How do AI Checkers Work?

/

AI checkers will break down text, removing punctuation then use a technique called vectorization to convert it into a mathematical hash code for comparison to other text. Phrases and grammatical structure are assigned weights with uncommon language rated as more likely human-written. The AI detector also looks across the internet for use of the same language. The comparison identifies exact matches and paraphrases. This means data-rich companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are more likely to successfully identify AI-written material. Read more about this process on ZDnet

Setting Boundaries

/

Many people feel that they are “people persons,” able to attract others and connect with them. At the same time, however, people persons often feel overwhelmed, anxious and frustrated about the obligations and responsibilities that their bonded relationships demand.  

Setting boundaries is the primary tool for strengthening your separateness and developing an accurate sense of responsibility.  The essence of boundaries is determining where you end and someone else begins, realizing your own person apart from others, and knowing your limits.  

A good way to understand this is to compare our lives to a house. Houses have certain maintenance needs, such as painting, terminate control and roof repairs. If, however, we’re spending all our time putting roofs on our neighbor’s houses while neglecting our own roof or we run the risk of a leaky roof or worse by the time we get back home.  

Think of all the different caring acts you performed over the last 24 hours. How many did you do grudgingly because you were under the threat of someone’s criticism or abandonment?  How many did you do under compulsion because you feel guilty if you don’t keep people happy?  And how many were from a cheerful heart, from the overflow caused by knowing you are loved by God and people in your life?   

John Townsend

Courses & Guides on Using AI

/

16 Webinars This Week about Journalism, AI, Ethics, Social Media & More

/

Mon, Aug 19 - Research for the Newsroom: Practical tools for adding depth to breaking and enterprise stories (4 meetings)

What: Students will learn strategies and tools for finding information in the course of your daily reporting.

Who: Barbara Gray of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York; John O’Neil of Bloomberg News

When: Aug. 19-Sept. 15

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: UT Austin Knight Center for Journalism

More Info

 

Mon, Aug 19 - Climate Solutions Journalism: A Community-informed & Equity-focused Approach (2 meetings)

What: You will learn the key principles of solutions journalism. What is it? What is it not? Why is it important? And how to make it happen, from idea to reporting to completed story. The goal of this program is also to increase the number of news outlets publishing solutions-focused stories on the climate crisis.

Who: Hugo Balta, Solutions Journalism Network

When: Aug. 19 & Sept. 1

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: UT Austin Knight Center for Journalism

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 19 - What AI Still Can’t Do

What: This session will examine the critical gaps in current AI capabilities and explore the advancements needed to elevate its impact across the nonprofit industry. We will uncover where AI technology needs to evolve, focusing on a mix of technology and ethical considerations. Additionally, we will address the human side of this transformation, emphasizing the importance of change management within organizations to foster an AI-ready culture.

Who: Griff Bohm Co-Founder SKY Developer Cohort; Abi Scott DMK Blackbaud

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Blackbaud

More Info

 

Mon, Aug 19 - Using AI Tools like ChatGPT to Help You Launch and Grow Your Business 

What: In this workshop, you will learn how to harness AI tools effectively at every step of your entrepreneurial journey.

Who: Daniel Street, Asst. Professor of Accounting & Financial Management, Bucknell University

When: 6 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop 

More Info

 

Mon, Aug 19 - AI in Video Journalism: Uses, Best Practices and Ethics – ONA Minilab

What: This session will cover practical applications, ethics, and best practices for AI in video creation. We’ll examine how AI can improve accessibility, automate processes, and generate insights, while also addressing concerns about content accuracy, algorithmic bias, and journalistic integrity.

Who: Basil Shadid is a documentary film and commercial producer whose credits include Academy Award nominated, Emmy winning, and Audience award winning films.

When: 12 noon, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $25 or free for ONA members

Sponsors: Online News Association, the Video Consortium

More Info

 

Mon, Aug 19 - Social science essentials for local reporters 

What: This free one-hour “crash course”—designed specifically for local and general assignment reporters—teaches basic principles about how social science works and ways it can be used to strengthen virtually any news story with a human element, especially this election season. The speakers will lay out key do’s, don’ts, and pitfalls to watch for when including science in your news reporting.

