Ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
Stephen Goforth
Researchers have discovered that some of the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence systems might be experiencing their own version of cognitive decline. A new study finds that leading AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, performed poorly on the same cognitive tests used to screen elderly patients for dementia. -Study Finds
Amazon AI deal leaves ‘zombie’ start-up in its wake, whistleblower says – Washington Post
Coming soon: Ph.D.-level super-agents - Axios
Google’s Resolution for 2025: Catch Up to ChatGPT – Wall Street Journal
China's AI keeps getting better — and cheaper – Axios
Joe Biden signs executive order to speed AI data center construction – The Verge
Google is forming a new team to build AI that can simulate the physical world – Tech Crunch
Nvidia sends less powerful AI chips to China – Tom’s Hardware
OpenAI, Google and Runway race to generate AI video – Axios
AI-powered avatars can gesture naturally as they speak – New Scientist
OpenAI says it needs ‘more capital than we’d imagined’ as it lays out for-profit plan - CNBC
Microsoft Is Forcing Its AI Assistant on People—and Making Them Pay - Wall Street Journal
Nonprofit group joins Elon Musk’s effort to block OpenAI’s for-profit transition – Tech Crunch
Tech dollars flood into AI data centers - Axios
Don’t Look Now, but China’s AI Is Catching Up Fast - Wall Street Journal
OpenAI Unveils New A.I. That Can ‘Reason’ Through Math and Science Problems – New York Times
Google DeepMind unveils a new video model to rival Sora - TechCrunch
Your Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses just got a massive AI upgrade – ZDnet
The year in AI: Catch up on the top AI news of 2024 – Tech Target
Mobile pioneers say they’ll make ‘agentic AI’ a reality with new platform – Semafor
OpenAI launched a 1-800-ChatGPT hotline, allowing users to interact with its chatbot over the phone - CNN
OpenAI says it has no plans to release an API for Sora - TechCrunch
Databricks co-founder offers $1 million prize to solve AI coding problems – Semafor
Sam Altman on ChatGPT’s First Two Years, Elon Musk and AI Under Trump – Bloomberg
Google introduces a new quantum computing chip called Willow, designed to be faster and more reliable than previous chips – Tech Crunch
What: In this webinar, you'll learn how to create, grow, and monetize a podcast that boosts your brand, expands your reach, and positions you as an industry leader.
Who: Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chairman & Founder, C-Suite Network
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
What: Learn about how social media influencers have been recruited to address important issues in media literacy related to health and safety. In Croatia, social media influencers have collaborated with media literacy experts to combat online harassment. In this program, we'll discuss strategies to develop partnerships with popular online influencers that could be leveraged to combat dis/mis/malinformation.
Who: Igor Kanižaj, PhD is Full Professor at Catholic University of Croatia, Department for Communication Science; Marshall S. Rich is a pioneer in the emerging and unique field of Forensic Cyberpsychology; Scott H. Vlachos is the Executive Director of the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Media Education Lab
What: Gain exclusive insights from our recent survey of over 1,000 nonprofits exploring how AI is reshaping the sector. This webinar will unpack the latest findings on how organizations like yours leverage AI to drive efficiency, enhance engagement, and achieve measurable outcomes. From exploring real-world use cases to understanding adoption trends and overcoming challenges, this session will provide actionable insights to help your nonprofit harness the power of AI for greater impact. Whether considering AI for the first time or looking to optimize your current solutions, join us to learn how to position your organization for success in 2025 and beyond.
Who: Kyle Barkins & Joe DiGiovanni, Tapp Network co-founders.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
What: Are you ready to dip your toes into AI for training, but feeling a bit intimidated? This session is an introduction for trainers, a friendly starting point. Whether you tap into AI to design innovative training programs, automate tasks, or personalize the learning experience, it all begins with leveraging prompts.
Who: Becky Becky Pike Pluth President and CEO, The Bob Pike Group; William Rintz from UMU an AI-powered performance learning platform.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
What: A conversation with Reynolds Journalism Institute Project Fellows and the projects they are working on.
Who: Andy Lee Roth is directing a project on Algorithmic Literacy for Journalists; Aura Walmer, is building a web-based toolkit that provides journalists with step-by-step guidance for creating data sonification projects; Zoli Csernatony and Dana Amihere are developing DigInThere, a tool to help newsrooms promote more informed, positive engagement in the comments sections.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists
What: Find out what audiences expect from news when it comes to using AI. Join for a discussion about how AI is being used in photography and what action journalists and policymakers must consider.
Who: Chris Frost, council chair of the National Union of Journalists’ Ethics Council; Felix Simon, research fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism; Nick Dunmur, photographer and Head of Business & Legal at the Association of Photographers; Mathilde Pavis, international expert in intellectual property, data and ethics.
