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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter.

Important Items

No, the COVID-19 Pandemic Isn’t Over

“If the virus is circulating, it’s also mutating. As we learned during the delta variant surge, some of those mutations can have devastating consequences”

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-the-pandemic-over/

Estimated excess mortality from The Economist

Confirmed COVID deaths: 6.94 million

Estimated excess deaths during the pandemic: 23.81 million

https://ourworldindata.org/excess-mortality-covid#estimated-excess-mortality-from-the-economist

COVID-19 infections increase risk of long-term brain problems

Strokes, seizures, memory and movement disorders among problems that develop in first year after infection

https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/covid-19-infections-increase-risk-of-long-term-brain-problems/

Fungal Infections More Deadly When COVID’s Involved, CDC Finds

Mortality rate reached 49% versus 12% for fungal infections not associated with COVID cases

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/105027

Higher classroom ventilation rates significantly reduced illness-related absences

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023002179

Pfizer sees antibiotic supply running out as shortage worsens

Pfizer will run out of several doses of penicillin, which treat syphilis, strep throat, and other infections, later this year as shortages ripple across the US supply

https://www.ocregister.com/2023/06/13/pfizer-sees-antibiotic-supply-running-out-as-shortage-worsens/

‘Genocidal’: Transgender people begin to flee states with anti-LGBTQ laws

Transgender people are beginning to flee states with anti-LGBTQ laws, including Florida, Missouri, and Texas.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/genocidal-transgender-people-begin-flee-states-anti-lgbtq/story?id=99909913

US Internal Refugee Crisis: 130-260k Trans People Have Already Fled

The poll from Data For Progress shows that 8% of all transgender people have already moved out of their community or state as a result of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. An additional 43% of transgender people are likewise considering moving. Via @ErinInTheMorn

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/us-internal-refugee-crisis-130-260k

Ohio Trans Ban Progresses: Nonexistent “Causes” Like Autism, ADHD To Be Screened

Via @ErinInTheMorn: The bill mandates that before therapists can diagnose a patient with gender dysphoria, they must first screen for a host of other potential “causes” that might explain an individual’s transgender identity. Included in these are anxiety, depression, and autism. This provision ignores established scientific consensus: none of these conditions “cause” someone to be transgender. Furthermore, there are no existing diagnostic tools or guidelines to establish the “cause” of someone’s gender identity, because fundamentally, such “causes” are nonexistent.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/ohio-trans-ban-progresses-nonexistent

Women in Leadership Face Ageism at Every Age

MT @cindygallop ‘Gendered oldism,’ ‘youngism,’ ‘middle-ageism’…We found no age was the right age to be a woman leader. There was always an age-based excuse to not take women seriously, to discount their opinions, or to not hire or promote them.’

https://hbr.org/2023/06/women-in-leadership-face-ageism-at-every-age

Too “old”

By @RamirezJeanine: “While age discrimination is illegal, it’s still rampant. According to a 2021 AARP poll, as many as 78% of older workers have either witnessed or experienced age discrimination while at work.”

https://womensmediacenter.com/idare/pushed-out

Texas Gov. Abbott signs law shutting diversity offices at public universities

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/texas-gov-abbott-signs-law-shutting-diversity-offices-public-universit-rcna89694

New Research Cites Most Inclusive Films, Studios, and Producers

RT @womensmediacntr The Inclusion List offers an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of those who have proven their commitment to “ushering in a new era for inclusion through the choices they have made and the stories they have told.”

https://womensmediacenter.com/news-features/new-research-cites-most-inclusive-films-studios-and-producers

Innovation

Quantum Computing Advance Begins New Era, IBM Says

“Researchers used 127 qubit quantum processor to tackle a calculation too complex even for fastest supercomputers. It took < 1/1000 of a sec. Each calculation was unreliable but quick, so was performed repeatedly w/ varying noise introduced. With results of different noise levels, researchers could extrapolate back to the result in absence of noise.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/science/ibm-quantum-computing.html

