Love is confused
/Love is generally confused with dependence. Those of us who have grown in true love know that we can love only in proportion to our capacity for independence. -Fred (Mister) Rogers (born March 20, 1928)
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
13 Articles about AI & Religion
/A Houston pastor is making the evolving technology an integral part of his ministry – Houston Chronicle
Power of Babel: Real-Time AI Translation May Be Coming to Church Near You - Julie Roys Blog
When the Word Is Not Just Flesh: Reporting on A.I. in Religion – New York Times
AI Jesus' avatar tests man's faith in machines and the divine – Associated Press
What AI knows and doesn’t know about Islam – WIRED
Religion goes digital with AI-powered faith assistants - DW
Silicon Valley’s Obsession With AI Looks a Lot Like Religion – The Reader
At the Intersection of A.I. and Spirituality - New York Times
Explore the World’s First 3D Replica of St. Peter’s Basilica, Made with AI – Open Culture
Austin church holds AI-generated service, uses ChatGPT – KXAN
How much should AI influence preaching prep? – The Baptist Paper
Notre Dame receives grant to support development of faith-based frameworks for AI ethics – Notre Dame
Citing ‘Shadow of Evil,’ Vatican Warns About the Risks of A.I. – New York Times
Lax AI Security in Schools
/The implementation of AI surveillance tools has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent investigation revealed that reporters from The Seattle Times and Associated Press inadvertently accessed nearly 3,500 sensitive student documents due to inadequate security measures surrounding the district's surveillance technology. These documents included personal writings about depression, bullying, and even LGBTQ+ struggles — information that should have remained confidential. -Read more at Mic
Underlying Emptiness
/Think of the person (who) loses a job or a girlfriend and then finds himself in despair. The real cause of the despair is not the man’s loss of the job or the girlfriend. What the loss of the job or girlfriend really reveal is that the person was in despair all along, that his identity was built on something too fragile to be the basis of selfhood. When this fragile basis for identity is shattered, the self’s underlying emptiness was revealed.
C. Stephen Evans, Kierkegaard: An Introduction
AI Definitions: Convolutional neural networks
/Convolutional neural networks (CNNs or ConvNet) – These deep learning artificial neural networks, often used in computer vision for object recognition, are trained on thousands of images—and even then, they often fail when they encounter the same objects under new lighting conditions or from a different angle. CNNs were first introduced in 1989 by NYU professor Yann LeCun and have been used with autonomous vehicles and security camera systems.
More AI definitions here.
14 Articles about AI & Data Privacy
/Agentic AI has “profound” issues with security and privacy, Signal President says – Tech Radar
Why AI needs a kill switch – just in case – Information Age
AI Surveillance Is Being Installed In Schools To Keep Kids Safe. But That’s Not All It’s Doing - MIC
Schools use AI to monitor kids, hoping to prevent violence. Our investigation found security risks – OC register
How to embrace AI while protecting personal information and data – NBC News
Bloomberg The DeepSeek AI Revolution Has a Security Problem – Bloomberg
AI, huge hacks leave consumers facing a perfect storm of privacy perils – Washington Post
AI Expert: More Must Be Done to Protect Data Privacy in the AI Age – Inside AI News
AI Mistakes Are Very Different Than Human Mistakes – Spectrum
How generative AI security helps mitigate risks in enterprise environments – Silicon Angle
Malware's AI time bomb - Axios
Unpacking the Role of AI in Physical Security – EdTech Magazine
A.I. chatbots becoming popular but worry privacy advocates – NBC News
Search Thought LeadersAI’s Data Dilemma: Privacy, Regulation, and the Future of Ethical AI – Unite AI
AI Rollouts
/Less than half (45%) of employees think their company's latest AI rollouts have been successful versus 75% of the C-suite. -Axios
25 Recent Articles about AI & Teaching
/Using AI to foster self-directed learning – Times Higher Ed
More Teachers Say They’re Using AI in Their Lessons. Here’s How – Ed Week
I Used to Teach Students. Now I Catch ChatGPT Cheats – The Walrus
There’s a Good Chance Your Kid Uses AI to Cheat – Wall Street Journal
In the age of AI, colleges need to rethink how students learn – Washington Post
AI detectors are poor western blot classifiers: a study of accuracy and predictive values – PeerJ
AI: Cheating Matters, but Redrawing Assessment ‘Matters Most’ – Inside Higher Ed
Stanford AI Teaching Guides – Stanford
Here’s How Teachers Are Using AI to Save Time – Ed Week
Integrate AI as a peer reviewer in writing classrooms - KJZZ
How AI is reshaping teachers’ jobs – Ed Week
Arizona’s getting an online charter school taught entirely by AI – Tech Crunch
OpenAI Unveils New A.I. That Can ‘Reason’ Through Math and Science Problems – New York Times
Arizona charter school to be taught by AI, not teachers - LinkedIn
ChatGPT outperforms undergrads in intro-level courses, falls short later – Arstechnica
How to identify AI-generated text: 7 ways to tell if content was made by a bot – Mashable
OpenAI releases a teacher’s guide to ChatGPT, but some educators are skeptical – Tech Crunch
Cheating Has Become Normal – Chronicle of Higher Ed
Employers Say Students Need AI Skills. What If Students Don’t Want Them? – Inside Higher Ed
AI-powered tutor, teaching assistant tested as a way to help educators and students – CBS
The Course Is About Literature. Its Textbook Was Generated by AI. – Chronicle of Higher Ed
California college professors have mixed views on AI in the classroom – Ed Source
Instead of policing student use of AI, California teachers need to reinvent homework – Cal Matters
AI-detection software isn’t the solution to classroom cheating — assessment has to shift – The Conversation
Feeling Superior
/I need to fill up my emptiness by feeling superior to you, pretending to be someone I am not.