When: 12:30 pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: National Union of Journalists, the voice of journalism in the UK and Ireland for all media, communications and PR workers
What: We’ll cover how to use Sora journalistically, and how to disclose its use to readers. We’ll also look at LensGo, FLUX, Google Video, Runway ML and other text-to-video and image-to-video tools. Participants will be given a handout with links to all the tools and exercises on how to use them. Prior to the session, have an account set up at Sora and RunwayML. And have access to a YouTube account if we want to post the videos there afterward.
Who: Mike Reilley Senior Lecturer, University of Illinois-Chicago.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free for members, $25 for nonmembers
Sponsor: Online News Association
What: Definitive answers about fair use are tough to find, as most copyright decisions are determined by the courts. Yet, library patrons seek guidance about their use of copyrighted materials more frequently than sometimes the reference desk can handle. This webinar offers strategies for helping patrons make their own use decisions, and solidify the foundations on which fair use decisions are made.
Who: Sara Wolf is an associate professor of technology and media at Auburn University.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Niche Academy
What: Tips, techniques and tools to help the modern marketer tell better and more impactful stories to activate their audiences around ideas and actions.
Who: Firespring’s Kiersten Hill
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Firespring
What: There are many reasons why a sports staff may not be generating quality sports content, but the biggest hurdle is not always poor access to athletes. It might also be due to limited imagination and an over-reliance on sources. There are many other ways to diligently and creatively cover athletics on your campus. Stop in to learn ways to develop relationships with athletes, coaches and athletic departments, to take new approaches, and to develop story ideas that should elevate your sports coverage across any platform.
Who: Joe Gisondi, a student media adviser for more than 20 years, is a professor of journalism, director of student publications at Eastern Illinois University; John DiCarlo is the Managing Director of Student Media and the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media at Temple University's Klein College of Media and Communication; Chris Babb is in his sixth year as an instructor in the Rogers Department of Communication and faculty advisor for the student sports media production program at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.
When: 5 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: College Media Association
What: Designed for reporters interested in getting started but with minimal or no knowledge of AI. We will dissect what makes a good AI accountability story, from quick turnaround stories to more ambitious investigations, as well as digging deeper into a few examples.
Who: Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society. She was formerly a contributing writer at The Atlantic, a foreign correspondent covering China’s technology industry for the Wall Street Journal, and a senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review.
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pulitzer Center
What: AI is transforming the way editorial teams work, but are you using it to its full potential? In this free webinar, we’ll explore five surprising ways AI can enhance your editorial processes, from streamlining content creation to improving audience engagement and optimizing workflows. Discover practical applications you might not have considered and learn how to integrate these tools seamlessly into your team’s daily tasks.
Who: David Arkin, CEO of David Arkin Consulting.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: New England Newspaper & Press Association
What: This expert panel will share their insights on the transformative learning technologies poised to shape the future.
Who: Karl Kapp, Director, Institute for Interactive Technologies, Bloomsburg University; Tony O’Driscoll Research Fellow and Academic Director, Duke University; David Metcalf, Ph.D. Director, Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab, University of Central Florida; Anders Gronstedt, President, The Gronstedt Group.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: OpenSesame
What: An insightful discussion on Podcasting 101, where our expert podcasters will cover everything from choosing the right equipment and software to building an engaged audience, monetizing your content, and much more!
Who: Charlotte Norsworthy Varnum, Executive Director at The Red & Black; Wanda Lloyd, Northwestern School of Management/Maynard Institute; Mitch Leff, President Leff & Associates.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free, RSVP at: SPJGeorgia@gmail.com
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalism
Tips for determining if an image or video is likely created by AI.
THE BACKGROUND. Are people in the background looking at the unusual thing going on? If they are going about their business, it is likely a fake. Often, the background of AI images will be distorted. Sometimes odd shapes in the background details are giveaways, such as floor tiles or walls.
OTHER VIDEOS & PHOTOS. If the video or image is of a news event and there are no other videos or images showing different angles, it may be AI-generated. It is unlikely that there would be only a single image or video of something odd or newsworthy.
DETAILS. AI generators are not good at details—like fingers, hands and hair. Many times, AI software will show too many fingers or odd hand placement. Other oddities might be mismatched shoes or earrings, a misshapen jaw, or extra legs.
WRITING. Look closely at writing on a sticker, street sign or billboard. Watch for blurry writing when it shouldn’t be or wrongly formed letters, or the letters that don’t spell words.
GLOSSY. The overly glossy look, similar to some stock photos, can be an AI giveaway. Watch for people with plastic-looking faces.
