AI has been both blessed and cursed to be in the public eye in 2023. Correct understanding of AI in society is important to ensure that AI is not misused or misrepresented. Journalists have the role of informing the public on topics that might be in their interest. As AI researchers we are trained to write scientific articles with a particular level of precision and communication style, for an audience of fellow AI researchers. Most of us do not know how to effectively talk to journalists and communicate our work to a general audience. This tutorial aims to give you the basics to cover that gap.
Talking to Journalists about AI
Laurence Dierickx is an experienced journalist who has taken a turn in her career to complete a PhD thesis about news automation and professional practices in journalism. She is now actively researching data and computational journalism, with a specific focus on AI tools.
Marija Slavkovik is an AI researcher who is very keen on communication and who due to a turn of an organisational fate has since 2021 been running a department that educates the top journalists in Norway.