While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important. I also try to include some resources & opportunities. Please let me know what you think.

Important Items

Innovation

Why good ideas die and how to save them

Some good management theory on fostering innovation from @neilperkin.

https://onlydeadfish.co.uk/2025/09/19/why-good-ideas-die-and-how-to-save-them/

Technology

Rolling Stone Publisher Sues Google Over AI Summaries

The publisher of Rolling Stone has sued Google, alleging that the AI summaries which appear atop search results are illegally using its reporting and depressing online traffic and revenue.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/rolling-stone-publisher-sues-google-over-ai-summaries-3afde408

5,000 Podcasts. 3,000 Episodes a Week. $1 Cost Per Episode — Behind an AI Start Up’s Plan

HT @benedictevans Former Wondery exec Jeanine Wright is leading a new firm, Inception Point AI, that’s betting on flooding the zone with audio content: “I think that people who are still referring to all AI-generated content as AI slop are probably lazy luddites.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ai-podcast-start-up-plan-shows-1236361367/

Internet Archive’s big battle with music publishers ends in settlement

The Internet Archive and major music labels settle a copyright infringement lawsuit against IA over its project to preserve early music recordings.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/internet-archives-big-battle-with-music-publishers-ends-in-settlement/

Publishers and advertisers face new AI agent oversight hurdles

HT @BoSacks AI can swap out ad creative when the weather changes, but what happens when a multi-agent system has a user’s credit card and makes assumptions about buying?

https://digiday.com/media/publishers-and-advertisers-face-new-ai-agent-oversight-hurdles/

How AI Is Upending Politics, Tech, and the Media

Roger Lynch: ”AI is having a dramatic impact on our industry. We are really talking about billions of dollars to compensate industries like ours for one of the most critical inputs for these models, which is the content.”

https://www.wired.com/story/wired-ai-summit-tech-politics-media/

USA Today Enters Its Gen AI Era With a Chatbot

Gannett has rolled out a new chatbot tool called DeeperDive, which can converse with readers and summarize insights from its journalism.

https://www.wired.com/story/usa-today-enters-its-gen-ai-era-with-a-chatbot/

AI-Driven Storytelling: How Apple TV Uses AI for Emmy-Winning Content in 2025

Apple TV+ uses AI to boost creative and prod processes, including scriptwriting, video editing, FX, and personalized recommendations. This helps storytelling quality, viewer engagement, and subscriber growth.

https://blockchain.news/ainews/ai-driven-storytelling-how-apple-tv-utilizes-artificial-intelligence-for-emmy-winning-content-in-2025

YouTube adds generative AI to Shorts and podcasts

YouTube is adding generative AI tools to Shorts and podcasts, including text-to-video, speech-to-song remixes, automated edits, and podcast-to-clip features.

https://the-decoder.com/youtube-adds-generative-ai-to-shorts-and-podcasts/

OpenAI comes for Hollywood with Critterz, an AI-powered animated film

It was made on a budget of less than $30M in 9 months, using AI tools by OpenAI.

https://www.theverge.com/news/773584/openai-animated-feature-film-critterz

AI Is Eating SEO: How Publishers Can Stay Visible When Search Engines Stop Sending Clicks

HT @BoSacks

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-eating-seo-how-publishers-can-stay-visible-when-search-linda-ruth-ibtgf/

Albania’s prime minister wants to appoint an AI chatbot to his ministry to oversee public procurement

The PM argues that using AI in procurement would make the process fully transparent and corruption-free. it raises constitutional questions.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/12/albania_ai_minister/

OpenAI study reveals who uses ChatGPT and what they use it for

OpenAI releases the first detailed public study on how people use ChatGPT: 73% of chats were non-work related, practical guidance was the top use case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/09/15/openai-chatgpt-study-use-cases/

Finding God in the App Store

AI chatbots increasingly being used for spiritual guidance, with Bible Chat more than 30M downloads and Hallow topping Apple’s App Store. AI is designed to affirm user views and may reinforce delusions or conspiracies.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/us/chatbot-god.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nk8.uSZb.3yIqd8L3_uKj&smid=tw-share

OpenAI will automatically restrict ChatGPT access for users identified as teenagers

https://the-decoder.com/openai-will-automatically-restrict-chatgpt-access-for-users-identified-as-teenagers/

Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz consortium will control 80% of TikTok in U.S.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91405633/tiktok-oracle-andreessen-horowitz-consortium

EU AirPod Users Blocked from Live AI Translation

Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 live AI translation is blocked for EU users, likely due to strict EU regulations and past fines.

https://slator.com/eu-airpod-users-blocked-from-live-ai-translation/

Amazon launches AI agent to help sellers complete tasks and manage their businesses

Amazon updated its Seller Assistant with an always-on AI agent that can proactively manage tasks, flag issues, and optimize business strategies for third-party sellers.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/17/amazon-launches-ai-agent-to-help-sellers-complete-tasks-and-manage-their-businesses/

