Taming the AI monster: AI as a tool not a crutch (three sessions)

Dates: Monday, Aug. 10, Tuesday, Aug 11, and Wednesday, Aug 12, from 2-4 p.m. ET

Cost: $200.00 for members, $350.00 for non-members

Presented by: Claire Wardle, associate professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University; Mike Reilley, senior lecturer at the University of Illinois-Chicago; and Joshua P. Darr, associate professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications

Description: AI has been a hot-button issue for several years, and we’re still facing questions about how to ethically and responsibly use the wide range of tools in student media. In this three-day, in-depth training, you’ll learn tactile skills around developing clear policies and using AI tools effectively.

Topics will include:

• Developing AI ethics policies
• Using AI tools with “cautious curiosity”
• Understanding pitfalls and legal/ethical issues of AI tools
• Effective prompt writing

Bios:
Claire Wardle is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University. She is considered a leader in the field of misinformation, verification and user generated content. In 2015, Claire co-founded the non-profit First Draft, a pioneer in innovation, research and practice in the field of misinformation. She went on to co-found the Information Futures Lab at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Over the past decade she has developed an organization-wide training program for the BBC on eyewitness media, verification and misinformation, led social media policy at UNHCR, been a Fellow at the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and been the Research Director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Mike Reilley is a senior lecturer at the University of Illinois-Chicago and founder of JournalistsToolbox.ai, a free website featuring AI tools and training videos. He’s the author of two books: “Data + Journalism” (Routledge, 2023) and “The Journalist’s Toolbox: A Guide to Digital Reporting and AI” (Routledge 2024). Mike has spent the past decade teaching Google News Initiative and other digital and AI-driven tools to more than 22,000 journalists and educators in more than 600 trainings in 46 states. He’s currently the lead trainer for both the RTDNA/GNI Election Fact-Checking Program and the ONA/Microsoft AI in Journalism training program.

Joshua P. Darr is an associate professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Director of the Local NExT Lab, and a Senior Researcher in the Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship at Syracuse University, teaching classes in political communication. His research focuses on local news, partisan polarization, and campaign strategy. Darr has co-authored two books: Home Style Opinion: How Local Newspapers Can Slow Polarization (2021) and Storefront Campaigning (2024). He received an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2022 for his project investigating how newspapers can earn trust and reduce polarization. Darr earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania.

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