AI becoming sentient
/It appears there’s no need to fear AI becoming sentient and replacing us humans. We’ll phase ourselves out long before the robots ever become self-aware. -Jim Nielsen
I choose
/I choose how to live a life I didn’t choose. -Andrew Boyd
17 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism & Media
/Tue, March 18 - The Future of Funding Investigative Journalism: Strategies & Challenges
What: Attendees will learn how to diversify revenue streams, approach funders while safeguarding editorial independence, and adapt to the evolving funding landscape. The panel brings together three top experts with deep experience in media fundraising, business strategy, and philanthropic support for journalism, ready to share their knowledge and real-world strategies.
Who: Pradeep Gairola is vice president and business head at The Hindu, one of India’s leading newspapers; Bridget Gallagher provides fundraising strategy, implementation assistance, and counsel to US and international clients working in media, information access, and civic participation; Willem Lenders is the program manager at Limelight Foundation and co-chair of the Journalism Funders Forum; The moderator is Francisca Skoknic, an accomplished investigative journalist from Chile.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Global Investigative Journalism Network
Tue, March 18 - The World of Social Media
Who: Zachary Piotti, Coordinator & Digital Marketing Consultant at Widener Small Business Development Center.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Small Business Development Center Widener University
Tue, March 18 - How to Supercharge Your Data with AI
What: Discover how AI-driven consumer intelligence can help brands and agencies drive meaningful engagement and sustainable growth by leveraging predictive consumer intelligence for enhanced acquisition with leaders from Resonate. You’ll get actionable strategies to: How to use real-time intent signals to spot and act on consumer interest as it happens; Predict churn and best customer modeling to retain customers longer and identify your next best buyers; How to gain first-touch insights to tailor the customer experience from the start with smart website personalization.
Who: Dean de la Pena Vice President, Data Strategy, and SaaS Platform, Grace Hall Product Manager, Data Products Strategy, Resonate.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Resonate
Tue, March 18 - Science Essentials for Local Reporters
What: The key do’s, don’ts, and pitfalls to watch for when including science in your news reporting. Among the topics covered: Knowing whether and how science can enhance your story; Different kinds of studies and what each can—and cannot—reveal; Practical tips for identifying credible scientist-sources and interviewing them; and How to get the essentials from scientific reports, studies, and press releases.
Who: Freelance science reporter Elena Renken and Ph.D. neuroscientist Dr. Tori Espensen
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: SciLine
Tue, March 18 - Marketing Trends Nonprofits Need to Know (and Embrace)
What: Join us to discuss the marketing trends that’ll shape your nonprofit’s future and grow your impact, including: Storytelling to impact your nonprofit; Using influencer marketing to increase fundraising; Creating digital experiences that create awareness; Building automation into your marketing and outreach efforts; Taking advantage of latest approaches to search engine optimization; How to use artificial intelligence (AI) to engage.
Who: Kiersten Hill, the driving force behind Firespring’s nonprofit solutions.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: FireSpring
Tue, March 18 - AI Anxiety? A Google Pro Separates Fact from Fiction
What: This session will help you move beyond the AI hype and into hands-on implementation. Discover how Google's AI tools—like Notebook LM—can streamline your workflow, enhance learning experiences, and empower your team with credible, well-structured AI outputs. You'll leave with concrete steps and resources to confidently incorporate AI into your learning programs.
Who: Nikki Le Head of Impact Evaluation, Assessment, and Research, Google.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: ELB Learning
Tue, March 18 - Piercing the Wall: How to report on sexual abuse in schools
What: Learn how to uncover serious educator misconduct inside often insular academic institutions, including finding sources, obtaining documents, earning trust, interviewing trauma survivors, unlocking key stakeholders and holding educators and administrators accountable.
