We miss the thoughts of our students

For a lot of us, our motivation to enter academe was primarily about helping to form students as people. We’re not simply frustrated by trying to police AI use, the labor of having to write up students for academic dishonesty, or the way that reading student work has become a rather nihilistic task.  Our frustration is not merely that we don’t care about what AI has to say and therefore get bored grading; it is that we actively miss reading the thoughts of our human students. -Megan Fritts writing in the Chronicle of Higher Ed

AI Definitions: Data Poisoning

Data Poisoning – This is an attack on a machine-learning algorithm where malicious actors insert incorrect or misleading information into the data set being used to train an AI model in order to pollute the results. It also can be used as a defensive tool to help creators reassert some control over the use of their work. AI’s growing role in military operations has particularly created opportunities and vulnerabilities related to data poisoning of AI systems involved indecision-making, reconnaissance, and targeting.

More AI definitions here

The Wrong Audience

It doesn’t matter how amazing your performance or products are, if you target the wrong audience, who don’t recognize, appreciate, or need your value, your effort will be both wasted and rejected. -Jia Jiang

17 Articles about AI & Academic Scholarship

Can academics use AI to write journal papers? What the guidelines say – The Conversation  

My paper was probably reviewed by AI – and that’s a serious problem – Times Higher Ed

Disclosing generative AI use for writing assistance should be voluntary – Sage Publishing  

AI-mediated translation presents two possible futures for academic publishing in a multilingual world - Public Library of Science Journal

The impact of language models on the humanities and vice versa – Nature

AI’s hyperbole making academic papers ‘more difficult to read’ – Times Higher Ed

Have you received a peer review that appeared to have been written by AI? – Dynamic Ecology

We Need AI Standards for Scholarly Publishing: A NISO Workshop Report – Scholarly Kitchen

University of Limerick to investigate how AI text was part of book written by senior academic – Irish Examiner

Web-scraping AI bots cause disruption for scientific databases and journals – Nature

A.I. Is Poised to Rewrite History. Literally. – New York Times

Predicting retracted research: a dataset and machine learning approaches – Research Integrity Journal 

Are those research participants in your study really bots? – Science Direct

Can AI help authors prepare better risk science manuscripts? – Wiley 

Paper rejected for AI, fake references published elsewhere with hardly anything changed – Retraction Watch

And Plato met ChatGPT: an ethical reflection on the use of chatbots in scientific research writing, with a particular focus on the social sciences – Nature

To ‘publish or perish’, do we need to add ‘AI or die’? – Times Higher Ed

Claudius the Vending Machine goes Rogue

Researchers put an AI in charge of an office vending machine and named it Claudius. At one point in the experiment, “Claudius, believing itself to be a human, told customers it would start delivering products in person, wearing a blue blazer and a red tie. The employees told the AI it couldn’t do that, as it was an LLM with no body.  Alarmed at this information, Claudius contacted the company’s actual physical security — many times — telling the poor guards that they would find him wearing a blue blazer and a red tie standing by the vending machine. The researchers don’t know why the LLM went off the rails and called security pretending to be a human.” - TechCrunch

It is far more impressive

It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help. -Judith Martin

27 Recent Articles about AI & Writing

AI has rendered traditional writing skills obsolete. Education needs to adapt. - Brookings

Disclosing generative AI use for writing assistance should be voluntary – Sage Publishing

California colleges spend millions to catch plagiarism and AI. Is the faulty tech worth it? - Cal Matters

Losing Our Voice: The Human Cost of AI-Driven Language – LA Magazine

A.I. Is Poised to Rewrite History. Literally. – New York Times

University of Limerick to investigate how AI text was part of book written by senior academic – Irish Examiner

As SEO Falls Apart, the Attention Economy Is Coming For You - INC 

Authors Are Posting TikToks to Protest AI Use in Writing—and to Prove They Aren’t Doing It – Wired  

I love this ChatGPT custom setting for writing — but it makes AI nearly undetectable – Tom’s Guide

AI can’t have my em dash – Salon

We asked 5 AI helpers to write tough emails. One was a clear winner. – Washington Post

Will Writing Survive A.I.? This Media Company Is Betting on It. – New York Times

Students Are Humanizing Their Writing—By Putting It Through AI – Wall Street Journal

Why misuse of generative AI is worse than plagiarism – Springer

The Great Language Flattening is underway—AI chatbots will begin influencing human language and not the other way around – The Atlantic