THE SOURCE. Is the person or organization sharing the image reliable and not known for promoting AI-generated media?
THE EYES. In deepfake videos, people sometimes blink oddly or else they make strange eye movements. Researchers at Cornell University found deepfake faces don’t blink properly. Also, techniques devised for measuring galaxies, researchers have found that deepfake images don't have the same consistency in reflections in both eyes.
THE FACE. Look carefully at the area around the face for evidence that it was swapped onto another person’s body.
THE LIPS. Do the lips have abnormal movements and unrealistic positioning?
MOVEMENT. Watch for unnatural jumps or the absence of motion blur that is typically present in authentic videos. If creators manipulate AI-generated photos using Photoshop techniques such as blurring or file compression, they can fool detection tools.
PATTERNS. AI images often have abnormal patterns in the physics of lighting.
PHOTOMETRIC CLUES. Look at “photometric” clues such as blurring around the edges of objects that might suggest they’ve been added later; noticeable pixelation in some parts of an image but not others; and differences in coloration.
Explainability (or explainable AI; it is similar to but not the same as interpretability or interpretable AI) - While interpretability relates to understanding an AI’s inner workings, explainable AI focus on observed patterns in what the AI does to draw conclusions. Applied after a model has already made its decision or prediction, explainability offers insight into which features or variables played into the outcome in an effort to ensure accuracy, fairness and user trust. Explainability focuses on individual decisions, rather than the model as a whole. Because explainability techniques are applied after the fact, they can be used with any model. On the downside, it can oversimplify a model's decision-making process and make is often difficult for non-experts to understand. Some governments are requiring that AI systems include explainability.
More AI definitions here
Tips for determining if an article is likely written by AI.
OVERUSED WORDS. AI-written articles tend to come back to the same terms multiple times. Examples would be comprehensive, delve, meticulous, versatile and pivotal. Before 2024, overused AI words in scientific research papers were typically nouns. More recently, researchers say AI excessively uses "style" words—mostly verbs and some adjectives. The phrases AI picks up can often make the text sound more like marketing material than academic scholarship or quality news writing.
TORTURED ACRONYMS. Generative AI will sometimes pick up the wrong words for an acronym. For instance, a data science paper might use "CNN" to refer to "convolutional brain organization" instead of "convolutional neural network.”
NONSENSICAL PARAPHRASES. An academic paper written by AI might have “glucose bigotry” instead of “glucose intolerance,” where it changed a single word and did not recognize the context.
ACADEMIC CITATIONS. AI-written articles with academic citations have been known to include incorrect or incomplete references. AI writing has been also known to take quotations out of quotation marks, paraphrase them, and delete the citation.
STYLE CHANGES. A sudden change in writing style within an article or essay may indicate that the author’s work was rewritten using AI.
PERFECT GRAMMAR. A typo, particularly in student writing, could indicate the article or essay is not wholly the work of a bot. Mistake-free writing is, ironically, a red flag. However, savvy writing prompts may ask the AI to include some errors in order to mislead inspectors.
MECHANICAL STYLING. AI tends to mechanically repeat expressions that appear often in the internet material that it was trained on. The result is often uninspired and generic prose that often lacks any specific point.
ARTICLES. AI will make errors in the use of definite and indefinite articles, often because it does not recognize the context to determine whether an article is required and which one. For example, AI editors will often fail to use the definite article before common nouns such as “participants” and “results” when referring to a study. “Results show that…” is a general reference while “The results show that…” are those of the present study. Generative AI will miss this distinction.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT. AI often fumbles subject-verb agreement when the verb does not immediately proceed the verb.
VERB TENSE. Generative AI will confuse when to use past tense and present tense.
LINKING WORDS. AI editors tend to delete words linking sentences and paragraphs, such as “however,” “therefore,” “in contrast,” and “moreover.”
ARCHAIC LANGUAGE. Since older texts from the early twentieth have been more available to use as training data sets for LLMs than current writing samples, some researchers have found overuse of words that were popular then but have since fallen out of common usage as evidence of generative AI.
PREDICTABILITY. Text is more likely to be human than AI when it includes sarcasm, current pop-references or insults the reader. Writing that doesn't match predictable patterns is more likely to be human generated.
