Your Replacement
/You're not going to be replaced by AI; you're going to be replaced by somebody who knows how to use AI." -Abran Maldonado, community liaison for OpenAI
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
A Dozen Articles about AI & Health Care
/DermaSensor: World's first AI-powered skin cancer detecting device – Interesting Engineering
How doctors are using AI to diagnose a hidden heart condition in kids – Washington Post
Google AI has better bedside manner than human doctors — and makes better diagnoses - Nature
The startup that wants to cure diseases and slow aging, with the help of AI - Semafor
Medical AI could be ‘dangerous’ for poorer nations, WHO warns – Nature
This AI was built to tell pastries apart. Now it's helping fight cancer - CNN
ML Model Predicts Complications Following Cardiovascular Interventions – Heath IT analytics
US FDA approves world's first AI-powered skin cancer detecting device - Interesting Engineering
AI helps predict antidepressant response in a week – Medical.net
Health-care AI: The potential and pitfalls of diagnosis by app – The Conversation
AI Predicts Alzheimer’s 7 Years Early – Neuroscience News
Could AI Predict Psychosis Before it Happens? – Psychology Today
How would you answer this question?
/Whenever I interview someone for a job, I like to ask this question: “What important truth do very few people agree with you on?” This question sounds easy because it’s straightforward. Actually, it’s very hard to answer. It’s intellectually difficult because the knowledge that everyone is taught in school is by definition agreed upon. And it’s psychologically difficult because anyone trying to answer must say something she knows to be unpopular. Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.
Most commonly, I hear answers like the following:
“Our educational system is broken and urgently needs to be fixed.”
“America is exceptional.”
“There is no God.”
Those are bad answers. The first and the second statements might be true, but many people already agree with them. The third statement simply takes one side in a familiar debate. A good answer takes the following form: “Most people believe in x, but the truth is the opposite of x.”
Peter Thiel
In the middle of every difficulty
/In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. –Albert Einstein (born March 14, 1879)
Jobs being replaced by AI
/Which types of positions are being replaced by AI the fastest? In the past two years, “the number of writing jobs declined 33%.” Meanwhile, “Video editing/production jobs are up 39%, graphic design jobs are up 8% & Web design jobs are up 10 percent." -Business Insider
12 Recent Articles about AI’s future
/How the A.I. That Drives ChatGPT Will Move Into the Physical World – New York Times
How AI will influence creative tools – Figma
Western countries are more pessimistic about AI – Axios
Generative AI Landscape: Trends of 2024 and Beyond - eWeek
AI is Coming! Tips for Staying Calm and Carrying On – Wall Street Journal
AI Is Trying to Predict Your Death. It's Not as Scary as It Sounds. - Bloomberg
Generative A.I.’s Biggest Impact Will Be in Banking and Tech, Report Says - New York Times
How Generative AI Will Change All Of Our Jobs In 2024 - Forbes
AI is here – and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024 – The Conversation
The Year Ahead in AI: AI Predictions for 2024 – Expert AI
What an AI-powered future of data science looks like – Fast Company
A.I. Is Learning What It Means to Be Alive - New York Times
The Future Of Generative AI: 6 Predictions Everyone Should Know About – Forbes
It takes a lot of courage
/It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. -Alan Cohen
14 Recent Articles about the Dangers of AI
/The risks of expanding the definition of ‘AI safety’ – Semafor
Facial Recognition Used to Evict Single Mother for Taking Night Classes – Futurism
Microsoft Copilot AI suggested self-harm to a user – Quartz
AI-powered sports betting has spurred a public health emergency – 60 Minutes
GPT-4 only makes it slightly easier to create a bioweapon, OpenAI says – Semafor
Deepfake A.I. Is Coming for the Past, Too – New York Times
AI Data Centers need so much power they may need built-in Nuclear Reactors – Futurism
Scammers and spammers are trying to make money by using AI to pump out massive quantities of content to reach the top of Google search results – Business Insider
Gen AI and the racial wealth gap – McKinsey
AI is taking water from the desert – The Atlantic
Public trust in AI is sinking across the board - Axios
In Tests, GPT-4 Strangely Itchy to Launch Nuclear War - Futurism
Why We Must Resist AI’s Soft Mind Control – The Atlantic
Not in his goals
/Not in his goals but in his transitions man is great. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Give yourself an unlimited learning ability
/In a cartoon by the Farside cartoonist Gary Larson, a bug-eyed school kid asks his teacher, "Mr. Osborne, can I be excused? My brain is full!" If you're just engaging in mechanical repetition, it's true, you quickly hit the limit of what you can keep in mind. However, if you practice elaboration, there's no limit to how much you can learn. Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know. The more you can explain about the way your new learning relates to your prior knowledge, the stronger your grasp of the new learning will be, the more connections you create that will help you remember it later.
