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Gizmodo
10-08-2025
- Gizmodo
Breakfast With ChatGPT: Three Workers, One Morning, A Different AI Story
I came to Cleveland, Ohio, for the 50th anniversary of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention. I expected the hallways to be buzzing with conversations about AI, and they were, but not in the way I'd hoped. For the first two days, the phrase I heard most from my fellow journalists was 'we must protect ourselves.' In session after session, the consensus was that AI is a danger, a threat, an enemy coming to replace us. Then I had breakfast at Betts, the restaurant in my hotel, and a single conversation with my waiter gave me another perspective on the AI revolution. As he brought me the bill, I asked Kevin Knestrick, 49, if he used AI. Haunted by the fearful rhetoric from the convention, I expected him to either rebuff me or launch into an anti-AI tirade. 'Not really,' he replied cautiously, then paused. 'Actually,' he continued, 'I used it for the first time when we changed the menu. I took a picture and uploaded it to ChatGPT and asked it to copy the text and prepare a message for a colleague. It saved me so much time.' As he relaxed, he called over a younger colleague, Jamie Sargent, 31, and he introduced me a bit later to another younger colleague of his, Dawud Hamzah, 37. 'You should talk to these guys,' he said. 'They use it a lot more.' He was right. It quickly became clear that for Hamzah and Sargent, ChatGPT is a part of their daily lives. They don't see it as a threat. For Hamzah, a bartender at Betts and a youth motivational speaker who founded his own empowerment association, H.Y.P.E. (Helping You Produce Excellence), ChatGPT has effectively replaced Google. 'I use it to build solid, well-structured PowerPoint presentations for my speaking engagements with students,' he told me. But its use extends far beyond his professional life. It's his trip planner, health advisor, and personal coach. 'I just used it for my lady's birthday,' he said. 'I said, 'I want something relaxing that has vegan friendly foods.' It gave me a whole itinerary, a phenomenal itinerary.' When back problems flared up, he turned to the chatbot for help. 'I asked it to give me specific home workouts and mobility exercises to relieve pressure from a degenerating disc in my back. And it did.' Did it work? 'Oh yeah!' he responded. Sargent, a former special education teacher, has been using ChatGPT since it launched in late 2022. He used it to generate baseline lesson plans, saving him hours of work which he could then devote to tailoring the content to each of his students' individual needs. 'I saved about an hour's worth of time writing a lesson plan,' he said. I asked him if it felt like cheating. 'No, because I would have done the same thing it did. It just did it faster than I can.' He dismisses the idea that teachers shouldn't use it. 'I'd say, that's nonsense. We spend so many hours outside of the classroom working on our own stuff. If we can make it faster, the better.' Like Hamzah, Sargent is also an avid travel planner, using ChatGPT to map out complex international vacations. 'My brother and I planned a trip to Italy from Milan to Florence to Naples, and it basically showed us the map of taking a train from here to here, gave us good restaurants to go to, and then it told us how much it was going to cost.' Both men hold a pragmatic view of AI's future. They believe jobs will be lost, but that it's on individuals to adapt. 'If you don't learn, develop, and adjust, you'll fail, because it's not going to stop,' Hamzah insisted. Sargent agreed, adding that the key is to focus on what makes you human. 'I'm part of the experience, whereas AI is not part of that experience. Find a way to differentiate yourself from AI and make yourself valuable.' Kevin, who first introduced me to the group, represents a different demographic's journey into AI. His use was born of pure necessity. 'I was in a time crunch to get this menu to the printer,' he recalled. The AI solved his problem in seconds. That single, surprisingly effective interaction transformed him from a non-user into a curious convert. 'Now I'm much more open to any problem I have. I'm just going to ask it now,' he told me. His regret over missing out on the Bitcoin boom has also made him wonder if AI could be a tool to help 'the little guy' get an edge in investing. 'I guess I'm from the generation where all the Wall Street fat cats make money, while us little people just get crushed,' he said. 'How do we not be the little guy anymore?' Their manager, Curtis Helser, 56, was also introduced to ChatGPT by his wife about a year ago. He uses it to refine important work emails, making them shorter and more professional. He isn't afraid of it, seeing it as a tool that can be used for good or ill, just like a car. And he's not worried about his job. 'You have to be in the building,' he said with a laugh. 'Kissing babies, shaking hands, that kind of stuff.' I was stunned. At the restaurant, AI wasn't a terrifying enemy; it was a useful, if imperfect, assistant. The younger employees had fully embraced it, while the older generation was more cautious but still open, integrating it into their lives at their own pace. They see the current panic as a movie they've seen before, recalling the fears that accompanied the rise of the personal computer. The contrast with my colleagues at the journalism convention was stark. Perhaps those of us whose jobs are built on creating and controlling information see AI as an existential threat, while those in the service of people see it as just another tool to get the job done. The real AI revolution, I realized, wasn't happening in the headlines or the panicked convention halls. It was happening quietly, in conversations like this, one practical problem at a time.