Technology

How local media organizations can get started with AI

RT @mediavoicespod Deciding where to start, both with identifying use cases for AI in publishing and actual implementation, can feel overwhelming. From securing data sources to getting colleagues on board, here is some advice from those who have already taken the leap

https://voices.media/how-local-media-organisations-can-get-started-with-ai/

How AI tools already contribute to daily news: Insights from Semafor, BBC and others

ChatGPT is already benefiting newsrooms in multiple ways, including language generation, text classification, summarization, translation, and personalization.

https://whatsnewinpublishing.com/how-ai-tools-already-contribute-to-daily-news-insights-from-semafor-bbc-and-others/

Will AI Threaten Publishing Jobs?

HT @publishingtrend

https://bookriot.com/ai-and-publishing-jobs/

Axios CEO considers AI and the future of media

https://trends.spiny.ai/future-of-media/

Bloomsbury admits using AI-generated artwork for Sarah J Maas novel

ICYMI Publisher says cover of House of Earth and Blood was prepared by in-house designers unaware the stock image chosen was not human-made

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/may/19/bloomsbury-admits-using-ai-generated-artwork-for-sarah-j-maas-novel

How to create with AI, including art, music, and writing, according to people who’ve written songs, stories, and letters

HT @publishingtrend https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-create-with-ai-art-music-writing-chatgpt-dall-e-2-2023-6

A top CMO reveals how AI is going to change sales and marketing across every company within 12 months

HT ⁦@BoSacks ⁩

https://www.businessinsider.com/twilio-cmo-says-ai-will-change-sales-marketing-2023-6

A.I. human-voice clones are coming for the Amazon, Apple, Google audiobook

Annual audiobook sales could reach over $30 billion within a decade, and time and cost of production suggest AI will play a bigger role in the future. Google Play and Apple Books utilize AI-generated voices to some extent already, though there are high hurdles to recreating human voice pacing, intonation and emotion. Voice actors say opportunities to clone their voices for speedier, cheaper production on some forms of audiobooks can’t be ignored.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/17/ai-voice-clones-are-coming-for-the-amazon-apple-google-audiobook.html

Meta’s Voicebox AI is a Dall-E for text-to-speech

Essentially, its a text-to-output generator just like GPT or Dall-E — just instead of creating prose or pretty pictures, it spits out audio clips. The computer generated speech performed with just a 1 percent error rate degradation, compared to the 45 to 70 percent drop-off seen with existing TTS models. Voicebox is also reportedly capable of actively editing audio clips, eliminating noise from the speech and even replacing misspoken words. “A person could identify which raw segment of the speech is corrupted by noise (like a dog barking), crop it, and instruct the model to regenerate that segment,” the researchers said, much like using image-editing software to clean up photographs.

https://www.engadget.com/metas-voicebox-ai-is-a-dall-e-for-text-to-speech-150021287.html

‘AI Voices’ in Audiobooks: Storytel in ElevenLabs Partnership

HT ⁦@craicer ⁩Storytel, Scandinavian audiobook company partnered with an AI voices lab specialising in multinational audio dubbing. Choose an audiobook in English and then ask the AI to read it to you in another language using the original voice.

https://publishingperspectives.com/2023/06/ai-voices-in-audiobooks-storytel-in-elevenlabs-partnership/

With AI for kids, collaboration is key

An interesting take on AI for writing children’s books – collaborate w kids.

https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/with-ai-for-kids-collaboration-is-key

Some advertisers are requiring their agencies to disclose when they use generative AI

https://www.businessinsider.com/some-advertisers-want-their-agencies-disclose-when-they-use-generative-ai-2023-6

