Tools that harness generative artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT, have the potential to transform whole industries, including journalism. At this Lunch & Learn, a group of about a dozen freelancers shared their questions and concerns about how to responsibly and practically use these new tools.
Appropriate tasks for generative AI. The participants who have tried ChatGPT or other AI apps said they felt most comfortable using them to save time on secondary tasks, such as organizing their notes from a meeting or interview, summarizing a non-technical document or asking for suggestions of interview questions. They did not use it for writing.
The mechanics of using ChatGPT. The more experienced participants advised others to think carefully about how to word prompts to get the best response. In addition, it is possible to ask followup questions within a ChatGPT conversation to get a more precise answer.
Accuracy of generative AI tools. Generative AI applications are known to “hallucinate” and make up answers. Always verify the information. One AHCJ member related how a reporter friend had asked a generative AI application for journal articles in a particular subject area and found that at least one of the articles did not exist.
Access to databases. One participant wanted to know if these AI applications had access to proprietary databases. As an experiment during the Lunch & Learn, I asked the free version of ChatGPT for a list of lawsuits against a disgraced physician. Here is the response:
“I’m sorry, but I cannot provide information on specific lawsuits filed against individuals, including Dr. Hadden, because my knowledge only goes up until September 2021, and I don’t have access to real-time information or updates on specific legal cases. If you’re looking for information on lawsuits or legal actions against a specific individual, I recommend checking with a trusted news source, legal database, or consulting with an attorney for the most up-to-date and accurate information on such matters.“
This led to a discussion about whether the paid version of ChatGPT would be more forthcoming. It costs $20/month per person.
Specific AI apps for health care writers. One freelancer attended a webinar run by the American Medical Writers Association, which mentioned grafi.ai, a generative AI application specifically designed to help with writing health content. There is a paid and a free version. The app asks for the topic you’ll be writing about and then suggests an outline and writes a first draft, using material sourced from articles in Pubmed and other relevant databases.
Privacy concerns. Many participants were concerned about privacy and whether your conversation with ChatGPT remains private and whether ChatGPT and other AI apps use reporters’ information for training their algorithms. During the Lunch & Learn, I typed the following prompt into ChatGPT: “Does ChatGPT use the information I upload for its training?”
Here is its answer:
“No, ChatGPT does not use the information you upload during your conversations for its training. OpenAI, the organization behind Assistant, has a strong commitment to user privacy and data security. Any data shared during interactions with ChatGPT is not used to train or improve the model. The model’s responses are generated based on the pre-existing knowledge it was trained on, which only goes up until September 2021, and its ability to generate text based on patterns and information in the training data. Your interactions are not stored or used to influence the model’s behavior in future iterations.“
That led to a discussion about how other cloud-based services, like Otter and Shutterfly, may store and use your data and the need to carefully read the terms of service. One AHCJ member talked about how she doesn’t use any cloud-based services, such as AI transcription services, if the material is at all sensitive or could compromise a source.
Resources. Journalism organizations, including AHCJ, offer webinars, courses, tip sheets and articles about incorporating generative AI into your workflow. Here are a few.
- AHCJ tip sheet for harnessing ChatGPT
- AHCJ recorded webinar on journalism and generative AI
- Journalism school online course for how to use generative AI tools
- Poynter Institute generative AI explainer
- Reporter’s list of ways she uses ChatGPT
- Overview of news outlets’ guidelines for using generative AI
- Neiman Foundation article about how journalists can exploit generative AI
