People vs Algorithms

Troy Young, Brian Morrissey, Alex Schleifer
  • 4.6 (50)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
People vs Algorithms

Uncovering patterns of change in media, culture, and technology, each week media veterans Brian Morrissey, Alex Schleifer and Troy Young break down stuff that matters. Get our newsletters: https://www.peoplevsalgorithms.com/ https://www.therebooting.com/ www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

  1. The AI Head Fake

    1D AGO

    The AI Head Fake

    The real issue isn’t that AI killed media. It’s that the old distribution ecosystem has broken down. Plus: the end of Demand Media and Linda Yaccarino’s tenure as X CEO; the coming AI browser wars; why Gen Z skips to the comments; and the afterlife of dead flowers as potpourri. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 Open * 00:24 Welcome * 01:21 Linda Yaccarino Stepped Down * 17:19 AI Skapegoat * 29:24 Gen Z Media Habits Study * 41:43 AI vs The Browser * 53:14 Good Product * 55:13 Substack Potential * 57:05 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    59 min
  2. The End of Advertising

    JUL 4

    The End of Advertising

    This week, we talk about the collapse of traditional advertising, the rise of memetic political communicators like Zohran Mamdani, why words might not matter much longer, and whether publishers fighting back against AI bots is folly. We also get into the cognitive toll of generative AI, the backlash to wealth spectacle, and how grilling large-format meats is at the heart of middle-aged American masculinity. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 Open * 00:42 Welcome * 02:25 Mamdani Phenomenon * 14:14 Pusillanimous Paramount * 21:12 Wealth Smugness * 25:39 Agency Business & The Ad World * 38:16 AI vs Writing * 46:43 AI vs Publishing Industry * 56:08 Good Product * 59:36 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    1h 1m
  3. The Substack Conundrum

    JUN 27

    The Substack Conundrum

    Plus: the AI disconnect in Cannes, Momdani’s media savvy and the case for European fruits and park’s supremacy. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 Open * 00:51 Welcome * 01:36 Smaller Media M&A * 06:59 Substack's Raising Money * 15:23 No AI In Cannes * 28:34 Post Text Media * 32:08 Sports Obsession in Media * 37:07 F-bomb Moment * 43:23 Travel Notes * 49:17 Good Product * 53:47 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    55 min
  4. AI Optimism in Cannes

    JUN 20

    AI Optimism in Cannes

    We take a mostly optimistic view of publishing in the AI era, even if Neil allows that search traffic will inexorably trend to zero. Plus: A path to publisher leverage against AI companies. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 PvA Live @ Cannes * 01:00 Welcome to PvA @ Cannes * 02:16 Sustainable Media Ecosystem Of The Future * 08:54 Changes in Advertising * 18:11 Google's Reaction * 22:01 AI Media Deals * 35:38 Consolidation of Publishers * 40:09 Q&A * 44:36 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    46 min
  5. Liquid Courage

    JUN 13

    Liquid Courage

    Alex reviews the “liquid” interface and wonders if anyone at Cupertino actually used the beta outdoors. Plus: a spirited defense of Zaslav as the media's embattled savior, fighting for the spoils of the operator class; the sad saga of the link economy and why publishers are stuck tolling bots for pennies. Also: the gloriousness of popcorn and Coke, Peter Kafka as Good Product, and renewed appreciation for the Denver airport. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 Open * 00:45 Welcome * 08:14 In this episode * 14:38 Liquid Glass * 28:33 Sad State Of The Media Economy * 39:34 AB Tags In * 45:18 Death Of The Link Economy * 48:54 AI Toll * 59:12 Good Product * 01:03:27 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    1h 4m
  6. From Pageviews to Proximity

    JUN 6

    From Pageviews to Proximity

    As performance metrics grow murky and traditional advertising falters, proximity is becoming the new proxy for value. We talk through the bloated conference circuit, the rise of curated events, the logic behind Cannes as a marketplace, and why some publishers are pulling back while others double down. Along the way, we debate the wisdom of Newsweek buying an ad tech company, the challenge of turning creator reach into enterprise value, and the case of a $3 million newsletter business with 90% margins that stands in contrast to the deconstruction of legacy media models. Join us in Cannes for a live recording of People vs Algorithms from the Dotdash Meredith villa on Thursday, June 20, at 3:30pm. Troy and Brian will be joined by Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel and Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer. We'll have drinks and mingling immediately following the recording. Register here. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 Welcome * 01:39 NY Tech Week * 06:29 Cannes - A Carnival Of Capitalism * 12:00 Creator Events * 17:58 AI Creative * 29:12 Newsletter: Great Business * 37:33 Newsweek Buying Ad Prime * 45:03 Good Product * 46:32 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    47 min
  7. One-Trick Pony

    MAY 30

    One-Trick Pony

    It used its dominant position in search to be the arbiter for the web. As the web moves into an agentic AI era, we break down how Google is positioned and the impact its next evolution will have for the ecosystem it shaped and de facto ruled. Plus: why media’s unionization craze didn’t fix bad models, why nobody can remember any ad campaigns, and the charms of the Shelter Island dump as a community convener. RSVP to PvA Live at Cannes with Sara Fischer and Neil Vogel at the Dotdash Meredith villa. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 01:10 Welcome * 01:37 PVA Live @ Cannes Lions * 03:43 Media Buyouts * 07:42 The Information Space is Scrambling PR * 12:09 Veo 3 * 17:38 Staples' Easy Button is Back * 23:22 Google * 29:50 One-Trick Pony * 34:48 Google Products * 47:40 Google Now * 56:08 How the market views Google with AB * 01:15:56 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    1h 18m
  8. From Pages to Protocols

    MAY 23

    From Pages to Protocols

    In this episode, we dive into how the rise of AI agents and new protocols is replacing browsing with prompting, and pages with machine-readable interfaces. Google and Microsoft are rolling out AI-powered tools that make websites disappear into the background, forcing publishers, marketers, and product teams to rethink how value is surfaced and monetized. * Watch us on YouTube * Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter * Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter * Alex Schleifer's Human Computer * Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter Chapters: * 00:00 Open * 00:54 Welcome * 03:38 AI Tears Down The Front Door Of The Internet * 25:04 Sam & Jony * 42:39 Bernie on Flagrant * 44:10 Good Product * 46:58 Distribution Direction with AB * 56:50 Understanding Risk Profile with AB * 01:03:44 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

    1h 5m
See All (143)

4.6
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

Uncovering patterns of change in media, culture, and technology, each week media veterans Brian Morrissey, Alex Schleifer and Troy Young break down stuff that matters. Get our newsletters: https://www.peoplevsalgorithms.com/ https://www.therebooting.com/ www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Information

  • Creator
    Troy Young, Brian Morrissey, Alex Schleifer
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    143
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Troy Young
  • Show Website
    People vs Algorithms

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada