This is What Hell is Like
/We must picture hell as a state where everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement and where everyone has a grievance. - C. S. Lewis
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
18 articles about AI Fakes
/These ISIS news anchors are AI fakes. Their propaganda is real. – Washington Post
Generative AI poses Threat to election security, intelligence agencies warn – CBS News
Bank of Italy warns against AI-powered fake videos – Reuters
Google's AI Watermarks Will Identify Deepfakes – Dark Reading
In novel case, U.S. charges man with making child sex abuse images with AI – Washington Post
Voice-cloning technology bringing a key Supreme Court moment to 'life' – Associated Press
Flood of Fake Science Forces Multiple Journal Closures – Wall Street Journal
New UK law targets “despicable individuals” who create AI sex deepfakes - Ars Technica
She was accused of faking an incriminating video but nothing was fake after all - The Guardian
TikTok’s AI watermarks could help curb deepfakes, but it’s no panacea – Semafor
OpenAI Releases ‘Deepfake’ Detector to Disinformation Researchers – New York Times
Microsoft and OpenAI launch $2M fund to counter election deepfakes – Tech Crunch
OpenAI Says It Can Now Detect Images Spawned by Its Software—Most of the Time – Wall Street Journal
How AI-generated disinformation might impact this year’s elections and how journalists should report on it – Reuters Institute
How Generative AI Is Helping Fact-Checkers Flag Election Disinformation, But Is Less Useful in the Global South – Global Investigative Journalism Network
In Arizona, election workers trained with deepfakes to prepare for 2024 – Washington Post
Excessive use of words like ‘commendable’ and ‘meticulous’ suggests ChatGPT has been used in thousands of scientific studies - EL PAÍS English
Fooled by AI? These firms sell deepfake detection - Washington Post
Tech created a global village — and puts us at each other’s throats
/As we get additional information about others, we place greater stress on the ways those people differ from us than on the ways they resemble us, and this inclination to emphasize dissimilarities over similarities strengthens as the amount of information accumulates. On average, we like strangers best when we know the least about them.
The effect intensifies in the virtual world, where everyone is in everyone else’s business. Social networks like Facebook and messaging apps like Snapchat encourage constant self-disclosure. Because status is measured quantitatively online, in numbers of followers, friends, and likes, people are rewarded for broadcasting endless details about their lives and thoughts through messages and photographs. To shut up, even briefly, is to disappear. One study found that people share four times as much information about themselves when they converse through computers as when they talk in person.
Progress toward a more amicable world will require not technological magic but concrete, painstaking, and altogether human measures: negotiation and compromise, a renewed emphasis on civics and reasoned debate, a citizenry able to appreciate contrary perspectives. At a personal level, we may need less self-expression and more self-examination.
Technology is an amplifier. It magnifies our best traits, and it magnifies our worst.
Nicholas Carr writing in the Boston Globe
Technology that makes us less human
/Like an episode out of Black Mirror, the machines have arrived to teach us how to be human even as they strip us of our humanity. Artificial intelligence could significantly diminish humanity, even if machines never ascend to superintelligence, by sapping the ability of human beings to do human things. “We’re seeing a general trend of selling AI as ‘empowering,’ a way to extend your ability to do something, whether that’s writing, making investments, or dating,” AI expert Leif Weatherby explained. “But what really happens is that we become so reliant on algorithmic decisions that we lose oversight over our own thought processes and even social relationships.” What makes many applications of artificial intelligence so disturbing is that they don’t expand our mind’s capacity to think, but outsource it. - Tyler Austin Harper writing in The Atlantic
The Journey
/Look for ways that the outer journey can mirror an inner journey. - Adam Hochschild
14 Articles about AI & Health Care
/AI Chatbots Are Promising but Limited in Promoting Healthy Behavior Change – UniteAI
Can Mental-Health Chatbots Help With Anxiety and Depression? – Wall Street Journal
Machine learning enables cheaper and safer low-power MRI - News-Medical.Net
Tetris-inspired radiation detector uses machine learning – Physics World
Doctors are using AI to talk to patients and record appointments. Don’t worry, your data is allegedly safe – Fast Company
Speaking without vocal cords, thanks to a new AI-assisted wearable device – UCLA
A.I. Could Spot Breast Cancer Earlier. Should You Pay for It? – New York Times
AI-enhanced integration of genetic and medical imaging data for risk assessment of Type 2 diabetes – Nature
How Does AI Fit Into Clinical Practice? – MedScape
Using AI for public impact of healthcare – Fast Company
Less burnout for doctors, better clinical trials, among the benefits of AI in health care – CNBC
Growing Evidence Shows Importance of AI for Healthcare – Center For Data Innovation
Nurses gather at Kaiser SF to protest AI in health care – NBC Bay Area
A health tech leader’s plea: Regulate AI – Politico
Emotional distance
/Emotional distance is perplexing. If there is too much, it is not possible to have a relationship; if there is not enough separation, it is also not possible to have a relationship. -Edwin Friedman
Wasting Time
/We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love. -Tom Robbins
Performance Ratings Don’t Tell Us What You Think They Do
/A significant body of research has demonstrated that each of us is a disturbingly unreliable rater of other people’s performance. The effect that ruins our ability to rate others has a name: the Idiosyncratic Rater Effect, which tells us that my rating of you on a quality such as “potential” is driven not by who you are, but instead by my own idiosyncrasies—how I define “potential,” how much of it I think I have, how tough a rater I usually am. This effect is resilient — no amount of training seems able to lessen it. And it is large — on average, 61% of my rating of you is a reflection of me. In other words, when I rate you, on anything, my rating reveals to the world far more about me than it does about you.
