Fear
/It is said that people are shaped the most not by what they want but by what they fear. -Gene Weingarten
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
How AI search (GEO) differs from SEO
/
AI Overviews and AI Mode are dramatically changing organic search traffic. Content creators are focusing on “position zero” — that is, in the search snippet or AI Overview, which appears at the top of many Google search result pages.
The process of optimizing your website’s content to boost its visibility to AI-driven search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI) through GEO (generative engine optimization) has some similarities to increased visibility to search engines (Google, Microsoft Bing) through SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is a sort of guessing game, a digital Jeopardy! in which the person creating web content tries to anticipate the query that will bring users to their content. GEO has the same goal, only toward AI overviews and AI mode.
The game has some similarities for both SEO and GEO. They use keywords and contextual phrasing, prioritize engaging content and aim to connect with conversational user queries. Both consider how fast a website loads, mobile friendliness, and prefer technically sound websites.
However, while SEO focuses on metatags, keywords and backlinks, AI models are trained to provide quick, direct responses from the synthesized content gathered from multiple sources. GEO is about, not only the query, but information about the user — from their social media footprint to their Google Docs usage. This informs, not only the search at hand, but future searches. AI will evaluate who created the content, its trustworthiness, and how it fits within the broader knowledge graph the AI is using.
Generative search efforts, therefore, attempt to fit into this reasoning process. AI judges the content value, not just on whether it ends up a part of the final answer, but whether it helps the model reason its way toward that answer. This is why, despite performing all the typical SEO common practices, a GEO effort may not make it to the other side of the AI reasoning pipeline. It’s not enough to be generally relevant to the final answer. Your content is now in direct competition with other plausible answers, so it must be more useful, precise, and complete than the next-best option. In fact, the same content could go through the pipeline a second time and yield a different result. And since newer models are rapidly changing right now, the best GEO may be effective when using an older model but not with a more recently trained model.
There is also a user shift to consider toward longer, more natural queries, from one- or two-word keywords to three- and four-word search terms. Research indicates that queries in AI mode are generally two to three times the length of traditional searches.
What do AI Overviews avoid? Content that is overly generalized, speculative, or optimized for clickbait over clarity. Vague and generic writing underperforms. So what kind of content does the Google AI Overviews favor?
Content that contains the who, what, why
Straightforward content offering distinctiveness; AI rewards niche-specific content
Is written in natural, conversational terms (AI will attempt to deliver its answer in that same way)
Uses strong introductory sentences that convey clear value
Has H2 tags (subheadings) that align with user questions
Is structured to match common question structures (open, closed, probing)
Answers complex questions
Allows for restatement of quires and implied sub-questions, where a main question is broken down into smaller parts; content structured in a way to be easily grabbed — in citable chunks
Contains multi-faceted answers
Is rich in relationships
Has explicit logical structures and supports causal progression
Has clear headlines
Cites sources and has clear authorship
Includes statistics & quotations
Has multimedia integration
Content that tells the world something new
Uses HTML anchor jump links to connect different sections of content to one another
Podcasts that include full transcripts in YouTube video descriptions, which are easily searchable
Appears on YouTube (a Google-owned company) based on the titles, descriptions & transcripts of videos
More information:
What is AI reading? Takeaways from a report on AI brand visibility
How AI Mode and AI Overviews work based on patents and why we need new strategic focus on SEO
What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
How To Get Your Content (& Brand) Recommended By AI & LLMs
Google Ads data shows query length shift post-AI Mode
The winners and losers of Google’s AI Mode
Stephen Goforth
Loss Aversion
/People hate losses. Roughly speaking, losing something makes you twice as miserable as gaining the same thing makes you happy. In more technical language, people are “loss averse.” How do we know this?
Consider a simple experiment. Half the students in a class are given coffee mugs with the insignia of their home university embossed on it. The students who did not get a mug are asked to examine their neighbor’s mugs. Then, mug owners are invited to sell their mugs and nonowners are invited to buy them. They do so by answering the question “At each of the following prices, indicate whether you would be willing to (give up your mug/buy a mug).”
The results show that those with mugs demand roughly twice as much to give up their mugs as others are willing to pay to get one. Thousands of mugs have been used in dozens of replications of this experiment, but the results are nearly always the same. Once I have a mug, I don’t want to give it up. But if I don’t have one, I don’t feel an urgent need to buy one.
