AI Research Panels: The Future of Publisher Decision-Making

Resources

Books

• "AI Paywall" - Mentioned as a concept the Times is inspired by and working towards, similar to what the FT is doing.

Videos & Documentaries

• "The Business" podcast - Mentioned as a new business news podcast launched by The Times and Sunday Times, which used synthetic research to help name it.

Research & Studies

• "Nielsen's The Gauge report" - Mentioned as a report that tracks streaming service viewership on TV screens, with YouTube consistently at the top.
• "Moffett Nathanson projections" - Analysts who have projected YouTube TV will become the top pay TV provider in the US in 2026.
• "BBC and EBU findings" - Findings from a survey indicating that a significant portion of respondents believe publishers should be partially responsible for AI model hallucinations.

Tools & Software

• Google's Performance Max - An AI tool for ads that publishers are using to acquire audiences.
• Meta's Advantage Plus - An AI tool for ads that publishers are using to acquire audiences.
• ChatGPT - Mentioned as an example of the LLM models that underpin synthetic research tools.
• ElectraTwin - A company providing synthetic research tools that The Times and Sunday Times are working with.
• WPP's Open - A tool offered by WPP that includes synthetic research capabilities, though not as in-depth as other providers.

Articles & Papers

• Reuters report on Netflix bidding for Warner Brothers Discovery - Reported that Netflix is exploring a bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, focusing on the studio and HBO Max.
• Wall Street Journal report on YouTube TV and Disney dispute - Provided insights into the negotiation tactics and deal length preferences between YouTube TV and Disney.
• Bloomberg report on acquisition considerations for Warner Brothers Discovery - Indicated that Amazon and Apple are also considering making a move for Warner Brothers Discovery.

People Mentioned

• Sarah Gualiani - Senior media reporter for Digiday, whose media briefing will recap discussions from the publishing summit.
• Tracy Everbaugh - General Manager at The Times and Sunday Times, who prefers the term "synthetic research" for AI-generated focus groups.
• Michael Bergier - Senior media buying editor at Digiday, who discussed agencies investing in synthetic audiences on the podcast previously.
• Sir Jim Ratcliffe - Interviewed on the first episode of The Times' new business podcast, "The Business."
• Mark Zuckerberg - CEO of Meta, who stated that Reels has hit an annual revenue run rate of over $50 billion.
• Sundar Pichai - CEO of Alphabet, who announced on an earnings call that YouTube Shorts generates more revenue per watch hour than long-form videos.
• David Zaslav - CEO and President of Warner Brothers Discovery, whose decision on selling the company is discussed.
• Mr. Beast - Mentioned as a creator producing TV-quality programming on YouTube.
• Michelle Carre - Mentioned as a creator producing TV-quality programming on YouTube.
• Darman - Mentioned as a creator producing TV-quality programming on YouTube.

Organizations & Institutions

• Digiday Publishing Summit Europe - An event where discussions about AI and publishing took place.
• Dentsu - Mentioned as an agency that was investing in synthetic audiences.
• Nielsen - Puts out "The Gauge" report tracking streaming service viewership.
• Moffett Nathanson - Analysts who project YouTube TV's growth.
• NBC Universal - Companies whose channels are distributed on YouTube TV.
• Televisa Univision - Companies whose channels are distributed on YouTube TV.
• Comcast - A pay TV provider mentioned in the context of carriage disputes.
• Charter - A pay TV provider mentioned in the context of carriage disputes.
• Disney - A media company involved in carriage disputes with YouTube TV.
• ESPN - A TV network owned by Disney, considered important for pay TV services.
• Alphabet - The parent company of Google and YouTube.
• Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) - A company reportedly being considered for acquisition by Netflix, Amazon, and Apple.
• Paramount - Has made three offers to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery, all of which have been reportedly turned down.
• Amazon - Considering a move for Warner Brothers Discovery and has its own studios.
• Apple - Considering a move for Warner Brothers Discovery and has significant cash reserves.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - Would need to approve any acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery.
• Meta - Brought in over $50 billion in annual revenue from Reels.
• Google - Parent company of YouTube.
• YouTube - Has become the most watched streaming service on TV screens.
• YouTube TV - YouTube's pay TV service, which has become a powerful part of its business.
• The Times and Sunday Times - A UK publisher using synthetic research for marketing and product development.
• Financial Times (FT) - Mentioned as a publisher with an AI paywall that The Times is inspired by.
• News UK - The parent company of The Times and Sunday Times, utilizing ElectraTwin across its publications.

Websites & Online Resources

• Digiday.com newsletters - Recommended for readers to sign up for daily newsletters.
• Apple Podcasts - A platform where listeners can leave ratings and reviews for the podcast.
• Spotify - A platform where listeners can leave ratings and reviews for the podcast.
• YouTube - Mentioned as the most watched streaming service on TV screens.
• HBO Max - Part of Warner Brothers Discovery that Netflix is primarily interested in.
• Digiday.com - The website where listeners can sign up for newsletters.

Other Resources

• Synthetic audiences - A term used to describe AI avatars or simulated versions of an audience panel.
• Synthetic research panels - The preferred term by Tracy Everbaugh for AI-generated focus groups.
• Pay TV services - Services like YouTube TV, Comcast, Charter, and Direct TV.
• Carriage disputes - Negotiations between TV networks and pay TV providers over carrying specific channels.
• Blackouts - When TV channels are removed from pay TV services due to disputes.
• Cord-cutting - When consumers cancel cable or pay TV subscriptions.
• ESPN Unlimited - A new service launched by Disney that allows access to ESPN content without a traditional cable subscription.
• NFL Sunday Ticket package - A live sports package offered by YouTube TV.
• Short-form revenue - Revenue generated from short-form video content.
• Annual revenue run rate - A projected revenue figure based on a shorter period's earnings.
• LLMs (Large Language Models) - Models like those behind ChatGPT that are used in synthetic research.
• Behavioral data - Social science data on how people behave, used by ElectraTwin.
• Reader panel - An existing group of readers used by The Times and Sunday Times for research.
• News reading population of the UK - A cloned audience used by The Times and Sunday Times for synthetic research.
• Progressive paywall - A type of paywall that The Times is using, inspired by the FT's AI paywall.
• AI summaries - Summaries of articles generated by AI.
• Performance marketing - A type of marketing that uses AI-generated creatives to reduce customer acquisition costs.
• Creative automation - Tools that help quickly create multiple sets of campaign creatives.
• SAS model - A software as a service pricing model based on the number of seats or users.
• Proof of concept (POC) - A trial period offered by vendors to test their services.