Episode Overview: In this episode of The Revenue Room™, host Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Lucky Gunasekara, CEO of Miso.AI, to explore the intersection of AI and media, and how Miso.AI is driving innovation for publishers, news media, and online education. The conversation touches on topics like personalized AI search, increasing audience engagement, and creating new revenue streams for media companies using AI.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Introduction of Miso.AI:
   • Miso.AI is described as a hands-on AI media lab specializing in news media, publishing, and online education.
   • Lucky shares how Miso works with publishers to implement AI-powered search, personalized recommendations, and real-time data insights to optimize user engagement and revenue.
2. AI in Publishing:
   • Lucky discusses the innovative “Answers” product used by media companies like Foundry and O'Reilly Media. This AI-based search tool helps readers find answers to their queries directly within the publishers' archives, reducing the need for traditional search.
   • He highlights how AI is transforming reader engagement by embedding relevant AI-suggested questions within articles, driving higher click-through rates and creating new advertising and content marketing opportunities.
3. Revenue Impact of AI:
   • The use of AI-powered tools like “Answers” has led to significant improvements in both advertising inventory and lead generation, with click-through rates for native ads reaching 10-25 times higher than traditional display ads.
   • Subscription models are also seeing growth, with some media companies doubling registrations by gating certain AI features behind subscription walls.
4. Ethical AI and Media Compensation:
   • Lucky and Heather dive into the important question of fair compensation for media content in the age of AI. Lucky argues that publishers should be compensated more fairly, comparing the AI-media relationship to the music industry’s use of royalties.
   • O'Reilly Media’s forward-thinking approach to paying royalties to content creators for their contributions to AI-generated answers is highlighted as a pioneering model.
5. The Future of AI in Media:
   • The conversation addresses the future of AI in media and how it could reshape the delivery of information. Lucky predicts a future where AI mediates

About Heather Holst-Knudsen

Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. She is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in digital transformation, data, and revenue growth. She is a recognized leader and operator in media, marketplaces, events, and adjacent technologies. Heather has a proven track record of leading organizations to achieve customer-centric innovation, revenue growth, and enterprise value creation. As a thought leader, Heather shares her insights on multisided business models under The Revenue Room™. Connect with Heather on LinkedIn.

ABOUT REVENUE ROOM™ CONNECT

Revenue Room™ Connect is a high-trust membership network for growth-minded executives in media, events, data, and B2B platforms. It’s where forward-thinking leaders align around what actually drives revenue—with curated content, peer exchange, and exclusive access to frameworks, events, and executive insights. Join to connect with others solving the same challenges you are. Create your free profile at https://www.revenueroomconnect.com.

ABOUT H2K LABS

H2K Labs is a tech-enabled value creation specialist that helps media, data/information, event, and marketplace businesses accelerate revenue, drive profitability, and fuel enterprise value using data, digi...