Who: Former longtime Washington Post science reporter Rick Weiss and Ph.D. neuroscientist Dr. Tori Espensen.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: New England Newspaper & Press Association

More Info

 

Tue, Aug 20 - All AI Models Are Not Created Equal: and That’s a Good Thing

What: This presentation explores: Compelling differences in model performance (e.g open source vs. closed, model, vs model); The importance of a healthy, competitive ecosystem in lowering costs and maximizing ROI; Why end users need to rely on a variety of customized models; How to optimize model selection based on price, speed, and quality We'll demonstrate how understanding and leveraging these distinctions can lead to more effective AI implementation across various projects.

Who: Ivan Lee, Datasaur, CEO

When: 12 noon, Eastern  

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Open Data Science

More Info

 

Tue, Aug 20 - AI as Your Image Creation Sidekick

What: You'll learn the power of DALL-E 3 by mastering the art of crafting precise and creative prompts that generate high-quality images tailored to your needs. Discover the secrets of effective image prompt creation Practice advanced image strategies that will save you time and boost your creativity Work through practical exercises and prompt hacks so you leave with the confidence to create images that reflect your imagination.

Who: Shannon Tipton, Owner of Learning Rebels

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Training Magazine Network

More Info

 

Wed, Aug 21 - Emerging Social Media Trends 

What: The world of social networks is changing rapidly. Yet, it’s important to know what will still benefit your business and which up-and-comers are worth your time. Come for an overview of the latest social marketing trends, as Digital Marketing Strategist Ray Sidney-Smith walks you through the trends and the latest forecasts! There’s no time like the present to plan your social media marketing and choose the right strategy, networks, and tactics.

Who: Ray Sidney-Smith, CEO, W3 Consulting

When: 10 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $45

Sponsor: Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop 

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 22 – Rural Health Journalism Workshop 2024

What: Join us for a daylong virtual workshop of talks, presentations and conversation about some of the biggest challenges in rural health. We’ll unpack the nuances of the rural hospital closures crisis; innovative solutions to health care workforce shortages; the national picture of reproductive health care access; what happened to all that opioid settlement money; and a candid conversation about what people still get wrong about rural America (and why it matters).

Who: A variety of journalists, academics, and health care professionals (see link for a list)

When: 9 am – 5 pm, Central

Where: Zoom

Cost: Discount for members

Sponsor: Association of Health Care Journalists

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 22 - Leveraging AI Tools like ChatGPT to Accelerate Your Business Growth 

What: In this webinar, discover how AI tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize your business operations and drive exponential growth.  Topics covered will include: Understanding AI: An introduction to AI and how it can be integrated into business operations; Practical Applications: Real-world examples of how businesses use AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance productivity and customer engagement; Implementation Strategies: Step-by-step guidance on how to start using AI tools in your business with minimal cost and effort; Future Trends: Insights into the future of AI and how businesses can stay ahead of the curve.

Who: Dr. Jeff Bullock, CEO & Founder of PRISM AI Consultants.  

When: 12 noon, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop 

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 22 - Leveraging AI for Video Research Synthesis and Pitch Creation

What: Participants will learn how to harness the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) to synthesize research documents and create compelling pitches. We’ll explore advanced prompting techniques, discuss security considerations when dealing with sensitive information, and walk through the process of crafting and editing fully-formatted pitch with a bit of AI assistance. Attendees will get access to mock interview transcripts, articles, and sample pitch structures to work with.

Who: Alex Clark is an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University and producer covering AI and misinformation for CBS News.

When: 12:30 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsors: Online News Association, The Video Consortium

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 22 - What newspapers need to understand about Artificial Intelligence

What: These 70 minutes will be packed with information about: How AI came into being; What AI actually is and how it works (the details, but you’ll understand them); How AI has advanced and the types of AI available today; The dangers and pitfalls of AI; AI tools used by newspapers; Legal and ethical challenges when using AI; and much more!

Who: Newspaper Academy’s News Guru Kevin Slimp

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $69

Sponsor: Virginia Press Association

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 22 - Public Documents and Enterprise Reporting

What: Tips about how to access information and real-world examples of how document digging paid off.

Who: Chris Coates is a senior director–local news for Lee Enterprises and executive editor of The Richmond Times-Dispatch and other journalists.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $35

Sponsor: Online Media Campus

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 22 - What is service journalism, and how do I do it right?