There's virtually no limit to how much learning we can remember as long as we can related it to what we already know. In fact, because new learning depends on prior learning, the more we learn, the more possible connections we create for further learning. Our retrieval capacity, though, is severely limited. Most of what we've learned is not accessible to us at any given moment. This limitation on retrieval is helpful to us: if every memory were always readily to hand, you would have a hard time sorting through the sheer volume of material to put your finger on the knowledge you need at the moment.
Peter C. Brown and Henry L. Roediger III, Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
9 Free Webinars This Week about Design, Journalism, Social Media, Public Records, & More
/Mon, March 11 - Human-Centered Design in CX
What: Learn: What human-centered design is and how it can be applied to CX; To use cases of successful human-centered design CX projects; Find out where human-centered design can encounter barriers.
Who: Jonathan Rubin, User Research Team Lead, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
When: 4 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: GovLoop
Mon, March 11 - A Sunshine Week talk with Laura Mollo, ‘the FOIA lady’
What: The SPJ Freedom of Information Committee will lead a Sunshine Week talk with Laura Mollo, also known as the ‘FOIA lady’ to talk about how to change your community using FIOA.
Who: Laura Mollo, also known as the ‘FOIA lady’ of Richlands, Virginia. Mollo, a stay-at-home mom, discovered that residents of her small Tazewell County town were put on hold when they called 911. Mollo used FOIA to change how her town handled 911 calls in her community despite the threats and intimidation she received.
When: 7:30, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists New England.
Tue, March 12 - 30 Minute Skills: Campaign Reporting 102
What: How to follow the money being received and spent by specific campaigns. How to report responsibly on current polling. How to handle opposition research.
Who: Ted Nesi, WPRI-Providence
When: 11 am, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The New England First Amendment Coalition
Tue, March 12 - FOIA 101: A Public Records Primer for Everyone
What: Whether someone has never filed a request before or if they’re trying to pick up some additional tips and tactics, this FOIA 101 training will help file smarter requests that get responded to more quickly while releasing more information. Covering the basics of both federal FOIA and state records laws, participants will leave with a solid approach for turning their questions and story ideas into concrete requests. They will also be introduced to a range of techniques to help them research and file while also solid first steps to overcoming common points of resistance.
When: 1 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists
Tue, March 12 - How to use Ocean Data for Journalism
What: Regular collection and analysis of data related to the ocean is essential for monitoring the health of the ecosystem and identifying trends and changes over time. By highlighting issues such as overfishing and plastic pollution, journalists can foster public engagement and support the body of knowledge related to ocean governance and management.
Who: Alexandra Talty is a multi-media journalist based in the US; Alexander More is a climate and health scientist at Harvard University; Georgios Hatzimanolis is the head of global communications and branding at Kpler; Jean-Charles Gordon is the ship tracking director at Kpler.
When: 10:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pulitzer Center
Wed, March 13 - Can You Prepare Today for the Digital Opportunities of Tomorrow?
What: We’ll talk about how brand managers, sales professionals, entrepreneurs and marketers need to be looking at a new digital landscape that will: Create fully immersive experiences that optimize revenue for brands, users and consumers Help consumers make better-informed purchasing decisions Enable companies to create virtual stores to sell digital and physical goods.
Who: Shurick Agapitov Founder, Xsolla.
When: 12 noon, Pacific
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network
Thu, March 14 - Using Social Media To Build Your Brand and Connect With Your Audience
What: Some tips, tricks, and examples of how him and others have used social media to grow their digital presence while also using that to develop a reciprocal relationship with an audience.
Who: Ty Rushing, co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists and senior editor of Iowa Starting Line.
When: 2 pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Virginia Press Association
Thu, March 14 - FOIA rights and guidelines for college students
What: If you’re a college journalist who is unfamiliar with Freedom of Information (FOI) laws or need help submitting a records request, SPJ and SPLC will give you a step-by-step guide.
Who: Student Press Law Center senior legal counsel Mike Hiestand.
