While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important, which you might have missed, and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter.
A double issue this week!
Important Items
Anti-Trans Legislative Risk Assessment Map: March 2024 Update
For Adults, Idaho has increased in risk. For trans youth, Wyoming downgrades to “Worst” risk, Arizona improves to “low” risk, and Washington downgrades to “low” risk.
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/anti-trans-legislative-risk-assessment-cd3
MT @WhenWeAllVote When All Women Vote, we determine the direction of this country. Make sure you’re registered to vote NOW.
https://whenweallvote.org/voting101/
For gender equality we need investment in women, not charity, says UN deputy secretary general
RT @GenderAvenger LOUDER! 📣 Genuine investment in women is the 🔑 to creating gender equity in the world. There’s a difference between a handout and a hand up.
NYC school mental health jobs are on the chopping block
New York City is poised to lose funding for 60 school psychologists and nearly a quarter of the roughly 2,000 social workers embedded in public schools, even as Mayor Adams has warned of an ongoing “youth mental health crisis.”
Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power
AI and the boom in clean-tech manufacturing are pushing America’s power grid to the brink. Utilities can’t keep up.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/07/ai-data-centers-power/
Innovation
Non-Fungible Plants is an experiment storing NFTs in DNA of plants
This is fascinating! All the data you create in a yr could be stored in a single drop of DNA. Server farms consume enormous amounts of energy+water. Plants w DNA info. can make a data forest.
https://growyourown.cloud/technology/
Technology
AI at London Book Fair: European Publishers Cheer the AI Act’s Passage
“AI as a technology has great potential, including for our industry, but its original sin could not be overlooked, and the EU has now ensured that it can be corrected.”
Don’t use our books in your AI programs, publishers warn big tech
Dan Conway, chief executive of Publishers Association, claimed the content used to train artificial intelligence models was “being ripped off on a global scale.”
How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing
Some good tips from @EstelleSErasmus: Follow these tips to produce stronger writing that stands out on the web even in the age of AI and ChatGPT.
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/
Just because AI can write stories, doesn’t mean it necessarily should…maybe, we should leave this one to the professionals.
https://www.wired.com/story/confessions-viral-ai-writer-chatgpt/
Google Books reportedly indexing bad AI-written works
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/5/24122077/google-books-ai-indexing-ngram
Microsoft design exec turns to AI to illustrate son’s book about coping with anxiety
An interesting case study
Publishers give on-site search a long-needed upgrade in the form of AI chatbots
Forbes, the Financial Times, Snopes, Trusted Media Brands, and other news publishers are updating on-site search with AI chatbots.
Five ways to use AI with InDesign
RT @ThadMcIlroy “There is a fine line between ‘rules-based automation’ and Artificial Intelligence.”
https://www.siliconpublishing.com/blog/five-ways-to-use-ai-with-indesign/
NYT to soon offer most articles via automated voice
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/02/exclusive-nyt-to-soon-offer-most-articles-via-automated-voice
A ChatGPT for Music Is Here. Inside Suno, the Startup Changing Everything
Suno wants everyone to be able to produce their own pro-level songs — but what does that mean for artists?
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/suno-ai-chatgpt-for-music-1234982307/
Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Stevie Wonder and more musicians demand protection against AI
‘It’s very easy to steal someone’s voice’: how AI is affecting video game actors
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/29/how-ai-is-affecting-video-game-actors
OpenAI’s voice cloning AI model only needs a 15-second sample to work
Called Voice Generation, the model has been in development since late 2022 and powers the Read Aloud feature in ChatGPT.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/29/24115701/openai-voice-generation-ai-model
AI George Carlin case settled as performers demand better protection
The Dudesy podcast creators who imitated Carlin in a faked comedy special titled “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead” agreed as part of the settlement to take the offending content offline and never upload it on any platform.
OpenAI’s GPT Store Is Triggering Copyright Complaints
A publisher says some chatbots in OpenAI’s GPT Store were created using its copyrighted textbooks. OpenAI has taken down some of the bots but could face more complaints from rights holders.
