Latest news with #TracyBrown
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
More than 2 years after ChatGPT, newsrooms still struggle with AI's shortcomings
An inaccurate AI-produced reading list recently published by two newspapers demonstrates just how easy it still is for publishers to circulate AI slop. The Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer last week published a summer reading insert produced by King Features, a Hearst Newspapers subsidiary that provides the pair with licensed content. While the insert included real authors, the recommended books were mostly fake. Ultimately, 404 Media found that a human writer had produced the list using ChatGPT and failed to fact-check it. 'I do use AI for background at times but always check out the material first,' the insert's writer told 404 Media. 'This time, I did not and I can't believe I missed it because it's so obvious. No excuses.' OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT more than two years ago kicked off an AI gold rush, resulting in a deluge of AI-infused tools aiming to help people find information online without sifting through lists of links. But that convenience comes at a cost, with AI chatbots continuing to offer incorrect or speculative responses. Newsrooms have adopted AI chatbots with some trepidation, aware that the technology opens up new opportunities, as well as potential high-profile blunders — all amid fears that AI could lead to job losses and eat into news outlets' revenue sources. Not adopting the technology, however, means risking being left behind as others use AI to comb through enormous datasets, incubate ideas and help readers navigate complicated narratives. Though many major newsrooms have adopted AI guidelines since ChatGPT's launch, the sheer size of some newsrooms' staff, coupled with multiple external partnerships, complicates identifying where embarrassing AI blunders can occur. The insert incident exemplifies the myriad ways AI errors can be introduced into news products. Most supplements that the Sun-Times has run this year — from puzzles to how-to guides — have been from Hearst, Tracy Brown, the chief partnerships officer for Sun-Times parent Chicago Public Media, told CNN. However, whether it's an insert or a full-length story, Brown stressed that newsrooms have to use AI carefully. 'It's not that we're saying that you can't use any AI,' she said. 'You have to use it responsibly and you have to do it in a way that keeps your editorial standards and integrity intact.' It's precisely because AI is prone to errors that newsrooms must maintain the 'fundamental standards and values that have long guided their work,' Peter Adams, a senior vice president of research and design at the News Literacy Project, told CNN. That includes being transparent about using AI in the first place. Many high-profile publishers have been candid about how their newsrooms use AI to bolster reporting. The Associated Press — considered by many within the news industry to be the gold standard for journalism practices, given how it has used AI for translation, summaries and headlines — has avoided gaffes by always including a human backstop. Amanda Barrett, the AP's vice president of standards, told CNN that any information gathered using AI tools is considered unvetted source material, and reporters are responsible for verifying AI-produced information. The AP also checks that its third-party partners have similar AI policies. 'It's really about making sure that your standards are compatible with the partner you're working with and that everyone's clear on what the standard is,' Barrett said. Zack Kass, an AI consultant and former OpenAI go-to-market lead, echoed Barrett, telling CNN that newsrooms need to treat AI 'like a junior researcher with unlimited energy and zero credibility.' This means that AI writing should be 'subject to the same scrutiny as a hot tip from an unvetted source.' 'The mistake is using it like it's a search engine instead of what it really is: an improviser with a genius-level memory and no instinct for truth,' he added. High-profile AI mistakes in newsrooms, when they happen, tend to be very embarrassing. Bloomberg News' AI summaries, for example, were announced in January and already have included several errors. The LA Times' Insights AI in March sympathized with the KKK within 24 hours of its launch. And in January, Apple pulled a feature from its Apple Intelligence AI that incorrectly summarized push notifications from news outlets. That's only recently. For years, newsrooms have struggled when AI has been allowed to proceed unchecked. Gannett in 2023 was forced to pause an AI experiment after several major errors in high school sports articles. And CNET in 2023 published several inaccurate stories. Still, as Felix Simon, a research fellow in AI and digital news at the University of Oxford's Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, points out, 'the really egregious cases have been few and far between.' New research innovations have reduced hallucinations, or false answers from AI, pushing chatbots to spend more time thinking before responding, Chris Callison-Burch, a professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN. But they're not infallible, which is how these incidents still occur. 'AI companies need to do a better job communicating to users about the potential for errors, since we have repeatedly seen examples of users misunderstanding how to use technology,' Callison-Burch said. According to Brown, all editorial content at the Sun-Times is produced by humans. Looking forward, the newspaper will ensure that editorial partners, like King Features, uphold those same standards, just as the newspaper already ensures freelancers' codes of ethics mirror its own. But the 'real takeaway,' as Kass put it, isn't just that humans are needed — it's 'why we're needed.' 'Not to clean up after AI, but to do the things AI fundamentally can't,' he said. '(To) make moral calls, challenge power, understand nuance and decide what actually matters.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorials in the Chicago Sun-Times come to a close