Who: Matt Drange, a reporter based out of Business Insider's San Francisco bureau. He pieced together, "The predators’ playground: Unraveling 40 years of sexual misconduct at a single California high school."
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Student Press Law Center
Wed, March 19 - The Right to Know: Protecting and Expanding Access to Public Records
What: The evolving landscape of government transparency and the fundamental role that information access plays in maintaining an accountable democracy. The discussion will address key topics such as the legal framework behind freedom of information, the obstacles faced by journalists, librarians, researchers, and citizens in securing public records, and the implications of government secrecy on public trust.
Who: Dr. David Cuillier from the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information; Dr. Frank LoMonte, a legal expert; Dr. Kenneth Evans from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Education Committee of the Government Documents Round Table
Wed, March 19 - Questioning Generative AI Through Zinemaking
What: The self-publishing history of zines includes a long tradition of resistance through storytelling and art. While the explosive growth of generative AI in our society has been embraced by many, those interested in media literacy may have doubts about seemingly endless AI boosterism. In this session, we'll discuss making zines as an accessible way of providing opportunities for everyone to share their thoughts on the impact that generative AI will have on their professional and personal lives. Attendees will learn more about the radical possibilities of zines and create their own minizine exploring their hopes and concerns for generative AI.
Who: Violet Fox is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian at Northwestern University’s Galter Health Sciences Library. She is the creator of the Cataloging Lab, a wiki designed to encourage collaboration in library metadata.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Media Education Lab
Wed, March 19 - Unlocking Transparency: State Records Requests for Grassroots Groups
What: This session is designed for grassroots organizations looking to submit state public records requests to uncover critical information and hold government officials accountable. We will cover drafting effective records requests, navigating state-specific laws, engaging with agencies, and overcoming common challenges. Whether you're seeking budget documents, email communications, or policy records, we will break it down for you.
Who: Alissa Lopez, Strategic Partnerships Director at American Oversight; Elizabeth Haddix Senior Counsel at American Oversight; Julia Waddles Researcher at American Oversight.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: American Oversight
Wed, March 19 - Advanced Prompt Writing for AI
What: After a quick review of prompt-writing fundamentals, we’ll work on prompts that can do specific designs in MidJourney, DALL-E and the LLMs, including designing a no-code website, and how to double-check that code for malware and other mistakes (there are some good free websites for this). We’ll also work more with Perplexity.ai prompts, which we only touched on in earlier sessions.
Who: Mike Reilley Senior Lecturer, University of Illinois-Chicago.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free for ONA members, $25 for nonmembers
Sponsor: Online News Association
Wed, March 19 - How Photojournalism Can Better Capture Stories of Hope, Resilience and Climate Solutions
What: How compelling visuals can transform climate solutions into engaging stories, the role of diverse storytellers and subjects in illuminating community-led solutions, and practical insights for capturing solutions.
Who: Photojournalists Damaso Reyes and Justin Cook; Moderated by Project Drawdown’s Drew Arrieta.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Project Drawdown, Solutions Journalism Network
Wed, March 19 - AI for Nonprofits, Part 1: Unlock Generative AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Impact
What: We will dive into the essentials of generative AI, address key AI concerns, and demonstrate how nonprofits can benefit from using Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, to achieve their goals.
Who: Joshua Peskay, RoundTable Technology, 3CPO; Kim Snyder, RoundTable Technology, VP of Data Strategy
When: 3:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Tech Soup, Microsoft
Thu, March 20 - The Local Sports Beat
What: News-academic programs of every size are finding success covering local sports beyond campus. In this discussion, we will hear about what’s working in community sports coverage and how it can strengthen university-led reporting programs.
Who: John Affleck, Knight Chair in Journalism at Penn State; Michael Bruce, department chair of Journalism and Creative Media at the University of Alabama, and Molly Yanity, Director of Sports, Media and Communication at the University of Rhode Island.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: University of Vermont
Thu, March 20 - Breaking money misconceptions: How journalists can get clear about their funding
What: Learn how to combat accusations and build trust by getting on the record about where you get your money, how it influences your coverage and why you rely on community support. Join us as we walk you through best practices of how you can get on the record about your funding. We’ll show examples of how other newsrooms are doing this, and give you sample disclosures you can copy to use in your own reporting.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Trusting News
Thu, March 20 - Online Reporter Caucus: Understanding the New Higher Ed Landscape
What: Help for reporters to make sense of the quickly evolving landscape for higher education students, staff and communities. Reporters will have the opportunity to share ideas, exchange tips and collaborate.
Who: Megan Henry, reporter, Ohio Capital Journal; Bianca Quilantan, higher education reporter, Politico.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free to EWA members
Sponsor: Education Writers Association
Thu, March 20 - Covering the Second Trump Administration
What: How what the Trump administration is doing affects journalists covering Long Island and the region. for Long Island media.
