June 21, 2025

What Replaces Twitter? With Noah Smith & Chris Best, CEO of Substack

46 minutes

This week, we're republishing a conversation from last month between Noah Smith and Substack CEO Chris Best, originally streamed on Substack Live. They discuss the future of media in an AI-driven world, including Noah's vision for AI-powered newsletters, the rise of independent voices, and the evolving roles of platforms like TikTok and Twitter. The conversation also explores Substack's potential as a breaking news hub, the broader impact of AI on content creation, shifting U.S.-China relations, and the role of industrial policy in shaping global dynamics.

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SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: [email protected]

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FOLLOW ON X:

@noahpinion

@cjgbest

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Age of Twitter is finally ending. Can Substack take its place?: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-age-of-twitter-is-finally-ending

Eugene Wei's Status as a Service:
https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2019/2/19/status-as-a-service

Noahpinion: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.noahpinion.blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TAKEAWAYS:

Death of Twitter as Breaking News Platform: Death of Twitter as Breaking News Platform.

Substack's Opportunity in Breaking News: Noah proposes that Substack could capture 80% of Twitter's former breaking news function.

AI's Role in Media's Future: AI as search engine, curator, and summarizer to help process information overload.

Attention Economy Problem: Chris highlights a crucial insight: "the media you can consume is not just a matter of getting what you want. It also shapes your desires and shapes what you want over time" - emphasizing that content choices shape identity over time.

Geopolitical Concerns: Noah expresses pessimism about America's competitive position.

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