Sure, AI lets us produce more content, faster and cheaper. I wouldn’t bet on that shortcut. Machines already handle regurgitation. It’s about time we asked what we’re actually doing. Let’s remind ourselves: Journalism isn’t just writing articles.

Let’s put humans front and center — the readers we serve, engaging them more deeply, inviting them closer. We need strong bonds, community, events. We need to do what AI platforms aren’t interested in, because it doesn’t scale, it’s not safe, it’s not predictable.

Let’s show up, in podcasts and videos, and be approachable. To compete with machines, we have to become more human. Let’s introduce friction, surprise, doubt. Let’s explain not just the news, but how we work. Not every journalist needs to become a newsfluencer, but we can’t do without them.

The not-so-fun part: AI raised the bar, and now we need to be both better and different. We need to understand how AI works, what it produces, why millions of people like using it, and where its blind spots are. Only then can we sharpen our own offering.

With AI, we can analyze more data, tackle bigger investigations, get help with writing and fact-checking, build better UX, and engage large communities. Used this way, AI isn’t a shortcut, it’s a tool. That’s the smarter play. All of this costs money upfront, and the ROI might just be staying in business.

With AI, we can make better journalism. In the face of AI, we must.