CHICAGO (WGN) — After 75 years, the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board is no more. In a piece published Tuesday afternoon, Chicago Public Media (CPM) Chief Content Officer Tracy Brown said the paper will no longer publish editorials, and offered thanks to the journalistic pillars of their editorial board—editor Lorraine Forte, member Tom Frisbie and editor/writer Marlen Garcia—who 'strengthened Chicago with their collective positions on some of our most pressing issues.' Forte, Frisbie and Garcia all recently accepted voluntary buyouts and have left the paper. Report: 20% of Chicago Sun-Times staff agree to resign after buyout offer The reason behind the decision to bring editorials to a close Tuesday extends beyond the board accepting buyouts and moving on elsewhere. According to the Sun-Times, when they were acquired by CPM, their business status shifted to being a part of a non-profit organization, meaning the editorial board could no longer offer endorsements of political candidates, a central function of newspaper editorial boards. However, their status as a non-profit does not prevent them from publishing letters to the editor, opinion pieces and guest columns from Chicagoans, political leaders and scholars from the Chicago community, which will continue at the Sun-Times. The paper said their goal is to open more doors for the public to express itself. The change doesn't mean they are going to shy away from public discourse and debate, but instead shift their focus toward uplifting the voices that need to be uplifted in the Windy City—the voices of the people. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Where ‘Brave New World' fits in Marvel's ‘Captain America' saga
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a refresher on the 'Captain America' saga. If you're just tuning back in to the Marvel mainstay for the first time since 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' premiered four years ago, staff writer Tracy Brown has a primer on how we — and Captain America Sam Wilson — got here. Also in this week's Screen Gab, 'Cobra Kai' villain Lewis Tan drops in to discuss his full-circle moment on the Netflix series and we offer streaming recommendations for your weekend. Must-read stories you might have missed The TV ad is a dying art. This year's Super Bowl proved it: Harry and Sally! Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe! The Budweiser Clydesdale foal! The 2025 Super Bowl commercials failed to live up to the hype — and the hype is at the root of the problem. 'Yellowjackets': What we know and what questions remain for Season 3: It's been almost two years since the 'Yellowjackets' Season 2 finale. Here's everything you need to know for Season 3. Catch up with awards season's top contenders: As the Oscar race heads into the home stretch, so does The Envelope podcast, featuring interviews with Colman Domingo, Brady Corbet, Coralie Fargeat and more. How do you create 200 costumes a week? 'SNL' designer Tom Broecker takes us behind the scenes: Tom Broecker has played an integral part in the visual language of 'Saturday Night Live,' leading the costume design team that has helped shape some of the show's funniest moments. Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times 'Goldie' (Apple TV+) Goldie is a girl Gulliver in a Lilliputian town. (There is no explanation for her size.) As in most cartoons for the young, there are messages about difference, acceptance, self-acceptance, cooperation and such. But because it's also about a very, very big person in a regular-sized world — Goldie (Jessica McKenna) seems to be new in picture-book, pastel-colored Boysenberg and is still learning how to adjust — and because she is as big in personality and energy as she is in size, there's a raucous, slapstick element to the action that mitigates the cuteness that often affects cartoons aimed at the preschool set. (But it's witty enough for adults.) The cast includes her bird pal and sounding board, Romeo (Dee Bradley Baker, whistling) and friends Petey (Vedanten Naidoo), who uses a wheelchair, and Teeny (Amari McCoy), who is only a little teeny. Creator Emily Brundige also developed the fine 'Harvey Girls Forever!,' still streaming on Netflix, and created 'Pubertina,' about the nightmare of adolescence, for the YouTube channel Shut Up! Cartoons. — Robert Lloyd 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' (Kanopy) Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez's foot-tapping, globetrotting, blood-boiling film is, nominally, about the Congolese struggle for independence against his homeland's colonial grip. But the Oscar-nominated documentary feature, combining a dizzying array of historical scholarship, eyewitness accounts and archival footage, and carried aloft by its swinging jazz score, swiftly expands beyond the pan-African independence movement of premier Patrice Lumumba, deposed in a CIA-backed coup in 1960 and later assassinated. Here the double-edged sword of 'soft power'; the fight for civil rights at home and self-determination abroad; the rapacious global appetite for African minerals; the birth of the non-aligned movement of developing nations; and the crushing weight of postwar American might fit together as if wooden tiles in a Jenga tower: Remove one and the entire edifice would topple. ('The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo,' as Langston Hughes understood a century ago. 