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-gpt-store-triggering-copyright-complaints/
Meta will require labels on more AI-generated content
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/5/24121978/meta-ai-generated-content-label-requirements-deepfakes
How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for AI
MT @ednewtonrex The NYT reports that:
– OpenAI built a tool to transcribe YouTube videos to train its LLMs (likely infringing copyright)
– Google may have used YouTube videos the same way
– Meta avoided negotiating licenses for training data because it “would take too long”
– A lawyer for a16z says the scale of data required means licensing can’t work (despite several AI companies managing to release gen AI products without scraping data)
As Justine Bateman says, “This is the largest theft in the United States, period.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/06/technology/tech-giants-harvest-data-artificial-intelligence.html
Meta’s Smart Glasses Are Becoming Artificially Intelligent. We Took Them for a Spin
Meta’s AI-powered glasses offer an intriguing glimpse into a future that feels distant.The flaws underscore the limitations & challenges in designing this type of product
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/technology/personaltech/smart-glasses-ray-ban-meta.html
Welcome to the AI gadget era
Humane, Rabbit, Brilliant, Meta, and countless other companies are just about to launch AI-first gadgets. AI hardware may not be as big as the smartphone, but it’s going to be big.
https://www.theverge.com/24117865/ai-gadget-era-humane-rabbit-brilliant-meta
How the A.I. That Drives ChatGPT Will Move Into the Physical World
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/ai-robots-technology.html
This AI Startup Wants You to Talk to Houses, Cars, and Factories
Per @StevenLevy Archetype AI has built an AI foundation model that’s more of a large BEHAVIOR model than an LLM. It uses sensor data to let customers talk with buildings, factories and the human body. The idea is “ChatGPT but for physical reality.”
https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-ai-startup-archetype-talk-to-houses-cars-and-factories/
Now there’s an AI gas station with robot fry cooks
Convenience store chain Re-Up announced it’s installing “The Wingman,” a robot from Nala Robotics that drops fry baskets into hot oil & rolls chicken wings around in sauce before dumping into buckets
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/2/24119413/robot-fry-cook-re-up-gas-station-florida-ai
Google adds ratings to go with its new AI tools for shoppers
Shoppers can now vote thumbs up or down on items they find in search to hopefully find more of the stuff they like.
Up to 8 million UK jobs at risk from AI unless government acts, finds IPPR
Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design
MT @NNgroup GenUI promises highly personalized interfaces — a move from designing for many to tailoring for the individual.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/generative-ui/
Now you can use ChatGPT without an account
Anyone can now use ChatGPT even without an OpenAI account. You still need an account for DALL-E 3, though.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/1/24118007/openai-chatgpt-free-no-account-login
DALL-E now lets you edit images in ChatGPT
You’ll now find image editing tools when using DALL-E within ChatGPT, both on the web + mobile. Also, DALL-E now offers preset style suggestions to help inspire image creation.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/3/24120181/openai-dall-e-chat-gpt-image-edit
Meta AI Image Generator Bias
A reporter found that Meta’s AI image generator was unable to generate images of Asian men and white women using prompts like “Asian man with caucasian wife.” After her initial story, she then couldn’t get it to generate any Asian people using these same prompts.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/4/24121419/meta-instagram-ai-image-generator-asian-race
Here’s Proof the AI Boom Is Real: More People Are Tapping ChatGPT at Work
Despite recent warnings that generative AI is overhyped, new data from Pew Research Center shows a rapid increase in the number of people who have used ChatGPT at work.
https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-proof-the-ai-boom-is-people-tapping-chatgpt-at-work/
How ChatGPT and LLMs Work
RT @emollick The big three guides to the underlying technology of LLMs for non-specialists:
- Wolfram’s essay on how ChatGPT works: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/02/what-is-chatgpt-doing-and-why-does-it-work/
- Lee and Trot’s essay on LLMs with minimum jargon: https://understandingai.org/p/large-language-models-explained-with
- 3blue1brown’s new video on transformers: https://youtu.be/wjZofJX0v4M?si=UkiL0YCHu6yHqHiy
https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/02/what-is-chatgpt-doing-and-why-does-it-work/
Why Advertisers Claim Meta Owes $7 Billion in Damages
Facebook and Instagram’s Potential Reach metric inflates viewership figures by up to 400%, according to a lawsuit
https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/advertisers-claim-meta-owes-7-billion/
EU launches probe into Meta, Apple, & Alphabet under sweeping new tech law
They’re looking at Alphabet & Apple and “anti-steering rules;” whether Google favored its own services over rivals in search results, issues w Apple iOS, & Meta’s “pay or consent” model
Apple has secret teams exploring home robots as a potential “next big thing” after ending its car project
DoorDash begins piloting drone deliveries in the US
Select users in Christiansburg, VA will be able to order eligible menu items from their local Wendy’s.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/21/doordash-is-bringing-its-drone-delivery-pilot-to-the-u-s/
Amazon Ditches ‘Just Walk Out’ Checkouts at Its Grocery Stores
Though it seemed completely automated, it relied on >1,000 ppl in India watching & labeling videos to ensure accurate checkouts.The cashiers were simply moved off-site,& watched as you shopped
https://gizmodo.com/amazon-reportedly-ditches-just-walk-out-grocery-stores-1851381116
Amazon lays off several hundred employees
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-lays-off-several-hundred-employees/
Publishing & Media
Canada’s Indigo Bookstore Chain Agrees to a Buyout Offer from Trilogy Investments
Since last yr, former PRH Global CEO Markus Dohle has been a member of Trilogy’s company’s board + is chairing a special committee charged with handling the sale
https://publishingperspectives.com/2024/04/canadas-indigo-bookstore-chain-agrees-to-a-buyout-offer/
“The Small Press World is About to Fall Apart.” On the Collapse of Small Press Distribution
Last week, Diane Goettel was on vacation in Florida when she saw an alarming email on her phone. After 55 years, Small Press Distribution (SPD)—one of the last remaining independent book distributors in the US—was shutting down immediately, with no advance notice or transitional support. Its website went dark, its Twitter account was deleted, and no one was answering calls. “The small press world is about to fall apart,” Goettel remembers thinking. She’s the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, one of more than 400 publishers that relied on SPD to fulfill online orders and make copies available to bookstores and libraries.