Gizmodo
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
'We Miss All the Trains to Get Rich': The Real Story of Crypto and the Black Community
I've been at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Annual Convention in Cleveland since August 6. I came expecting to hear about the state of our industry under Donald Trump's second presidency, especially how to navigate the administration's anti-DEI policies, which many in the Black community see as a direct attack on progress. I thought the talk would be about AI: how to use it, how to control it, and whether it was a threat to our profession. I definitely did not expect to talk about crypto. But there I was, walking through the Career Fair, when I saw him. A burly young man in a suit, observing the controlled chaos from a distance. He looked more like a recent graduate than a veteran, and when I approached him, it turned out I was right. His name is Jaden Baxter, he's 24, and this was his first NABJ convention. Unlike me, he wasn't a journalist; he's the Special assistant to the mayor of Cleveland, a changemaker in his community. When I told him I cover AI and Crypto for Gizmodo, his face lit up. 'Crypto, huh?' he asked, his interest immediate and genuine. Usually, it's the AI part that grabs people's attention. Baxter's knowledge of crypto was built on the same clichés I hear all the time: that it's a tool for criminals, a mirage, something that will disappear as quickly as it came. He had so many questions. Is it real? Is it true? Is it for people like us? Listening to him, I realized we in the media have failed. We haven't done our job of serving a community that is hungry for answers but is being left out of the conversation. I started by explaining that the crypto industry is basically a decentralized, tech-driven version of the financial system. Imagine all the services your bank offers, but built on a technology called blockchain and without any middlemen. In simple terms, a blockchain is like a public digital receipt book. Every transaction is a new entry that is visible to everyone, and once it's written down, it can't be erased or altered. This creates a transparent and secure system that isn't controlled by any single company or government. 'Is that true?' he exclaimed, his eyes wide. It was the first time he'd ever heard it explained that way. Loans, payments, transfers: it's all possible. I told him that cryptocurrencies, by their nature, don't discriminate. Transactions are handled by smart contracts, which are just lines of code designed to execute automatically when certain conditions are met. Think of it like a highly advanced vending machine: you put in your money, and the code guarantees you get your product without a human needing to approve the sale. The code doesn't care about your skin color, your credit history, or where you live. This is a massive departure from traditional banking. He couldn't believe it. I explained that for communities that face enormous barriers to financial services, crypto offers a potential alternative. The 2023 FDIC survey found that 5.6 million U.S. households have no bank account, with Black, Hispanic, and lower-income households being the most affected. Of course, the risks are huge. The government doesn't insure your funds like it does at a bank. You're on your own. If you lose your money, no one is coming to save you. He told me this was another aspect no one in his circle ever talks about. 'People don't know that,' he said. 'We don't use it, we aren't in crypto, bro.' I mentioned that crypto adoption is highest in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, places where millions are denied access to banks and where people in the diaspora need a cheap way to send money back home. 'Wow!!! Really?' he exclaimed. 'I didn't know, bro.' I told him that crypto should, in theory, be embraced by underprivileged communities because of its transparent and non-discriminatory nature. But he, like so many others, associated it with crime. While it's true that criminals use crypto, the data tells a more nuanced story. According to the analytics firm Chainalysis, illicit transactions made up a tiny fraction of total crypto volume in recent years. I explained that the President of the United States, his family, and many of the world's wealthiest people and corporations, like Tesla, hold Bitcoin in their portfolios. He was stunned. He asked about Bitcoin, which for him, was synonymous with the entire industry. When I told him the price was now around $120,000, he was fascinated. 'Wow!!! The people who bought it at that time must be multi-millionaires,' he said, a sense of wonder in his voice. He said if he had been better informed as a young adult, he would have bought some. I explained that the most important question to ask before buying any cryptocurrency, whether it's Bitcoin, Ether, or Solana, is: What is the project behind it? What problem does it solve? 'But do you think it'll last?' he asked. I told him the U-turn in the United States under the second Trump administration changed everything. After years of regulatory hostility, the administration has embraced crypto, legitimizing the industry within the world's most powerful financial system. There will be bumps ahead, but there's no going back. Then I asked him if he'd heard of stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to a stable asset like the U.S. dollar. He hadn't. I explained how they could revolutionize money transfers, making them nearly instant and incredibly cheap. 'Wow, bro,' he said again. 'Is this for real? People like us are always late to the party.' I tried to tell him it wasn't too late, but he was stuck on a thought. He explained that there's a cliché that Black people in crypto must be engaged in criminal activity. He started to wonder aloud if reducing the entire industry to its worst actors wasn't a deliberate way to exclude people like him from an opportunity to build wealth. 'We are always the last people,' Baxter said, a look of disgust on his face. 'We miss all the trains to get rich.' He was disgusted that his community had missed the boat on an industry that could, in principle, solve some of the very problems of discrimination they face every day. And I was left wondering how many other Jadens are out there: curious, ambitious, and waiting for a conversation that no one seems willing to have with them.
