Marty Swant

This op-ed we published today at MIT Technology Review provides a helpful reality check on concerns about whether AI will undermine elections worldwide. We're midway through one of the biggest election years ever—give it a read if you want the latest research on this important question. As a journalist, I liked this point in particular: "Overly alarmist narratives about AI’s presumed effects on democracy risk fueling distrust and sowing confusion among the public—potentially further eroding already low levels of trust in reliable news and institutions in many countries."

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OpenAI’s global influence operation doesn’t run on robots. The ChatGPT maker is expanding its people-powered lobbying, policy, and messaging teams, as it works to shape government rules for artificial intelligence, and to win converts for its tools from Capitol Hill to far-flung foreign countries. The growing OpenAI team soon will include new lobbyists as well as a big name in tech policy, business strategy, and political messaging, Chris Lehane, who joined this week. The artificial intelligence player boosted its footprint on Capitol Hill by 30% early this year, disclosing $340,000 on federal lobbying in the first quarter. More in BGOV: https://lnkd.in/e-Dt5Mia

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For this podcast, the Confident Retirement, there's a twist: I was the one interviewed, not the one asking the questions. (I like it better the other way - but that was fun - thanks for inviting me on, Kristopher Flammang CRPC®AIF®BFA®) Oh - and I'm not retiring :) Some of the things we talked about: * My early journalism career change to being a juvenile probation office for three years; • Why and how the Business Observer has made a transtions to #digitalfirst — and why we keep the focus on that; and • The lessons I've learned from interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs ands business owners Take a listen!

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For American tech companies building AI, the past few years have been an unregulated free-for-all. In the race to stuff these expensive new tools into every existing digital product, discussions about potential harms, transparency, and intellectual property have taken a back seat. But yesterday in the EU, the first comprehensive law regulating AI took effect. Here’s what it means. https://lnkd.in/e4QGkZNe

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Chatbots are a risky for endeavor for newsrooms (automated and highly-visible), and political chatbots more so. Kudos to Ryan Serpico and all others involved in the development of this fantastic new tool to ask questions about Kamala Harris via San Francisco Chronicle. I like that there's a link to editorial guidelines right there, and a detailed rundown of how it works. And a feedback form! This is a template for anyone looking to do the same at your newsroom. And, if you're looking for AI guidelines before experimenting (as you should), the Poynter Institute has a free template (in the comments)

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🎤🎸🤘🏻🚨 Latest from The Repute: "Crisis Comms Under the Microscope: Dave Grohl’s Approach" 🎤🎸🚨 In this edition, we take a real-time look at how rock legend Dave Grohl is handling the media fallout from his recent infidelity scandal. Using data-driven insights, we break down the New York Times' coverage of Grohl’s crisis communications strategy and analyze what worked—and what didn’t. https://bit.ly/3MIZy76 The analysis explores: - The effectiveness of proactively addressing scandals before they spiral - Why timing didn’t minimize media coverage as others have suggested - The nuanced balance between controlling the narrative and avoiding sensationalism Whether you’re dealing with a major PR issue or simply curious about how the media operates during high-profile scandals, this edition offers valuable lessons for managing your brand’s reputation. Read the full analysis and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have a great weekend everyone! Will Valentine Publisher, The Repute Founder and Principal, Valentine Advisors

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How AI firms and investors are funding and backing JD Vance & Trump in order to slash AI regulation. A must read - https://lnkd.in/eu4H9gpK

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The Center for Democracy and Technology in congressional testimony offered an extensive critique of AI-powered facial recognition while emphasizing the need to establish safeguards before the federal government and other entities deploy technologies that could pose challenges to civil rights and civil liberties. “Facial recognition serves as a premiere example of why responsible use of AI technologies is critical to ensuring safety as well as civil rights and civil liberties,” Jake Laperruque, deputy director of CDT’s Security and Surveillance Project, testified May 22 before the House Homeland Security Committee. “Facial recognition is especially fitting in evaluating responsible use because it is an AI technology that the government has used for law enforcement and security purposes for roughly a decade. Facial recognition can provide a roadmap of why key principles are essential, as well as offer clear warnings about how irresponsible and careless uses undermine public safety,” he said. READ MORE: #artificialintelligence

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Welcome to the inaugural edition of DpaaS Thoughts: A new, regular column by yours truly designed to forge synapse connections between seemingly disparate topics in #EnterpriseIT and #AI through vivid comparisons. The column will also regularly highlight related resources from recognized thought leaders that the editor finds interesting. In our first exploration, we highlight the parallel between the art of training grape vines and the science of training artificial intelligence models. Shoutout to Spencer Bradley, Robert Eve, Joe Perez ("Dr. Joe"), and David Sweenor for the inspiration. Read it, as well as our rapidly-growing library of #ThoughtLeadership free, exclusively at InsightJam.com.* *Use my link in the comments! Message me when you get there, and I'll help optimize your experience. #IterativeTraining

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Paired features from Scrip on AI/ML-focused dealmaking: https://lnkd.in/eCcby5z5 https://lnkd.in/eie3PCVu?