Who: PCLI Board Member Bill Bleyer will moderate, a panel of speakers, including: Tom Brune who has covered Washington for Newsday for 25 years, Harold Holzer has been the director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, John C. Zaher, founder of the Public Relations and Marketing Group.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Press Club of Long Island
The Paradox of Emotions
/CS Lewis wrote, “A desire (or emotion) is turned not to itself but to its object. Not only that, but it owes all its character to its object. It is the object which makes the desire harsh or sweet, coarse or choice, ‘high’ or ‘low.’ It is the object that makes the desire itself desirable or hateful.”
In other words, if you want to love your wife then concentrate, not on love, but on her. Likewise, if you wish more faith in God, do not concentrate on faith. Focus on God.
Stephen Goforth
AX (agent experience)
/We need to start focusing on AX or “agent experience.” Too many companies are focusing on adding shallow AI features all over their products or building yet another AI agent. The real breakthrough will be thinking about how your customers’ favorite agents can help them derive more value from your product. -Jim Nielsen
The power of sibling rivalry
/Sibling rivalry can be a year-round tradition for some families. Researchers at the University of Missouri followed nearly 150 pairs of siblings for a year and found their conflict fell into two overall categories:
1. Conflicts about shared resources and responsibilities that focused on equality and fairness, like whose turn it was to empty the dishwasher or, use the computer or ride in the front seat of the car. These siblings were more likely to become depressed.
2. Meanwhile, those who argued over privacy and personal space, such as borrowing clothes without asking or entering a room without permission, were more likely to be anxious and have low self-esteem. The most vulnerable for this twist were younger siblings.
The researchers say how these preteens and teens reacted to the conflict had to do with what they believed was at stake. Details about this study are in the journal Child Development.
Stephen Goforth
The Limits of Innovation
/If technologists have a fatal flaw, it is usually an excessive faith in their ability to innovate out of a serious ethical dilemma. - Tim Wu
AI Definitions: AI Washing
/AI Washing - This references a company’s misleading claims about its use of AI. It’s a marketing tactic that exaggerates the amount of AI technology used in their products to appear more advanced than they actually are. AI washing takes its name from greenwashing, where companies make false or misleading claims about the positive impact they have on the environment. The SEC has leveled fraud charges against companies for misleading investors about their use AI.
More AI definitions here.
Turning AI innovations into measurable business outcomes
/A media company using generative AI for content creation must connect the project to business goals like increasing audience engagement or reducing production costs. Without this clear focus, the technology might produce content, but it may not resonate with the target audience or contribute to the company’s bottom line. The successful integration of generative AI is not just about technology but about people. Collaboration between technical teams, business leaders, and end users is essential to ensure that AI projects deliver practical value. Generative AI is not just about creating new things but about creating value. - Mike Zhou writing in TechTalks
23 Recent Articles about AI Fakes & Deepfakes
/What Journalists Should Know About Deepfake Detection in 2025 – Columbia Journalism Review
Sony Music says over 75,000 songs in battle against AI deepfakes – Gizmodo
‘Hi mom, it’s me’: voice cloning services demand stronger voice deepfake detection – BioMetricUpdate
Dark Side of GenAI: Ethical Dilemmas Threatening Our Future – Analytics Insight
AI Search Has A Citation Problem – Columbia Journalism Review
Celine Dion warns fans to beware of fake, AI-generated songs appearing online – CNN
YouTubers are being scammed with AI-generated deepfake videos – PC World
AI can steal your voice, and there's not much you can do about it – NBC News
Deepfakes, cash and crypto: how call centre scammers duped 6,000 people – The Guardian
I was so freaked out by talking to this AI that I had to leave – PC World
Chinese AI Video Generators Unleash a Flood of New Nonconsensual Porn – 404 Media
AI detectors are poor western blot classifiers: a study of accuracy and predictive values – PeerJ
Fake Video of Trump and Musk Appears on TVs at Housing Agency – New York Times
A ‘True Crime’ Documentary Series Has Millions of Views. The Murders Are All AI-Generated – 404 Media
Scarlett Johansson warns of 'AI misuse' after fake Kanye video – BBC
AI Slop of Musk and Trump on TikTok Racks Up 700 Million Views – 404 Media
AI enters Congress: Sexually explicit deepfakes target women lawmakers – 19th News
AI nude photo investigation uncovers twice as many likely victims at Lancaster Country Day – WGAL
Deepfakes didn’t disrupt the election, but they’re changing our relationship with reality – The Hill
How to Tell If Your Job Candidate Is an AI Deepfake – INC
Judge fines lawyers in Walmart lawsuit over fake, AI-generated cases – Reuters