Concerns about AI run a wide gamut, and a recent study by iHeartMedia highlights how widely those concerns are shared.
More than 4 in 5 surveyed respondents (82%) say they “worry about AI’s societal impact,” even as 70% are using it.
“Americans believe AI is ‘helpful’ and time-saving,’” says the recent iHeartMedia press release, “but 3/4 don’t want it anywhere near their media and entertainment.”
It’s a keen reminder for publishers, in particular, as they constantly balance the business of making back-end tasks more efficient with the responsibility of creating front-facing content that doesn’t turn off audiences.
And how sensitive are audiences becoming to some technological changes? As iHeartMedia’s survey found, 42% wish they had a dumbphone, while “interest in flip phones has skyrocketed 15,000 percent year-over-year.” (And how apt: there’s now 42 shopping days left until Christmas!)
“In a world of digital saturation and AI acceleration, this study reveals that consumers are not just looking for convenience — they’re searching for meaning,” says iHeartMedia chairman and CEO, Bob Pittman. “Sports, Radio, live media and human-led storytelling offer a rare sanctuary of trust, empathy and shared experience. Above all, we must continue listening to Americans more closely than ever before and focus on ways to foster real connection and amplify our collective humanity.”
If you’ve seen the recent studies about readers’ preferences and comfort around AI — or simply focused on what talking tech-heads like myself say about these AI tools — you’ll notice the undertones and overtures of keeping humans not only in the loop, but front-and-center of any publishing, podcast, or other media pursuit.
In this industry we love and that so many count on, AI truly has the potential for making great change. One can’t underestimate the human hands that wield these tools and truly steer the revolution.
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