WordPress has a new AI tool that will write blog posts for you

HT @tldrnewsletter WordPress has released a new AI writing tool called Jetpack AI. The tool can be used to generate blog posts, social media posts, and other types of content. Jetpack AI is powered by GPT-3, a large language model developed by OpenAI.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/7/23752261/wordpress-automattic-generative-ai-writing-tool-plug-in-jetpack

Google’s New AI Tool Is About to Make Online Shopping Even Easier

The generative AI tool lets you “try on” clothes from hundreds of brands by displaying them on models of a wide array of sizes and skin colors.

https://www.wired.com/story/google-generative-ai-clothes-shopping/

Meta’s open source AI MusicGen turns text and melody into new songs

Meta’s MusicGen can generate short new pieces of music based on text prompts, which can optionally be aligned to an existing melody. In addition to the efficiency of the architecture and the speed of generation, MusicGen is unique in its ability to handle both text and music prompts.

https://the-decoder.com/metas-open-source-ai-musicgen-turns-text-and-melody-into-new-songs/

92% of programmers are using AI tools, says GitHub developer survey

https://www.zdnet.com/article/github-developer-survey-finds-92-of-programmers-using-ai-tools/

Europeans Take a Major Step Toward Regulating A.I.

RT @michellemanafy The draft law known as the A.I. Act would put new restrictions on what are seen as the technology’s riskiest uses incl. limiting facial recognition software & requiring makers of A.I. systems to disclose more about the data used to create their programs

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/technology/europe-ai-regulation.html

You Can’t Regulate What You Don’t Understand

Per @timoreilly What we need is an ongoing process by which the creators of AI models fully, regularly, and consistently disclose the metrics that they themselves use to manage and improve their services and to prohibit misuse. Then, as best practices are developed, we need regulators to formalize and require them, much as accounting regulations have formalized the tools that companies already used to manage, control, and improve their finances.

https://www.oreilly.com/radar/you-cant-regulate-what-you-dont-understand/

Discrimination is a bigger AI risk than human extinction – EU commissioner

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jun/14/ai-discrimination-is-a-bigger-risk-than-human-extinction-eu-chief

Google Tells Employees to Stay Away from Its Own Bard Chatbot

Alphabet Inc. advised employees not to enter confidential information into chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s own Bard over fears of leaks

https://gizmodo.com/google-tells-employees-to-stay-away-from-its-bard-chatb-1850542824

Vision Pro

What has Apple built, what is it for, what does it mean for Meta, and why does it cost $3,500? Check back in 2025. Via @benedictevans

https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2023/6/15/vision-pro

A storefront for robots

MT @michellemanafy Google’s monopoly on how internet users find products, restaurants, bars, stores, and other information means that you cannot simply run your company — it must be discoverable, and Google’s search algorithm needs to be able to pick it up.

https://www.theverge.com/23753963/google-seo-shopify-small-business-ai

EU suggests breaking up Google’s ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/14/23759094/european-commission-google-antitrust-advertising-market-antitrust

U.S. Spy Agencies Buy Vast Quantities of Americans’ Personal Data, U.S. Says

The vast quantities of Americans’ personal data available for sale have provided a rich stream of intelligence for the U.S. government but has created significant threats to privacy, according to a report.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-spy-agencies-buy-vast-quantities-of-americans-personal-data-report-says-f47ec3ad

Lessons from MIT Technology Review’s digital transformation

HT ⁦@BoSacks ⁩

https://www.fipp.com/news/lessons-from-mit-technology-reviews-digital-transformation/

Publishing & Media

HarperCollins, KKR Said to Be Eyeing Simon & Schuster

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/92564-harpercollins-kkr-said-to-be-eyeing-simon-schuster.html

74 Publications That Pay Freelancers for Book Reviews, Interviews, and More

HT @PublishersLunch

https://adam-stephen-morgan.com/2022/02/16/publications-that-pay-freelancers-for-book-reviews/

Illinois kids age 5 and under can receive free books thanks to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, state grants

RT @PENamerica Legendary musician and philanthropist Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has provided millions of free books to kids in the US and abroad. All Illinois children 5 & under can now participate in the program thanks to a new partnership with state officials.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-kids-age-5-and-under-can-receive-free-books-thanks-to-dolly-partons-imagination-library-state-grants/3160968/

Maryland’s first Freedom Libraries to open in adult and youth correctional facilities

“The libraries are the brainchild of 2021 MacArthur Fellow, Marylander, and Yale Law School graduate Reginald Dwayne Betts, who was sentenced to nine years in prison at age 16.

