Ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
Stephen Goforth
Model Routing – Using a small piece of code (router) to match AI tasks to the cheapest capable model. By sending only the most demanding prompts to the most expensive LLMs, most traffic will run on lower-cost local models. Some premium AI providers consider it an existential threat to their business model.
There is not one blade of grass, there is no colour in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. -John Calvin (born July 10, 1509)
Meta Unveils an A.I. Image Generator – New York Times
Tennessee Tourism Celebrates Real Photographers by Banishing AI Images - PetaPixel
When The Lawsuit Fails, You License: Getty’s Forced Pivot To OpenAI – TV News Check
These Tools Say They Can Spot A.I. Fakes. Do They Really Work? – New York Times
AI Can Make a Picture, That Doesn't Make It a Photograph - Fstoppers
This guy’s obscure PhD project is the only thing standing between humanity and AI image chaos – Fast Company
How AI is disrupting the photography business - Axios
Want to take better photos? Google thinks AI is the answer. – Washington Post
Shutterstock rebrands as it goes all-in on generative AI - Fast Company
Pedophiles Are Using AI To Turn Children’s Social Media Photos Into CSAM – Forbes
The AI Slop Presidency – 404 Media
Freelance photographers are organizing against a new contract at the Wall Street Journal that they say opens their work up to AI training – Columbia Journalism Review
You can’t always deduce what’s inside from what’s outside. A person might have rough features and a kind heart, just as a writer might use em dashes despite being human. It’s not a giveaway—it’s a style choice. (See?) And as AI models evolve, their ability to mimic human writing is sure to improve. People have reportedly begun to make deliberate spelling errors to show that they are not chatbots; it’s only a matter of time before the chatbots learn to follow suit. -Adam Kirsch writing in The Atlantic
Failure is the tuition you pay for success. -Walter Brunell
A running list of states and localities that have outlawed pay history questions - HR Dive
Abortion-Related Workplace Discrimination Still Banned Post-Roe - Bloomberg Law
Answers To Illegal Interviews Questions - Business Insider
Avoiding Employment Discrimination - Lexology
EEOC Disability-Related Resources - EEOC
Employer Cheat Sheet for Workplace Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2026: Top 5 Trends and Your Quick List of 50+ New Laws - Fisher Phillips
How to navigate a non-compete agreement during your job search - Fast Company
The illegal job interview questions you can't ask in 2026 - Business Journals
Illegal Interview Questions You Should Never Ask Job Applicants - HR Morning
Military employment discrimination persists, despite laws against it - NPR
There is no right to remote work - University of Cincinnati
Social Media and Employee Firings: What Employers Need to Know - JD Supra
Trump strips job protections from 8,000 federal workers - NPR
Who Pays for Gig Workers Injured on the Job? - Legal Examiner
You’re allowed to discuss pay: It’s the law - Glass Door
Narrow AI – The use of artificial intelligence for a very specific task or a limited range of tasks. For instance, general AI would reference an algorithm capable of playing all kinds of board games, while narrow AI would limit the range of machine capabilities to a specific game like chess or Scrabble. Google Search queries, Alexa and Siri answer questions by using narrow AI algorithms. They can often outperform humans when confined to known tasks, but often fail when presented with situations outside the problem space where they are trained to work. In effect, narrow AI can’t transfer knowledge from one field to another. Narrow AI techniques fall into two categories: symbolic AI and machine learning.