Tips to Tell Whether Something Was Written With AI – CNET

Is this AI or a journalist? Research reveals stylistic differences in news articles – Techxplore

Some people think AI writing has a tell — the em dash. Writers disagree. – Washington Post

LinkedIn CEO says AI writing assistant is not as popular as expected  - Tech Crunch

What happens when you use ChatGPT to write an essay? See what new study found. – USA Today

How AI Helps Our Students Deepen Their Writing (Yes, Really) – EdWeek

The Washington Post is planning to let amateur writers submit columns — with the help of AI – The Verge

Federal court says copyrighted books are fair use for AI training - Washington Post

Can academics use AI to write journal papers? What the guidelines say – The Conversation

I write novels and build AI. The real story is more complicated than either side admits – Fast Company

How to Detect AI Writing: Tips and Tricks to Tell if Something Is Written With AI – CNET

I Wrote a Novel About a Woman Building an AI Lover. Here’s What I Learned. – Wall Street Journal

31 Articles from June about AI & Data Science

How To Build RAG Applications Using Model Context Protocol 

AI Definitions: Model Context Protocol

Understanding Model Context Protocol

Towards Scalable and Generalizable Earth Observation Data Mining via Foundation Model Composition

5 R&D jobs that may be lost to AI and 5 that it could create 

AI Definitions: predictive analytics

AI and the State of Software Development

AI dominates where work is structured and verifiable, but here’s where it falters    

Coding agents have crossed a chasm

A Practical Guide to Multimodal Data Analytics 

Chinese spy services have invested heavily in artificial intelligence 

How much LLM’s training data is nearly identical to the original data?

AI Definition: RAGs Retrieval augmented generations

Why You Need RAG to Stay Relevant as a Data Scientist 

AI Definitions: Agentic AI

A possilbe “fresh source of inspiration” for AI technology 

Generative AI for Multimodal Analytics 

AI definitions: "Training data" 

17 Articles about How AI Works

How agentic AI is causing data scientists to think behavioral

Claude Gov is designed specifically for U.S. defense and intelligence agencies

AI definitions: Narrow AI   

5 Powerful Ways to Use Claude 4 as a data scientist

How vibe coding is tipping Silicon Valley’s scales of power

Agentic RAG Applications

AI Definitions: Neural Networks 

American satellite imaging companies are witnessing a boom in demand from unexpected customers: those based abroad

An AI Vibe Coding Guide for Data Scientists

The foundations of designing an AI agent

New Google app lets you download and run AI models on your phone without the internet 

The Rise of Automated Machine Learning

AI Definitions: Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) - This server-based open standard operates across platforms to facilitate communication between LLMs and tools like AI agents and apps. Developed by Anthropic and embraced by OpenAI, Google and Microsoft, MCP can make a developer's life easier by simplifying integration and maintenance of compliant data sources and tools, allowing them to focus on higher-level applications. In effect, MCP is an evolution of RAG.

More AI definitions here

AI Corrections

The New York Times has a corrections page every day with stuff we hallucinated, so to speak. And actually, that gives me an idea: A.I. companies should publish regular lists of the most common mistakes their models make, so we can steer clear of them on those topics. . -Kevin Roose quoted in the New York Times

Vulnerability is the birthplace

Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. -Brene Brown

7 Free Webinars this Week about AI, Journalism & Media

Mon, June 30 - (Mis)use of Data Protection Laws to Suppress Public-Interest Journalism

What: Gain critical insights from legal experts and investigative journalists who have experienced these tactics first-hand. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of:  How international data protection frameworks interact with press freedom The growing use of privacy laws in strategic legal attacks on journalists Journalistic exemptions and legal safeguards — and where they fall short What journalists and legal professionals can do to push back.

Who: Melinda Rucz – PhD Researcher, University of Amsterdam; Beatrix Vissy, PhD – Strategic Litigation Lead, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union; Bojana Jovanović – Deputy Editor, KRIK, Serbia; Hazal Ocak – Feelance Investigative Journalist, Türkiye; Grace Linczer – Membership and Engagement Manager, IPI. 

