Media Titan Omri Hurwitz: Humans, Not Bots, Run the News

Omri Hurwitz, the CEO of Omri Hurwitz Media, reiterated during a recent episode of The Spiro Circle that artificial intelligence (AI) does not write the news. Instead, he explained, AI is used as a personal aggregator, helping to surface relevant stories to readers while human editors maintain control over the final product. Several recent experiments where AI agents attempted to run an entire media outlet proved unsuccessful, often failing within a few months due to limited distribution and story selection that did not align with audience preferences.

Hurwitz emphasized that people prefer consuming content created by real people, stating, “People want to consume content from real people.” James Spiro, a guest on the show, agreed and added that AI can act as an aggregator to surface content written by humans. The hosts discussed how AI and human editors can each excel at different tasks.

For example, AI can help personalize news feeds, while human editors ensure editorial judgment and story selection. Both men noted that AI companies are increasingly becoming media owners to capitalize on the growing interest in media investments. They highlighted examples such as OpenAI's acquisition of TBPN, a tech news show, and the expansion of ETN, a daily show in Europe, with investors like Axel Springer, OpenAI, and DeepMind.

For writers and hosts, Hurwitz advised that the personal voice remains the most valuable asset, with AI serving as a helpful tool. He encouraged creators to earn from brands, institutions, and direct subscriber subscriptions. The success of The Spiro Circle for techies interested in Israel, cyber, and geopolitics, according to Spiro, will depend on transparency, independence, and a willingness to correct mistakes.

In the age of automated writing, listeners will continue to seek out and engage with the people behind publications.