While a plain-vanilla philosophy degree remains as hard to monetize as ever, David Chalmers, a prominent philosopher of consciousness at N.Y.U., observes: “I think the demand for philosophers with A.I. training is, if anything, outstripping the supply right now. It’s an area I encourage students to go into. I think these issues with A.I. will be front and center for a good while.” - New York Times
If there’s one lesson from the history of technology, it is that these changes are hard to predict. Everyone loves to point out that the number of bank tellers rose for decades after the invention of the ATM. But today, the bank-teller profession is indeed dying. It was killed not by the invention that was intended to replace it, but by one that no one expected: the iPhone. When it was invented, no one predicted that this new device would eventually transform how the whole world banked. Some of the most dramatic consequences of the AI revolution are guaranteed to be just as surprising. - Rogé Karma writing in The Atlantic
A religious awakening which does not awaken the sleeper to love has roused him in vain. - The Quaker Reader
My Students Hate AI. But They Can’t Stop Using It. – Chronicle of Higher Ed
AI’s impact on cognitive ability: MIT study reveals more troubling data – MIT
The AI-Tutor Revolution That Wasn’t: It turns out bots aren’t great teachers. – The Atlantic
Can—and Should—Honor Codes Survive in the AI Age? – Inside Higher Ed
Cal State faculty push to prevent AI tools from replacing them as schools and staff experiment – Cal Matters
Student Cheating Is Becoming Impossible to Detect in an A.I. Era – New York Times
Can Colleges Make All Their Students ‘AI Fluent’? - Chronicle of Higher Ed
Colleges Are Building A.I. Degrees, Hoping Students Will Come – New York Times
A major university just banned AI detectors — here's why – Tom’s Guide
How to Fight AI Brain Rot at School? For One Country, It’s With Free ChatGPT – Wall Street Journal
A major teachers’ union is urging schools not to give students tech devices until at least the third grade, and to keep A.I. out of elementary schools. – New York Times
I Built an AI Grading Tool. Then a Student Thanked Me for Words I Didn’t Write. - EdSurge
Teachers aren’t getting formal guidance on AI, poll finds - Semafor
Your New AI Professor Is the Rapper From the Black Eyed Peas – Wall Street Journal
The ChatGPT era prompts a boom in A-graded coursework – Axios
Artificial Intelligence and Grade Inflation Center for Studies in Higher Ed – eScholarship
The High Cost of Silent Classrooms – New York Times
Teaching AI how people work is fraught with problems – The Economist
How to Use Paper to Teach About AI and Cutting-Edge Tech – EdWeek
‘All or Nothing’ Approach to AI ‘Risks Shutting Down Innovation’ - Inside Higher Ed
“The AI conducted all the legal work preceding the trial, which involved disputing a counterclaim launched by the defendant, who instructed solicitors. It then hired a human barrister to advocate for the client in court.” The AI helped to recover £7000 worth of unpaid debts. – The Guardian
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way that I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. -Steve Jobs
AI law startup Norm raises $120M - Tech Crunch
Governor JB Pritzker signs AI bill into law – ABC-7 Chicago
When The Lawsuit Fails, You License: Getty’s Forced Pivot To OpenAI – TV News Check
Newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft for mass copyright infringement – Courthouse News
AI-generated video of Vermont congressional race tests new state disclosure law – WCAX
AI models have a troubling knack for discovering legal loopholes – Science.org
For the First time, an AI Law Firm has Won a Case in the UK – The Guardian
Lawyers Have Been Hallucinating for Decades, Judges Say—AI Just Made It Faster – Law.com
The CNN-Perplexity Lawsuit Is Not Just Another AI Copyright Case – Data Innovation Center
Ninth Circuit on AI Hallucinations – Reason.com
Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers – The Decoder
Why legal teams are still growing in the age of AI – Wolters Kluwer
Artificial Intelligence Floods Court Dockets with Home-Brewed Lawsuits – New York Times
AI keeps inventing fake cases. Lawyers keep citing them – Scientific American
What jobs will AI destroy? Exhibit A shouldn’t be on the list. – Washington Post
The JPMorgan Sexual-Assault Lawsuit Was Already Messy. AI Is Making It Worse. – Wall Street Journal
AI and Data Privacy in Investigations: What Legal Teams Need to Know - JD Supra
US judicial panel delays action on AI-generated evidence, deep fakes – Reuters
CNN sues Perplexity over alleged AI copyright theft – CNN
3rd Circuit Mulls Fair-Use Defense in Westlaw's Copyright Suit Against AI Startup – Law.com
Judge rules both sides in lawsuit misused AI, disqualifies lawyers – Reuters
Copyright law ‘struggling’ to parse AI’s ascendancy – Harvard Law
Investors sue Adobe execs over AI copyright statements – Courthouse News
How US courts are addressing fair use questions in AI training and copyright disputes – IAM
A Court Has Ruled That Google Is Liable for False Statements Generated by AI Overviews – WIRED
If the exposure of AI-generated slop, hallucinated references, fabricated data and voiceless prose brings about the downfall of the Big Five (academic) publishing oligopoly, I cannot mourn it. An industry that profits so spectacularly from unpaid labour, that sells publicly funded research to the public at an enormous mark-up, that has used its stranglehold on prestige to distort what universities are for, well, this industry deserves disruption. - Sioux McKenna writing in the Daily Maverick
The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel -Steven Furtick
What: Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical (about AI) and the broader questions it raises about AI ethics, education, and our shared digital future.