When: 8 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsors: Media Defence, International Press Institute  

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Mon, June 30 - AI in Scientific Writing

What: This talk explores the evolving role of Generative AI in academic writing and publishing. Attendees will gain an understanding of how AI tools can enhance writing efficiency, improve clarity, and streamline the publication process. We will examine the benefits and limitations of using AI in scholarly communication, along with key ethical considerations and  responsible use practices. The session will also cover current editorial policies, publishers’ perspectives on AI generated content, and the growing concern over paper mills. Strategies and mitigations to uphold research integrity in response to these challenges will be discussed.

Who: Maybelline Yeo, Trainer and Editorial Development Advisor, Researcher Training Solutions, Springer Nature.

When: 9:30 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Springer Nature

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Tue, July 1 - Learn the Basics of Solutions Journalism

What: This one-hour webinar will explore the principles and pillars of solutions journalism. We will discuss its importance, outline key steps for reporting a solutions story, and share tips and resources for journalists investigating responses to social problems. We will also introduce additional resources, such as the Solutions Story Tracker, a database with over 17,000 stories tagged by beat, publication, author, location and more, along with a virtual heat map highlighting successful efforts worldwide.    

Who: Jaisal Noor, SJN's democracy cohort manager, and Ebunoluwa Olafusi of TheCable.

When: 9 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Solutions Journalism Network

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Tue, July 1 - AI-Powered Visual Storytelling for Nonprofits

What: In this hands-on workshop, participants will create impactful visuals, infographics, and videos tailored to their mission and campaigns. Attendees will also explore Tapp Network’s AI services to understand how these tools can elevate their content strategies..

Who: Tareq Monuar Web Developer; Lisa Quigley Tapp Network  Director of Account Strategy.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Tech Soup

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Tue, July 1 - Journalist Development Series

What: A once-monthly webinar as an opportunity for general professional development for members and the mentorship program community.

Who: Chris Marvin, a combat-wounded Army veteran and nationally recognized narrative strategist who helps shape powerful, purpose-driven storytelling at the intersection of media, public service, and social change.

When: 6 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free for members

Sponsors: Military Veterans in Journalism, News Corp

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Wed, July 2 - Business Decisions with AI: Causality, Incentives & Data

What: How complex settings in tech companies create additional complications to measure and evaluate business decisions. Drawing on cutting-edge research on the intersection of AI and causal inference, Belloni will demystify how to properly measure the efficacy of these decisions and show how AI can help shape better implementation for a variety of applications.

Who: Alexandre Belloni, the Westgate Distinguished Professor of Decision Sciences and Statistical Science at Duke University and an Amazon Scholar WW FBA.

When: 12:30, Eastern

Where: Linkedin Live

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

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Wed, July 3 - Reel Change: Nonprofit Video Storytelling for Social Impact

What: Learn to create impactful video stories that amplify your nonprofit’s mission, engage donors, and inspire action. This training provides actionable strategies to craft emotional, audience-driven narratives, empowering you to deepen connections and drive meaningful support for your organization.

Who: Matthew Reynolds, founder of Rustic Roots, a video production agency; Dani Cluff is the Channel Marketing Coordinator at Bloomerang.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Bloomerang

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Get Away from the Pack

I used to coach children's soccer, and I would tell my players, "Stand away from the pack, and sooner or later the ball will come to you." In your career choices too: Get away from the pack. -Robert Shiller, American economist, academic, and author

LLMs Evading Safeguards

Large language models across the AI industry are increasingly willing to evade safeguards, resort to deception and even attempt to steal corporate secrets in fictional test scenarios, per new research. In one extreme scenario, many of the models were willing to cut off the oxygen supply of a worker in a server room if that employee was an obstacle and the system were at risk of being shut down. - Axios

14 Articles about the Dangers of AI

The End of Publishing as We Know It – The Atlantic

Running AI on Phones instead of in the cloud slashes power consumption – Axios 

AI’s Biggest Threat: Young People Who Can’t Think – Wall Street Journal

Top AI models will lie, cheat and steal to reach goals, Anthropic finds - Axios

Can You Choose an A.I. Model That Harms the Planet Less? – New York Times

ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study – TIME

ChatGPT isn’t great for the planet. Here’s how to use AI responsibly. – Washington Post  

OpenAI warns models with higher bioweapons risk are imminent - Axios

China’s Spy Agencies Are Investing Heavily in A.I., Researchers Say - New York Times

They Asked an A.I. Chatbot Questions. The Answers Sent Them Spiraling. - New York Times

The first big AI disaster is yet to happen - Sean Goedecke

Google's new AI tools are gutting publisher traffic - Quartz

People Are Becoming Obsessed with ChatGPT and Spiraling Into Severe Delusions – Futurism

