The rise of AI-powered large language models like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini is no longer theoretical. It is real. For Australian media companies, it is existential. For marketers, it signals profound disruption to the ecosystems they rely on, argues Bench Media co-founder and COO Shai Luft.
These tools are not just changing how people consume content; they are redirecting attention away from publishers entirely. Where search once drove millions of clicks to media outlets, AI now answers questions with no need to click at all. It scrapes, summarises, and synthesises, often without attribution. And with every query it answers, another publisher gets cut out of the value chain.
In Australia, where a relatively small number of major outlets dominate the digital news landscape, this is not just disruptive, it is dangerous. We have already seen the damage caused by over-dependence on Meta and Google. When traffic dries up, journalism suffers. With AI, the stakes are even higher.
The Media Drain Has Begun
For years, Australian publishers built models reliant on search traffic, social referrals, and programmatic revenue. But AI tools do not play by these rules. They ingest content in bulk, rewrite it in seconds, and present it in a sleek interface with no ads, no links, and no credit to the original source.
Even quality journalism from The Guardian Australia, ABC News, or The Sydney Morning Herald is being flattened into bullet points with no brand context. And unlike past platform shifts, AI does not care about publisher relationships or the public interest. It cares about data volume and output efficiency.
For Aussie publishers survival is not about resisting the tide, it is about swimming smarter.
- Create value that Cannot be scraped: Local investigative journalism, regional reporting, expert interviews, and exclusive commentary are the antidote to AI homogenisation. Consider Four Corners instead of clickbait. Dig deeper, go niche, and protect what makes your brand different.
- Build walled gardens around loyal audiences: Subscription-based outlets like The Australian and Crikey already know the value of paywalls and memberships. Others must follow. Newsletters, podcasts, and closed communities allow publishers to own their audience instead of renting it from platforms.
- Use AI as a tool, not a threat: Embrace AI to enhance workflows, not replace editorial judgment. Summarise transcripts, identify content gaps, automate repetitive tasks, but always layer on human oversight, local nuance, and cultural context.
- Double down on first-party data: With third-party cookies disappearing, audience data is more valuable than ever. Publishers should invest in understanding what their readers consume, when they engage, and why. That insight can power better content, better products, and smarter monetisation.
So, what does this mean for Australian marketers? Put simply, they should be paying close attention. The media inventory they have historically relied on, whether display, native or branded content, is under threat. That disruption affects brand safety, storytelling and long-term performance.
- Context still matters: In a world flooded with AI-generated junk, where your brand shows up is just as important as what it says. Trusted publishers continue to shape perception, and showing up in the right context builds real equity.
- Support the ecosystem that supports you: If marketers do not support quality media environments, they disappear. That means investing media budgets with Australian publishers, not just international tech platforms. If you want strong journalism and diverse voices, you have to invest in them.
- Shift from placements to partnerships: The smartest Australian brands are already moving beyond ad placements toward collaboration. Think long-form branded content, podcast sponsorships, and editorial integrations that build trust and attention.
AI is not going away, this is just the beginning. It’s becoming faster, smarter, and more deeply embedded in how Australians consume news and information. That is the reality.
Publishers must evolve into audience-first, brand-led, data-smart organisations, or risk becoming irrelevant. Marketers must raise their standards too, support quality media, and demand transparency and trust in every investment.
AI might rewrite the rules, but those who adapt will still get to shape the story.
Shai Luft is the co-founder and COO at Bench Media.