What this means is that people do not assign specific values to objects. When they have to give something up, they are hurt more than they are pleased if they acquire the very same things.
Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein, Nudge
What a computer science degree should look like now
/Experts suggest that computer science degree requirements should move away from coding and align with the expectations of a liberal arts degree—critical thinking and communication skills, along with computational thinking and AI literacy. The new CS coursework would include basic principles of computing and AI, along with hands-on experience in designing software using new AI tools. AI tools can help with the building of prototype programs, check for coding errors and serve as a digital tutor.
Computational thinking involves breaking down problems into smaller tasks, developing step-by-step solutions and using data to reach evidence-based conclusions. AI literacy is an understanding — at varying depths for students at different levels — of how AI works, how to use it responsibly and how it is affecting society. Nurturing informed skepticism should be a goal.
Read more at the NYT: How Do You Teach Computer Science in the AI Era?
The Tyranny of Clock Time
/Clock time is that linear time by which our life is measured in abstract units appearing on clocks, watches, computers, and calendars. These measuring units tell us the month, the day, the hour, and the second in which we find ourselves, and decide for us how much longer we have to speak, listen, eat, sing, study, pray, sleep, play, or stay. Our lives are dominated by our clocks and watches. In particular, the tyranny of the one-hour slot is enormous. There are visiting hours, therapeutic hours, and even happy hours. Without being fully aware of it, our most intimate emotions are often influenced by the clock. The big wall clocks in hospitals and airports have caused much inner turmoil and many tears.
Clock time is outer time, time that has a hard merciless objectivity to it. Clock time leads us to wonder how much longer we have to live and whether “real life” has not already passed us by. Clock time makes us disappointed with today and seems to suggest that maybe tomorrow, next week, and next year it will really happen. Clock time keeps saying, Hurry, hurry, time goes fast, maybe you will miss the real thing! But there is still a chance.. Hurry to get married, find a job, visit a country, read a book, get a degree…Try to take it all in before you run out of time.”
Clock time always makes us depart. It breeds impatience and prevents any compassionate being together.
Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, Douglas Morrison from the book Compassion
25 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism & Media
/Mon, Dec 1 - Standing Up for Press Freedom
What: Panelists will offer firsthand accounts of courage, integrity, and the ongoing efforts to support transparency in government.
Who: Lucy Dalglish, former executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; Jamie McIntyre, Washington Examiner; Idrees Ali, Reuters; Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post; Olivia Logan; DoD Communications Specialist.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: The Society of Professional Journalists & the Merrill College Journalism Alumni Network
Tue, Dec 2 - The Formula for Social Media Success
What: Our simple but comprehensive social media workshop will help you learn how to prioritize things and give you a clear formula to be successful on social media.
Who: Ray-Sidney Smith, Digital Marketing Strategist, Hootsuite Global Brand Ambassador, Google Small Business Advisor for Productivity, and Managing Director of W3C Web Services.
When: 10 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $45
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center, Duquesne University
Tue, Dec 2 - Vibe Coding for Journalists
What: By attending this lesson, you'll learn: How vibe coding works and how it is being utilized by journalists and non-journalists alike; How vibe coding can help support your own journalistic work; What vibe coding platforms can be used to help accomplish for your goals.
Who: Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Professor Emerita Retha Hill.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The New England First Amendment Coalition
Tue, Dec 2 - Making Rejection WORK For You
What: Our speaker will offer both practical and psychological techniques for dealing with the "No, Nope and No Way" messages that writers face all too often. Discover what works for you and how planning your response to ANY prospective or actual setback leaves you more in control of not only your writing life, but also your personal life.
Who: Award-winning author Laurie Schnebly Campbell.
When: 1:30 pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Author Learning Center
Tue, Dec 2 - B2B Media SEO Playbook: AI Prompts for SEO
What: This session will walk you through the most effective ways to integrate AI tools into your SEO workflow. From refining headlines and decks to content structure and other optimization strategies, you’ll see how Generative AI can support (not replace) your editorial expertise.
Who: Erin Hallstrom, the director of content operations and visibility for Endeavor Business Media; Alexis Gajewski is the associate director or newsroom operations and development for Endeavor Business Media.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: American Society of Business Publication Editors
Tue, Dec 2 - What’s Next for Using Data to Support Students?
