How AI is changing the face of B2B publishing in 2025

The publishing world is going through massive changes and the B2B sector is no exception. While many publishers have dabbled with artificial intelligence for basic tasks like writing headlines or formatting articles, that is a bit like using a smartphone just to make calls. The real opportunity is far more exciting.

Flare Data, an AI tool provider, published a whitepaper on how AI, machine learning and an entrepreneurial spirit can turn B2B publishers into intelligence powerhouses. Here are the highlights.

Becoming intelligence providers

Publishers have always been brilliant at gathering information and making sense of it for their readers. Now, with AI, instead of just reporting what has happened, they can help predict what is coming next - and that's worth its weight in gold for business readers. The most forward-thinking publishers are already leveraging AI to transform into intelligence powerhouses.

Take financial publications. Rather than just telling readers about market movements, they can use AI to spot early warning signs of market shifts or identify promising investment opportunities before they become obvious. That is the kind of insight that readers would happily pay a premium for.

• Read more: What can generative AI actually do for ordinary journalists?

Data-led product creation

Speaking of making money, AI is changing the game when it comes to creating new products. Publishers can now look at exactly how their readers behave - what they read, when they read it, and what they ignore - and use these insights to develop products that perfectly match what their audiences want. It is like having a focus group running 24/7, but better.

Deals with LLM companies

Here's something interesting: those big tech companies like ChatGPT or Perplexity that everyone worries might put publishers out of business? They actually need publishers more than you might think. Companies like Microsoft are paying millions for access to quality content to train their AI systems. It turns out that well-researched, expertly written content is quite valuable in the AI world.

• Listen: Sean Gourley on why technology is dictating newsroom strategy

Empowering journalists, not replacing them

And what about journalists? Despite all the doom and gloom, AI is not going to replace good journalism. Instead, it is more like giving journalists a super-powered research assistant. While AI crunches data and spots patterns, journalists can focus on what they do best: investigating stories, building relationships with sources, and writing compelling narratives that make sense of complex issues.

Workflow transformation

The day-to-day running of a publishing business is getting smarter too. Tasks that used to take ages - like gathering data or spotting trends - can now happen in minutes. This means teams can spend less time on admin and more time on work that really matters.

But here is the thing: publishers need to get moving. As report co-author Daniel Flatt from Flare Data puts it: "It's easy to lump AI into one homogenous blob and assume it to be dangerous or inaccessible. However, there are many AI tools that can support publishers in generating new revenue." The key is to start exploring these opportunities now, rather than waiting until everyone else has figured it out.

The publishers who will thrive in this new world are not necessarily the biggest or the richest. They are the ones who can see AI for what it is: not just a fancy new tool, but a chance to reimagine what a publishing business can look like.

You can read the full whitepaper here (no form required).

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