What: Service journalism is more important now than ever, and more publications are hungry for this type of reporting. Let’s get into the weeds about how to find, report, write, and pitch compelling, useful service stories!

Who: Tim Herrera, former editor of The New York Times's service journalism desk Smarter Living, and Allie Volpe, senior reporter at Vox.

When: 4 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $20

Sponsor: Freelancing With Tim

More Info

 

Fri, Aug 23 - The Future of PR: Emerging Trends and Changing Landscape

What: Learn about key drivers of change: technology, consumer behavior, and media evolution.  Discover the latest trends: digital PR, data-driven strategies, and social media. Learn how to integrate new tools and technologies into PR campaigns. Understand how to create engaging content for modern audiences.

Who: Nitin Naveen, Vice president-Innovation Strategy, AICorespot; Nandita Sen, Senior Director – Research & Analytics, InfoVision; Brandon Edwards, CEO, Unlock Health; Steve Bauer, SVP & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard St. Louis; Ashley Barton, Senior Vice President & Group Director, 5WPR.

When: 9:45 am – 11:15 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: AICorespot

More Info

20 Articles about the Limitations of AI

/

Creating your own misery

/

As long as you live in a society with other fallible humans you will be frustrated and hassled - not merely occasionally - all of your life. The best way to avoid feeling miserable about virtually anything that will ever occur in your lifetime is to admit that you create your own misery.

(Irrational beliefs that interfere with emotional health include..)

  • I must do well... win the approval of others... or else I will rate as a rotten person.

  • Others must treat me with considerately and kindly... Other people must not behave incompetently or stupidly.

  • The world (and the people in it) must arrange the conditions under which I live so that I get what I want when I want it.

Albert Ellis

 

AI Definitions: Neural Networks

/

Neural Networks - In this type of machine learning, computers learn a task by analyzing training examples. It is modeled loosely on the human brain—the interwoven tangle of neurons that process data and find complex associations. Neural networks were first proposed in 1944 by two University of Chicago researchers (Warren McCullough and Walter Pitts) who moved to MIT in 1952 as founding members of what’s sometimes referred to as the first cognitive science department. Neural nets remained a major research area in neuroscience and computer science until 1969. The technique enjoyed a resurgence in the 1980s, fell into disfavor in the first decade of the new century, and has returned stronger in the second decade, fueled largely by the increased processing power of graphics chips. Also, see “Transformers.”

More AI definitions here.

19 articles about using AI to do specific things

/

20 Articles about Amazing Things AI can do Now

/

Researchers say they have developed a machine learning tool that can track the progression of Parkinson’s disease – Decrypt  

This AI humanoid robot helped assemble BMWs at US factory - Arstechnica

USC researchers say have developed an AI model that accurately predicts wildfire spread using satellite data &  Gen AI - CyberNews

AI tool outperforms existing x-ray structure methods - Chemistry World

MIT Researchers say they have developed an AI model that can accurately identify the stages of some types of breast cancer – MIT  

Getty Images Updated Generative AI Pushes Boundaries Of What’s Possible – Search Engine Journal

What It's Like Using a Brain Implant With ChatGPT (Video) - Cnet

Google DeepMind AI system reaches milestone in global math contest – Semafor

How AI Brought 11,000 College Football Players to Digital Life in Three Months – Wall Street Journal  

Is AI funnier than humans? This study says so but you be the judge – New York Post

A Japanese mega-conglomerate says it’s building an AI that manipulates angry customers' voices so that call center employees don't have to deal with drama - Arstechnica

AI model harnesses physics to autocorrect remote sensing data - Phys Org

Meet Kenza Layli from Morocco - the winner of the world's first Miss AI beauty pageant – Euronews

‘We don’t want to leave people behind’: AI is helping disabled people in surprising new ways - CNN

NBC will use AI version of Al Michaels’s voice for Olympics coverage – The Hill

Hong Kong researchers say they have created a machine learning algorithm that processes satellite data to more accurately and efficiently predict space weather conditions caused by solar activity - Techxplore

Smashing, from Goodreads’ co-founder, curates the best of the web using AI and human recommendations – TechCrunch 

AI is upending search as we know it – Venture Beat

Generative AI Speech-to-Speech Systems and Their Applications – Datanami  

How AI is helping judge Olympic gymnastics – The Verge

Closed Doors

/

Houdini was a master magician as well as a fabulous locksmith. He boasted that he could escape from any jail cell in the world in less than an hour, provided he could go into the cell dressed in his street clothes. A small town in the British Isles built a new jail they were extremely proud of. They issued Houdini a challenge.