When: 4 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: The Student Press Law Center and the Society of Professional Journalists
Fri, March 15 - The Appeals Process: Steps to take when your FOIA requests are denied
What: Practical advice on the records appeals process: how to start, how to track, and how to succeed with your open records requests. Whether you are seeking federal, state, or local records, you’ll learn how to get the information you’re after.
Who: Nate Jones FOIA director, Washington Post; Gunita Singh Staff attorney, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; Mark Walker Investigative reporter, New York Times.
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The National Press Club’s Journalism Institute
Falling on your face
/Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward. – Robert Gallagher
17 Articles about The Impact of AI on Business
/Embracing shadow AI will help accelerate innovation – CIO
The AI Productivity Boom Is Here—Is Your Company Ready To Seize It? – Forbes
What organizations should know about cybersecurity in the age of artificial intelligence – Biz Journals
A quick rundown of the impact AI will have on data roles across the organization – Venture Beat
Gen. AI is starting to help business tech leaders with the long overdue task of modernizing their IT systems – Wall Street Journal
Companies are using ‘AI washing’ to mislead consumers. – Washington Post
The pace of innovation in the space sector is picking up thanks in part to AI & machine learning – Space News
The company using AI to change customer service – Semafor
Slack launches AI bot to help manage never-ending work chats - Yahoo
The year of AI hype is over. The era of small AI is beginning.- Mashable
The Role Of Generative AI In HR - Forbes
We Asked AI to Draft a Business Plan. Here’s What We Got. – Wall Street Journal
AI Is Testing the Limits of Corporate Governance – Harvard Business Review
10 AI tools to take your business to the next level – Geeky-Gadgets
In search of the digital facelift
/Unsurprisingly, a large body of research shows that viewing idealised or retouched images adds to the dissatisfaction that many people already feel towards their body. Research by Kristen Harrison, a media psychologist at the University of Michigan, shows that even disclosing that celebrity and advertising images are retouched makes many of us feel worse about ourselves. Becoming more aware of what others edit may heighten our awareness of our own supposed flaws. That may encourage us to spend longer using digital tools to repair them. And once you start it’s hard to stop. I felt better about posting my first FaceTuned photo than I would have if I hadn’t edited it. And since we’re more inclined to post images of ourselves that we like, says Harrison, “it’s self-sustaining because you want to do it again and again and again.” Beauty is attainable for all. Just don’t expect it to be more than a pixel deep.
Amy Odell writing in 1843 magazine
Assessing Integrity
/Assessing a job candidate's integrity through interview questions can reveal how they approach moral challenges. For instance, “Describe how being an ethical employee differs from being an ethical company.” It's really a trick question because the answer should always be, "There is no difference."
Marcel Schwantes writing in Inc.
14 Recent Articles about AI & Politics
/Demand for computer chips fuelled by AI could reshape global politics and security – The Conversation
Trump supporters target black voters with faked AI images – BBC
Belarusian opposition endorses AI candidate in parliamentary elections - Semafor
Tech firms sign ‘reasonable precautions’ to stop AI-generated election chaos – The Guardians
OpenAI suspends maker of a ChatGPT-based bot mimicking Democratic presidential nominee Dean Phillips – Axios
Imran Khan’s ‘Victory Speech’ From Jail Shows A.I.’s Peril and Promise – New York Times
Parents of gun violence victims use AI to bring kids’ voices to Capitol Hill - Washington Post
New Era of AI Deepfakes Complicates 2024 Elections – Wall Street Journal
Tech companies sign accord to combat AI-generated election trickery – Courthouse News
AI concerns grow as billions of people worldwide prepare to vote this year – NPR
Technology group hopes to help Democrats win with AI-generated ads and emails – NBC News
Chatbots are generating false and misleading information about U.S. elections – Fast Company
Filling Up on Digital Junk Food
/We’re becoming quite intolerant of letting each other think complicated things. To hear someone else out, you need to be able to be still for a while and pay attention to something other than your immediate needs. So if we’re living in a moment when you can be in seven different places at once… on a phone here, on a laptop. How do we save stillness?
Erik Erickson talks about the need for stillness in order to fully develop and to discover your identity and become who you need to become and think what you need to think. Stillness is one of the great things in jeopardy.
