The session "AI as a co-author: a revolution in the production, distribution and monetization of content" was held in Moscow

On April 15, a session "AI as a co-author: a revolution in the production, distribution and monetization of content" was held in Moscow as part of the Media Space conference organized by Kommersant. Market participants and government officials discussed how artificial intelligence is already changing the media business, from content production to distribution and legal regulation.

The discussion was moderated by Tatiana Isakova. The conversation was attended by State Duma representative Marina Kim, Director of Digital Sales and Website Development at Russian Media Group Stanislav Skalaban, Executive Director of Media at Rambler&Co Andrey Tsyper, Deputy General Director of Interfax Group Yuri Pogorely and CEO of News Media Holding Maxim Iksanov.

One of the key topics was the regulation of AI content. According to Marina Kim, a bill fixing basic concepts and approaches to labeling is currently being discussed in the State Duma. At the same time, she stressed, regulation should not slow down the development of technology. When reviewing the project, special attention is paid to deepfakes and sensitive topics, where the issue of responsibility for the absence of labeling remains open.

The media market, in turn, is already actively integrating AI into its work processes. Maxim Iksanov noted that although discussions on technologies have been going on for the third year, their practical application has long been commonplace.

"AI is a tool, like paper or a typewriter. The question is how to apply it," he stressed. According to Iksanov, neural networks are already significantly changing production processes. At News Media Holding, AI is used in video production, allowing one specialist to create complex content in a few hours, as well as in investigative journalism for processing large amounts of data, photo processing and proofreading.

He also noted the use of technology in documentary and visual projects. So, when working on the print magazine Mash Room Cherkizon, the team used AI in the production of illustrations in the fashion shooting format with the main character. Technology has made it possible to implement ideas that are impossible in classical production. AI is also actively used in legal tasks — to analyze and decipher documents in different languages, taking into account local legislation.

At the same time, Iksanov drew attention to the quality of mass AI content - in his opinion, a significant part of it has no semantic value and the task of the media is to use technology for the benefit of the audience, rather than filling the information field with "emptiness".

Other participants in the discussion confirmed: AI has already become a part of the industry, but copyright and transparency issues remain unresolved. Andrey Tsyper noted that technology removes the routine burden from editorial offices, but requires clear rules for using the content on which models are trained.

Yuri Pogorely added that AI is already affecting media traffic: automatic responses reduce the share of search content, and up to 80% of journalists use neural networks in their work within editorial offices.

Stanislav Skalaban spoke about the use of AI in the radio business, from music analytics to personalized advertising campaigns and interactive projects.

The participants agreed on one thing: artificial intelligence does not replace humans, but it changes their role, shifting the focus from routine tasks to creativity and process management. The question is how quickly the industry will be able to work out the rules of the game that will not slow down development, but will ensure transparency and responsibility.