Who: Wesley Fryer, a middle school STEM and media literacy middle school teacher at Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina and educational technology early adopter.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Media Education Lab
What: This webinar will cover: Common myths and harmful narratives to avoid; How language choices influence public attitudes to sexual violence; Practical tips for ethical and accurate journalism – built on strong working practice; Best practice for working with survivors sharing their stories; Opportunities to ask questions and raise any challenges you face in reporting on this issue.
Who: Sophie Wilkinson, a freelance journalist with over 15 years’ experience working for a range of consumer titles; Alessia Tranchese, Associate Professor of Language, Feminism and Digital Media.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: End Violence Against Women Coalition
What: Each winning team will have five minutes to showcase the approaches and breakthroughs that helped them uncover complex stories. The session will offer perspectives on the trends and practices redefining data journalism today.
Who: Moderated by Brant Houston, GIJN co-founder and Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Global Investigative Journalism Network
What: We'll explore ways people are using Codex to support everyday projects and tasks—from organizing information and planning activities to creating simple tools that make life a little easier. We'll focus on practical examples and leave some time for questions and ideas from the audience.
Who: Angela Bunn, AI Deployment Manager, OpenAI.
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: OpenAI Academy
What: A practical, interactive conversation designed for executive directors, staff, board members, and volunteers who want to understand what AI can realistically do in a nonprofit setting. You’ll see simple demonstrations and real examples, and you'll have a chance to share your experiences, challenges, and insights with the group.
Who: Aretha Simons, M.Ed., Webinar Producer, Nonprofit & Al Consultant.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
What: In this webinar, we’ll discuss: The benefits of leveraging AI models to accelerate innovation; How to identify the models, license obligations, and risks in your applications; Ways to prevent vulnerable AI-generated code from impacting your business; How to customize your SBOMs to include AI models and fit your specific needs.
Who: Steven Zimmerman, DevOps Security Solutions Manager, Black Duck.
When: 5 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Blackduck
What: This practical session will provide reporters with data sources, story ideas and reporting frameworks for covering one of the most important economic issues facing American households.
Who: Marty Steffens, SABEW chair of business and financial reporting at the Missouri School of Journalism; Larry Levitt, Executive Vice President for Health Policy at KFF.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society for Advancing Business Editing & Writing
What: You’ll hear from the three team leads from the Rural AI Strategy Lab, a cohort-based initiative where 13 rural school district teams are working through a human-centered design process to identify real problems and build AI-enabled solutions that fit their contexts. They walk through their experience from the inside. They’ll share the user-centered problems they identified, the AI tools they selected and why, what they learned when they started prototyping, and how they’re planning their pilots for fall 2026.
Who: David Huggins, an educator and United States Army veteran with more than a decade of experience in education; Jessica Gillespie, the Director of Instructional Improvement–Innovation at Griswold Public Schools; Ted W. Paton, a forward-thinking educator and innovator dedicated to bridging the digital divide for the next generation of rural leaders; Megan Benay, a Partner on the Practice and Implementation team at FullScale; Adam A. Phyall, III, a former high school science teacher.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: FullScale
What: We’ll show you how to turn press releases and syndicated content into powerful drivers of AI visibility. Today’s AI search engines don’t rank content, they cite trusted sources. If your PR strategy isn’t built for that, you’re missing critical opportunities to get surfaced where your audience is searching.
Who: Melissa James, Senior Sales Director, Notified; Jeff Heisler, Senior Sales Director, Notified.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Public Relations Society of America
What: Participants will learn: Practical tips to punch up languid ledes; Ways to quickly identify and focus nut grafs; Approaches to story structure to rethink — or reshape — the narrative A new framework for self-editing that will improve or tighten your copy, guaranteed; Additional tips for effective storytelling.
Who: Beth Francesco, Executive Director at NPCJI Elliot C. Williams, Training Manager at NPCJI.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: EventBrite
Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers
Sponsor: National Press Club
No man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true. -Nathaniel Hawthorne (Born July 4, 1804)
Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism when hate of people other than your own comes first. -Charles de Gaulle
A new study finds “academic publication reviewers continue to penalise authors from countries where English is less widely spoken, even after ChatGPT became widely available. Write naturally and risk being flagged as a non-native speaker; write with AI assistance and risk being flagged as an AI user. The problem was never purely linguistic but structural, and AI tools are not designed to address structural bias.” -London School of Economics
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