AI Definitions: Vector Databases
/Vector databases - The data is stored in a database as mathematical representations, making it easier for machine learning models to remember previous inputs, draw comparisons, identify relationships, and understand context. Vector databases enable machine learning models to identify objects that can be grouped, enabling the creation of advanced AI programs like large language models. It’s similar to being able to provide a purchase suggestion under the heading "Customers also bought..."
More AI definitions here.
16 Articles about AI & Ethics
/How to Implement AI — Responsibly – Harvard Business Review
AI Can Re-Create Your Loved Ones After They Die. Is That Good or Bad? – Wall Street Journal
Should AI Join Medical Ethics Committees? Ethicist Says Not Yet – Medscape
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ VFX lead argues that the movie uses AI ethically – Polygon
When AI Gets It Wrong, Will It Be Held Accountable? – Rand.org
Yale Freshman Creates AI Chatbot With Answers on AI Ethics – Inside Higher Ed
The Quest for Clarity: Are Interpretable Neural Networks the Future of Ethical AI? – Toward Data Science
AI can see clearly now: Why transparency leads to ethical and fair AI systems – Silicon Angle
Whose future is it anyway? Exploring the ethical battlegrounds of AI – Kem Laurin
AI’s Most Pressing Ethics Problem – Columbia Journalism Institute
Your newsroom needs an AI ethics policy. Start here. – Poynter
Google finds AI agents pose fresh ethical challenges - Axios
How GenAI can enhance your legal work without compromising ethics – Reuters Legal
A physicists’ guide to the ethics of artificial intelligence – Symmetry Magazine
Newsrooms Are Already Using AI, But Ethical Considerations Are Uneven, AP Finds – Forbes
How Adobe manages AI ethics concerns while fostering creativity - ZDnet
Spice in the recipe
/Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope and that enables you to laugh at life's realities. -Dr. Seuss
People prefer the Illusion
/People do not want truth; they prefer to believe what makes them happy. People prefer to live in illusions, even though the illusion masks the truth that their condition is one of despair, and they regard anyone who wishes to give them the truth about the condition as their enemy. -C. Stephen Evans
13 Articles about How Companies are using AI
/Did You Make Your Connecting Flight? You May Have A.I. to Thank. – New York Times
6 ways AI can help launch your next business venture – ZDnet
Where Is the AI Boom Taking Us? Business Leaders Disagree on Outlook – Wall Street Journal
AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part - Microsoft
Robots and AI are saving the American economy with a boom in productivity – Fortune
Heavy Machinery Meets AI Combining digital and analog machines will upend industrial companies. – Harvard Business Review
Generative AI Isn’t Ubiquitous in the Business World—at Least Not Yet - Wall Street Journal
Will A.I. Boost Productivity? Companies Sure Hope So. – New York Times
How to manage generative AI – InfoWorld
How do you get employees to embrace AI? - ZDnet
How Companies Are Starting to Use Generative AI to Improve Their Businesses - Wall Street Journal
CIOs weigh where to place AI bets — and how to de-risk them – CIO
AI is changing the shape of leadership – how can business leaders prepare? – World Economic Forum
Revealing ourselves without realizing it
/When we talk about ourselves, telling others who we are, researchers say the same part of our brain lights up as when we brainstorm ideas, discuss our dreams, or speak extraneously. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found this to be the case, even when musicians improvise. The same area of the brain is at work in these off-handed dispatches, displaying a musical autobiography of sorts.
When we are engaged in these intensely personal pursuits, we not only reveal intimate parts of ourselves, researchers say a part of the brain involved in self-control and planning is shut down.
