The core of journalism was trust. For centuries, the cost of a printing press or broadcast license limited who could create news, but the rise of the Internet has turned everyone into a publisher. From fake news to hallucinations, modern journalism faces an existential threat, not only from a flood of unreliable sources but also from motivated actors bent on applying the latest technologies to inflame political polarization.

Is there a way to save the 4th Estate on which democratic society relies? In this talk, DM Radio's Eric Kavanagh suggests that the foundation of every story must be data with a proven, verifiable lineage. The carefully curated fusion of real-world transactional data and generative AI will radically transform the news industry, triggering a much-needed Renaissance in world-class journalism—but only if we use embeddings and open-source code to ensure accountability and transparency.