'They lynch me now in Texas.') Improvisational on the surface and exacting underneath, 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' is electrifying all the way through. You won't see, or hear, the Cold War the same way again. — Matt Brennan Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone's talking about The Marvel Cinematic Universe took a bit of a break from building up its main interconnected narrative in 2024. The offerings on the TV side included 'Echo' and 'Agatha All Along' — both spinoffs focused on characters introduced in Disney+ series. The sprawling superhero franchise's sole theatrical release, 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' involved characters who were absorbed into the MCU after Disney acquired Fox. 'Captain America: Brave New World,' in theaters now, is both a return to form and a step toward something new. The first of three MCU films slated for theaters this year, 'Brave New World' is the first that sees Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson as the new Captain America after he inherited the iconic shield from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) at the end of 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019). Wilson was introduced in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014), where he befriends Rogers and is brought into the Avengers' fold. A military man trained to fight using a high-tech wingsuit, Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon, continued to fight alongside the then-Captain America in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015), 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016), 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018) and 'Endgame.' (He also had a cameo in 2015's 'Ant-Man.') The character finally takes the spotlight in 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' alongside Rogers' other best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The 2021 series grappled with the complicated legacy of Captain America's shield and the complexities of what it means to be a Black hero in America as it followed Wilson until he formally stepped into his new mantle. 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' also introduced Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who becomes the next Falcon, as well as Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), an ex-soldier who was forcibly experimented on by the U.S. government before being unjustly imprisoned for years. Both characters appear in 'Brave New World.' For the completists, the new film also picks up some threads from other Marvel movies past including 'The Incredible Hulk' (2008) — which gives some of the backstory for 'Brave New World's' main villain — and 'Eternals' (2021). All MCU titles are available to view on Disney+. — Tracy Brown A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching After six seasons, including an epic three-part bow, 'Cobra Kai' is finally hanging up its keikogi for good. The series finale of the 'Karate Kid' spinoff, now streaming on Netflix, may be a bittersweet farewell for actor Lewis Tan, who only recently joined the cast as menacing Miyagi-Do rival Sensei Wolf, but it's still a full-circle moment for the longtime stunt performer, who reunites here with fight choreographer Don Lee — and gets to be a part of a franchise that's been around since before he was born. Tan stopped by Screen Gab recently to discuss the grand master who inspired his performance, his context-specific comfort watches and more. — Matt Brennan What have you watched recently that you're recommending to everyone you know? I recently saw 'The Brutalist' in 70mm, which was truly remarkable. What director Brady Corbet and his crew did with that limited budget blew me away. I also really enjoyed the intermission; it's nice to take a quick break and come back. Ten minutes is perfect: Use the restroom, have a smoke, get a drink, chat about the film so far. I think more films should have them. I saw Sean Baker's 'Anora' in 35mm and it was equally incredible. It makes me inspired to see these indie films get the attention they deserve. Hopefully studios can see it is a wise investment and hire more filmmakers with unique stories to tell. What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again? It depends on the time of year, weather, or if I am showing a film to a friend that I know they will really like. For instance, if I am preparing to do a big action film it is always good to revisit 'The Matrix' [VOD, multiple platforms] or 'The Raid' [VOD, multiple platforms] to get in that headspace to break boundaries like these films did for me. Or if it's a cold, rainy day in London and I want to relax and feel