{"id":23386,"date":"2025-03-06T15:28:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=23386"},"modified":"2025-03-06T17:23:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T17:23:31","slug":"facing-the-looming-threat-of-a-i-publishers-turn-to-decentralized-platforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=23386","title":{"rendered":"Facing the Looming Threat of A.I., Publishers Turn to Decentralized Platforms"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<p id=\"article-summary\" class=\"css-79rysd e1wiw3jv0\">Facing the looming threat of A.I. as a competitor, some publishers are considering an alternative to the internet\u2019s all-powerful algorithms.<\/p>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1r7ky0e\">\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A tech industry veteran, Mike McCue sees an opening for a different kind of internet where algorithms don\u2019t call the shots. Mr. McCue, the chief executive of the internet company <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/10\/30\/technology\/personaltech\/the-latest-flipboard-serves-up-the-news-and-some-surprises.html\" title>Flipboard<\/a>, is challenging social media\u2019s automated grip on our attention, betting that humans, not machines, should curate online experiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Three decades ago, as vice president of technology at the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1995\/03\/01\/business\/business-technology-netscape-knows-fame-and-aspires-to-fortune.html\" title>groundbreaking tech company Netscape<\/a>, Mr. McCue helped democratize information access through the World Wide Web. Now, he\u2019s positioning his company\u2019s new Surf browser as part of a growing community of so-called decentralized social media options, alongside emerging platforms <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/22\/technology\/bluesky-x-alternative.html\" title>like Bluesky<\/a> and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/11\/07\/technology\/mastodon-twitter-elon-musk.html\" title>Mastodon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The timing could be fortuitous, as online publishers struggle with an old problem and a new threat. For years, they have worried that the internet\u2019s middlemen \u2014 huge platforms like Facebook and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/tiktok\" title>TikTok<\/a> \u2014 have weakened their ties with the people who read or view their material. Now publishers face another issue: New A.I. systems that could completely eliminate those fraying links with their audiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Surf offers a window into a quiet technology movement echoing the early days of the World Wide Web. With the aid of several internet technical standards that are intended to encourage the growth of a new kind of social media, Mr. McCue has created a potential path where media companies can build direct relationships with readers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Dropzone-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In contrast to the current social web, which is dominated by a few large technology companies, the new software protocols may seem a bit wonky for now. But they make it possible for internet users to communicate and share information without relying on a single centralized service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">One of the new technical standards is known as ActivityPub. Social media platforms using the protocol can talk to one another, allowing users on different networks to interact seamlessly \u2014 similar to how email works across different providers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1336jj\">\n<div class=\"css-121kum4\">\n<div class=\"css-171quhb\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-asuuk5\">\n<div class=\"css-7axq9l\" data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1dv1kvn\" id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F03%2F06%2Ftechnology%2Fmike-mccue-surf-browser-decentralized-internet.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F03%2F06%2Ftechnology%2Fmike-mccue-surf-browser-decentralized-internet.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1g71tqy\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F03%2F06%2Ftechnology%2Fmike-mccue-surf-browser-decentralized-internet.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F03%2F06%2Ftechnology%2Fmike-mccue-surf-browser-decentralized-internet.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Facing the looming threat of A.I. as a competitor, some publishers are considering an alternative to the internet\u2019s all-powerful algorithms.A tech industry veteran, Mike McCue sees an opening for a different kind of internet where algorithms don\u2019t call the shots. Mr. McCue, the chief executive of the internet company Flipboard, is challenging social media\u2019s automated grip on our attention, betting that humans, not machines, should curate online experiences.Three decades ago, as vice president of technology at the groundbreaking tech company Netscape, Mr. McCue helped democratize information access through the World Wide Web. Now, he\u2019s positioning his company\u2019s new Surf browser as part of a growing community of so-called decentralized social media options, alongside emerging platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon.The timing could be fortuitous, as online publishers struggle with an old problem and a new threat. For years, they have worried that the internet\u2019s middlemen \u2014 huge platforms like Facebook and TikTok \u2014 have weakened their ties with the people who read or view their material. Now publishers face another issue: New A.I. systems that could completely eliminate those fraying links with their audiences.Surf offers a window into a quiet technology movement echoing the early days of the World Wide Web. With the aid of several internet technical standards that are intended to encourage the growth of a new kind of social media, Mr. McCue has created a potential path where media companies can build direct relationships with readers.In contrast to the current social web, which is dominated by a few large technology companies, the new software protocols may seem a bit wonky for now. But they make it possible for internet users to communicate and share information without relying on a single centralized service.One of the new technical standards is known as ActivityPub. Social media platforms using the protocol can talk to one another, allowing users on different networks to interact seamlessly \u2014 similar to how email works across different providers.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0log into\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0subscribe\u00a0for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?\u00a0Log in.Want all of The Times?\u00a0Subscribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23388,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23386"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23389,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23386\/revisions\/23389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}