Are you ready for the three-tier information economy?
Jinfo Blog

By Stephen Phillips

Abstract

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AI is breaking down the old information value chain, but what's replacing it is far more complex.

Publishers are trying to protect their revenues, by retreating behind paywalls and/or striking exclusive AI licensing deals. What does this mean for the information economy and how can information managers respond?

A new information economy is taking shape

AI is changing the way we discover and consume information, but the consequences for content providers, users, and information professionals are beginning to surface.

In Jinfo's report "Will AI lead to a three-tier information economy?", we have detailed how AI is disrupting the content value chain, and reshaping commercial publishing. 

What's emerging is a three-tier information economy, marked by exclusive AI partnerships, fragmented access, and a growing divide in content quality.

This is highlighting the strategic role information managers must play in navigating a content landscape defined by legal complexity, inconsistent quality, and rising costs.

Six forces are driving fragmentation

The report identifies six disruptive forces reshaping the ecosystem, including:

• The collapse of ad-funded models, as AI eliminates the click.
• A wave of low-quality "AI slop", which is polluting search results.
• Court rulings favouring "fair use" for AI training.

These forces are complicating the commercial models and agreements that information managers have traditionally relied on. Collectively, they are redefining the business of content.

Three tiers of information access

There has always been a commercial hierarchy when it comes to information access. But, AI is having a significant impact on these traditional structures:

• Tier 1: High-value content from large publishers or aggregators, which is licensed via proprietary interfaces, AI firms (co-mingled with free internet content) or vendor paywalls.
   
• Tier 2: Small, independent publishers behind paywalls, but outside the AI or aggregator platforms.
   
• Tier 3: Freely available (some AI-generated) content, with uncertain quality.

This fragmentation raises difficult questions for information managers: 

• What content is authoritative and can be relied on? 
• What's being excluded from your current licenses? 
• Can you differentiate between premium and other sources? 
• And, how do you mitigate information risk?
  
  

Implications for information managers

Jinfo's report outlines practical and strategic actions in response to this shift:

• Tiered access to content
• New vendor management skills
• Information literacy
• Quality assurance frameworks
• Scenario planning.

The information manager of the future will have to focus on navigating these structural changes in the market.

Read the report "Will AI lead to a three-tier information economy?", and start to build your strategy for leading your organisation through this disruption. 

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