Publishers distributed by Small Press Distribution
RT @jenbenka Hi, book friends. I found the list of publishers distributed by Small Press Distribution (SPD) as of the end of January 2024 on the Wayback Machine. I created a spreadsheet with links I could find quickly. It’s a work in progress but I hope this is of use.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zZR08o0ffa_qOkS9-thbC4DenA-_JHYp-2rW1VXIFZw/edit#gid=0
HarperCollins made a tiny tweak to its book design—and has saved thousands of trees as a result
HT @LauraB7 Over the past three years, HarperCollins’s designers have been tweaking fonts, layout, and even the ink used. The goal is to pack more into each page, while ensuring that the pages are as readable as ever. And so far, these subtle, imperceptible tweaks have saved 245.6 million pages, equivalent to 5,618 trees.
How BookTok Can Help Write the Next Chapter of Teen Dramas
Book-to-screen adaptations are nothing new, but TikTok trends are influencing the young adult TV landscape in interesting ways.
For Book Recommendations, People Are Always Better Than Algorithms
HT @PublishersWkly By @mariskreizman.
https://lithub.com/for-book-recommendations-people-are-always-better-than-algorithms
Amazon Kindle Lock Screens Are Showing Ads for AI-Generated Books
https://futurism.com/amazon-kindle-lock-screens-ai-generated-books
The New Adult Category: Where Did It Go?
Interested in learning how new adult differs from YA and adult fiction? Curious about what agents and publishers think of this book category? By @sangeeta_editor in Jane Friedman’s @HotSheetPub.
https://mailchi.mp/hotsheetpub/new-adult-category#mctoc2
Getting Through the Post Publication Blues
Good author advice from the always-insightful @KathMSchmidt
https://kathleenschmidt.substack.com/p/getting-through-the-post-publication
New research from The FLIP finds that while 77% of staffers enjoy work most have experienced burnout
Almost 60% of publishing staffers feel their salaries cannot cover their living costs, while 97% have experienced burnout, according to a survey by UK Female Leadership in Publishing (The FLIP).
There’s Not Enough Middle Grade Manga. U.S. Publishers Are Changing That.
https://www.slj.com/story/theres-not-enough-middle-grade-manga-US-publishers-are-changing-that
Accessibility Metadata Best Practices for Ebooks
MT @LauraB7 Loads of publishers are being careful to publish accessibly. But how can readers with print disabilities find that content? This report goes some way to trying to unravel that question
https://apln.ca/accessibility-metadata-best-practices-for-ebooks/
OCLC Acquires CloudLibrary Digital Content Platform
Nonprofit library technology cooperative OCLC—the company behind WorldCat, the world’s largest global catalog of library collections—has acquired digital lending service platform CloudLibrary from library e-book vendor Bibliotheca.
Indigenous Reads Rising
RT @wordisdiversity Indigenous Reads Rising of @diversebooks provides resources for Native writers and illustrators of children’s books who are interested in honing their craft and applying for grants and mentorships.
https://indigenousreadsrising.com
What It Takes for Kids to Get Lost in a Good Story, and Why It Matters
RT @FReadomFighters This study on kids’ reading and absorption into story reinforces the need for librarians and library time for elementary students. Reading isn’t just about skills – it’s about practice, too.
Women’s Media Group Celebrates 50 Years
It was truly an awesome night!