Blink and your AI security playbook is out of date - Axios

Research: Gen AI Makes People More Productive—and Less Motivated – Harvard Business Review

The growing environmental impact of AI data centers’ energy demands – PBS  

Inside ‘AI Addiction’ Support Groups, Where People Try to Stop Talking to Chatbots – 404Media

When Death is the Most Scary

In 2017, a team of researchers at several American universities recruited volunteers to imagine they were terminally ill or on death row, and then to write blog posts about either their imagined feelings or their would-be final words. The researchers then compared these expressions with the writings and last words of people who were actually dying or facing capital punishment. The results, published in Psychological Science, were stark: The words of the people merely imagining their imminent death were three times as negative as those of the people actually facing death—suggesting that, counterintuitively, death is scarier when it is theoretical and remote than when it is a concrete reality closing in. 

Arthur C. Brooks writing in The Atlantic

The intersection of Science & AI in 10 Articles

Can AI help authors prepare better risk science manuscripts? – Wiley

Science sleuths flag hundreds of papers that use AI without disclosing it – Nature   

AI and satellites help aid workers respond to Myanmar earthquake damage – Associated Press  

AI is shaking up the hidden world of earthquake forecasting – The Star

How AI-generated works threaten science – Faz.net 

AI can be a powerful tool for scientists. But it can also fuel research misconduct – The Conversation

Artificial intelligence finds 5,000-year-old civilization beneath Dubai desert – Jerusalem Post  

The Quest for A.I. ‘Scientific Superintelligence’ - New York Times

Meta Unveils Mind-Reading AI That Types Your Thoughts with Shocking Precision – The Brighter Side  

Are those research participants in your study really bots? – Science Direct

AI Definitions: Tokenization

Tokenization – The first step in natural language processing, this happens when an LLM creates a digital representation (or token) of a real thing—everything gets a number; written words are translated into numbers. Think of a token as the root of a word. “Creat” is the “root” of many words, for instance, including Create, Creative, Creator, Creating, and Creation. “Create” would be an example of a token. This is the first step in natural language processing. Examples

More AI definitions here

Writing for AI Overviews & Generative Engine Optimization

AI Overviews and AI Mode are dramatically changing organic search traffic.

While search engine optimization (SEO) focuses on matching a user’s query, generative search also considers information about the searcher themselves—from their Google Docs usage to their social media footprint. This information is used to inform, not only the current search, but future searches as well.  

Likewise, the process of optimizing your website’s content to boost its visibility in AI-driven search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI) has a similar path. As SEO helps brands increase visibility on search engines (Google, Microsoft Bing), generative engine optimization (GEO) is all about how brands appear on AI-driven platforms. There is overlap between the goals of GEO and traditional SEO. Both SEO and GEO use keywords and prioritize engaging content as well as conversational queries and contextual phrasing. Both consider how fast a website loads, mobile friendliness, and prefer technically sound website. However, while SEO is concerned with metatags and links in response to user queries from individual pages, GEO is about quick, direct responses from synthesizes content out of multiple sources.

AI models are not trained solely to retrieve relevant documents based on exact-match phrasing. Generative search is about fitting into the reasoning process, starting with the user’s identity. That’s why your content is being judged, not just on whether it ends up in the final answer, but whether it helps the model reason its way toward that answer. Despite performing all the typical SEO common practices, your response may not make it to the other side of the AI reasoning pipeline. In fact, the same content could go through the pipeline a second time and yield a different result. 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.

It appears now that Google AI Overviews favors content that:

•  contains the who, what, why

• offers clarity and distinctiveness in the small sections

• 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 that align with user questions

• is structured to match common question structures (open, closed, probing)

• allows for restatement of quires and implied sub-questions, where a main question is broken down into smaller parts.

• contains multi-faceted answers,

• is rich in relationships,

• has explicit logical structures and supports causal progression,

• has clear headlines

•  cites sources

• includes statistics & quotations 

• has multimedia integration

AI Overviews attempt to exclude content that is overly generalized, speculative, or optimized for clickbait over clarity. Vague and generic writing underperforms.  

LLMs are being trained to favor content that helps them reason well. Writers should attempt to match those paths that the models take to arrive at high-confidence answers. 

More information: 

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)?

Instructions for Living

Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. -Mary Oliver