“The presence of A.I. in faith-based spaces poses a larger question: Can God speak through A.I.? That’s a question a lot of Christians online do not like at all because it brings up some fear. It may be for good reason. But I think it’s a worthy question.” - Eli Tan writing in the New York Times
How to Become a Prompt Engineer - Simplearn
Google’s new AI tool uses image prompts instead of text - CNN
Surprising ways to prompt AI – Wonder Tools
5 prompts to have a fun AI chatbot conversation - Mashable
Create Better AI Images With These Expert Prompt Writing Tips - CNET
Google releases ‘prompting guide’ with tips for Gemini in Workspace – 9to5 Google
Users are turning to reinforcement prompts to fix ChatGPT laziness – Stack Diary
Getting the best of GenAI: How to use prompt engineering in legal work – Reuters
How to talk to an AI: Tips for getting the most out of chatbots like ChatGPT - Washington Post
WTF is prompt engineering? – Digiday
What is a prompt engineer? (And how can you become one?) – Fast Company
Innovators are finding that A.I. hallucinations can be remarkably useful. “The public thinks it’s all bad,” said Amy McGovern, a computer scientist who directs a federal A.I. institute. “But it’s actually giving scientists new ideas. It’s giving them the chance to explore ideas they might not have thought about otherwise.” A.I. hallucinations are reinvigorating the creative side of science. They speed the process by which scientists and inventors dream up new ideas and test them to see if reality concurs.
-William Broad writing in the New York Times
Unsupervised training - Just as children mostly learn to explore their world on their own, without the need for too much instruction, in this type of AI training, the AI is turned loose on raw data without a human first labeling the data. Instead of the AI being told what to look for, it learns to recognize and cluster data possessing similar features. This can reveal hidden groups, links, and patterns within the data and is really helpful when the user cannot describe the thing they are looking for—such as a new type of cyberattack. Not as expensive as supervised learning, it can work in real-time but is also less accurate.
More AI definitions here
What: A regular gathering for ONA members already using AI in journalism to connect and share ideas.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free to ONA members ($75 annually, $25 students)
Sponsor: Online News Association
What: The popular personal essay is still in demand, but many editors now seek the hybrid reported personal essay, which combines research, interviews, expert quotes, journalism skills, and creative nonfiction storytelling. In this webinar, we will differentiate types of personal essays with an emphasis on the format, process, and tools needed for the reported personal essay genre. We’ll also share advice on markets such as style, travel, life, parenting, health and opinion sections and provide tips on how to pitch editors.
Who: ASJA member and New School writing professor Candy Schulman; Karen Blum, an ASJA member, heads ASJA’s Virtual Education Committee.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free to members, $20 for nonmembers
Sponsor: The American Society of Journalists and Authors
What: While all good journalists already fact check their stories, independent fact-checking organizations have sprung up around the world to address the increased misinformation being promoted in social media and by many political figures.
Who: Angie Holan, Director of the International Fact Checking Network, will talk about how the IFCN is helping groups and journalists around the world. Dulamkhorloo Baatar is the founder of NEST Mongolia, the Mongolian affiliate with the IFCN. She will discuss the importance of having an independent fact checking organization, especially in a fledgling democracy, like that in Mongolia.
Retired journalist and educator Jeff South will moderate the session.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists
What: This session will show you how to use PowerPoint to create all of this kind of content so that it’s impactful, shows off your brand in the best light, and effectively communicates. Plus, see how you can not only create it quickly in PowerPoint, but then repurpose the content easily into multiple other formats. You’ll be amazed at what’s possible, and so will your clients. Understand the process for creating visuals for your content that communicate effectively Become a wizard with PowerPoint to create and repurpose content quickly and easily Transform your visual content for use across multiple channels
Who: Richard Goring Director, BrightCarbon
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
What: This interactive workshop teaches participants how to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Jasper to craft personalized donor communication campaigns. Attendees will engage in a hands-on exercise, drafting email templates and social media posts using AI tools with live feedback from experts. They will also learn about how TechSoup’s AI Services can enhance donor engagement and overall impact for nonprofits.
Who: Lisa Quigley Tapp Network; Kayla Walsh Tapp Network.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
What: Best practices and resources on digital safety for journalists. Attendees will learn how to gauge their own risks, assess their habits and leave with a list of resources they can deploy to improve their digital safety.
Who: Jyoti Madhusoodanan Civic Science Fellow, AHCJ; Alison Joyce Senior analyst, New York Times Information Security Team; Tat Bellamy-Walker Program manager of digital safety training and resources (media), PEN America.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Association of Health Care Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers
What: Report for America is a national service program that places early-career and experienced journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities across the United States and its territories. The application is now open for 80+ corps member reporter positions in RFA host newsrooms. If you have any questions or are just curious about RFA, this info session is for you!
Who: - Earl Johnson is Report for America's Vice President of Recruitment and Alumni Engagement. Tim Lampley is Report for America's recruitment manager.
When: 1:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Report for America
What: A conversation with journalists, elected officials, and community activists about responsible reporting on immigration policies and issues.
