Stop assuming AI will do all the work and start imagining what you can do together!

By Mike Reid | January 2025
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Once upon a time in the magical kingdom of journalism, there lived the noble Tortoises — hardworking, dedicated, and oh-so-human. These elite journalists believed in the sanctity of their craft, the purity of words, and the power of storytelling.

In their quaint, old-fashioned world, everything was just perfect.

That is, until the AI-powered Hares came along.

Now, the AI Hares were an interesting bunch, boasting the speed of GPT and its cutting-edge language-processing capabilities.

They were wickedly smart, versatile, and could generate content at the speed of thought. The world marveled at their AI prowess, and everyone — from political leaders to students, even grandma with her book club — started adopting AI into their lives.

How could they not? It was like having a magical assistant that could do anything, as long as it involved words.

But our valiant Tortoises, the elite journalists of yesteryear, were seemingly unfazed by this AI sorcery. They held onto to their quills and typewriters, scoffing at the Hares' artificial antics.

After all, what could a machine possibly know about the human condition, the subtle nuances of language, the art of storytelling?

Surely, GPT was just a fad, a brief fascination. Soon, the world would come to its senses and return to its slow and steady ways.

The world, however, had other plans. The Hares weaved their AI magic, and people were smitten. As the once-mighty journalists witnessed their kingdoms slowly crumble, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Why were they the ones left behind, like relics of a bygone era?

But the journalists were nothing if not stubborn. They held onto their beliefs with unyielding tenacity, as if sheer willpower alone would save them from obsolescence. And so, they trudged onward, slowly and oh-so-steadily, as the world raced ahead.

In this brave new world of AI-driven wonders, the Tortoises watched from the sidelines as the Hares reveled in their success.

But our dear Tortoises refused to see that the world had changed.

Meanwhile, the Hares and their AI-driven comrades basked in the limelight, crafting content with unparalleled speed, accuracy, and efficiency. They were the heroes of the digital age, saving time and effort for those who embraced their abilities.

They could churn out perfect paragraphs at breakneck speed, analyze complex data sets, and even fact-check the Tortoises' articles faster than you can say "extra, read all about it!"

The Tortoises, bless their stubborn hearts, persevered through it all, refusing to accept that the winds of change were blowing.  

But time, as they say, is a cruel mistress. As the world continued its rapid march towards an AI-integrated future, the Tortoises found themselves increasingly isolated. The Tortoise Newsrooms turned into ghost towns, their typewriters gathering dust, while their former colleagues embraced the AI revolution.

And so, our tragic tale of the Tortoises and the Hares comes to an end. A cautionary fable for the digital age, reminding us that sometimes, slow and steady doesn't win the race.

As the Hares bound into the future, leaving the Tortoises to fade into the annals of history, one can't help but wonder: could it have been different?

If only the Tortoises had been willing to adapt, to work alongside the Hares and embrace the possibilities of AI, perhaps they could have shared in the triumphs of the new age.

Sadly, most of today's most elite reporters will not be the early pioneers when it comes to this exciting new era of AI journalism.

It will fall to the political fundraisers, the digital fundraising gurus, to decide: Let's get a little crazy. Let's add some actual politics news to our digital fundraising content.

Our background in digital communication, persuasion, and mass outreach will translate into an ability to craft news that is both engaging and far-reaching.

This bold move will reshape the landscape of political content.

While this might seem like a radical shift from traditional journalism, it's an evolution we need. In a world that often feels overwhelmed by negativity, an new approach that focuses on joy will be a much needed breath of fresh air. And it's the former email spammers, those who know how to catch our attention amidst the digital noise, those who want to do better, who will lead the way in creating a more joy-dense news landscape.