"Come give us a try," they said. By the time he arrived, excitement was at a fever pitch. Houdini rode triumphantly into the town and walked into the cell. He proudly walked into the cell and the door was closed. Houdini took off his coat and went to work. Secreted in his belt was a flexible tough and durable ten-inch piece of steel, which he used to work on the lock.

At the end of 30 minutes his confident expression had disappeared. At the end of an hour he was drenched in perspiration. After two hours, Houdini literally collapsed against the door--which opened. Yes, it had never been locked--except in his mind. One little push and Houdini could have easily opened the door. Many times a little extra push is all you need to open your opportunity door. Most locked doors are in your mind.

Zig Ziglar, See You At the Top

7 Webinars this Week about Writing, Journalism, AI & More

/

Tue, Aug 13 - Enhance Your eLearning with Audio Using the All-new Adobe Captivate

What: Discover how to take your eLearning courses to the next level with audio integration in Adobe Captivate. In this comprehensive webinar, you'll learn the importance of audio in eLearning, best practices for recording and editing, and how to seamlessly incorporate audio into your Captivate projects. Our expert instructor will guide you through step-by-step demonstrations, tips for ensuring high-quality sound, and techniques for engaging learners with effective audio. This session is designed to provide valuable insights and practical knowledge to enhance your eLearning content. Join us and transform your courses with the power of audio!

Who: Sharath Ramaswamy Senior eLearning Evangelist, Adobe

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Training Magazine Network

More Info

 

Wed, Aug 14 - Guidelines for Covering Women in Politics

What: A discussion of the recently released the Guidelines for Covering Women in Politics, which focuses on sourcing, framing and language in political news. These best practices were created by NPF and 20 journalist-fellows.  

Who: Sonya Ross Editor-in-chief, Black Women Unmuted; Debbie Walsh Director, Center for American Women and Politics; Sameea Kamal Politics Reporter, CalMatters

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The National Press Foundation, Pivotal Ventures

More Info

 

Wed, Aug 14 - A Place Called Vertigo: A Skeptic’s Guide to AI, Large Language Models, and Research Libraries

What: This webinar will offer some potential frameworks for using these tools responsibly and effectively. The webinar will close with a consideration of how these tools might amplify, rather than displace, the roles and values of contemporary research libraries.

Who: Alexander J. Carroll is the Associate Director of the Science and Engineering Library at Vanderbilt University

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Association of Southeastern Research Libraries

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 15 - Mini Lab: AI Tools for Audio Journalists

What: Join us for a quick, facilitated session where you’ll get to experiment with generative AI audio. Participants will explore what generative AI audio is, learn about available tools, discuss ethical considerations, and even create historical reenactments using synthetic voices. It’s an engaging way to dive deeper into the capabilities and implications of AI in the audio space.

Who: Davar Ardalan Founder, TulipAI

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Online News Association

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 15 – How Fact-Checking Works — And Why it Matters

What: This webinar provides an overview of the main types of fact-checking and what’s involved, and a discussion of the methods used to verify information and how fact-checking helps them tell stories and inform their audiences.

Who: Wilkine Brutus, Palm Beach County Correspondent, Producer, and Host, WLRN Public Media; Laura Zommer, Co-founder and CEO, Factchequeado; Kurt Sampsel, Senior Program Manager, PEN America

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Pen America

More Info

 

Thu, Aug 15 – Elevating Diversity in Journalism

What: This panel delves into the critical efforts and strategies newsrooms are employing to enhance diversity on their business desks and beyond. Industry leaders and journalists will share insights and their approaches to creating more inclusive and representative media environments.

Who: Imani Moise, Personal Economics Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Co-Chair of NABJ Business Task Force; Ali Jackson-Jolley, Newsroom Leader; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives, Forbes; Naomi Ishisaka, Assistant Managing Editor, The Seattle Times; Olivia Santiago, Recruitment Lead, Bloomberg; Bowdeya Tweh, Chicago Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal

When: 1 pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

More Info

 

Fri, Aug 16 - Structuring Your Story: Master class on organizing narrative, breaking new

What: This four-hour virtual workshop will feature award-winning reporters and editors. Participants will: Gain go-to story structures that can be applied efficiently and effectively to almost any story. Hone skills for writing sharper ledes and memorable endings. Get inspiration for ways to organize notes, find the telling quotes, work with data, and build out the story. Whether you are an experienced journalist or new to the business you will develop some new approaches to story writing.  

