Mitchell P. Davis: Using AI (and a Few Decades of Experience) to Answer Questions Faster

Mitchell P. Davis has been helping journalists find the right expert long before Google—and certainly before AI—became part of the conversation. If you've ever wondered how a reporter on deadline suddenly finds a credible voice to explain a breaking story, Davis has been quietly building that system since 1984.

As the founder of Broadcast Interview Source, Inc. and creator of ExpertClick, Davis turned what used to be a slow, phone-heavy process into something much closer to "dial-an-expert" His signature publication, the Yearbook of Experts (originally the Talk Show Guest Directory), became a go-to resource in newsrooms across the country. At one point, it was literally mailed to producers and editors who needed smart people—fast.

Now, decades later, Davis is doing something familiar: adapting to the next big shift. This time, it's artificial intelligence.

Rather than treating AI as a threat, Davis sees it as a surprisingly useful assistant—especially for experts who want to communicate clearly and quickly. His current focus is showing professionals how tools like ChatGPT can help them answer questions better, not just faster.

In his view, most experts don't struggle with knowledge—they struggle with packaging that knowledge. They know their subject, but when a reporter asks for a quick quote or explanation, turning years of experience into two tight paragraphs can be harder than it sounds. That's where AI comes in.

Davis encourages experts to use AI as a kind of "first draft partner" Need a clear explanation of a complicated topic? AI can help simplify it. Want three different angles for a media interview? AI can generate them in seconds. Trying to turn an answer into a press release, blog post, or soundbite? AI makes that much easier.

Of course, he's quick to point out that AI doesn't replace expertise—it highlights it. The value still comes from the human behind the answer. AI just helps get that answer into a form that journalists (and audiences) can use immediately.

Through platforms like ExpertClick and InterviewClick, Davis continues to connect experts with media opportunities. The difference now is that those experts can respond faster, write more clearly, and reuse their insights across multiple channels—all with a little help from AI.

It's a natural evolution for someone who has spent his career focused on speed, access, and clarity in media. From mailing printed directories to newsrooms… to enabling real-time, AI-assisted responses… Davis has consistently stayed one step ahead of how information flows.

And if you ask him, the goal hasn't really changed. Journalists still need good sources. Experts still want to be heard. The tools may be new, but the mission is the same: get the right answers to the right people—quickly, clearly, and in a way that actually makes sense.

In today's world, that just happens to include a little help from AI.