In August 2025, WSJ Tech News Briefing podcast created 2 episodes on the AI Data Trade featuring Dark Media AI creator, Jared Brick. Podcast Synopsis: AI companies need large quantities of data to fuel their large language models. Content and data from internet publishers and videos are important sources for them. But publishers and content creators want credit and compensation for their work. Companies like Reddit have responded by filing lawsuits against AI companies. Big publishers like the New York Times have struck content deals to license their data to AI companies for millions of dollars. This has opened the door for a new stream of revenue. But what about smaller players? Enter AI data middlemen. A small group of startups is brokering deals between AI companies and content creators. These data brokers work with small companies and creators to potentially make money from the AI boom. However, some content creators remain skeptical about the likelihood of making profits and raise questions about fueling something that could replace them. In this two-part series, “The New AI Data Trade” on the Tech News Briefing podcast, the Wall Street Journal dives into an emerging marketplace where data is being sold to train AI models. The New AI Data Trade Part 1: Cashing In on AI • Aug. 17, 2025 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wsj-tech-news-briefing/id74844126?i=1000722265974 The New AI Data Trade Part 2: Let’s Make a Deal • Aug. 18, 2025 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wsj-tech-news-briefing/id74844126?i=1000722415030