Welcome to an audio-led edition of Unmade. Today we recap one of the most talked-about sessions at Unmade’s HumAIn conference. And further down, the Unmade Index surges on new data suggesting inflation may be back under control.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to an Unmade membership, this is the perfect time. Your membership includes:

* Member-only pricing for our HumAIn and REmade (October 1) conferences;

* A complimentary invitation to Unmade’s Compass event (November);

* Member-only content and our paywalled archives;

* Your own copy of Media Unmade.

How AI is already changing life for news breakers

While the audience at HumAIn voted down the debate motion that AI is an extinction level event for media, its impact on the business of journalism is nonetheless undeniable.

In a conversation moderated by Unmade’s Tim Burrowes, we brought together a panel of news practitioners to discuss how generative AI is already changing practices in journalism and the publishing business model. Our panellists:

* Melanie Withnall, Head of News and Information, Southern Cross Austereo

* Michael Davis, Research Fellow, Centre for Media Transition

* Shaun Davies, Responsible AI Consultant

* Ricky Sutton, Author, Future Media

The topics tackled included how news organisations are already using AI, combating AI as a source of disinformation, using AI as a storytelling tool; the place for news media if generative search wipes out direct traffic, the challenges of algorithmic biases and the ethics of accountability.

Melanie Withnall has since announced she would be moving back to the ABC as head of continuous news, audio and video. She is due to finish at SCA tomorrow.

Unmade Index back above 500

It was an afternoon of optimism on the Unmade Index after new inflation numbers quelled fears that interest rates might go up again.

Our tracker of locally listed media and marketing stocks jumped by 2.77% on Wednesday to 500.7 points. This outperformed the wider ASX All Ordinaries which rose by 1.76%.

The index has been stuck below 500 points - signifying a halving of value of Australia’s media and marketing stocks since we started tracking them in 2022 - for the last two months.

It was a particularly good day for TV stocks, with Nine growing 4%, and Seven West Media growing 5.9%. Southern Cross Austereo, which is in both radio and TV, improved by 0.8%.

The two outdoor advertising stocks, Ooh Media and Motio, both bounced too, up by 3.6% and 5.3% respectively.

Today’s podcast was edited by Abe’s Audio.

I’m speaking at a couple of private industry events in Hobart today and tomorrow, and not planning a newsletter tomorrow unless something urgent breaks. If you’re in Hobart and want to say hello late on Friday afternoon, possibly over a beer, then please do drop me a note.

If you’re interested in retail media, don’t forget that earlybird tickets are now on sale for the next edition of REmade on October 1. And our call for entries for the REmade Awards is now live.

Toodlepip…

Tim Burrowes

Publisher - Unmade

[email protected]

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