CBS News
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
South Florida NABJ Chapter Wins Chapter of the Year at National Convention
The South Florida chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists was named Chapter of the Year Wednesday night at the NABJ Convention in Cleveland. The chapter, which represents Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, was recognized for its commitment to the community — including awarding scholarships and mentoring high school students interested in journalism. CBS News Miami weekend anchor Chelsea Jones serves as chapter president. Other members include CBS News Miami's Tania Francois, anchor Jim Berry and executive producer Angel Gould. The honor was awarded during NABJ's 50th anniversary celebration.
Axios
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Cleveland to host 50th NABJ convention this week
More than 3,000 journalists, media executives and students will descend on Cleveland this week for the National Association of Black Journalists' 50th Annual Convention. Why it matters: Hosting NABJ isn't just a major economic win for Cleveland. The city's legacy of Black political and cultural firsts — from Carl Stokes becoming the first Black big-city mayor to our outsized influence in civil rights, music and sports — offers a symbolic backdrop for a gathering centered on Black storytelling. State of play: It's the first time the membership and advocacy organization will host its flagship gathering in Northeast Ohio. The program of daily panels and discussions, plus a career fair, will take place at the Huntington Convention Center. But the whole city will be jammed with special events into the weekend, including an opening night bash Wednesday at the Rock Hall, co-hosted by the Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists (GCLEABJ). Flashback: When Cleveland made its pitch at the Miami convention in 2019, members were floored by the presentation, said NABJ executive director Drew Berry in a Destination Cleveland video. "Coordination between the entire Cleveland community, it sent us a strong message. Yo — they really want us to come," he said. 👀 Celebrity sightings: Among the dozens of prominent Black media personalities in Cleveland this week will be ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the New York Times' Nikole Hannah-Jones and NBC's Yamiche Alcindor. LeBron James is also expected to attend. The big picture: Rhonda Crowder, president of the GCLEABJ, tells Axios that the convention will be a celebration, especially for the organization's 50th anniversary, but also a time of reflection.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two HBCU students selected for prestegious MIT Fellowship
The post Two HBCU students selected for prestegious MIT Fellowship appeared first on ClutchPoints. North Carolina A&T State University rising seniors Kani'ya Davis and Dasia Garner have been selected as the 2026 HBCU Science Journalism Fellows at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Only 10 students across the country were chosen, including Davis and Garner, who are majoring in mass communication and journalism at the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. As part of MIT's Knight Science Journalism Program, the fellowship supports journalists in developing their knowledge of science, health, technology, and the environment while promoting scientific journalism for the general public. Davis is the managing editor of the university's student-run newspaper, The A&T Register, and the director of community service for the campus branch of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). In addition, she serves as the vice president of Black Period Project, a grassroots group that fights period poverty in the state. She is passionate about social and environmental justice and focuses her reporting on how low-income communities of color are affected by climate change in terms of livelihood and health. 'I'm most excited about learning how to research science-related topics and make them accessible to non-scientists,' said Davis. 'As someone who doesn't have a huge science background, I really want to learn how to make important scientific findings understandable for myself and my community.' Garner is executive producer of Aggie News, the student-run news channel at the university, and director of social media for NABJ. Her coverage of nutritional science is centered on the potential of food as medicine and the role integrative medicine plays in promoting a healthy way of living. 'I am excited to connect with science journalists and bring back engaging ways to tell science-based stories to my community,' said Garner. In June, the fellowship year begins with a week-long MIT scientific journalism summer camp. Students will interact with award-winning scientific journalists, take part in practical workshops, and meet editors from prestigious journals. In order to help fellows produce and pitch science-related stories to national and regional publications, expert scientific journalists will coach them one-on-one over the upcoming academic year. The fellowship compensates for all travel-related costs and comes with a $5,000 stipend. For other journalism students looking for similar opportunities, Davis and Garner both advise keeping contact with professors, taking part in extracurricular learning activities, and maintaining confidence in one's journalistic abilities.