Who: Liz Rebecca Alarcon, founder and CEO of Pulso
When: 6 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Latinas Represent, The Pivot Fund
What: Panelists will discuss how steel tariffs in the early 2000s affected exports, production and employment; What broad-based tariffs could mean for U.S. consumers in 2025 and beyond.[A brief history of tariffs in the U.S. Ideas for humanizing stories about international tariffs and interpreting research for a general audience.
Who: Lydia Cox, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Doug Irwin, the John French Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College; Alex Goldmark, executive producer of National Public Radio’s Planet Money.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Harvard’s Shorenstein Center
What: Dive deep into predictions for trends, changes, and new challenges in the wide world of data. You’ll find out: How convergence is shaping the entire ecosystem, data privacy, and how to plan for the future. Predictions for the tactical future of GenAI applications across media and advertising.
Who: David Fisher, industry principal media & entertainment, UK & EMEA, Snowflake; David Wells, industry principal Adtech & Martech, Snowflake: Erin Foxworthy, industry principal, agencies & advertisers, Snowflake.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Snowflake, Adweek
What: This isn’t just a border story – it could have a significant impact throughout the South, including where you live. It’s time to prepare to cover this critical story. Don’t know anything about immigration? Never covered deportations? We’ll help you get started. We will offer local reporters practical tips on how to cover immigration, immigration enforcement, detentions and deportations far away from the U.S.-Mexico border. This webinar is geared toward journalists in Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi but is open to journalists across the U.S.
Who: Award-winning Memphis-based reporter Daniel Connolly has reported on immigration issues for news outlets, including The Associated Press, The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal and national legal news service Law360. He wrote a book on Mexican immigration to the South, “The Book of Isaias,” published in 2016.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists
What: An overview of the landscape for influencers in today’s media environment, followed by a conversation about how we can understand the role of influencers and consume their content wisely.
Who: Robert Downen, Democracy Reporter, The Texas Tribune; Malynda Hale, actress and activist; Kurt Sampsel, Senior Program Manager, PEN America; Bridget Todd, creator and host, iHeartRadio’s There Are No Girls on the Internet podcast; host, Mozilla Foundation’s IRL podcast.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pen America
What: This session is designed to equip your newsroom with a simplified process for integrating vertical video into your reporting. Come for a hands-on experience that covers the entire short-form video creation process from pre-production to post-production, while streamlining workflows for you and your team to consistently produce verticals. Also: Leveraging local reporting opportunities, the ins and outs of filming yourself, and a few tricks to boost social engagement while building your presence on social platforms.
Who: Oriel Danielson, video editor at LinkedIn News.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Knight Foundation’s Newsroom Collective
What: The reporting grants and fellowships offered by the IJNR. These resources are designed to empower journalists to tell impactful stories on environmental justice and natural resource issues.
Who: Dave Spratt, Chief Executive Officer; Adam Hinterthuer, Director of Programs; Francisco Ramirez Pinedo, Program Associate; Melissa Mylchreest, Director of Communication
When: 5:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources
What: A panel discussion for creators, journalists, podcasters, photographers, and videographers.
When: 8 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: FrameShift Foundation
What: A collaborative discussion of rate negotiation, a vital skill freelancers should leverage both individually and collectively. A panel of experienced freelance journalists from across the industry will discuss strategies for gauging fair rates, setting a ground floor, and pushing for higher pay, better contract terms, and other points of negotiation. Then, attendees and speakers will share success stories, tips, and tricks in facilitated small groups to build our collective wisdom.
Who: Lily Meyer - Moderator, writer and organizer with the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project; Joseph Lee - Freelance journalist and author; Mónica Ortiz Uribe - Freelance journalist; Erin McGregor - Program Manager, Association of Independents in Radio Katherine; Reynolds Lewis - founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Institute for Independent Journalists and the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project
GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) – G for Generative because it generates words. P for Pre-trained because it’s trained on a lot of text. This step is called pre-training because many language models (like the one behind ChatGPT) go through important additional stages of training known as fine-tuning to make them less toxic and easier to interact with. T for Transformer which is a relatively recent breakthrough in how neural networks are wired. They were introduced in a 2017 paper by Google researchers, and are used in many of the latest AI advancements, from text generation to image creation. So GPT refers to a LLM (large language model) type of AI that first goes through an unsupervised period (no data labeling by humans followed by a supervised "fine-tuning" phase (some labeling).
