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. Please let me know what you think.

Important Items

Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable.

MT @propublica At least two women in Georgia died after they couldn’t access legal abortions and timely medical care in their state. This is one of their stories.

https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-abortion-ban-amber-thurman-death

Geeks & Nerds for Harris

Via @GeeksForHarris

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/geeks-and-nerds-for-harris-walz-organizing-call-tickets-1007731180087

Writers & Readers for Harris 2nd author chat

With Elin Hilderbrand, Christina Baker Kline, and Cheryl Strayed Tues, October 1 at 7ET. Register right away if you want to participate as there are a limited number of lower-price tickets.

https://secure.kamalaharris.com/a/oipqrghajsfvnaeitmhc

Innovation

Londoners will soon see drones ferrying blood between hospitals

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/17/londoners-will-soon-see-drones-ferrying-blood-between-hospitals/

Technology

How Hindustan Times Digital is using AI

They use automation for repetitive tasks like updating weather reports, pollution levels, commodity prices, and some earnings reports. Automation also supports live blogs and announcements. AI assists their editorial process – they’ve integrated AI into their in-house CMS, which monitors the quality of content, reduces errors, offers SEO suggestions, and provides alternative headers and summaries. AI assists in translating content from their larger network and provides summaries of large documents like PDFs and annual reports.

https://mediamakersmeet.com/how-hindustan-times-digital-is-using-ai/

Lionsgate signs deal to train AI model on its movies and shows

The studio behind the Hunger Games and John Wick franchises is going all in on Runway’s generative AI.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/18/24248115/lionsgate-runway-ai-deal

YouTube will use AI to generate ideas, titles, and even full videos

It can tell you what to make, suggesting a concept, providing a title and thumbnail, and even write an outline and the first few lines

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/18/24247559/youtube-ai-videos-veo-inspiration-tab

Amazon is stuffing generative AI into its shopping experience

They’re using AI to create tailored product recommendations based on user’s shopping history. Also they’re releasing an AI video generator for making product ads & a chatbot assistant for 3rd-party sellers.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249046/amazon-generative-ai-tools-personalized-shopping-recommendations

‘If journalism is going up in smoke, I might as well get high off the fumes’: confessions of a chatbot helper

Journalists & other writers are employed to improve the quality of chatbot replies. The irony of working for an industry that may well make their craft redundant is not lost on them

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/07/if-journalism-is-going-up-in-smoke-i-might-as-well-get-high-off-the-fumes-confessions-of-a-chatbot-helper

Google outlines plans to help you sort real images from fake

Google is planning to roll out a technology that will identify whether a photo was taken with a camera, edited by software like Photoshop, or produced by generative AI models.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/17/24247004/google-c2pa-verify-ai-generated-images-content

Microsoft’s Office apps are getting more useful Copilot AI features

Copilot can now help organize your Outlook inbox, perform advanced analytics in Excel, and build better PowerPoint decks.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/16/24246014/microsoft-office-copilot-ai-features-excel-python-outlook-word-powerpoint

Apple Intelligence Promises Better AI Privacy. Here’s How It Actually Works

Private Cloud Compute is an entirely new kind of infrastructure that, per Apple’s Craig Federighi, allows your personal data to be “hermetically sealed inside of a privacy bubble.”

https://www.wired.com/story/apple-private-cloud-compute-ai/

AI, Humans and Work: 10 Thoughts.

From the always on-point @rishad

https://open.substack.com/pub/rishad/p/ai-humans-and-work-10-thoughts

LinkedIn may have trained AI models on user data without updating its terms.

LinkedIn users in the US have an opt-out toggle in their settings screen disclosing that LinkedIn scrapes personal data to train “content creation AI models.” The toggle isn’t new. But LinkedIn initially didn’t refresh its privacy policy to reflect the data use.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/18/linkedin-scraped-user-data-for-training-before-updating-its-terms-of-service/

Gov. Newsom (CA) signs bills to protect actors, performers from AI

The bills aim to protect actors and performers from having their names, images and likenesses copied by artificial intelligence without authorization.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4885474-newsom-signs-bills-to-protect-actors-performers-from-ai/

How Roblox’s Shopify partnership lays the groundwork for e-commerce in the metaverse

Brands on Shopify can sell physical items directly to users within their Roblox games and experiences without ever leaving the platform. A Roblox user will see a “Buy Now” prompt next to a virtual product — say, a T-shirt or a pair of sunglasses or a tube of lipstick. When clicked on, it brings up a product page where users can see images of the real-life item. From there, the process resembles any other e-commerce site – users can select different colors or sizes and then complete their purchase. At the start, only U.S. users who are 13 or older will be able to buy something.

https://www.modernretail.co/technology/how-robloxs-shopify-partnership-lays-the-groundwork-for-e-commerce-in-the-metaverse/

Most US Teens Use Generative AI. Most of Their Parents Don’t Know

A news survey shows that AI use among high schoolers has exploded in recent months, as educators and parents struggle to keep up.

https://www.wired.com/story/teens-generative-ai-use-schools-parents/

Welcome to the Era of ‘Deep Doubt’

AI has scrambled our ability to tell what’s real and what’s synthetic. But there are tools and techniques to help stay grounded in truth.