Life Magazine Will Come Back to, Well, Life
The investor Josh Kushner and his wife, Karlie Kloss, have struck a deal with Barry Diller’s media company to revive it as a regular print title.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/business/dealbook/life-magazine-kushner-kloss-diller.html
Former Deadspin owner G/O Media puts The Onion up for sale
The A.V. Club was scooped up by Paste Magazine, which recently bought shuttered G/O site Jezebel, and The Takeout has been bought by Static Media
BuzzFeed Deal to Create Digital ‘Supergroup’ in the UK
The Independent will take over BuzzFeed and the HuffPost in the UK as part of a deal bringing together several major online brands
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/independent-reaches-deal-over-buzzfeed-140005751.html
Forbes for years ran an alternate version of its website where it packed ads that were intended to run on Forbes.com
Per WSJ, this is another sign that brands don’t always get what they pay for in the opaque digital-advertising market
What news publishers should do now to avoid extinction in 2025
New York Times Now a Gaming Company
MT @ballmatthew The New York Times is now a gaming company on the basis of customer time spent.
https://twitter.com/ballmatthew/status/1774413955940639199
US Local News Swamped by ‘Pink Slime’ Sites
Dark money-funded outlets that mimic regional news sites are becoming more sophisticated ahead of the November election
https://www.ft.com/content/ce6f8b43-8b0f-4081-a13c-47e58640253e
Journalists Paying Sources
RT @mediagazer Some journalists have experimented with paying sources for their time in documentary work, in particular for podcasts, raising questions about ethics and power.
https://defector.com/shocking-heartbreaking-transformative-review
Book Résumés
Book Résumés help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. They detail each title’s significance and educational value and are easy to share with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members.
https://bookresumes.uniteagainstbookbans.org
How The BookmarkED/OnShelf App, Created to Help Schools Ban Books, Fuels Them Instead
HT @NoetheMatt The app is a student data privacy nightmare, and it undermines the professional capabilities of trained teacher librarians in educational institutions. Every book checked out by a child is then reported to the parent via notification and parents then get a synopsis of the book. Those synopsis are not the ones provided by a publisher. They’re synopses created by artificial intelligence which is “reading” the thousands and thousands of books being uploaded to the BookmarkED/OnShelf app.
MT @veronikellymars, BookmarkED/OnShelf is an app angling itself as a way to navigate book bans for parents/educators. But what it is is a tool to help book bans–why would they spend $80,000 on lobbyists to push Texas’s book ban legislation? It’s in several TX schools now.
https://bookriot.com/bookmarked-onshelf-book-banning-app/
Half of Book Bans Target LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC Books
RT @UABookBans ICYMI: A record-breaking 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023. Nearly HALF of the books were titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals.
https://glaad.org/ala-report-highlights-record-number-of-book-challenges-in-public-libraries/
25% of books banned in America today explore sexual violence
MT @veronikellymars This is a chilling statistic any time, but especially during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
https://bookriot.com/sexual-assault-awareness-month-book-banning/
Example of how long and convoluted the book review process is
MT @veronikellymars THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS is staying on shelves in Greeley, Colorado’s school district. The process began in December 2022. Decision came in late March 2024.
How Public Libraries Are Targeted Right Now—It’s Not “Just” Books
MT @veronikellymars From eliminating librarians on book review committees to privatization, here are how public libraries in the United States are currently being targeted. It’s not “just” the books.
https://bookriot.com/how-public-libraries-are-targeted/
Florida school principals whipsawed on book bans
MT @EveryLibrary Now that Desantis’ run for president is over, he is doing a full 180 on book bans. NOW school principals could soon face state penalties if they illegally prevent students from looking at library books in their schools.
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2024/03/23/florida-school-principals-whipsawed-book-bans-editorial/
Lessons Learned From Florida’s Ongoing Censorship Campaign
https://pen.org/report/cracks-in-the-facade/
Law that would ban the American Library Association from Georgia falls short on final day of session
Ultra-conservative lawmakers target Louisiana libraries as culture war rages on
House Bill 777 by Rep. Kellee Dickerson would prohibit any public employee from spending public funds with the American Library Association. Anyone who does would be subject to up to two years in prison or a fine of up to $1,000. The bill would force public libraries, including parish and university libraries, to sever their memberships with the association and prohibit libraries from sending their librarians to ALA conferences and other continuing education events. The villainization of the American Library Association is something that perplexes most librarians. “I’m not sure exactly what these people think go on at ALA conferences,” Suzanne Stauffer, an LSU library and information science professor said in an interview. “It’s workshops about how to better meet the needs of their community.” “Frankly, the conferences are dull,” Stauffer added, laughing.
