People vs Algorithms

• AI Optimism in Cannes

  We take a mostly optimistic view of publishing in the AI era, even if Neil allows that search traffic will inexorably trend to zero. Plus: A path to publisher leverage against AI companies.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 PvA Live @ Cannes* 01:00 Welcome to PvA @ Cannes* 02:16 Sustainable Media Ecosystem Of The Future* 08:54 Changes in Advertising* 18:11 Google's Reaction* 22:01 AI Media Deals* 35:38 Consolidation of Publishers* 40:09 Q&A* 44:36 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

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• Liquid Courage

  Alex reviews the “liquid” interface and wonders if anyone at Cupertino actually used the beta outdoors. Plus: a spirited defense of Zaslav as the media's embattled savior, fighting for the spoils of the operator class; the sad saga of the link economy and why publishers are stuck tolling bots for pennies. Also: the gloriousness of popcorn and Coke, Peter Kafka as Good Product, and renewed appreciation for the Denver airport.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:45 Welcome* 08:14 In this episode* 14:38 Liquid Glass* 28:33 Sad State Of The Media Economy* 39:34 AB Tags In* 45:18 Death Of The Link Economy* 48:54 AI Toll* 59:12 Good Product* 01:03:27 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

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• From Pageviews to Proximity

  As performance metrics grow murky and traditional advertising falters, proximity is becoming the new proxy for value. We talk through the bloated conference circuit, the rise of curated events, the logic behind Cannes as a marketplace, and why some publishers are pulling back while others double down. Along the way, we debate the wisdom of Newsweek buying an ad tech company, the challenge of turning creator reach into enterprise value, and the case of a $3 million newsletter business with 90% margins that stands in contrast to the deconstruction of legacy media models.Join us in Cannes for a live recording of People vs Algorithms from the Dotdash Meredith villa on Thursday, June 20, at 3:30pm. Troy and Brian will be joined by Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel and Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer. We'll have drinks and mingling immediately following the recording. Register here.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Welcome* 01:39 NY Tech Week* 06:29 Cannes - A Carnival Of Capitalism* 12:00 Creator Events* 17:58 AI Creative* 29:12 Newsletter: Great Business* 37:33 Newsweek Buying Ad Prime* 45:03 Good Product* 46:32 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

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  47:26
• One-Trick Pony

  It used its dominant position in search to be the arbiter for the web. As the web moves into an agentic AI era, we break down how Google is positioned and the impact its next evolution will have for the ecosystem it shaped and de facto ruled. Plus: why media’s unionization craze didn’t fix bad models, why nobody can remember any ad campaigns, and the charms of the Shelter Island dump as a community convener.RSVP to PvA Live at Cannes with Sara Fischer and Neil Vogel at the Dotdash Meredith villa.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 01:10 Welcome* 01:37 PVA Live @ Cannes Lions* 03:43 Media Buyouts* 07:42 The Information Space is Scrambling PR* 12:09 Veo 3* 17:38 Staples' Easy Button is Back* 23:22 Google* 29:50 One-Trick Pony* 34:48 Google Products* 47:40 Google Now* 56:08 How the market views Google with AB* 01:15:56 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

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  1:18:08
• From Pages to Protocols

  In this episode, we dive into how the rise of AI agents and new protocols is replacing browsing with prompting, and pages with machine-readable interfaces. Google and Microsoft are rolling out AI-powered tools that make websites disappear into the background, forcing publishers, marketers, and product teams to rethink how value is surfaced and monetized.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:54 Welcome* 03:38 AI Tears Down The Front Door Of The Internet* 25:04 Sam & Jony* 42:39 Bernie on Flagrant* 44:10 Good Product* 46:58 Distribution Direction with AB* 56:50 Understanding Risk Profile with AB* 01:03:44 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

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