Dan Shipper, founder of the media start-up Every, often gets asked if he believes robots will replace writers. He firmly insists they won’t, at least not at his company. “I want to create a lot more exceptional writing, ” he stated in an interview at Every’s spacious Brooklyn office, “especially outstanding writing about technology. ” However, there is a reason for the frequent questioning. Every, which Mr. Shipper founded five years ago, places artificial intelligence at the core of its business model. Its writers, like those at many other media companies, report on advancements in the technology. Yet Every also employs generative A. I.

to develop software products, including an online writing tool, that are fundamental to its operations. Subscribers pay $200 annually for access to these tools, contributing to roughly $1 million in yearly revenue. Though this revenue is modest in the rapidly expanding A. I. sector, Every’s business has sparked significant interest within media circles and serves as a kind of Rorschach test for the news industry. It embodies A. I. ’s potential either to empower journalists or to replace them, depending on one's perspective.