#16 Technology Is No Longer Neutral. Why Infrastructure Is Becoming a Strategic Risk for News Companies. Endre Dingsør at Choose European

Technology used to feel neutral. Infrastructure choices were seen as operational decisions handled by IT teams. That assumption is now being challenged.In this episode of Insight Shapes News by Kilkaya, host Nils Ove Håland Riise speaks with Endre, a technology strategist and founder of the initiative Choose European, which maps European software alternatives and promotes greater digital sovereignty.The conversation explores why technology infrastructure is increasingly becoming a strategic question for news organizations. As AI accelerates, cloud platforms consolidate power, and geopolitical tensions influence technology ecosystems, decisions about vendors, models, and infrastructure can directly affect independence, cost structures, and long-term flexibility.Endre explains why the idea that technology is neutral is fading. Infrastructure providers control data flows, AI capabilities rely on massive datasets, and dependency on a small group of global platforms can create strategic vulnerabilities for publishers and companies.The conversation examines what realistic alternatives look like. Rather than framing the choice as Europe versus the US, Endre argues for hybrid strategies that combine global innovation with diversified infrastructure, open-source technologies, and regional providers.For media organizations, this shifts technology from a procurement decision to a leadership responsibility.🎧 Topics we cover:Why technology is no longer politically neutralHow AI is accelerating infrastructure dependencyThe strategic risks of vendor lock-in in cloud and AI platformsWhy newsroom technology decisions belong in the boardroomDigital sovereignty and what it actually means in practiceHow publishers may be repeating the same dependency pattern seen with search and socialWhy hybrid infrastructure strategies may become the normThe role of open-source technologies in reducing strategic riskWhy Europe is seeing a renewed push for sovereign AI and cloud infrastructureHow media organizations can start diversifying their technology stackIf you work in newsroom leadership, editorial strategy, product, or technology, this episode explores why infrastructure decisions may become one of the most important strategic choices facing media organizations in the coming decade.🎧 Subscribe to Insight Shapes News for conversations on journalism, AI, personalization, subscriptions, and the structural changes shaping the news industry.Chapters:00:00 The Shift in Tech Control and Societal Development00:16 Andre Dingsør's Perspective on Digital Sovereignty00:44 The Changing Nature of Technology as a Geopolitical Tool00:56 Biggest Underestimated Tech Risks for News Publishers01:04 Technology and Trust in Journalism01:25 What Newsrooms Need to Understand About Tech Changes02:00 Andre Dingsør's Background and Focus on Sovereignty02:12 The Political Shift in Tech Infrastructure04:03 AI as an Accelerator of Geopolitical Power05:47 The European Response to Tech Sovereignty08:55 Dependency on US Tech and Social Media10:00 European Cloud and AI Solutions for Media11:36 Influence of Infrastructure on Editorial Independence12:58 Bias and Control in Large Language Models15:07 Trust and Data Security in AI and Cloud17:29 The Cost Wave of AI Infrastructure19:35 Migration Challenges in Tech Stack Dependencies20:50 Building Digital Sovereignty Through European Solutions23:35 Europe's Viable Alternatives to US Tech Giants26:43 US Tech Mindset and European Market Dynamics28:21 Balancing Global AI Leadership with Responsibility29:41 Using Hybrid Models for Cost and Sovereignty33:30 Local Language Models and Cultural Nuances35:09 Practical Steps for News Publishers on Tech Sovereignty39:11 The Future of Rebalancing Global Tech Power40:18 Leadership in the Age of Technological Change42:29 The Role of Media in Crisis and Information Dissemination