Archivist and media theorist Christopher Stahl joins Michael for a conversation about provenance (the documented history of where something came from, who touched it, and how it changed) and what happens to that chain of custody when everyone can remix media and AI can generate it from scratch. They move from analog archives to digital systems and today's AI landscape where the question isn't just "where did this come from?" but "what was trained on what, and who's responsible?" From art history's preservation methods to Ambistream's approach to traceable, layered media, this episode look at how authenticity, responsibility, and memory might survive in a world where content is increasingly automated

AI agents are moving beyond screens into ambient experiences that interpret your intent from context, behavior, and biometric signals. They'll negotiate on your behalf and will do things like assembling content, executing payments, coordinating across platforms. But the issue is that when AI systems remix content from multiple sources, creators aren't paid most of the time, privacy boundaries don't exist, and rules are being treated like suggestions. The negotiation between your agent, creator systems, and platforms is already starting to happen. We've seen this pattern before when digital music distribution scaled faster than payment infrastructure. The difference this time is that we can build a better way to manage all this before things break.

Instagram is bringing Reels to TV via Amazon Fire TV devices, but it's not Social TV. Instead, it's just mobile content on a bigger screen. In this blog post we make a comparison to how early films emulated theater plays because it was porting over an old way of doing things onto a new environment. This feels similar. The real opportunity isn't going beyond mobile social feeds on TV and designing experiences for how people actually gather around screens.

December 2 is UNESCO World Futures Day, a reminder that everyone should have agency in shaping what comes next. In that same spirit, Ambistream has been hosting events, asking a variety of people their hopes, concerns, and predictions for a post-AI world. Their answers reveal what people actually want: human connection, creative tools guided by values, and technology that adapts to how we want to feel. Read the full conversation

In this podcast interview, Michael breaks down how social TV, legal remixing, and AI-driven media tools are reshaping streaming, why Hollywood’s old IP model is collapsing, how Ambistream works with cultural institutions and creators to test interactive channels, and why Europe’s AI regulations set the tone for global expansion. He also previews new AI content-producer agents that blend human editing with predictive media generation.

More AI Hot Takes, this time from the after parties, taking people’s real opinions after they watched hours of panels and speakers sharing their wisdom (or selling their company’s products)

More AI Hot Takes, this time from serious and regulation-minded people.

The Unofficial Web Summit LGBTQ+ Party at The Late Birds Hotel brought together queer founders, VCs, and community members to share their perspectives on AI. From optimism about creative freedom to concerns about human connection, attendees offered unfiltered takes on how AI will reshape work, relationships, and the future.

Lisbon AI week included a fresh addition of AI Hot Takes. Creators, builders and skeptics came together at the AI Hub and shared ideas about how artificial intelligence will impact creativity, trust, and human connection.

Recapping our #AIweekNY party, plus beta testers wanted and fundraising updates

We spent a weekend in New York building the AI Remix Engine, a system that uses video intelligence to turn long, archived ads into short, modern clips that feel natural in today’s feeds. Using TwelveLabs, we trained it to recognize emotion, pacing, and story within old commercials, finding the moments that still work and giving them new life. It’s a first step toward ads that blend with content instead of interrupting it.

At the Bohemian AI Salon we filmed some AI hot takes from builders, artists, investors, and the politely outraged. Here are the results!

oin us for an unforgettable evening of networking, connection, and celebration at the Unofficial Web Summit LGBTQ+ Party on November 12, 2025, from 8pm to 11.30pm at the vibrant Late Birds Hotel in Lisbon’s iconic Bairro Alto. This annual gathering is the perfect opportunity for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, VCs, corporates, and community supporters to come together

A disco tea party in the Village reminded me of how spaces like Romany Marie’s salons once shaped culture through conversation. So I’m hosting a small AI salon on Oct 6 during #AIWeekNY — no panels, just real talk between builders, artists, philosophers, and investors about where AI is headed (and what we want it to be). Access the event signup link

This is a small, private salon-style gathering inspired by the bohemian culture of Greenwich Village in the 1910s–30s, particularly the cafés of Romany Marie, where artists, intellectuals, and outsiders met for open discussion. The focus is on creating space for meaningful conversation around AI (its social, creative, and ethical dimensions) by bringing together a mix of technologists, artists, investors, capitalists and researchers.

Artist Ian Sklarsky joins Michael to talk about AI, nostalgia, and the weird, beautiful ways media is changing. They get into Ian’s experience at SXSW, his AI-generated music projects, and how old-school aesthetics blend with new tech. From the Monster Mash myth to recreating video rental store experiences and modern beekeeping, this one hits everything from mood to metadata.

This episode is about the real experience of going through the CultTech accelerator and our viewpoints on the future of art and media. Michael Fiorentino sits down with Sofia Prieto and Alejandra to talk about what the program actually feels like, what kinds of startups get in, and why it matters for a better world. CultTech supports the creator economy by helping founders build tools that make creative work more accessible

AI is shaping everything online, from social feeds to ad targeting to content monetization. In this episode of the Ambistream Media Future podcast, we discuss how social media by replacing the chronological feed with engagement-driven curation, how programmatic advertising evolved into AI-generated content, and how licensing models are shifting toward blockchain and smart contracts.