BuzzFeed Nearing Bankruptcy After Disastrous Turn Toward AI

[Victor Tangermann at Futurism]

This looks like a cut and dry story about a media company turning from producing content using writers to using AI and suffering the consequences:

“Peretti said BuzzFeed would be using the software to enhance the company’s infamous quizzes by generating personalized responses.

[…] Now, three years after its AI pivot, the writing is on the wall. The company reported a net loss of $57.3 million in 2025 in an earnings report released on Thursday. In an official statement, the company glumly hinted at the possibility of going under sooner rather than later, writing that “there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.””

The content was underwhelming, and this shift coincided with Buzzfeed shutting down its award-winning news division.

There’s a lot AI can do, but it can’t replace the judgment and taste of human beings. It can’t be a great writer or a great creative. It can take on drudge-work and be a good copilot, like a grammar checker or other supportive tools can be good copilots, but it’s not a replacement for a skilled workforce. (I would also argue that there’s no such thing as unskilled labor: almost every job you can think of benefits from human nuance and judgment.)

But there are a lot of people who see dollar signs and hope that replacing people with predictive engines will help them scale and increase their margins. All that means is that there will be a lot more Buzzfeeds.

[Link]