What: How will emerging technologies like generative AI change student-success initiatives? Discover how institutions are pushing the boundaries of data and analytics to improve student outcomes. Understand how emerging technologies — including generative AI — are reshaping student-success strategies. Explore best practices for maintaining data privacy, security, and ethical use.
Who: Ian Wilhelm Deputy Managing Editor The Chronicle of Higher Education; Kate Giovacchini, Executive Director, Digital Innovations, Trusted Learner Network, Arizona State University; Tiffany Mfume, Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention Initiatives, Johns Hopkins University; Mark D. Milliron, President & CEO, National University.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Chronicle of Higher Ed
Tue, Dec 2 - The Coming Revolution: Equity in the Age of AI
What: Join us for a forward-looking and thought-provoking conversation about how we keep equity front and center in an era of rapid technological advances. Reporters will gain story ideas, insights and crucial context for covering the coming changes that will remake health care.
Who: Dr. Joseph R. Betancourt is the president of the Commonwealth Fund; Dr. Tina Hernandez-Boussard is a professor of medicine at Stanford University; Katie Palmer is a health tech correspondent at STAT.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California
Tue, Dec 2 - The Art of the Possible In Action: Turning Data into Decisions
What: This session dives into creating a unified data ecosystem using Microsoft Fabric and Synapse Analytics, empowering your organization to make informed decisions. We’ll also cover essential practices in data protection and governance to ensure that your data is accessible, understandable, and responsibly managed.
Who: Ryan Harrington, Managing Director of the Data Innovation Lab; Mat St. Cyr, Applications Development Manager; Dharneesh Jayaprakash, Tech Impact Data Engineer.
When: 2:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
Wed, Dec 3 - Creating AI Tools for Journalists
What: From article to algorithm-ready video – converting news or research into scripts tailored for TikTok and Instagram algorithms, with an in-app teleprompter. Cutting production time in half – streamlining audiovisual storytelling for journalists moving from text to video. Fighting disinformation with engagement – leveraging AI-driven scripting to promote trustworthy journalism in social media spaces.
Who: Sophia Smith Galer, the 2024 Georgina Henry Award Winner and the founder of Viralect.
When: 7:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Members: £10; Nonmembers: £20
Sponsor: Women in Journalism
Wed, Dec 3 - How Nonprofit Professionals Can AI-Proof Their Careers
What: Join this free 20-minute webinar to become AI-literate in the concepts most immediately to impact your career so you can start the process of upskilling now and thrive in your career for years to come.
Who: Heather Mansfield, Founder of Nonprofit Tech for Good.
When: 1:00 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Nonprofit Tech for Good
Wed, Dec 3 - Future-Ready Data Protection: Securing Modern Data Ecosystems in an AI-Driven World
What: This session explores the critical shifts reshaping how organisations must protect sensitive information in a boundaryless digital world. We will break down the top risks, the essential capabilities of modern security architectures, and the must-have tools for protecting data across endpoints, cloud platforms, and AI workflows. From zero trust to automated posture management and advanced data discovery, you’ll learn what’s required to stay ahead of adversaries and maintain compliance. Whether you’re modernising your security program or building one from the ground up, this talk equips you with the insights needed to create a future-ready data protection strategy for 2025 and beyond.
Who: Pankul Chitrav, Application Release Engineer, TD Bank.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechTarget
More Info
Wed, Dec 3 - ChatGPT for transitioning veterans
What: OpenAI employee and Army veteran David Sperry will walk through how servicemembers can use the ChatGPT to simplify the challenging transition from military life, back into the civilian world. David shares his story and walks viewers through practical examples and resources to get started today.
Who: David Sperry, AI Adoption Manager, OpenAI
When: 2:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: OpenAI Academy
Wed, Dec 3 - Turning Complex Climate Research Into Compelling Visual Narratives
What: An inside look at the Synergy Project, a multi-year collaboration between Art League RI, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and the University of Rhode Island which formed scientist-artist pairs to create a common language for science communication. Attendees will meet two Synergy pairs, whose projects transform cutting-edge research revealing how analogy, personification, and abstract art can help audiences grasp complex, unseen climate and ocean processes.
