AI's reality check: Why Sharon Goldman is looking beyond the hype

This episode is sponsored by: Adobe AcrobatThis week on The Media Copilot, Pete Pachal sits down with veteran AI journalist and former Fortune reporter Sharon Goldman to discuss the growing disconnect between AI's promise and public perception. As Sharon launches her new Substack, Ground Level AI, she shares why she's shifting her focus away from model releases and Silicon Valley headlines to examine how AI is impacting communities, businesses, governments, and everyday people."To say you're covering AI today is like boiling the ocean." — Sharon GoldmanFrom AI data centers and cybersecurity risks to job displacement fears, media disruption, and public trust, Sharon offers a grounded perspective on where the AI conversation is headed next.What we cover • Why AI companies are struggling to win public trust • The growing backlash against AI and what's driving it • How data centers, infrastructure, and policy are becoming major AI stories • Whether AI's impact on jobs is being overstated • The future of journalism in an AI-powered information ecosystem • Why independent voices matter more than ever in technology reporting • How Sharon uses AI as a reporting partner, editor, and research assistant • The biggest AI stories to watch heading into 2027If AI is reshaping society, who gets to tell that story? Sharon Goldman believes the most important AI stories are not found in the latest model release or product announcement. They are happening in communities, workplaces, governments, and everyday life, where technology is creating real-world impact.Sponsor:The new Adobe productivity agent orchestrates tools and models to generate images, text and rich content like presentations, podcasts and social posts, while also powering conversational PDF editing in Acrobat.With new PDF Spaces capabilities, users can combine files, links and notes into interactive, shareable spaces for research, collaboration and content creation. VICE News, Kid Cudi and celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss are already using these tools to build trust and deeper engagement with their audiences.Link: Do that with Acrobat: AI-Powered PDF workspaces | Adobe AcrobatWhy This MattersAI is no longer just a technology story. It is influencing how businesses operate, how information is distributed, how governments make decisions, and how communities adapt to rapid change. Understanding AI's real-world impact is becoming just as important as understanding the technology itself. As adoption accelerates and public skepticism grows, the conversation is shifting from what AI can do to how it affects people, jobs, infrastructure, and society as a whole.About the 👤 Guest  Sharon Goldman on LinkedIn Ground Level AI  About the show: To explore more conversations like this and see what’s new, visit the Media Copilot website at mediacopilot.ai. You’ll find new episodes, expanded resources, and tools designed for journalists, communicators, and media leaders navigating the fast-changing world of AI. It’s the home base for everything Media Copilot and it’s just getting started.Enjoyed this episode?Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube? Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the YouTube channel. For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit mediacopilot.ai.Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0All rights reserved. © AnyWho Media 2026