More AI definitions here
An all-in-one solution for video production, Adobe’s AI-driven multimedia production tool is easy to use. It can do AI video editing, 3D modeling, text-to-image and text-to-video generation, photo editing, AI-enhanced scene transitions, auto-resizing and color correction. Of course, it has a smooth integration with Adobe Creative Cloud. Because it was trained on Adobe Stock images, there are no copyright issues. All the generated images safe for commercial use. The downside: it doesn’t do well with complex queries. Free version provides 25 monthly generative credits or $4.99 a month.
An AI phone app for video editing that adds captions including a feature to automatically transform your voice into any of 27 languages. Easy to use. Includes a teleprompter, an AI script-writing assistant, and a suite of AI editing features.
Edit a video or audio file as you would a Google Doc. You can delete words to edit out sections of your video or audio. Add transitions, titles, and music. Can remove background noise and filler words. Cannot edit a video using natural language.
Users can edit interview videos with natural language . Explain what you want in your own words. Cannot be used to add transitions, titles, or special effects. Free (but not for long). Basic explanation of how it works here.
Make short videos of text, audio, a link, etc. with AI. No editing skills needed. The results are less generic than other AI-video makers, partly because the user makes stylistic choices along the way, narration, color palette, transitions, video orientation, or use your own photos. Make 10 free 30 second videos (no longer) and after than paid accounts start at $12 a month.
An excellent AI image and video generator. A paid account isn’t needed to get quality images, this one is easier to use for beginners than tools like Midjourney. It has a simple to use interface. Text in the images comes out more readable than most AI image creators, which is important for social media graphics, thumbnails, logos, etc. Ten credits a day free (about 5 images). Free users can only download a 70% quality JPEG image, not the full-resolution version. Images are public when using the free version. Paid accounts starts at $7 monthly for more images and quicker rendering than the free version along with advanced features like Canvas, which lets you modify images. Paid accounts can use negative prompts (what you don’t want in the image).
Video editing tool that works in a Chrome browser, Plenty of templates and tools. Can take a while to upload media to it. Users can edit particular scenes. The free plan allows 10 minutes of video and 4 exports a week. Some user reviews have been negative about hidden fees and other issues with paid accounts.
OpenAI's AI high-quality video generator with watermarks. Similar to other video editing tools with frame views on the bottom and various editing tools. Available to ChatGPT Plus users (50 videos a month) and ChatGPT Pro users (10 times more usage).
Hotshot.co – 5 free generations per day.
LumaDreamMachine – 30 free generations per month.
Kling AI – 6 free generations per day.
Runway – 125 free one-time credits. Paid accounts starting at $12 per month
Ideogram.ai – 40 generations per day free, paid plans start at $8
Hailuoai.video
PixVerse – free
Pika.art - 250 initial free credits and then 30 daily credits. Paid accounts from $8 to $58 per month
Kaiber – limited and typically used to create animations and transform existing videos into different styles. 60 free credits as part of a trial.
Given the emerging and quickly developing nature of AI tools, it can be tricky to display your expertise in a particular skill as a job candidate. Job applicants can build up their AI skills and stand out from the competition in three key ways:
Stay on top of developments. Find online resources and sign up to email lists to read about the latest trends and developments. The technology is moving so fast, the challenge is staying up to date. It is important to try and build a fundamental knowledge of what’s going on behind the scenes with AI news.
Use AI in your own work. Seek out opportunities in your work to try and use these tools. That’s when you really start to understand the strengths and weaknesses and can learn to write smart prompts to get the best application out of them.
Show how you’ve used AI successfully to achieve a specific goal. Indicate that you’ve added commercial value to your organization by using it.
Adopted from a CNBC article by Jennifer Liu
An all-in-one AI solution for video and photo production from the people who brought you. Easy to use, it can do AI video editing, 3D modeling, text-to-image and text-to-video generation, photo editing, AI-enhanced scene transitions, auto-resizing and color correction. Of course, it has a smooth integration with Adobe Creative Cloud. Because it was trained on Adobe Stock images, there are no copyright issues. All the generated images safe for commercial use. The downside: it doesn’t do well with complex queries and is not consistent when generating text within images. Free version provides 25 monthly generative credits or $4.99 a month.
This feature in Microsoft’s search engine Bing is powered by OpenAI’s DALL-E. It allows users to generate realistic and creative images from text prompts. Free but with a limit of 25 images each day.
The graphic design platform has integrated generative AI into all its products including: image, and text creation, photos, audio, and video editing. Use Canvas drag-and-drop to create social media graphics, headers, slides, flyers, photo collages, posters, infographics, even mind maps for concepts. Share to social media straight from the app or download for posting. Limited editing tools so it’s more for beginners. Free. $12 a month gets you more options.