Who: Lane DeGregory, a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer at the Tampa Bay Times; Beth Francesco, executive director, National Press Club Journalism Institute; Wesley Lowery, executive editor of Investigation Reporting Workshop at American University and a Pulitzer Prize winner; Steve Padilla, Los Angeles Times Column One editor; Eric Tucker, national security reporter for the Associated Press

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $65-75

Sponsor: Journalism Institute of the National Press Club

More Info

Is Talent Overrated?

/

It is mid-1978, and we are inside the giant Procter & Gamble headquarters in Cincinnati, looking into a cubicle shared by a pair of 22-year-old men, fresh out of college. Their assignment is to sell Duncan Hines brownie mix, but they spend a lot of their time just rewriting memos.  

Neither has any kind of career plan. Every afternoon they play waste-bin basketball with wadded-up memos. One of them later recalls, "We were voted the two guys probably least likely to succeed."

These two young men are of interest to us now for only one reason: They are Jeffrey Immelt and Steven Ballmer, who before age 50 would become CEOs of two of the world's most valuable corporations, General Electric and Microsoft. Contrary to what any reasonable person would have expected when they were new recruits, they reached the apex of corporate achievement.  

The obvious question is how. Was it talent? If so, it was a strange kind of talent that hadn't revealed itself in the first 22 years of their lives. Brains? The two were sharp but had shown no evidence of being sharper than thousands of classmates or colleagues. Was it mountains of hard work? Certainly not up to that point. And yet something carried them to the heights of the business world.

Which leads to perhaps the most puzzling question, one that applies not just to Immelt and Ballmer but also to everyone: If that certain special something turns out not to be any of the things we usually think of, then what is it?

If we believe that people without a particular natural talent for some activity will never be competitive with those who possess that talent - meaning an inborn ability to do that specific thing easily and well - then we'll direct them away from that activity. We'll steer our kids away from art, tennis, economics, or Chinese because we think we've seen that they have no talent in those realms.

In our own lives we'll try something new and, finding that it doesn't come naturally to us, conclude that we have no talent for it, and so we never pursue it.

A number of researchers now argue that talent means nothing like what we think it means, if indeed it means anything at all. A few contend that the very existence of talent is not, as they carefully put it, supported by evidence. In studies of accomplished individuals, researchers have found few signs of precocious achievement before the individuals started intensive training. Similar findings have turned up in studies of musicians, tennis players, artists, swimmers, mathematicians, and others.  

Such findings do not prove that talent doesn't exist. But they do suggest an intriguing possibility: that if it does, it may be irrelevant.

Geoff Colvin, Why Talent is Overrated

The Lessons of Elders

/

Being unwilling to accept defeat—is a guarantee that one will never learn the lessons that must be learned if one is to mature. That is why the elders that we need so badly in our success-obsessed society are not the natural-born winners who rose to the top without a setback. Such people are easy to idealize, but they have little to teach us. What elders need to help younger people learn is that without releasing the fruits of one season, they cannot blossom into the next. Such elders can show us, because they have done it many times, how to let go of who we have been to clear the ground for the growth of who we are becoming. They can help us to understand the transition-related emotions of grief (sadness for what have let go of), disorientation (when we are lost in the neutral zone), and fear (when the challenges of the unknown new beginnings are overwhelming).

William Bridges,  The Way of Transition

7 Ways to Spot AI Images

/

Here are some tips for determining if an image is likely created by AI.

81. 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. 

82. 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.

83. 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. 

84. 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.  

85. GLOSSY. The overly glossy look, similar to some stock photos, can be an AI giveaway. Watch for people with plastic-looking faces. 

86. THE SOURCE. Is the person or organization sharing the image reliable and not known for promoting AI-generated media?

87. THE EYES. By using methods conventionally used to "measure the shapes of galaxies," researchers have found that deepfake images don't have the same consistency in reflections across both eyes. However, this method of detection does have false positives and false negatives.

More about spotting fake news