https://www.wired.com/story/deepfakes-deep-doubt-era-artificial-intelligence/

Inside the deepfake porn crisis engulfing Korean schools

ICYMI

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdlpj9zn9go

Snapchat’s AI selfie feature puts your face in personalized ads — here’s how to turn it off

Agreeing to use Snapchat’s My Selfie means letting the app use your face in ads.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/17/24247238/snapchat-ai-my-selfie-feature-face-personalized-ads

Snap’s new AI feature lets you create Snapchat Lenses by simply describing them

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/17/snaps-new-ai-feature-lets-you-create-snapchat-lenses-by-simply-describing-them/

Snap’s extremely large Spectacles bring impressive AR to developers at $99 a month

In spite of their large size, the new Spectacles only weigh half a pound. The AR technology is impressive for a full untethered headset. Snap is is also releasing new AI video generation tools for creators, as well as new Google Lens-type features for its My AI chatbot, and it’s rolling out a “simple” version of the app as part of a test to make it easier to use.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/17/snaps-extremely-large-spectacles-bring-impressive-ar-to-developers-at-99-a-month/

Substack Pivots Newsletter Firm to Live Video

Substack is adding a live video component to its newsletter service, providing real-time audience engagement for creators

https://www.engadget.com/apps/substack-a-newsletter-service-is-now-also-a-live-video-company-150004585.html

Apple Pulls iPadOS 18 for M4 iPad Pro After Bricking Complaints

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/17/apple-pulls-ipados-18-m4-ipad-pro/

A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs

The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap and Microsoft have conducted sizable layoffs in the first months of 2024. Smaller-sized startups have also seen a fair amount of cuts, and in some cases, have shut down operations altogether.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/20/tech-layoffs-2024-list/

Publishing & Media

Publishers try skinnier books to save money and emissions

A typical paperback book accounts for around 1kg of carbon dioxide. In the US alone, where 767 million paperback books were sold in 2023, this is equivalent to the electricity use of more than 150,000 homes for a year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24pqrvvll9o

Sam Missingham launches global community for booktokers, authors and publishers

ICYMI Sam Missingham, of The Empowered Author, has launched MeetTheBooktokers.com, a global community for booktokers, authors and publishers.

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/sam-missingham-launches-global-community-for-booktokers-authors-and-publishers

Workflows: To Know Them Is to Love Them

HT @BISG A well thought out and designed workflow can increase efficiency, improve communication, standardize process across departments and divisions, and create transparency over roles and responsibilities.

https://www.bisg.org/news/workflows-to-know-them-is-to-love-them

Hachette Pride revealed its 10-strong cohort for the Grow Your Story initiative following 235 submissions

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/hachette-reveals-10-winners-of-grow-your-story-writing-competition-among-remarkable-submissions

Not-so-great expectations: Students are reading fewer books in English class

In many English classrooms across America, assignments to read full-length novels are becoming less common. Some teachers focus instead on selected passages — a concession to perceptions of shorter attention spans, pressure to prepare for standardized tests and a sense that short-form content will prepare students for the modern, digital world.

https://apnews.com/article/books-reading-high-school-english-class-c8d9f39773268a6e8c79cb0b3c78d3c1

College Students Not Reading Is an Issue, So Teachers Are Adjusting How Classes Look

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/college-students-not-reading

Readings in the dark

Reading in the dark® was an LIA event at Frankfurt that addresses the socio-cultural inclusion of people w visual disabilities. Famous writers & blind or visually impaired readers alternate reading, canceling any distinction between those who read w their eyes, hands, or ears.

https://www.fondazionelia.org/en/reading-in-the-dark/frankfurter-buchmesse-2024-lias-readings-in-the-dark/

Should a podcast be done like a magazine?

No! 

https://open.substack.com/pub/podcaststrategy/p/every-publisher-asks-me-this-question

PW‘s Freedom to Read Issue

RT @PublishersWkly We dig into the scope and scale of the historic wave of censorship attempts occurring today in the United States and talk with those who are doing the vital work of fighting back.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/95945-the-freedom-to-read-issue-all-our-coverage.html

“And Tango Makes Three” authors score legal victory in Florida book ban case

Nassau County School District (FL) agreed restore 36 books to library shelves.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/09/12/tango-makes-three-authors-score-legal-victory-florida-book-ban-case/

Resources & Opportunities

Fifty Fierce Years: Ms. Magazine’s Legacy of Change

Hope you can join us! Let me know if you want to sponsor/buy a table.

It’s WMG’s 50th anniversary year & also the 50th anniversary of the founding of Ms. magazine! Join us for a MOMENTOUS celebratory luncheon! Open to WMG members and non-members. 10/30 12:30-2pm ET in-person at a NYC restaurant. Panelists include:

• Suzanne Braun Levine: First editor of Ms. magazine, Peabody Award-winning producer, and author.
• Marcia Ann Gillespie: Former editor-in-chief of Ms. and Essence, and advocate for gender and racial justice.
• Letty Cottin Pogrebin: Ms. founding editor, author, and co-founder of key feminist organizations.
• Molly Jong-Fast (Moderator): MSNBC Political Analyst and host of the “Fast Politics” podcast.

Sign up ASAP – it will sell out!

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5872467

Yale Review Open Submissions

MT @yalereview Writers! Just a little less than one week left to submit your work during our open reading period. Poems, stories, essays, and translations.

https://theyalereview.submittable.com/submit

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