Stephen Goforth
Learning to Make Good Decisions
/The fact is that kids learn to make good decisions by making decisions, not by following directions. - Alfie Kohn
A Dozen Webinars in the Next two Weeks about AI, Journalism, Social Media & More
/Mon, May 13 - Freedom to Learn
What: A look at the recent educational gag orders and Anti-DEI legislation that have become law in several states.
Who: Jacqueline Allain, Pen America; Heidi Tseu, American Council on Education; Johnny Sparks, president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication; Del Galloway, president of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications; Brian Butler, dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Assoc for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
Tue, May 14 - Victim-first, Trauma-informed Reporting
What: Ways to inform without hurting, to advocate without re-traumatizing, and to talk to people in pain that may help them heal — versus leaving more agony in our wake.
Who: Krista Flannigan, OVC TTAC; Anastasiya Bolton, Victory Media; Coni Sanders, PFA Counseling; Adam Rhodes IRE & NICAR
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) & the Society of Professional Journalists
Thu, May 16 - Social Media and the First Amendment
What: An expert panel discussion exploring the intersection between digital policy issues and the First Amendment, the free speech implications of proposals to address online problems, and how lawmakers could address these problems without infringing on users' or companies' speech rights.
Who: Ashley Johnson, Senior Policy Manager, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Aaron Mackey, Free Speech and Transparency Litigation Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation; Kate Ruane, Director, Free Expression Project Center for Democracy and Technology; Nicole Saad, Litigation Center Associate Director
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
Thu, May 16 - How AI-Powered Data is Transforming the Future of Marketing
What: Discover how to leverage AI to transform the future of your marketing efforts. You’ll find out: How leveraging the right data can enrich your understanding of your customers; Why it’s essential to build a strong, AI-powered marketing foundation now Strategies to stay ahead in a fast-paced landscape.
Who: Ericka Podesta McCoy, CMO of Resonate.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: AdWeek
Thu, May 16 - AI Spotlight Series: Introduction to AI Reporting
What: This course is designed for reporters interested in getting started but with minimal or no knowledge of artificial intelligence. We will begin with the basics, covering the history of AI, how the technology works, and key technical concepts such as “neural networks” and “deep learning.” We will also dissect what makes a good AI accountability story, from quick turnaround stories to more ambitious investigations, and dig deeper into a few examples. At the end of the course, those who are interested in learning more are encouraged to register for the AI reporting intensive.
Who: Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society and a contributing writer at The Atlantic.
When: 3 am, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Pulitzer Center
Fri, May 17 - 30 Minute Skills: How to Develop a Beat
What: By attending this class, you’ll learn: How to identify key sources on your new beat and develop relationships with them over time; How to find the authoritative voice on a complicated beat to get exclusives and drive coverage; How to use social media to identify new stories and find sources within your beat without having a huge following.
Who: Alexa Gagosz, The Boston Globe
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The New England Newspaper & Press Association
Fri, May 17 -Tips for Journalists: How to access & customize the LexisNexis database
What: With millions of articles within the LexisNexis database, it can be easy to get lost in the database. Knowing how to customize it for your reporting purposes is key.
Who: Award-winning investigative reporter and editor Brad Hamilton
When: 11:30, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The National Press Club’s Journalism Institute
Tue, May 21 - Understanding Instagram Analytics
What: This discussion will dive into the Instagram for Business interface and look at different parts of the analytics data offered and what you can do with the information.
Who: Sarah DeGeorge, a digital marketing specialist who works in paid and organic marketing, public relations, and social media marketing and management
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center, Temple University
Tue, May 21 – Social Media 102
What: Advanced social media tips and tricks, elevate your social media presence through micro strategies and activate your advocates.
Who: Kiersten Hill, Director of Nonprofit Solutions
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: FireSpring
Tue, May 21 - Research Integrity and AI: Navigating Challenges and Leveraging Potential
What: Understanding both the threats and the potential benefits of AI in ensuring reliable research outcomes. Examining the interplay between technology and human resources in maintaining research integrity. Recognizing the crucial role libraries play in fostering and upholding research integrity. Discovering essential resources that aid research integrity efforts.
Who: Chris Graf, Research Integrity Director at Springer Nature
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Springer Nature
Wed, May 22 - Prompt Writing
What: In this hands-on workshop on prompt writing best practices, we’ll start with a short presentation with tips, then examples and plug-play exercises on writing prompts for ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.ai. We’ll discuss ethics, legal issues, and more along the way. We’ll cover how to write prompts that prevent hallucinations with AI tools, and how to train ChatGPT to present information in a format that you want it to.
