The AI, Media & Democracy Lab is excited to invite you to our second discussion series about the impact of voice AI technologies on the news, and its implications for the media ecosystem.

Our guest speakers for this second session include Nicholas Diakopoulos(Northwestern University), Joseph Turow (Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania), Sarah van der Land (NPO), . The event will be moderated by Valeria Resendez (University of Amsterdam).

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Voice assistants are not new, but are becoming more popular. While, voice technologies are still under development, their potential as voice concierges will create new ways for newsrooms to engage with their audiences. This technological revolution enhances by smart assistants brings multiple concerns for the media ecosystem. In this discussion we will address questions such as: What is the potential of these technologies? Who are the lead developers? How are the monetization strategies for newsrooms planned with voice AI technologies?

SPEAKERS BIO:

Nicholas Diakopoulos is an Associate Professor in Communication Studies and Computer Science at Northwestern University. He is Director of the Computational Journalism Lab (CJL) and Director of Graduate Studies for the Technology and Social Behavior (TSB) Ph.D. program. He is the author of the award-winning book Automating the News: How Algorithms are Rewriting the Media from Harvard University Press.

Joseph Turow is the Robert Lewis Shayon Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also an elected Fellow of the International Communication Association and was presented with a Distinguished Scholar Award by the National Communication Association. His work lies at the intersection of marketing, digital media, and society. His recent book The Voice Catchers from Yale University Press explores the implications of voice profiling through smart assistants.

Sarah van der Land is the NPO (Dutch public broadcasting service) Digital Innovation Advisor, where she researches the potential of new technologies such as smart speakers for broadcasting. Van der Land’s red thread in research is focused on the relationship between humans and technology. Currently, she works on projects integrating artificial intelligence (e.g., smart speakers, image recognition) to enhance user experience.