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I wrote about the new version of ChatGPT's voice assistant, GPT-4o, which can talk, laugh, interpret emotions and even sing. It's clearly modeled on Samantha from "Her," and it means that we are leaving the era of the dry, impersonal AI helper, and entering into much stranger territory. How will society change when AI voices can convince us they're human? Will we fall for our AI assistants, as Theodore does for Samantha? Or will other companies' more detached, less emotional chatbots carry the day? I wrote about the possibilities in The New York Times.

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The U.S. and China are kicking off long-awaited talks tomorrow in Geneva about AI safety and risks, senior administration officials told reporters. The talks are expected to focus primarily on the risks tied to advanced AI systems, as well as the safety frameworks the two countries are following domestically. Yes, but: Don't expect the talks to result in any sort joint resolution or written commitments, officials said. "We certainly don't see eye-to-eye with the PRC on many AI topics and applications, but we believe that the communication on critical AI risks can make the world safer," a senior administration official said. More on Axios: https://lnkd.in/epnyyiUD #artificialintelligence #diplomacy #technews #cybersecurity #AIsafety

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Latest from me and Belle L. in today's print edition of The Wall Street Journal: With President-elect Donald Trump preparing to take office, business technology leaders say they are bracing for immediate and long-term impacts from policies he will likely institute. That is in areas including tariffs, regulating artificial intelligence and mergers and acquisitions. One of the first areas Trump can make an impact is in tariffs, where the president-elect can act without seeking congressional approval. He has proposed tariffs of at least 60% on China, and 10% to 20% on other countries—lifting U.S. tariff rates to their highest since the 1930s. Many American companies rely on foreign-made hardware—including laptops and smartphones—for their employees. If prices for those goods go up, some CIOs say their technology budgets could be affected. On AI regulation, is likely that Trump will take a more relaxed approach, especially as Big Tech companies and startups alike have pushed for a light touch on AI safety rules. The benefit of looser rules, they say, is keeping innovation flowing. The administration will also likely bring about a deregulated mergers-and-acquisitions landscape, potentially encouraging “risky bets” on AI development, according to Shawn Helms, co-head of the technology transactions and outsourcing practice at law firm McDermott Will & Emery. At the moment, it is too soon to know what President-elect Trump is thinking. But John Roese, global chief technology officer and chief AI officer of Dell Technologies, who says the personal computer giant has worked with the Trump administration in the past, said it would work with them again. “We’ve been doing this for a very long time,” he said. “Many of these technologies are kind of above politics.” Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eSMwqHkr

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Good article on the value of original quality content and risks of GenAI’s generics & distortions today when AI volume is everywhere online. The image simulation is cool example!

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Interested in the impact of #ArtificialIntelligence on US homeland security policy and critical infrastructure protection? Check out this fascinating blog from my fellow National Security Institute (NSI) Fellow Jeffrey W.. It’s definitely a #mustread! #artificialintelligence #AI #DHS #homelandsecurity #criticalinfrastructure #nationalsecurity #thescif

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Worth reading from NiemanLab: Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline — like this one By David Markowitz, Hillary Shulman and Todd Rogers In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world? By not complicating things. Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language. In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines — journalists themselves — did not. We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an article’s headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments — also known as A/B tests — that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks. Headlines with more common words — simple words like “job” instead of “occupation” — shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, “Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Here’s why they shouldn’t say too much” outperformed the alternative headline, “Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it.” This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest. In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didn’t show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences. Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isn’t all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

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Governments have long complained about disinformation undermining elections, inciting unrest and deepening societal divides. But major companies (and smaller ones too) are now in the crosshairs and things are only getting messier. AI is being used to produce false material such as deepfake videos and other content more easily which is forcing businesses to move at super-speed to respond to fakery. Has your company been a target of a disinformation attack? How did you respond? Or are you worried about being hit - if so, what are you doing about it? This (not very festive) column was published over the holiday season, so re-upping now:

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NEW: Federal officials are citing several common barriers to carrying out the Biden administration’s directives on artificial intelligence, including preparedness and resource issues, according to recent compliance plans shared by agencies with the White House. I analyzed 29 of those documents and found that data readiness and access to quality data, a dearth of knowledge about AI and talent with specific expertise, and finite funding levels were among the most common challenges that agencies reported. Agencies also disclosed obstacles when it comes to their IT infrastructure, limitations in government-ready tools, and testing and evaluation challenges, among other issues. (Thanks to Alexander Howard and Valerie W. for your insights on the findings!) Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eveA2mFZ

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