OpenAI’s tool that turns written text into images using AI. Named after painter Salvador Dali and Disney Pixar’s WALL-E. Understands long, complex queries. Includes a helpful edit feature. Select an area of a generated image and prompt it to change that part. However, not as reliable at generating accurate text than Ideogram or Flux. A limited number of images are free. $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus.
An excellent AI image and video generator. A paid account isn’t needed to get quality images, this one is easier to use for beginners than tools like Midjourney. It has a simple to use interface. Text in the images comes out more readable than most AI image creators, which is important for social media graphics, thumbnails, logos, etc. Ten credits a day free (about 5 images). Free users can only download a 70% quality JPEG image, not the full-resolution version. Images are public when using the free version. Paid accounts starts at $7 monthly for more images and quicker rendering than the free version along with advanced features like Canvas, which lets you modify images. Paid accounts can use negative prompts (what you don’t want in the image).
One of the best image creators, it is powered by DALL-E 3. Accessible in the same place that you access Microsoft's AI chatbot Copilot. Free (though you must create a Microsoft account).
One of the best AI image generators, it uses machine learning to create high-quality pictures based on text. The interface has been improved since it first launched. There is a limited free version but paying the monthly cost will avoid annoying ads. You’ll find a good prompt book here and a guide to get started here.
A more accessible version of Stable Diffusion, which requires some technical skills. Users can create images through AI with many customizations, such as telling it what to avoid. An account must be created sign in with Google or Discord accounts. $1 for 100 credits, one image costs two credits.
Originally meant to help folks create gaming assets, it produces impressive and clear images. Useful but limited editing tools. There’s no post-editing on the free plan and the privacy plan is weak. Free plan allows up to 150 images each day.
Use this AI image generation tool for free through HuggingFace or Freepik. It creates gorgeous images and doesn’t require any special prompting lingo.
Google’s new AI tool Whisk uses image prompts instead of text. Input a collection of images without a prompt and choose a style to generate a new image. Unlike traditional AI image generators, which allow users to specify exactly what they want, Whisk enables users to experiment and draw inspiration without the constraints of text inputs. Users can tweak the final image. Intended as a fun AI feature, rather than a refined professional work tool.
Trained on the most data so it is the most powerful overall AI. Faster than other chatbots and can answer more difficult, complex questions than many other chatbots with better memory. Processes up to 25K words and can use both images and text as inputs. It doesn’t do sourcing and does not pull from the most recent info. Can browse the internet with Bing. Performed faster than other chatbots in tests, offering more-thorough answers, and answers more-difficult, complex questions. The advance voice mode makes it easy to chat with while you are on the go, making it a useful replacement for search quires. There’s a feature that allows users to customize the tone and voice to their own style of writing. There is a limited free version or pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus.
A good research option among the generative AI tools when accuracy is critical. It acts like a search engine but includes results from the web (unlike ChatGPT).Automatically shows where the information came from, so it’s more reliable than ChatGPT. Users can specify where they want the information to be drawn from among a few categories such as academic sources or YouTube. Users can also upload documents as sources and ask it to rewrite prompts. It suggests follow-up questions you might not have considered. Less useful for creative writing. In tests, it was better at summarizing passages, providing information on current events and do coding better than other chatbots. Unmatched speed and accuracy in processing millions of data makes it very useful to data scientists for advanced predictive models. The free plan allows 3 pro searches every four hours. Video tutorial here.
Created by WriteSonic built on top of the same technology that powers ChatGPT. Can assume personas such as a philosopher or stand-up comic. Create up to 100 AI-generated images each month for free. Connected to the internet, so it can provide real-time, up-to-date answers, which ChatGPT cannot do. Free.
Writing, coding, in-depth analysis AI. Designed to be inoffensive. Like ChatGPT, it can act on text or uploaded files. Useful for summarizing long transcripts, clarifying complex writings, and generating lists of ideas and questions. Can analyze huge documents, up to 75K words at a time. In tests, it is more conversational, gives direct answers, sometimes links to sources, and offers better creative writing suggestions than other chatbots but can be slower. It can mimic your writing style and users have the option of three presets: formal style, concise, or explanatory style. Trained on the AP Stylebook. Free plan allows up to 40 messages a day.
Google claims this large language model is better at math, coding and other tasks than many other programs. It provides real time responses with the help of Google’s search engine. Besides text, it can take commands that come as videos, images, voice and code. It has access to more timely and updated information than ChatGPT. Gemini Advanced costs $20 a month after the trial period ends.
AI story writing tool for fiction and nonfiction. Pick a tone of voice for style. Pre-built templates available. A more business-focused AI that is particularly helpful for advertising and marketing. Remembers past queries, However, no sources are provided and limited to pre-2022 information. Short free trial. $29 month.
