Ivan Massow has made a name for himself as an entrepreneur who thrives on disruption. His first major success came in the early '90s with a financial services company designed to support individuals in AIDS high-risk groups. At a time when financial institutions were discriminating against anyone even associated with the LGBTQ+ community, Massow's company broke the mould and swiftly grew to become one of the largest financial services providers of its kind in the country.
Massow's penchant for disruption didn't stop there. As head of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, he took on the entrenched norms of conceptual art, which eventually led to the loss of his job amid industry outcry. His disruptive tendencies continued into politics, where, as a senior Conservative Party member, he sought to transform what he saw as an increasingly "nasty" party into a progressive political force.
Now, Massow is facing a new paradigm shift: artificial intelligence (AI). His latest venture involves creating a publication run entirely by AI. This state-of-the-art platform finds, writes, illustrates, and publishes articles, even managing social media engagement and legal affairs through AI systems. The publication, named Noah, has received high marks from readers and has outperformed established titles like The Guardian, according to independent monitoring service BEEHIVE.
Journalists are understandably concerned. The media industry has been under financial pressure for years, and the rise of AI journalism is seen by many as another nail in the coffin. Massow, however, argues that AI is not the enemy but a potential saviour of journalism. Traditional newspapers have struggled as readers expect news for free, leading to a reliance on ads and paywalls which are not sustainable in the long-term.
Massow suggests that AI can manage the routine aspects of news coverage more efficiently and cost-effectively, leaving human journalists to focus on in-depth, investigative pieces that truly add value. AI, as he sees it, will not replace the nuanced, human touch required for exclusive interviews, community stories, or warzone reporting—areas where human insight and emotional intelligence are irreplaceable.
By automating general news coverage, Massow believes publications can survive and even thrive on advertising revenue alone, making quality journalism accessible to a broader audience without the need for restrictive paywalls. He envisions a media landscape where AI-generated content supports a robust framework for human journalism, providing both the routine updates and the profound stories that move us.
This vision is backed by advanced techniques and technology developed in collaboration with computer scientists from Cambridge University. Massow's goal is to rejuvenate a struggling publishing industry, not to dismantle it. He calls for journalists to embrace this new wave of technological disruption rather than resist it, predicting a future where AI and human reporters work symbiotically to deliver high-quality news.
Despite the fears, Massow remains optimistic. He believes that the integration of AI can bring about a renaissance in journalism, allowing publications to deliver timely and relevant content while preserving the depth and quality of human storytelling. In his eyes, this is not the demise of journalism, but its rebirth, with AI as the catalyst for evolution.