AdExchanger Talks: "The Indy Innovates With AI" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: June 17, 2025
Host: Alison Schiff
Guest: Christian Brutten, CEO of The Independent

1. Introduction and Guest Background

In this engaging episode of AdExchanger Talks, Alison Schiff welcomes Christian Brutten, CEO of The Independent. Christian shares his unconventional journey from being the publication's longest-serving tea boy to ascending the ranks within the organization. His unique path underscores a deep-rooted passion for journalism and a hands-on understanding of the industry's intricacies.

2. Christian Brutten’s Journey to CEO of The Independent

Christian humorously recounts his early days at The Independent, highlighting roles that are rarely publicized. He states:

"Something you can't really find out by Googling me is how I ended up getting to the Independent... I turned up here on an unpaid internship in the '90s, doing lots of photocopying... and ski instruction without any snow." (02:48)

This blend of perseverance and passion for journalism set the foundation for his future leadership role.

3. The Independent's Growth Strategy Amid Publishing Challenges

Despite a turbulent environment for publishers, The Independent has experienced significant growth. Christian attributes this success to a balanced focus on both journalistic excellence and innovative business strategies. He emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between journalism and business:

"We need journalism that empowers the business, and we need a business that empowers the journalism." (07:42)

This philosophy ensures that the quality of journalism remains paramount while exploring new revenue streams.

4. AI Strategy at The Independent: Experimentation and Innovation

Christian delves into The Independent's proactive approach to integrating AI, focusing on experimentation rather than shying away from technological advancements reshaping journalism.

a. Bulletin: AI-Generated Summaries

One of the standout projects is Bulletin, a new news brand leveraging proprietary AI tools developed in collaboration with Google's Gemini team. Bulletin offers concise, bullet-point summaries of news stories, catering to the needs of busy readers. Christian explains:

"Our bulletin engine... creates really tight summaries... and it's only a tool. It's all overseen by humans." (18:56)

This approach not only enhances user experience but also drives engagement by providing quick, digestible content with links to full articles for deeper exploration.

b. Independent Studio: Podcasting and Video Content

Another innovative venture is Independent Studio, which focuses on podcasting, YouTube videos, and documentaries. This studio aims to build valuable intellectual property and attract audiences through personality-driven verticals. Christian highlights the success of their soccer analysis channel, ACFC:

"Our soccer analysis channel... has engagement scores in the same territory as Mr. Beast, with audience retention after 30 seconds exceeding 75%." (18:56)

This demonstrates the effectiveness of combining expert knowledge with engaging multimedia content.

c. Partnership with Taboola

The Independent has partnered with Taboola to develop Deeper Dive, an AI-driven tool that offers short summaries while encouraging users to explore more in-depth articles. Christian remarks:

"It gives you a very short answer... and then lots of links to articles where you can read more from the Independent." (48:56)

This strategy fosters a complementary ecosystem between Bulletin and the main Independent platform, enhancing referral traffic and user engagement.

d. Handling AI in Content Creation and Policies

Christian discusses the controlled experimentation with AI within the newsroom. While there isn't a strict policy, journalists are encouraged to log their AI usage with the managing editor to ensure transparency and data security:

"We encourage curiosity... but you just have to log with the managing editor what you're doing and why and how you're using it." (36:11)

This balance allows for innovation while maintaining journalistic integrity and oversight.

5. Monetization Approaches and Building Trust

Monetization remains a critical focus, achieved by doubling revenue, profit, and editorial investment over the past five years. Christian emphasizes the importance of trust in driving monetization:

"Trust is everything." (07:42)

By ensuring high-quality, independent journalism, The Independent fosters a loyal audience willing to invest through subscriptions and other revenue models. The integration of AI tools like Bulletin further enhances this trust by delivering reliable, concise information.

6. Impact of AI on Search and Referral Traffic

The rise of generative AI search presents challenges for publishers reliant on referral traffic. However, The Independent's Bulletin has positively impacted referral rates by offering summaries with direct links to full articles:

"People are hitting something for a few swipes or a few clicks that they want to go and read." (25:49)

This strategy ensures that while users consume quick summaries, they are still directed to the main platform, maintaining healthy referral traffic.

7. Legal and Ethical Considerations: Publishers vs. AI Firms

Christian addresses the ongoing lawsuits against large language model (LLM) providers for scraping content. He advocates for journalists to lead the integration of AI in media rather than allowing AI firms to dictate its use:

"If journalists don't decide how AI is going to be used in journalism, well, who else is going to?" (35:53)

By developing proprietary AI tools tailored to their workflows, The Independent maintains control over how AI serves their journalistic mission, ensuring ethical use and preserving content integrity.

8. Future Outlook: AI in Journalism and Consumer Behavior

Looking ahead, Christian envisions a journalism landscape where AI enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity and trust. He stresses the importance of maintaining a human touch in content creation:

"It's hard to replace that personal touch... and it's hard to replace that sense of endorsement from trust." (39:27)

Educational initiatives around AI literacy are also highlighted as crucial for empowering consumers to critically engage with AI-generated content.

Notable Quotes

• Christian Brutten on Trust:

  "Trust is everything." (07:42)

• On AI Summaries:

  "Our bulletin engine... creates really tight summaries... and it's only a tool. It's all overseen by humans." (18:56)

• On Leadership in AI Integration:

  "If journalists don't decide how AI is going to be used in journalism, well, who else is going to?" (35:53)

• On Human Touch in AI Era:

  "It's hard to replace that personal touch... and it's hard to replace that sense of endorsement from trust." (39:27)

Conclusion

Christian Brutten's insights reveal how The Independent is navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of journalism through strategic AI integration and unwavering commitment to trust and quality. By fostering innovation while upholding journalistic integrity, The Independent sets a robust example for publishers aiming to thrive in a digitally dominated future.