Could News Publishers Embrace AI Via An API

So, I mean, there's a few different ways to think about that.

So we have like RSS exists as a kind of, you know, you could argue that's an API format.

But, you know, right now most sites, we're an exception to this, but most sites limit if they have an RSS feed at all and fewer and fewer.

I keep seeing all these, you know, new news companies pop up that don't, even know that RSS exists, which is frustrating.

Can we introduce them all to

Dave Weiner, please, so we can school them?

Yes.

But...

But then even most sites only will have a link and a snippet.

We do full-text RSS feeds, but most sites don't do that anymore.

Yes, we're unique.

But you could see something where it would make sense to set up a system that makes it easier for these companies to access it.

The thing that I wonder is, is it the API that is... missing or is it the sort of like is it like a central aggregation point right like you know if if there was like an aggregate said like okay anyone who wants to get their links into ai go here provide us an rss feed or or whatever and then you know then the ai companies will know to to get your news from here and then you could maybe put terms on it or something like that

Yeah, well, you mentioned in your intro, there have been various companies, ProRata and others, that have tried to set up these kinds of structures.

But they are gatekeepers and middlemen in there.

Yeah.

But I do think, no, I think that what's the, I'm forgetting the name of the company out of the UK.

I've talked to a few companies about this saying, yeah, you should provide the infrastructure for this.

And maybe there's some payment for that for the sake of it.

I think that's fine.

But again, I don't think there's any riches for them in this.

Yeah.

But yeah, I think it's more just an attitude.

Right.

You also look at what Wikimedia Foundation did where they got sick of having crawlers hit them again and again and again and again.