Amid nationwide surge, one NYC high school offers a class on banned books
https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/04/03/nyc-school-teaches-students-about-banned-books/
Vermont Poised to Curtail Library Book Bans
Per @veronikellymars, this bill came from a state-wide report on libraries in late 2023–and Senators listened.
https://bookriot.com/vermont-library-bill-s220/
Resources & Opportunities
Ready, Set, National Library Week!
RT @ILoveLibraries Communities across the U.S. will come together April 7–13 for National Library Week. This year’s theme, “Ready, Set, Library!” is more than just a catchy phrase—it’s a call to action for Americans to rediscover the amazing opportunities libraries offer.
https://ilovelibraries.org/article/ready-set-national-library-week/
4/8 is Right to Read Day
MT @theRealSkipDye Monday 4/8 is Right To Read Day! Don’t let censorship eclipse your freedom to read. Visit http://Bit.ly/RightToReadDay for all you need to stand with Unite Against Book Bans and tell your elected officials to stand up to censorship.
https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-read-day/
Freelance and Full-Time Editorial Job Boards You Probably Don’t Know About
Via @kaitarford
https://freelanceopportunities.beehiiv.com/p/job-boards-probably-dont-know
Mastering Social Media Video Storytelling to Sell Your Book, with Miral Sattar
Writing Contests, Grants & Awards
Media Studies Grant 2024
RT @julidetem Media Studies Grant 2024 – Call for Projects open until April 19th, 2024. The Media Studies Grant aims to promote archive-based research and ensure the valorization of scientific knowledge for archival practice
https://fiatifta.org/media-studies-grant-2024-call-for-projects/
Fellowships & Residencies
MT @BOMBmagazine Don’t miss out on these fellowships, residencies, and prizes currently accepting applications. Browse the list and apply today!
https://bombmagazine.org/discover/fellowships-residencies/
Middle Grade & YA Writers
MT @LEEandLOW 📚Are you a middle grade or young adult writer? Are you an unpublished writer of color or Indigenous/Native writer hoping to break into publishing? 🎉Submissions for our New Visions Award are open from now through 6/30/24!
https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-visions-award
Writing Submissions from HBCU Students
MT @PRHHigherEd Ebony Ladelle, author of Love Radio, is editing an anthology of love stories set at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Ballantine Books is hosting an open call for submissions from current undergrad and graduate HBCU students for stories. #teamPRH
PENAmerica’s Disinformation Defense Toolkit for tips on debunking & verification
https://pen.org/issue/facts-forward/
The Power of Peer Support: Helping Journalists Persevere in the Face of Online Abuse
MT @MediaLiteracyEd Journalists should NOT have to face threats & hateful slurs alone. PENAmerica & Susan McGregor’s new report calls on the journalism industry to invest in spaces where reporters w/shared backgrounds & experiences can come together to get the support they need:
https://pen.org/report/peer-support/
ADCOLOR Leaders
ADCOLOR Leaders is a program to support historically excluded professionals in creative industries as they rise to executive roles. This program will feature cutting-edge workshops, discussions with thought leaders, and curated exercises encouraging self-exploration. ADCOLOR Leaders is specifically tailored for established professionals with 15+ years of experience. DEADLINE EXTENDED: APRIL 12, 2024
https://adcolor2024.typeform.com/to/tuDXF15q?typeform-source=t.co
National Museum of the American Latino Young Ambassadors Program
RT @marcelalandres Young Ambassadors Program for HS seniors that fosters the next generation of community-conscious Latino leaders in the arts, sciences, and humanities via the Smithsonian Institution and its resources, deadline 4/15 @USLatinoMuseum.
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Global Leaders Program
MT @marcelalandres The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Global Leaders Program offers college students and recent graduates a paid internship, a monthly living stipend, plus housing and transportation costs, application deadline 4/19
https://chli.org/gl-application/
Feminist Press Survey
I recently joined the Feminist Press Board and appreciate you filling out the survey. MT @FeministPress Hey friends! We want to hear from you ☑️ The insights you share will be used to inform our organizational priorities and will help us better serve you.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7T3FKW3
La Joie de Vivre Bookstore & Cafe Opens in Manhattan
La Joie de Vivre, a bookstore and café selling titles in French and English, has opened at 145 W. 27th St. 50% of books sold in the store are in French, offering French language literature, art, cooking, graphic novels and children’s books categories to New York’s French speakers. Of course, plenty of English language books are sold as well. Opening party Posters, games, stationery, accessories and merchandise are also available. An in-store cafe features beverages and French pastries sourced from local bakeries. An events calendar is in the works, along with regular photography and painting exhibitions on the shop’s walls. La Joie de Vivre is the passion project of Cyril Dewavrin, a bookstore owner for more than 20 years, and owner of Librairie La Comédie Humaine in the South of France.
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4696#m63331
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