Facing the Looming Threat of A.I., Publishers Turn to Decentralized Platforms

A tech industry veteran, Mike McCue sees an opening for a different kind of internet where algorithms don’t call the shots. Mr. McCue, the chief executive of the internet company Flipboard, is challenging social media’s automated grip on our attention, betting that humans, not machines, should curate online experiences.

Three decades ago, as vice president of technology at the groundbreaking tech company Netscape, Mr. McCue helped democratize information access through the World Wide Web. Now, he’s positioning his company’s new Surf browser as part of a growing community of so-called decentralized social media options, alongside emerging platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon.

The timing could be fortuitous, as online publishers struggle with an old problem and a new threat. For years, they have worried that the internet’s middlemen — huge platforms like Facebook and TikTok — have weakened their ties with the people who read or view their material. Now publishers face another issue: New A.I. systems that could completely eliminate those fraying links with their audiences.

Surf offers a window into a quiet technology movement echoing the early days of the World Wide Web. With the aid of several internet technical standards that are intended to encourage the growth of a new kind of social media, Mr. McCue has created a potential path where media companies can build direct relationships with readers.

In contrast to the current social web, which is dominated by a few large technology companies, the new software protocols may seem a bit wonky for now. But they make it possible for internet users to communicate and share information without relying on a single centralized service.

One of the new technical standards is known as ActivityPub. Social media platforms using the protocol can talk to one another, allowing users on different networks to interact seamlessly — similar to how email works across different providers.