Treating AI agents as human workers

Executives from IBM, Microsoft and other companies say thinking of AI agents as analogous to human workers is hindering attempts to get full value from the technology. Agents sWall Street Journalhouldn’t have human names. They shouldn’t be on org charts. And they shouldn’t be given a specific job title. Leaders should tackle AI the same way they’ve tackled earlier waves of digital transformation and automation. - Wall Street Journal

AI Definitions: Tokenization

Tokenization – The process of converting the raw training data (text, images, or audio) into small units called tokens. This takes place twice in an LLM: When it is being set up (pretrained). Raw training data (text, images, or audio) is converted into small units (tokens). It happens a second time (inference) when a user prompts the LLM and the prompt (whether text, images, or audio) is converted into smaller units (tokens).

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22 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism, & More

Mon, April 6 - AI, News & Education

What: We'll explore the pedagogical thinking behind these platforms, how they approach the challenge of balancing AI automation with human editorial judgment, and what responsible use might look like in 6–12 and higher education settings. Importantly, we'll also discuss the background and history of ITN, and broader questions educators should ask before recommending a platform to students. Come ready to think — not just about news and bias, but about the tools and organizations being built to navigate our news landscape today.

Who: Wesley Fryer, an educational technology “early adopter / innovator.”

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Media Education Lab

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Mon, April 6 - Covering Police

What: Join our panel of journalism and legal experts to discuss the challenges of covering police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in local neighborhoods. Among other topics, we will discuss safety concerns for journalists on the scene; the importance of building trust with affected communities; the First Amendment protections at play; and how to best fulfill the critical need for local reporting.

Who: Erica Moura, Simmons University; Sawyer Loftus, Bangor Daily News; Alexa Millinger, Hinckley Allen; Renee Griffin, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: New England First Amendment Coalition

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Tue, April 7 - The Formula for Social Media Success

What: This 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.

When: 10 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $45

Sponsor: Small Business Development Center, Duquesne University

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Tue, April 7 - Following the Files: How Student Journalists Can Investigate Epstein Connections on Campus

What: How can student journalists effectively, responsibly and legally pursue those stories? This virtual event is open to any student journalist or educator, whether you’re just getting started on this topic or already deep into your reporting.

Who: Julie K. Brown, whose dogged reporting for the Miami Herald helped bring much of the Jeffrey Epstein story to light.

When: 3 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Student Press Law Center

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Wed, April 8 - As Foundation Models Scale, What Role Do Publishers Play in the AI Ecosystem?

What: We will unpack our speaker’s latest work at the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford, where he is exploring how foundation models and publishers are reshaping the information ecosystem in the era of generative AI.  This conversation will move beyond headlines and deal announcements to examine power dynamics, long-term incentives, and the structural shifts underway.

Who: Madhav Chinappa, senior executive consultant and researcher at the Reuters Institute.

When: 10 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free to members

Sponsor: International News Media Association

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Wed, April 8 - ChatGPT for Work 101: A guide to your AI superassistant 

What: In this session, we'll cover:  An overview of AI and ChatGPTs Best practices for writing good prompts Demos of content creation, data analysis, and image generation How to discover use cases of ChatGPT at work.

Who: Juliann Igo, GTM at OpenAI.

When: 11 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: OpenAI Academy

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Wed, April 8 - ChatGPT for Teachers 102

What: In this session, we’ll move beyond the basics and explore more advanced ways to apply ChatGPT in your day-to-day work. You’ll see practical examples for improving productivity, supporting student engagement, and building efficient workflows using ChatGPT. We’ll also demonstrate additional features and real-world use cases that help teachers, staff, and administrators get more value from the platform in both classroom and operational settings.

Who: Kirk Gulezian, Education & Government, OpenAI.

When: 11 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: OpenAI Academy

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Wed, April 8 - The Power of Voice: Storytelling, Journalism, and Women's Leadership

What: This session will combine reflections from Lina’s career with practical insights, encouraging participants to discover the strength of their own voices and use storytelling as a powerful tool for expression and change.         