Who: Noah Germolus, environmental chemist at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa; Laurie Kaplowitz, classically-trained painter and Chancellor Professor of Fine Arts at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; Clarissa Karthäuser, marine microbiologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Heather Stivison, award-winning visual artist and Chairman of the Board of South Coast Artists, Inc.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Metcalf Institute and Solutions Journalism Network
Wed, Dec 3 - Satellite data for journalists: turning Earth images into stories
What: This workshop will focus on the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, exploring its datasets and applications. The specific tools that will be presented and used during the session are the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, which offers immediate access to a vast amount of open and free Earth observation data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites, and the CLMS Data Viewer, which allows users to visualise and interact with CLMS products directly. The webinar is designed to bring the world of environmental journalism closer to Earth observation technology. Through presentations and practical examples, participants will discover how to turn satellite data into evidence-based journalistic stories.
When: 9 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: DG Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service & the European Journalism Centre.
Thu, Dec 4 - Integrating Media and Information Literacy in Media Organisations
What: This session will focus on how newsrooms can use UNESCO’s Multimedia Toolkit to strengthen Media and Information Literacy in everyday practice and improve the quality and trustworthiness of their content. Participants will also be introduced to ready-to-use tools from the UNESCO Toolkit, including clear steps, templates, and examples that can be implemented straight away. The session aims to help media professionals strengthen their newsroom workflows and support a more informed public.
Who: Adeline Hulin, Head of Media and Information Literacy and Digital Competencies at UNESCO; Catherine Mackie, Training and Communications Editor at the Thomson Foundation.
When: 2 am, Eastern (3:00 pm, Kuala Lumpur Time)
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free to members
Sponsor: The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
Thu, Dec 4 - Elevate Your Interview Skills in the New Year
What: We will review how authors can prepare and deliver great interviews in the New Year. We will discuss the “Dos and Don’ts” of setting up an interview and arranging your media message in advance.
Who: Lindsey Gobel, a freelance publicist and communications professional with over 15 years of experience.
When: 10:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Author Learning Center
Thu, Dec 4 - Legal Rights and Risks for Journalists Covering Immigration Enforcement
What: Our speaker will give journalists concrete, legally grounded strategies for gathering the news — especially when interacting with law enforcement. Based on the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’s trainings, the workshop will help journalists plan ahead, make informed decisions in real time, and protect themselves legally in unpredictable environments.
Who: Jennifer Nelson Director, Pre-Publication Review & Journalist Support, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: Online News Association & the International Women’s Media Foundation
Thu, Dec 4 - Virtual PitchFest
What: This session will give independent journalists the chance to pitch directly to editors at leading health publications.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Association of Health Care Journalists
Thu, Dec 4 - What It Takes to Lead in the AI Era
What: In this virtual forum, we’ll explore how institutions can responsibly and ethically meet the moment. With insights from a recent survey, we’ll discuss how colleges are: Working to infuse their operations with AI tools; Building guardrails to avoid the pitfalls associated with the technology; Proposing ways to evaluate student learning; Mapping ways to pay for AI transformation.
Who: Ian Wilhelm, Deputy Managing Editor The Chronicle of Higher Education; Chris Mattmann, Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer, UCLA; Amarda Shehu, Vice President and Chief AI Officer, George Mason University; Jeff Young Host Learning Curve podcast.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Chronicle of Higher Ed
Thu, Dec 4 - Publish More with AI to Drive Audience and Revenue Growth
What: Learn why publishing more, more often is now the strongest driver of audience growth. See new AI tools that turn raw video into publish-ready stories in minutes. Watch how AI can multiply your newsroom’s daily output — without adding staff. Discover which story types (briefs, recaps, explainers, updates) build habit and loyalty fastest Leave with a clear, actionable plan to grow audience and revenue in 2026.
Who: Anntao Diaz, one of the industry’s most influential voices on audience growth. After 15 years at Google leading News Consumer Insights and Realtime Content Insights, he helped hundreds of newsrooms understand what truly drives loyalty and engagement. Now at Nota, he’s applying that expertise to next-generation AI — and will explain why publishing “more — and smarter” is now essential.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: New England Newspaper & Press Association
Thu, Dec 4 - Beyond the Headlines: Canadian Freelance Journalist Report from China
What: Join us for an eye-opening panel discussion as Canadian freelance journalists share first-hand insights from their recent trip to China. From AI and megaprojects to trade diplomacy and Chinese media narratives, we explored where Canada–China relations may be heading — and why freelancers must tell this story.