Mark Zuckerberg unveils $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses

Mata’s new $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses has a built-in digital display controlled via hand gestures through a wristband powered by neural technology. They also unveiled $499 Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses and $379 Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/zuckerberg-799-meta-ray-ban-display-glasses.html

AI medical tools downplay symptoms in women and ethnic minorities

MT @amydiehl Studies find medical AI tools powered by LLMs have a tendency to not reflect severity of symptoms for women patients & display less “empathy” toward Black and Asian patients. Many Drs are using LLMs & note taking apps to generate transcripts & summaries.

https://www.ft.com/content/128ee880-acdb-42fb-8bc0-ea9b71ca11a8

Trump signs proclamation adding $100K annual fee for H-1B visa applications

H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. Historically, H-1B visas have been doled out through lottery. This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google. Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers. Many U.S. companies find it cheaper to contract out help desks, programming and other basic tasks to consulting companies such as Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tata in India and IBM and Cognizant in the U.S. These consulting companies hire foreign workers, often from India, and contract them out to U.S. employers looking to save money.

https://apnews.com/article/h1b-visa-trump-immigration-8d39699d0b2de3d90936f8076357254e

Nepal Currently Being Run Via Discord After Gen Z Uprising

They went from banning social media to being run by it.

https://gizmodo.com/nepal-currently-being-run-via-discord-after-gen-z-uprising-2000658243

Publishing & Media

Trump files $15 billion defamation suit against New York Times, Penguin Random House

#teamPRH

https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-files-15-billion-defamation-suit-new-york/story?id=125619941

Judge Rejects First Version of Trump’s Defamation Suit Against PRH and NYT

Judge in FL rejected initial $15B defamation suit on grounds it’s too long and “tedious.” It violates Rule 8 for “simple, concise, and direct” allegations. The Trump suit is 85 pp.

https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2025/09/judge-rejects-first-version-of-trumps-defamation-suit-against-prh-and-nyt/

Librarians Are Being Asked to Find AI-Hallucinated Books

After the AI-generated summer reading list circulated in the Chicago Sun-Times & The Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this year, readers started looking for the AI-hallucinated books at the library.

https://www.404media.co/librarians-are-being-asked-to-find-ai-hallucinated-books/

Walt Disney is bringing all of its marquee comics to a new digital platform & app in partnership w Webtoon Entertainment

Disney and Webtoon announce a new digital platform with 35K+ Disney comics; Disney plans to acquire a 2% equity interest in Webtoon.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-15/disney-plans-new-digital-comics-platform-with-webtoon?embedded-checkout=true

WPP report on advertising & media in 2030

HT @benedictevans

https://www.wppmedia.com/news/Latest-Advertising-in-2030

Conde Nast to Launch Platform for Shopping

Conde Nast plans to unveil Vette, an online marketplace where creators can sell the products they tout in their content

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/media/exclusive-conde-nast-to-launch-influencer-storefront-platform/

How brands are embracing book culture to build real-life ties to consumers

As consumers look for more offline connections, book clubs and book-related activations have emerged as a way for marketers to reach people in real life.

https://adage.com/brand-marketing/aa-brands-book-culture-warby-parker-jimmy-johns-book-clubs/

How To Raise a Reader in an Age of Digital Distraction

“Our job as parents isn’t to eliminate technology—it’s to create intentional spaces where deep attention can ﬂourish.”

https://lithub.com/how-to-raise-a-reader-in-an-age-of-digital-distraction/

The Next Book Ban Target? Romance

Adult romance novels are not being promoted to young readers in school or in public libraries, yet RatedBooks intentionally wants to rile up its base by suggesting they are through inclusion in its database.

https://bookriot.com/the-next-book-ban-target-romance-book-censorship-news-august-22-2025/

Resources & Opportunities

WMG Job Seekers with Susan McCulloch and Susan Gordon

Are you looking for a job, underemployed, or planning to pivot? Women’s Media Group is pleased to offer our second Job Seekers event of the year to share tips and support. Come join us for a free, virtual, members-only session. Connect with each other, hear from an expert, and come armed with questions! Former WMG Membership Chair Susan McCulloch will be in conversation with fellow WMG member Susan Gordon, owner of Lynne Palmer Executive Recruitment, Inc. FREE, Members Only, 9/25 12-1pm ET via Zoom.

https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6312933

WMG New Member Social

Join WMG Co-Presidents Jodi Brockington and Jane Wesman for a virtual New Member Social, a fun and informal way for members to connect and get to know each other. You’ll have a chance to tell us about yourself and why you joined WMG, as well as learn about upcoming programs and benefits. Meet the other talented, high-energy women, all ready to assist one another in their professional endeavors, who make WMG such an extraordinary organization. This social is open to WMG members who have joined within the past year—and to other members who want to learn more about what WMG has to offer.

10/8 6-7pm ET virtual FREE, Members Only

https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6340101