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/marylands-first-freedom-libraries-open-adult-and-youth-correctional-facilities/

The big idea: do we need to dismantle the literary canon?

HT @publishingtrend

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/12/the-big-idea-do-we-need-to-dismantle-the-literary-canon

Record Media Cuts

The media industry has announced at least 17,436 job cuts so far this year, the highest year-to-date level of cuts on record. We’ve had more cuts this year than at the outset of the pandemic in 2020

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-media-trends-05fc269a-3af6-4d85-9014-3d71f67a93be.html

Digital News Report 2023

https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2023

Librarians Strike Back Against Comics Bans

The GNCRT assembled a tool kit Wright says, “one of the things we’ve heard is that even now, most libraries don’t actually talk about bans and challenges in advance,” she says. “It’s depressing to need to be prepared, like having active shooter drills.”

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/92517-librarians-strike-back-against-comics-bans.html

As more schools target ‘Maus,’ Art Spiegelman’s fears are deepening

“It’s a real warning sign of a country that’s yearning for a return of authoritarianism,” Spiegelman said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/14/art-spiegelman-maus-book-bans/

What the Censors Want

“The right-wing push to hide inconvenient realities from students could have lasting consequences. Without an education, it may be difficult to discern truth from fiction.”

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/06/what-the-right-wings-censors-really-want.html

In the Field: School Librarians Share Their Battles with Book Banning

MT @craicer ⁩School Librarians in the US are sick of the book banning culture they have to navigate. Their national organizations are now forming rapid response strike teams to support beleaguered librarians.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/92523-in-the-field-school-librarians-share-their-battles-with-book-banning.html

Group Challenges Arkansas Law That Would Criminalize Access to Some Books

A lawsuit says the edict “forces bookstores and libraries to self-censor in a way that is antithetical to their core purposes.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/02/books/arkansas-book-banning-law-lawsuit.html

Gov. Abbott has near full oversight in what books are in schools

RT @veronikellymars Texas has officially banned “sexually explicit” books and requires book vendors to put ratings on every book they sell. The bigger takeaway here is that both of these parts of the READER Act give Abbott near full oversight in what books are in schools:

https://bookriot.com/texas-readers-act/

DeSantis is wrong. Book bans in Florida schools and in other states aren’t a ‘hoax.’

In the face of a growing movement to censor public education, it’s essential that we sound the alarm over book banning in its most insidious forms, especially those propelled by hate and ignorance.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/06/12/book-ban-school-libraries-threat-students-education-freedom/70305740007/

Illinois has officially banned book bans

HT @veronikellymars

https://bookriot.com/illinois-has-officially-banned-book-bans/

Authors: are you seeing an impact on the number and types of school and library visit invitations in this era of censorship?

Please take the survey. Deadline: 7/1.

https://bookriot.com/how-much-have-book-bans-impacted-author-visits-survey/

Resources & Opportunities

Learn to Be An Empowered Agent of Change during Pride Month

Join international award-winning leadership & empowerment expert Ashley T Brundage as she shares the four empowerment steps to impact change for all the months beyond just June. She will share her unique story of overcoming harassment, discrimination, and homelessness as a proud woman of transgender experience. Come ready to engage with resources created to support each step of the process to be an agent of change, and dive into some of the empowering actions found in the last step.

6/23 12-1pm ET FREE for WMG Members, $15 for non-members.

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5296705

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