Who: Owen K. Schalk, a writer and columnist at Canadian Dimension magazine; Maryam Razzaq, a Senior Reporter with the Daily Scrum News; Raul Burbano, Canadian Freelance Union.
When: 7:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Canadian Freelance Union
Thu, Dec 4 - Case Teaching in the Age of AI: Deepening Learning with AI as a Thought Partner
What: This session brings together faculty who are actively shaping how AI supports case teaching, from content creation to innovative in-class applications. Panelists will share: How to design prompts that spark deeper analysis and engagement; Ways to extend cases through role plays, simulations, and “what if” scenarios Approaches to adapt content for different learners and contexts; Ideas for balancing AI tools with the human judgment that defines the case method
Who: Tawnya Means, Founding Partner & Principal Inspire Higher Ed; David Wood, Lecturer, Operations Management Ivey Business School.
When: 11 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Ivey Publishing
Fri, Dec 5 - AI Litigation Update
What: We will explore the latest and most impactful AI litigation that affects authors, libraries, archives, and museums.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: Authors Alliance & OCEAN (Open Copyright Education Advisory Network)
Fri, Dec 5 – The Impact of AI on the Newsroom
What: How are journalists using AI and what direction is it taking in the newsroom? Will it affect basic reporting or even eliminate jobs? What AI skills are hiring managers looking for and what can you do while still in school to enhance your AI marketability? These topics and more will be addressed by our panel of journalists and news managers.
Who: Francesco Marconi, Co-founder Applied XL & Computational Journalist; Gina Chua, Semafor, Executive Editor at Large; Dylan Freedman, The New York Times, A.I. Projects Editor; Matilde Baggio, POLITICO, Newsroom Strategy Editor.
When: 1:00 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Washington Press Club Foundation
Fri, Dec 5 - The AI Powered Classroom
What: This talk is designed for educators to explore best practices and practical ways you can utilize AI in the classroom. Then, we'll be joined by for a live Q+A answering your questions. By the end of this session, educators will leave with practical tools, classroom-ready strategies, and a clear, inspiring vision for how AI can meaningfully amplify their practice.
Who: Casey Cuny, 2024 California Teacher of the Year; OpenAI's Fred Fisher.
When: 5 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Open AI Academy
Keep going
/If you're going through hell, keep going. -Winston Churchill, born Nov. 30, 1874
Favourable Conditions
/The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favourable conditions never come. -CS Lewis (born Nov. 29, 1898)
20 Articles about AI & Data Science from November
/Staying Ahead of AI in Your Career
How coding agents speed up the software development lifecycle
AI-powered geospatial workflows (GeoAI) are opening new opportunities
How to Apply Powerful AI Audio Models to Real-World Applications
AI Definitions: Technical Debt
Scaling Intelligence, Building Resilience: Geospatial Readiness in the Defense Enterprise
AI Definitions: Test-time training
Check out these 5 free books that explain data science clearly and practically
The New Calculus of AI-based Coding
AI Definitions: AI consultants
“Capability density” as a metric to evaluate both the performance and efficiency of LLMs
AI Definitions: Synthetic audience
How AI agents can transform geospatial workflows
Building an Interactive AI Agent for Lightning-Fast Machine Learning Tasks
Deep Bayesian neural networks for UWB phase error correction in positioning systems
21 Articles about AI & Politics
/Tech Titans Amass Multimillion-Dollar War Chests to Fight AI Regulation – Wall Street Journal
Fears About A.I. Prompt Talks of Super PACs to Rein In the Industry – New York Times
Georgia Rep.’s campaign uses AI-generated deepfake of opponent in tight Senate showdown – CBS News
Robots and AI Are Already Remaking the Chinese Economy - Wall Street Journal
Trump’s attempt to block states from regulating AI sparked pushback from Republicans – Washington Post
AI Is Transforming Politics, Much Like Social Media Did - TIME
How the U.S. Economy Became Hooked on AI Spending - Wall Street Journal
In the A.I. Race, Chinese Talent Still Drives American Research – New York Times
White House pulls back on AI laws executive order – Mashable
Four ways AI is being used to strengthen democracies worldwide – The Guardian
An Economist Asked, How Much Should We Spend to Avoid the A.I. Apocalypse? – New York Times
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's AI agent to automate spying – Axios
The Politics of AI Are About to Explode - Bloomberg
The AI Cold War That Will Redefine Everything - Wall Street Journal
Exploring AI's role in democracy: Here are 5 essential insights – Fast Company
The UK’s fact-checkers are sending their AI to help Americans cover elections – Poynter
How Trump Is Using Fake Imagery to Attack Enemies and Rouse Supporters – New York Times
Political consultant defies court order in lawsuit over AI robocalls that mimicked Biden – AP
Is it ok for politicians to use AI? Survey shows where the public draws the line – The Conversation
Saudi Arabia’s New Power Play Is Exporting A.I. to the World - The New York Times
AI comes to local elections. Fake videos hit contentious school board races – Columbus Dispatch
LLMs & Retracted Research Papers
/Large language models should not be used to weed out retracted literature, a study of 21 chatbots concludes. Not only were the chatbots unreliable at correctly identifying retracted papers, they spit out different results when given the same prompts. On average, the 21 chatbots correctly identified fewer than half of the retracted papers. More at Retraction Watch
A Prayer
/Lord, make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am.
