and Substack, which prioritise strong communities and individual creators over traditional brand-led models, will continue to solidify their position in news consumption. 

For news organisations, this represents an opportunity to go beyond simply delivering content and instead foster human-centred interactions — whether by designing dynamic event experiences, nurturing niche community spaces, or amplifying the voices of trusted peers.

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