Who: Lina Rozbih, Senior Editor and Anchor at Voice of America, and an award-winning Afghan. journalist,

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Nobel Navigators

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Wed, April 8 - Delivering Real Learning Impact with AI — Live Demo

What: Join us to get a firsthand look at how Adobe Learning Manager brings AI to every stage of the learning journey - including personalized recommendations, deep semantic search, conversational AI Assistants, and AI‑driven coaching for role‑based practice.

Who: Justin Seeley, Learning Evangelist, Adobe.

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Adobe Learning Manager

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Wed, April 8 - Start Your Story Right: The Five Foundational Questions You Need to Answer Before Writing Anything

What: Good stories intrinsically have a structure our brains are looking for. With these 5 key questions, you can make sure you hit those key points on an idea you have, your work in progress, or a book you've already written.

Who: Jennifer Crosswhite, owner and CEO of Tandem Services.

When: 1:30 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Author Learning Center

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Wed, April 8 - ChatGPT for Work 102: Leveraging AI to do your best work 

What: Learn how to conduct deep research for report writing, organize your work with Projects, and build custom GPTs to automate tasks.

Who: Juliann Igo GTM, OpenAI

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Open AI Academy

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Wed, April 8 - How Agentic AI Elevates Digital Government Services

What: A practical discussion on how agentic AI can strengthen your digital experience. We’ll break down what this emerging capability really means for government, how it can empower your teams, and how to introduce it responsibly and transparently.

Who: Kimberly Brandt, Deputy Administrator & Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Kris Saling, Chief Technology Advisor, Manpower & Reserve Affairs, U.S. Army; Kelvin Brewer, Director, Public Sector Sales Engineering, Ping Identity; Andy MacIsaac, Senior Strategic Solutions Manager, Government & Education, Laserfiche; Luke Norris, Vice President, Platform Strategy & Digital Transformation, Granicus; Bryan Rosensteel  Head of Public Sector Product Marketing, Wiz.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: GovLoop

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Wed, April 8 - Digital Open-Source Investigations: Open Search Webinar  

What: Participants will learn how search engines work, the varieties of search engines, and how to craft advanced search queries to find exactly what they are looking for on the internet, discover news sources of information, and uncover information hiding in plain sight.

When: 6 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free to members

Sponsor: National Association of Hispanic Journalists

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Thu April 9 - Building AI-ready human expertise in academia 

What: This webinar will focus on building AI literacy in academia and exploring how AI can be responsibly integrated into research, teaching, and institutional practices. 

Who: Anjali Sam, Lead Product Manager, Cactus Communications; Vasundara BN Project Manager, Cactus Communications.

When: 6:30 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Cactus Communications

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Thu April 9 - Securing Your AI Agents To Embrace Their Full Potential

What: In this session you will learn about the state of AI adoption around the world and the concerns it brings as those are reflected across the industry. You will also learn about several threats, some of which were discovered and published only latterly. We will review the solutions that an organization can and should put in place to allow it to utilize the full power of Agentic AI while still protect its data and business.

Who: Dror Zelber, VP Product Marketing, Radwre.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Solutions Review

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Thu April 9 - Accessibility: How to Make Your Website Usable For Everyone

What: We delve into the core principles of accessibility, exploring real-world examples of disabilities and situational challenges users face. From understanding WCAG standards to addressing specific populations, we’ll equip you with actionable insights to create truly accessible websites.

Who: Jennie Martin, Front-End Development Manager, CPACC, DHS 508 Trusted Tester.

When: 1:00 pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Firespring

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Thu April 9 - Introduction to Codex

What: Join us for a beginner-friendly introduction to Codex: the AI system that powers code generation. We’ll walk through what Codex is, how people are using it in real workflows, and how it can help you move faster across everyday tasks.

Who: Ankur Kumar, Codex Deployment Engineer, OpenAI

When: 1:00 pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Open AI Academy

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Thu April 9 - AI in Book Publishing: How Does it Affect Indie Authors? 

