Reclaiming Truth: Steven Rosenbaum with Marty Baron

The author and filmmaker speaks with the former editor of The Washington Post about AI and our fundamental experience of truth.

From media and history to medicine, education, and justice—fast-moving, profit-driven artificial intelligence threatens to erode shared consensus and continues to raise new questions about what we can still trust. In his new book, The Future of Truth, Steven Rosenbaum begins with a personal investigation that expands into an examination of systems under pressure. Featuring conversations with experts across philosophy, media, law, and technology, Rosenbaum explores what happens when attention and information are manipulated by bots and power operates through precise algorithms—and asks whether truth can be rebuilt before reality is rewritten.

Rosenbaum speaks with Marty Baron, the former editor of The Washington Post, about efforts to rebuild truth into something more reliable—and whether it can be saved before it’s too late.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Steven Rosenbaum is the executive director of the Sustainable Media Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring the impact of AI and social media on truth and society. An accomplished writer and commentator, Rosenbaum has authored books such as Curation Nation and The Future of Truth, where he delves into the ethical and societal implications of technology on media and public discourse. With a master’s degree from NYU’s Gallatin School focusing on the future of truth, he is a recognized thought leader on issues related to media integrity, AI, and digital transformation. His insights are regularly featured in publications like HuffPost, Forbes, and Fast Company, making him a sought-after speaker on the evolving landscape of technology and truth.

Marty Baron retired in 2021 as executive editor of The Washington Post. News staffs under his leadership have won 18 Pulitzer Prizes. In addition to his eight-plus years leading The Post, he served as the top editor at The Boston Globe and The Miami Herald. His tenure at the Globe included its investigation into the Catholic Church’s concealment of clergy sex abuse, which won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service and was portrayed in the Oscar-winning movie Spotlight. He is the author of Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos and The Washington Post (2023).