Ted Murphy, widely recognized as the pioneer of influencer marketing through founding IZEA in 2006, has publicly launched COEY, an AI-first media technology company. Emerging from stealth at CES 2026, COEY focuses on automating content creation at scale, blending human intent with machine autonomy to address the rising dominance of AI-generated media.
COEY's core thesis centers on the "Content Crossover," forecasting that by 2028, half of all online content will be machine-generated. This shift demands systems that combine algorithmic speed with human oversight to maintain relevance and quality.
Murphy draws parallels to the early skepticism around influencer marketing, noting similar initial resistance to AI content. He highlights accelerating model improvements and a recent NYU Stern study showing fully AI-generated ads achieving up to 19% higher click-through rates than human-created ones.
“Before the iPhone or YouTube ads existed, I saw that everyday people would change the balance of power away from traditional media,” said Murphy, Founder and CEO of COEY. “We are now approaching a change much more profound in scope and speed. AI will become both the primary generator of content and the final arbiter of what is seen, shared, and amplified. Our mission is to scale human creativity through intelligent machine collaboration.”
COEY develops customizable "Autonomous Content Machines" capable of producing AI avatars, campaigns, long-form posts, and communications with configurable human involvement.
A flagship demonstration is COEY Cast, an AI-orchestrated daily podcast handling research, scripting, synthesis, fact-checking, voice generation, and multi-platform distribution at minimal cost.
“We have collapsed an entire production house into a scalable, model-agnostic automation,” Murphy noted. “We can produce a professional daily news podcast for just a few dollars per published episode. In 2026, we are scaling this capability for ourselves and our partners.”
COEY operates through integrated divisions:
AI Automation designs workflows integrating with existing marketing and sales tools.
AI Studios serves as a high-volume engine for video, audio, and visual assets emphasizing speed and quality.
AI Media comprises proprietary AI-first channels and sites acting as an R&D lab for testing formats and strategies.
This structure enables end-to-end orchestration, from creation to amplification.
With early traction among major brands, COEY positions itself at the forefront of AI-driven media evolution, empowering organizations to adapt to hyperscale content environments.
About COEY
COEY is an AI-first media technology company built to scale human creativity through intelligent machine collaboration. By operating its own media properties and deploying custom AI systems for brands, COEY provides a model-agnostic framework that evolves alongside the technology. COEY empowers organizations to move faster and create at scale through the balancing human guidance and machine autonomy.
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