What: Topics will include: The opportunities and savings it offers; Ethical as well as practical concerns;   Tips for safe and helpful usage; Red flags every author must be aware of.

Who: Book marketing advisor Beth Kallman Werner of Author Connections.

When: 1:30 pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Author Learning Center

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Thu April 9 - How AI Agents May Change Campus Operations

What: Learn: How AI agents differ from other AI tools, and how they automate administrative tasks;  What safeguards to put in place to protect institutional data and maintain trust; Which strategies allow you to integrate agents into existing workflows; How to support staff members who may be concerned about AI’s impact on their roles.

Who: Ian Wilhelm, Deputy Managing Editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education; Phil Ventimiglia, Chief Innovation Officer; Georgia State University; David Weil, Senior Vice President for Strategic Services and Initiatives Ithaca College.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Chronicle of Higher Ed

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Thu April 9 - 2026 State Policy Playbook for Newsrooms

What: We’ll begin with a briefing on emerging state-level policy initiatives, including small business advertising tax credits, government advertising set-asides, journalism fellowship programs and employment incentives, and highlight where momentum is building  cross the country. The session will also cover effective ways to engage policymakers.

Who: Matt Pearce, Director of Policy for Rebuild Local News; Susan Patterson Plank, Director of Government Affairs and Partnerships for Rebuild Local News.

When: 3:30 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Online News Association

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Fri, April 10 - Consumer Reporting 101

What: By attending this class, you will learn: The breadth of consumer reporting; How to identify and evaluate potential stories; The process of verifying claims to build strong, accurate reports.

Who: Sarah Guernelli, WPRI 12.

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: New England First Amendment Coalition

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Fri, April 10 - Remote access to Film and Video for Research, Teaching, Exhibition and Learning in Libraries, Archives and Museums

What: Join a panel of experts to examine the possibilities that enable remote access, discuss the distinctions between identifiable audiences and the public, and the potential of virtual screening/access/reading rooms.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Open Copyright Education Advisory Network (OCEAN)

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Most judges say they have used AI in their work

A study found over 60 percent of surveyed judges have used AI in their work. Around 22 percent of the judges said they used AI daily or weekly in their duties. All the judges said that they do not rely on AI to decide how they will rule in case, but that after they decide, the tools can provide a starting point to write a legal document — not unlike a template that judges or clerks might use when writing routine orders — that they can then edit. -Washington Post

19 Articles about AI & Ethics

AI Definitions: Agents

AI Agents – These chatbots have the ability not only to answer questions and provide information, but to act on users' behalf in the background, autonomously. Users provide a goal (from researching competitors to virtual assistant functions like buying a car or planning a vacation), and the agent generates a task list and starting to work by breaking down the overall goal into smaller steps. The ability to understand complex instructions is crucial for agentic AI to be effective. Rather than passive processors of language, these proactive active agents can produce practical, real-world applications in uncertain but data-rich environments as it interacts with external tools and APIs. Agents are not the same as “AI copilots” which can collaborate with users but don’t make decisions on their own as agents can do. They are also not as powerful as Agentic AI, which can act more autonomously.

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“Social media is populist and polarizing; AI may be the opposite"

While different AI platforms behave in subtly different ways, all of them nudge people away from the most extreme positions and towards more moderate and expert-aligned stances. This remains true after accounting for partisan differences in AI platform usage and chatbots’ sycophantic tendencies. -John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times

AI Definitions: Training Data

Training Data – A massive amount of text is initially fed into the system to train it. The AI uses this info to create a map of relationships, so it can make predictions. Giving the AI lots of data means more options, which can lead to more creative results. However, this can also make it more vulnerable to hackers and hallucinations. Using more curated, locked-down data sets makes AI models less vulnerable and more predictable but also less creative. 

