News chief hits out at 'AI slop'

By the Editorial Team · Friday, August 7, 2026

News Corp reported a 15 percent increase in EBITDA for fiscal 2026 and highlighted its commitment to protecting its intellectual property amid concerns about AI companies using news content without authorization. CEO Robert Thomson emphasized the company's role in ensuring reliable AI outputs through trusted partnerships and signaled potential legal action against those misusing its work, while also noting strong growth in key business segments and an expanded audience reach following the rebranding of Sky News Australia as News 24.

News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson has emphasized the value of the company’s journalism amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence and its use of news content, following the release of the company’s fiscal 2026 financial results. Thomson criticized some AI companies for what he described as the unauthorized use of News Corp’s intellectual property, describing the wider AI content environment as a "slimy sea of AI slop" lacking quality and integrity without the involvement of professional journalism.

Speaking after News Corp reported a 15 percent year-on-year increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), Thomson underscored the company’s role in shaping the emerging AI ecosystem. He said News Corp’s journalists, authors, data, brands, and expertise are critical to ensuring trustworthy AI outputs, warning that without such input, users would be overwhelmed by low-quality, unreliable content.

Thomson highlighted that News Corp has formed trusted partnerships with companies including OpenAI and Meta and is engaged in advanced discussions with other organizations deemed to have "integrity" in handling content. At the same time, the company is pursuing what Thomson termed a “woo and sue” strategy against those it accuses of unlawfully profiting from its work, signaling a readiness to take legal action against companies using stolen News Corp content.

The company’s strong financial performance was supported by key business segments such as Digital Real Estate Services, Dow Jones, and Book Publishing. These areas drove a 31 percent surge in total segment EBITDA in the fourth quarter to approximately $423 million. Quarterly revenue rose 11 percent to $2.34 billion, contributing to full-year revenue growth of 7 percent, reaching $9.03 billion.

Thomson also noted the recent rebranding of Sky News Australia as News 24, which has reportedly led to a noticeable increase in audience reach. Despite challenging conditions in the broader media landscape, News Corp achieved record revenues, margins, and profits on a continuing operations basis for the fiscal year. The company recorded 12 consecutive quarters of revenue growth and 13 months of increasing EBITDA, which Thomson attributed to the robustness of News Corp’s strategy in navigating technological, economic, and political headwinds.

Looking ahead, Thomson expressed optimism about the company’s prospects, citing encouraging early indicators for the first quarter of 2027.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.