Co-creation: Understanding AI as a New Type of Media.

Every medium is a carrier of information and of human experience. As McLuhan famously stated, “the medium is the message”, the form affects us more than the content. It decides what fits, how fast it spreads, who gets to speak, who sees it, and what feedback is possible. AI now belongs on that list, a new medium with messages of its own. We will spend the next generation learning what those messages are and how they shape work and daily life.

Most media deliver a fixed experience. You read a book, watch a movie, even social networks that feel interactive are still running on algorithmic rails. AI is something new, a non-deterministic medium.

Co-creation is the essence of generative AI; the content changes based on our intent and context, and we are changed by it. The loop is immediate. It is “just in time” media. The prompt is a key. It opens a different door each time. And the path you take to get there changes where you can go next.

We’re starting to see where this is all going. The upside is clear. Faster learning. Broader reach. Lower cost to try ideas. But the risks are also real. Errors look authoritative. Feedback loops can distort what people see. Dependency can dull skills.

Like older media, our new AI media shapes what we see, how we understand and why we act. That is why AI literacy matters. As we continue improving the technology and integrating it more deeply into society, we need everyone using it to understand its strengths and weaknesses and to develop a cognitive immune system to make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.

Scott Wiener,  CEO and Founder at Hubs