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 32 Free Online AI Classes

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AI for Everyday Living: A Beginner Workshop for Older Adults (OpenAI Academy)

AI For Everyone (Coursera)

ChatGPT 101: The Complete Beginner's Guide and Masterclass (Udemy)

ChatGPT for Education 101 (OpenAI Academy)

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Intro to Generative AI: A Beginner’s Primer on Core Concepts - Google (through Coursera)

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Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT – Vanderbilt University (through Coursera)

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Teaching AI Fluency (Anthropic)

AI Definitions: Tokens

Tokens - Think of a token as the root of a word. “Creat” would be the “root” of words like create, creative, creator, creating, and creation. An LLM looks for correlations — words that go together like giraffe and neck. This group of words are represented by a token. A single word might fall into many tokens since the word might have multiple meanings and the subwords of this word will likely correlate to many other subwords. One token generally corresponds to ~4 characters of text for common English text. Examples

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The AI Niceness Overload

Stanford researchers say chatbots are overly agreeable when giving interpersonal advice, affirming users' behavior even when harmful or illegal. On top of that, users could not distinguish when an AI was acting overly agreeable. The study’s lead author worries that the sycophantic advice will worsen people’s social skills and ability to navigate uncomfortable situations. “AI makes it really easy to avoid friction with other people.” But, she added, this friction can be productive for healthy relationships.  More from Stanford

A Simple Explanation as to How AI (LLMs) Works

Building the AI 

Large Language Models (LLMs). Computer programs that do one thing: predict the next “token.”   

Training Data. A massive amount of text is initially fed into the system to train it.  

Parameters. The internals rules and limitations learned from the training data. 

Tokenization part 1: pre-training. The process of converting the raw training data (text, images, or audio) into small units called tokens. 

What happens When Someone uses the AI

Prompt. A user asks a question.

Tokenization part 2: inference. The process of converting the prompt (whether text, images, or audio) into small units called tokens. 

Embedding. The conversion of tokens into numbers (vectors) so the computer can look at their relationships. 

Vector databases. The storage and search engine for vector embeddings.  

RAG. The system searches the vector database relevant to the prompt to prevent hallucinations and provide updated information.

Transformers. The core AI architecture that uses vectors to make a prediction about which token to generate next for the prompt.  

13 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism & Media

Mon, Mar 30 - Responsible Journalism

What: Best practice when reporting on domestic abuse and sexual violence.

When: 9 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Welsh Women’s Aid

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Tue, Mar 31 - Agile Infographics

What: Quickly and efficiently make professional infographics. To stay current, designers want to adopt “Agile methodologies.” This innovative/cutting-edge workshop shows (step-by-step) how to use Agile to turn words into professional, compelling infographics quickly. Learn the proven techniques and tools the pros use to do more with less. 

Who: Mike Parkinson Author, Owner, Billion Dollar Graphics.

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Training Magazine

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Tue, Mar 31 - The Future of Reporting: Navigating AI's Impact on Editorial

What: Our expert panel will break down how B2B media companies are responding to media landscape changes and share actionable strategies for journalists to thrive. We’ll discuss: Which tasks are easily automated to save you time; Where to lean on human strengths like deep connections and context; The impact of AI on source verification and research; The B2B media roadmap for an AI-integrated future.

Who: Brendan Howard, Freelance Podcast Host; Maria Korolov, Technology Journalist & Author; Alexis Gajewski, Associate Director of Newsroom Operations, Endeavor B2B; Priyanka Rao, Founder & CEO, AI Champions.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: American Society of Business Publication Editors

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Tue, Mar 31 - The Panama Papers at 10: What Changed — and What Hasn’t

What: Ten years ago, the Panama Papers exposed the hidden offshore financial system used by politicians, billionaires and criminals around the world. Its impact continues to shape the fight against financial secrecy today.A conversation about how the investigation unfolded, the reforms it triggered and why the struggle for transparency is far from over.

Who: ICIJ Executive Director Gerard Ryle; international tax justice expert Tove Maria Ryding.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: International Consortium of Investigative Journalist

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Tue, Mar 31 - Media Law & Press Freedom in the Current Administration

What: We will evaluate the angles of attack against journalists and news organizations and discuss how to exercise First Amendment rights in the face of hostility and near constant threats.