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
Thu, May 23 - Introduction to AI Reporting
What: This course is designed for reporters interested in getting started but with minimal or no knowledge of artificial intelligence. We will begin with the basics, covering the history of AI, how the technology works, and key technical concepts such as “neural networks” and “deep learning.” We will also dissect what makes a good AI accountability story, from quick turnaround stories to more ambitious investigations, and dig deeper into a few examples. At the end of the course, those who are interested in learning more are encouraged to register for the AI reporting intensive.
Who: Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society and a contributing writer at The Atlantic; Gabriel Sean Geiger is an Amsterdam-based investigative journalist specializing in surveillance and algorithmic accountability reporting.
When: 9 am, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Pulitzer Center
18 Articles about Politics & AI
/The dos and don’ts of campaigning with AI – Washington Post
Nervous about falling behind the GOP, Democrats are wrestling with how to use AI — Associated Press
Deepfakes of Bollywood stars spark worries of AI meddling in India election – Reuters
AI sharpens political targeting in US presidential race – Voice of America
An A.I. Researcher Takes On Election Deepfakes – New York Times
What is propaganda? What's a deep fake? And can they influence elections? – Tennessean
In Arizona, election workers trained with deepfakes to prepare for 2024 - Washington Post
Political operative and firms behind Biden AI robocall sued for thousands - The Guardian
‘Inflection point’: AI meme wars hit India election, test social platforms – Al Jazeera
Election disinformation takes a big leap with AI being used to deceive worldwide – Associated Press
With elections looming worldwide, here’s how to identify and investigate AI audio deepfakes – Harvard’s Nieman Lab
Underdog Who Beat Biden in American Samoa Used AI in Election Campaign – Wall Street Journal
AI call quiz: see if you can spot the sham audio of Trump and Biden – The Guardian
Fake images made to show Trump with Black supporters highlight concerns around AI and elections – Associated Press
How AI-generated disinformation might impact this year’s elections and how journalists should report on it – Reuters Institute
San Francisco Chronicle AI will shake up democracy — for better or worse – SF Chronicle
FBI warns that foreign adversaries could use AI to spread disinformation about US elections - Washington Post
AI Threatens Elections by Capitalizing on Human Foibles, Officials Warn – Wall Street Journal
Eros as God
/We must not give unconditional obedience to the voice of Eros when he speaks most like a god. The real danger seems to me not that the lovers will idolize each other but that they will idolize Eros himself. The couple whose marriage will certainly be endangered by (lapses), and possibly ruined, are those who have idolized Eros. They expected that mere feeling would do for them, and permanently, all that was necessary. When this expectation is disappointed, they throw the blame on Eros or, more usually, on their partners.
CS Lewis
The Four Loves
23 Articles about Journalism & AI: Uses, Ethics, & Dangers
/66% of leaders wouldn't hire someone without AI skills, report finds - ZDnet
Meet AdVon, the AI-Powered Content Monster Infecting the Media Industry – Futurism
New AI and Large Language Model Tools for Journalists: What to Know - Global Investigative Journalism Network
AI is disrupting the local news industry. Will it unlock growth or be an existential threat? – Poynter
How Generative AI Is Helping Fact-Checkers Flag Election Disinformation, But Is Less Useful in the Global South – Global Investigative Journalism Network
AI-generated news is here from SF-based Hoodline. What will that mean? -San Francisco Chronicle
News industry divides over AI content rights - Axios
8 major newspapers join legal backlash against OpenAI, Microsoft – Washington Post
The business of news in the AI economy – Wiley Online Journal
How AI-generated disinformation might impact this year’s elections and how journalists should report on it – Reuters Institute
AI is already reshaping newsrooms, AP study finds - Poynter
AI news that’s fit to print: The New York Times’ editorial AI director on the current state of AI-powered journalism – Harvard’s Nieman Lab
Watermarks are Just One of Many Tools Needed for Effective Use of AI in News – Innovating
We’re not ready for a major shift in visual journalism - Poynter
Axios Sees A.I. Coming, and Shifts Its Strategy – New York Times
Newsweek is making generative AI a fixture in its newsroom - Harvard’s Nieman Lab
Your newsroom needs an AI ethics policy. Start here. – Poynter
Is AI about to kill what’s left of journalism? – Financial Times
Pulitzer’s AI Spotlight Series will train 1,000 journalists on AI accountability reporting – Harvard’s Nieman Lab
AI newsroom guidelines look very similar, says a researcher who studied them. He thinks this is bad news – Reuter’s Institute
AI’s Most Pressing Ethics Problem – Columbia Journalism Institute
Impact of AI on Local News Models – Local News Initiative