Nilay Patel

From the practical to the existential, Nilay Patel outlines the latest and most important developments, implications, and questions brought about by AI and its applications. In this talk, Patel can cover the broad spectrum of AI's reach, or address the particular concerns of your audience in a more customized presentation. Here is a sampling of timely issues to explore: 

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• As social media platforms pull back from content moderation, deep fakes proliferate and government regulation in the US clashes with the right to free speech. So where does responsibility fall? How are AI companies working to prevent their technologies being used for ill, and what is the status of legislation in Congress? Is the answer in copyright law, or somewhere else? 

• What used to be welcoming online spaces for hobbyists and creatives looking to nurture and share their interests have become fertile ground for AI to farm for content. In fear of AI lifting their work, creators are exiting mainstream platforms for smaller, closed sites. But what does this mean for online discovery and collaboration? The future of content creation may not be as bleak as it seems: Patel reminds us that while AI can only build on what already exists, human beings have the ability to create spontaneously and produce original work that looks forward, not backward. 

• What will the next iteration of the Internet look like, for consumers, businesses, and the broader ecosystem? There is now an over-supply of AI-generated content straining the recommendation algorithms and business models that have become so essential to search engines and social media platforms. But the more these platforms depend on shopping and advertising for revenue, the more they rely on AI-generated content to pull visitors in and lead them to a transaction, until the original purpose of the platform has long disintegrated. The Internet today is a vicious cycle buckling under its own weight, and Patel explores what to expect, and what might be reimagined after it all comes tumbling down.

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Nilay Patel speaks on what it takes to survive and thrive in journalism today, and the state of the industry amid a transformed and constantly evolving ecosystem. As founder and editor-in-chief of an independent, profitable, Pulitzer-nominated news platform, Patel has steered The Verge clear of the paid endorsements and deceptive native advertising prevalent in so many popular media brand platforms. The Verge continues to objectively cover news on the biggest players in tech, from Microsoft to Starlink to the latest startups. In staying true to this mission, the company has maintained its journalistic integrity while building its reputation on the highest-quality reporting, analysis, and product reviews.

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Publications like The Atlantic are making deals with AI companies to use their archives as training data. Are these and similar deals the way forward for journalism platforms in a world of AI? What are the risks and rewards?

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What are the greatest opportunities in journalism today? Where is the greatest need? What are the advantages and threats brought about by the latest technologies, and how should journalists and media companies navigate them?

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Nilay Patel has shown it is possible, even in times of change and uncertainty, to build a successful career within a viable journalism platform. This talk is an invaluable resource for anyone who wishes to do the same, or for those who seek to better understand the vast media landscape in which we all live.

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As a media company founder who has covered the tech industry for over a decade and interviewed dozens of CEOs on his acclaimed podcast Decoder, Nilay Patel has paid close attention to who has succeeded, who has not, and what it takes to go the distance in a competitive, rapidly changing world for any business. In this talk he discusses how the most impactful leaders make decisions, and how to think about successes and failures over the course of a tenure or a career.

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Patel's perspective reflects a full career of one who has worked his way up in a competitive field transformed many times over by technological change. In his role as editor-in-chief of The Verge, he manages ambitious, rising journalistic talent; as host of the brand's Decoder podcast, he gains access to the most powerful individuals in the media and tech. He covers both the game and the people and companies rewriting its rules.

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Patel shows that success depends on more than any one player's inherent traits. The wisdom he imparts is not just for entrepreneurs trying to build a successful business, but for all those who wish to grow and find success within a company. This is practical, actionable advice from a decade of developing The Verge into a profitable, award-winning journalism platform while also growing in it.

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With essential advice for any stage of a career, this talk is sure to inspire and inform your audience in equal measure.

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