When we’re texting, on the phone, doing e-mail, getting information, the experience is of being filled up. That feels good. And we assume that it is nourishing in the sense of taking us to a place we want to go. And I think that we are going to start to learn that in our enthusiasm and in our fascinations, we can also be flattened and depleted by what perhaps was once nourishing us but which can’t be a steady diet. If all I do is my e-mail, my calendar, and my searches, I feel great; I feel like a master of the universe. And then it’s the end of the day, I’ve been busy all day, and I haven’t thought about anything hard, and I have been consumed by the technologies that were there and that had the power to nourish me. If kids feel that they need to be connected in order to be themselves that’s quite unhealthy. They’ll always feel lonely, because the connections that they’re forming are not going to give them what they seek.
Sherry Turke, Alone Together
Face to Face
/People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. -Carl Jung
9 Free Webinars this week about Journalism, AI, Ethics, & More
/Mon, March 4 – What is Service Journalism?
What: Want to learn everything you need to know about service journalism? This workshop is about finding, reporting, writing, and pitching better service stories.
Who: Tim Herrera, former editor of NYT's service desk Smarter Living for a wide-ranging discussion on all things service journalism.
When: 2 pm, Pacific
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Freelancing With Tim
Mon, March 4 - Journalism Ethics: Not Just a Local Thing
What: The discussion will look at how news organizations with journalists from many different countries share and enforce basic rules of journalism ethics that we can all agree to.
Who: Fred Brown Chair of the SPJ Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and former Denver Post editor and columnist; Kathy English, former Toronto Star public editor/ombudsman and current chair of the Canadian Journalism Foundation; Steven Springer, former editor for standards and best practices at Voice of America and Eric Wishart, Standards and Ethics Editor for AFP.
When: 7pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists, Washington, DC chapter
Tue, March 5 – The Path Forward: Artificial Intelligence
What: Adobe’s suite of creative software incorporating AI, the company’s work to tackle misinformation and the balance between innovation and risk with the advent of new technologies.
Who: Shantanu Narayen, chair and CEO of Adobe
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Washington Post
Tue, March 5 - Introduction to AI for Nonprofits
What: Learn how to use AI to enhance your nonprofit's website and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Who: Tapp Network’s Jon Hill and web developer Tareq Monaur.
When: 10 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
Wed, March 6 - Using Microsoft Copilot (AI) in PowerPoint
What: We'll cover creating a presentation from scratch or from a document, editing a presentation, getting help from Copilot, including how to do a task in PowerPoint, summarizing a presentation, and finding content Best practices for getting the best results, including prompt engineering What Copilot can't do (at least not yet) and how to give Microsoft feedback.
Who: Ellen Finkelstein, President, Ellen Finkelstein Inc.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine Network, Presentation Guild
Wed, March 6 - The Art of Color Grading: The Impact on Visual Storytelling
What: The nuances of color grading, demonstrating how this essential process can transform the visual appeal and emotional impact of your digital content.
Who: Gabriela Fialova, Coordinator of Digital Media; David Ziegler, Media and Post-Production Specialist.
When: 6 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Thu, March 7 - Integrating Artificial Intelligence: Creating Video & Audio Projects
What: An immersive session exploring how Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the landscape of content creation. Discover cutting-edge tools and techniques that leverage AI to streamline video and audio production processes. We will guide you through hands-on demonstrations, showcasing the seamless integration of AI in video and audio projects. Learn how AI can enhance creativity, automate repetitive tasks, and open new frontiers in storytelling. Whether you’re a content creator, podcaster, or just an entrepreneur who lacks creativity, this webinar is tailored to help you harness the power of AI for captivating and innovative projects.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Thu, March 7 - How Journalists Can Support the PRESS Act
What: An off-the-record virtual panel discussion explaining the PRESS Act, and why reporters and editorial boards should cover it. The panel will be followed by an on-the-record Q&A session with audience members.
Who: Alex Bertschi Wrigley, legislative assistant for Sen. Ron Wyden; Fred Brown, chair of the ethics committee of the Society of Professional Journalists and former journalist for The Denver Post; Caitlin Vogus, deputy director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation; Larry Wilson, member of the Southern California News Group editorial board.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists
Fri, March 8 - Online Harassment & Privacy Protections: What journalists need to know
What: From doxing to hacking, journalists around the world are subject to online harassment and abuse every day. While some of these attacks have been aimed at political journalists and those working to hold power to account, all reporters need to be on the alert for potential online harassment and attacks. This webinar will offer instruction on how to minimize your personal risk of online harassment and protect your private information.
Who: David Huerta, senior digital security instructor for the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
When: 11:30 am
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: National Press Club Journalism Institute
Oh, the thinks!
/Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! Dr. Seuss (born: March 2, 1904)