Created by Quora, this AI lets users create a personalized chatbot using one of 70 bots (such as OpenAI or Anthropic). Poe lets you compare and contrast models to find the right fit for your specific need in any given moment. (Poe doesn't have its own large language model.) Free.
ChatGPT for quick inquiries
Claude as an everyday workhorse
Perplexity for research
NotebookLM to condense large amounts of information
Infography.in for text to infographics
Napkin AI to convert text into visuals and charts.
GenCast, a new model from Google’s DeepMind artificial-intelligence lab that can provide accurate forecasts up to 15 days in advance, a leap beyond current predictions. The public will be able to see real-time forecasts from the model within the first few weeks of 2025, says a company spokesman. -Wall Street Journal
Tue, Jan 7 - 5 Things you should do in 2025 to leverage AI for Learning Speaker
What: In this forward-looking session, you'll gain actionable insights on five critical steps to harness AI's power for learning; Build a Personalized Learning Coach with LLMs; Implement Adaptive Content Engagement Systems; Create Immersive AI-Driven Simulations for Skill Development; Establish an AI Ethics Framework for Learning Initiatives Integrate AI-Enhanced Performance Support Tools
Who: Margie Meacham Founder and Chief Freedom Officer, Learningtogo.ai
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: OpenSesame
Tue, Jan 7 - Social Media Boot Camp, part 1
What: Why social media is critical for your organization. The fundamentals of thought leadership Content pillars – what they are and how to use them. Top 6 social media platforms to help you create awareness for your organization. 12 key metrics to measure 5 tips for optimizing your social media presence.
Who: Kiersten Hill, Firespring
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Firespring
Tue, Jan 7 - The AI Metadata Assistant in the Metadata Editor
What: The AI Metadata Assistant uses a Large Language Model generative AI to process information about a library resource, and suggest relevant metadata to the cataloger to help make the cataloging process quicker and more efficient. The cataloger can then review the suggested data and accept, correct or dismiss it, as well as add more complex, expert metadata and library-specific metadata.
Who: Yoel Kortick, Senior Librarian, Ex Libris; Lili Daie, Product Manager Ex Libris
When: 10 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: PQ Training Ops
Tue, Jan 7 - Exploring AI’s Impact on California Publishers
What: This interactive webinar will set the stage for the series, fostering conversation and collaboration among California publishers about the impact of AI on our industry.
When: 12 pm, Pacific
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: California News Publishers Association
Wed, Jan 8 - 2025 B2B Digital Marketing Predictions & Resolutions
What: Insights from marketing leaders about what we should expect to encounter in 2025.
Who: Lou Cohen Director, Digital Marketing & Demand Generation Leader, Digital Marketing Professor NYU, Yeshiva University, & CUNY Baruch College
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Association of National Advertisers
Wed, Jan 8 - Social Media Boot Camp, part 2
What: Use social media to connect with constituents. Monitor conversations to stay ahead of the curve. Get people to advocate on your behalf. Navigate social media advertising and understand when to use it.
Who: Kiersten Hill, Firespring
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Firespring
Thu, Jan 9 - Generative AI And Academic Integrity: Some Considerations
What: Ways that you can limit dishonest use of these tools, whether in academic writing, computer code assignments, or other fields. We will discuss various digital tools and pedagogical techniques that have been proposed to combat dishonest behavior with AI, and we will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each.
When: 11 am, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free (with a UChicago ID)
Sponsor: University of Chicago
Thu, Jan 9 - The Future of Learning: AI-Driven Personalization Speaker
What: Through real-world examples and research, attendees will gain actionable insights into measuring learner states, leveraging AI’s predictive capabilities, and designing content for an AI-enabled ecosystem. Learn how to embrace emerging technologies like chatbots as one-on-one tutors and prepare for the future of instructional design.
Who: Josh Cavalier Founder, JoshCavalier.ai
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
Thu, Jan 9 - Using AI Tools To Promote Meaningful Learning
What: The objectives of this one-hour workshop are to consider the impact AI tools are having or stand to have on teaching and learning in your various fields of study; articulate your vision for AI’s role in your teaching; and explore ways you might integrate AI into meaningful learning activities. We’ll review some best practices and some suggestions for using AI as part of your learning environment that have resulted from the larger pedagogical conversation thus far.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free (with a UChicago ID)
Sponsor: University of Chicago
It’s not that chatbots can’t do some impressive things in health care. The problem is that they’re designed to respond with an “average” answer, says Rachel Draelos, a physician and computer scientist who founded the health tech start-up Cydoc. “But nobody’s an average. What makes medicine really interesting is that every patient is an individual and needs to be treated that way.” - Washington Post
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