RSS sees resurgence as AI agents require structured data feeds
By
Julien Reszka
Pale and squishy. Not ruined, just not done.
Summary
The article argues that RSS (Really Simple Syndication) never truly died after Google Reader's shutdown in 2013, but rather shifted from being a primary human content discovery tool to powering podcasting. Now, with the rise of AI agents that need structured, reliable data feeds for monitoring competitors, tracking regulations, or summarizing research, RSS is experiencing a resurgence. Unlike humans who prefer social media's variable reward schedules, AI agents benefit from RSS's predictable, structured format.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledGoogle Reader died in 2013 and everyone called it.
RSS never stopped powering podcasting, and now AI agents need exactly what RSS does.
RSS never stopped working. It stopped being the primary way humans discovered content, because social algorithms offered something RSS could not: the addictive randomness of a variable reward schedule.
Humans find that irresistible. Agents do not.
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