A Newsletter Firm Appears to Struggle for AI Options
October 17, 2025
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
I read “Adapting to AI’s Evolving Landscape: A Survival Guide for Businesses.” The premise of the article will be music to the ears of venture funders and go-go Silicon Valley-type AI companies. The write up says:
AI-driven search is upending traditional information pathways and putting the heat on businesses and organizations facing a web traffic free-fall. Survival instincts have companies scrambling to shift their web strategies — perhaps ending the days of the open internet as we know it. After decades of pursuing web-optimization strategies that encouraged high-volume content generation, many businesses are now feeling that their content-marketing strategies might be backfiring.
I am not exactly sure about this statement. But let’s press forward.
I noted this passage:
Without the incentive of web clicks and ad revenue to drive content creation, the foundation of the web as a free and open entity is called into question.
Okay, smart software is exploiting the people who put up SEO-tailored content to get sales leads and hopefully make money. From my point of view, technology can be disruptive. The impacts, however, can be positive or negative.
What’s the fix if there is one? The write up offers these thought starters:
- Embrace micro transactions. [I suppose this is good if one has high volume. It may not be so good if shipping and warehouse costs cannot be effectively managed. Vendors of high ticket items may find a micro-transaction for a $500,000 per year enterprise software license tough to complete via Venmo.]
- Implement a walled garden. [That works if one controls the market. Google wants to “register” Android developers. I think Google may have an easier time with the walled-garden tactic than a local bakery specializing in treats for canines.]
- Accepts the monopolies. [You have a choice?]
My reaction to the write up is that it does little to provide substantive guidance as smart software continues to expand like digital kudzu. What is important is that the article appears in the consumer oriented publication from Kiplinger of newsletter fame. Unfortunately the article makes clear that Kiplinger is struggling to find a solution to AI. My hunch is that Kiplinger is looking for possible solutions. The firm may want to dig a little deeper for options.
Stephen E Arnold, October 17, 2025
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