Direction
/Love is the compass of life.
An experimental mock trial at the UNC School of Law raises questions about AI's role in criminal justice
/In a simulated trial, three AI systems acquitted a Black teenager of robbery charges. However, in the real case on which the mock trial was based, the judge quickly found the defendant guilty. The real conviction was appealed, but the North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the verdict. More info
What Makes Him Mad
/A man is only as big as what makes him mad.
18 Articles about AI’s future
/A new project aims to predict how quickly AI will progress – The Economist
I Witnessed the Future of AI, and It’s a Broken Toy – The Atlantic
Is AI Really Eating the World? – Phillip Dubach
How AI Is Changing Higher Education – The Chronicle of Higher Ed
When AI Hype Meets AI Reality: A Reckoning in 6 Charts – Wall Street Journal
Exploring AI's role in democracy: Here are 5 essential insights – Fast Company
AI's Dial-Up Era - Wreflection
AI and the Coming White-Collar Political Upheaval - Wall Street Journal
AI of a thousand faces – Wired
Here’s How the AI Crash Happens - The Atlantic
We Will Not Trust Autonomous AI Agents Anytime Soon – Pawel Brodzinski
The most common opinion about AI - Anil Dash
Silicon Valley Is Investing in the Wrong A.I. – New York Times
Just How Bad Would an AI Bubble Be? - The Atlantic
What Investing in the Age of AI Will Look Like - Wall Street Journal
The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation – Mckinsey
Who Will Pay for the AI Revolution? Retirees - Wall Street Journal
The AI infrastructure of the future - Mckinsey
An AI to Diagnose Your Sniffles
/
Google has built an AI model that uses sound signals to "predict early signs of disease." It can identify subtle changes in your coughs, sniffles, breathing, and more. In places where there is difficulty accessing quality healthcare, this technology can step in as an alternative where users need nothing but their smartphone's microphone. For instance, it has been trained on 100 million cough sounds that help detect tuberculosis. More at Mashable
AI Definitions: Vector databases
/Vector databases – Raw data is converted into lists of numbers (word vectors) so that machine learning models can use them. The vectors are grouped together if they relate to one another. For instance, the word "king" would relate to a man, while "queen" would relate to a woman. A deep learning model (typically a transformer model) will use these vectors to "understand" the meaning of words and their relationships. More than 1,000 numbers can be used to represent a single word. If there are many numbers, then the word vector has a high dimension, making it nuanced. A low dimension for a word vector means the list of numbers is low. While not as nuanced, a low-dimensional vector is easier to work with. Vector data bases is what allows a language model to “recall” previous inputs, draw comparisons, identify relationships, and understand context.
AI Definitions: Supervised Training
/Supervised training - In this type of AI training, the data is labeled by humans before it is given to the AI. The AI might be given a database of messages labeled either “spam” or “not spam.” Supervised learning is the most common type of machine learning and is used in voice recognition, language translation, and self-driving cars. Anything that a person can do in a second can also be performed by AI through supervised training. This is why jobs consisting of a series of one-second tasks are at risk of being replaced by AI (such as a security guard). Most of the present economic value of AI comes from this type of training. However, supervised training is both expensive and time-consuming.
The Way Out
/Sometimes the only way out is through.