Who: Jeffrey Hermes, Deputy Director, Media Law Resource Center; George Freeman, Executive Director, Media Law Resource Center.

When: 6 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: National Association of Hispanic Journalists

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Wed, April 1 - Advertising Transformation in Local Media: How Regional Publishers Are Rebuilding Revenue

What: How the publisher's advertiser relationships were tested in real time as they covered one of the most consequential local news stories in the country: the federal immigration enforcement operations that have drawn national attention.

Who: Brian Kennett, VP and head of digital advertising and agency services at the Minnesota Star Tribune; Dave Karabag, regional VP of advertising sales at the Orlando Sentinel.

When: 10 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free to members

Sponsor: International News Media Association

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Wed, April 1 - ChatGPT for Teachers 101  

What: This session will provide a practical walkthrough of the platform and show how teachers, school staff, and district administrators can begin using AI to support their day-to-day work.

Who: Kirk Gulezian, Education & Government, OpenAI.

When: 11 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: OpenAI Academy

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Wed, April 1 - Using workspace analytics to drive AI adoption

What: A hands-on session on how teams use Workspace Analytics in ChatGPT Enterprise to run stronger rollouts—finding where adoption is gaining traction, where it’s stalling, and what to do next. 

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: OpenAI Academy

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Wed, April 1 - 8 Ways to Grow Your Nonprofit’s Following on Social Media

What: The average growth rate for new social media followers ranges from .64% to 3% per month, depending upon the platform. In other words, the era of organic growth on social media is over. To grow your nonprofit’s following on social media, you need to make a concerted effort to let your supporters and donors know how to find your nonprofit on social media. This free 20-minute webinar will present eight ways to grow your nonprofit’s following on social media.

Who: Heather Mansfield, Founder of Nonprofit Tech for Good.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Nonprofit Tech

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Wed, April 1 - Disability Guide Launch  

What: Built by Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) in collaboration with the Disabled Journalists Association (DJA), Fix the Frame: A Newsroom Guide to Disability Narratives is a practical resource designed to help journalists produce more accurate, respectful, and inclusive reporting on disability.

Who: Zack Baddorf (MVJ); Cara Reedy (DJA); Rebecca Cokley, Ford Foundation; Sam Kille; Beth Haller; Russell Midori (MVJ); Devon Lancia (MVJ).

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Military Veterans in Journalism

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Thu, April 2 - How to Reinforce Training with AI and Coaching

What: We’ll explore how leaders can automate coaching prompts, personalize development pathways, and measure impact without losing the human touch. The combination of AI and coaching creates an ecosystem of intelligent reinforcement—keeping learners engaged long after training ends.

Who: Tim Hagen is the President of Progress Coaching.

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: OpenSesame

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Thu, April 2 - AI‑Driven Cyber Threats: What’s Real, What’s Hype, and How to Prepare

What: We will explore how AI is accelerating both cyberattacks and defenses, why SMBs and mid-market organizations are increasingly targeted, and how the gap between traditional security tools and AI-era threats continues to widen. 

Who: Justin Vredeveld, Business Development Manager; Jared Olson, Security Team Lead; Blake Mielke, Incident Response Lead.

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Ontech Systems

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Fri, April 3 - Using AI to Measure the Efficacy of Professional Learning 

What: How using AI to analyze large collections of data can shed light on the efficacy of professional learning.

Who: Lisa Schmucki, Founder and CEO of edWeb.net; Thor Prichard, President and CEO of Clarity Innovations.

When: 12 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: EdWeb.net

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Reducing Loneliness: AI or Human?

Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that first-semester college students who texted a randomly selected fellow first-semester college student every day for two weeks experienced around a nine percent reduction in feelings of loneliness. The same two weeks of daily messaging with a Discord chatbot reduced loneliness by around two percent, which turned out to be the same amount as daily one-sentence journaling. -404 Media

A more meaningful study might be to teach the LLM to mimic a first semester student of the same economic and social background as the person who is part of the study.