nostalgic, I will watch 'Meet Joe Black' [VOD, multiple platforms] or maybe Godard's 'Vivre Sa Vie' [Max, Kanopy] or 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' [Fubo, MGM+]. If I am on a date and want to share something more intimate, I might put on Wong Kar Wai's 'In the Mood for Love' [Max, Criterion Channel] or 'Blue Velvet' [Max] by the late master David Lynch. As part of the main cast and the stunts team, you had already worked on a raft of high-profile franchises, including 'The Fast and the Furious,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' 'Mortal Kombat' and more. How has playing Sensei Wolf on 'Cobra Kai' tested you that your previous projects haven't? Funny enough, I got to previously work with the fight choreographer Don Lee when I was doing stunts on 'Pirates 3.' I was already friendly with a few of the main stunt team, which is always a nice thing when you join a new show, especially one that has been going on for so long and you are the new character. I also really wanted to keep the mystery and intimidation of the character evident and intertwined with all the subtle details — his unique accent, his walk, his fighting style, background, his choices, down to the clothing and jewelry he wears. It was all inspired from something, real people I knew, real masters that trained me including the late grand master Bill Ryusaki, who was one of the greatest legends I knew. I haven't been able to play a villain for a few years now, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. Maybe they do have more fun. You joined the series just as it's coming to an end. As a fan if not as a cast member, then, what is a moment from the 'Cobra Kai' universe that will always stick with you? I rewatched the original 'Karate Kid' film from 1984 [Netflix, Fubo]. The following day I did a scene where I was fighting both Johnny and Daniel at the same time. That was very surreal for me. This film was part of a history before I was even born, so I never thought I would be part of something like this. I do feel honored to be a part of the grand finale and now I get swarmed by lots of younger martial art fans, so the next generation can continue something very meaningful to me.
Los Angeles Times
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why Prime Video's ‘Invincible' could be the antidote to your superhero fatigue
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a refreshing spin on the superhero. Whether or not you call it fatigue, Prime Video's 'Invincible' — which draws inspiration from both Superman and coming-of-age dramas — brings new perspectives to the familiar genre, staff writer Tracy Brown explains in this week's Catch Up. Plus, we discuss the importance of the next year's inaugural casting Oscar with the president of the Casting Society and offer streaming recommendations for your weekend. Must-read stories you might have missed 'Apple Cider Vinegar' tells how Belle Gibson went from revered influencer to reviled scammer: Netflix's new limited series tells the story of Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson, whose story of overcoming brain cancer turned out to be false. Watch: 'Sesame Street' stars Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Grover give L.A. 'a big hug': The 'Sesame Street' characters visited the Los Angeles Times to talk about emotions, getting through tough times and finding solace in friends, family and neighbors. How Karla Sofia Gascón turned a historic Oscars first into a historic Oscars nightmare: With a series of resurfaced tweets, the lead actress nominee for 'Emilia Pérez' has caused an awards season uproar — and plenty of culture war confusion. The Grammys promised to honor L.A. fire victims. Instead it turned them into props: The fires, which Grammy organizers pledged to make the focus of the awards, became prop and backdrop, losing the human depth and scale of the tragedy. Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times 'Wayne' (YouTube) A precious relic from YouTube's brief adventure into original scripted programming (from back in the days — 2019 — when most every platform or channel signaled its seriousness with original scripted programming). Created by Shawn Simmons, who would later write the John Wick prequel 'The Continental,' it tells the story of Wayne (Mark McKenna) and Del (Ciara Bravo), working-class Massachusetts teenagers traveling by motorcycle to Florida to reclaim a 1979 gold Trans Am he considers his birthright. Like Dostoyevsky's Prince Myshkin, Wayne is a naturally good, pure character, albeit one who often thinks with his fists. It's a widescreen action epic with an indie film air, violent and profane, yet delicately conceived and very much a comedy and very much an (arm's length) love story. As the series was canceled after one season, it has no ending other than that which fate imposed, but those 10 great episodes are still available on a dedicated 'Wayne' channel on YouTube Premium, and may be found on non-Premium YouTube as well. — Robert Lloyd 'Sing Sing' (VOD, multiple platforms) My first thought upon watching 'Sing Sing' last year: This movie is arguably the most precise portrayal of acting ever captured on film. Not the global industry that now exists around acting, or the glory that's felt because of acting — two topics on which Hollywood loves to center its movies. But rather the simple act of playing pretend, which, when done in a maximum security prison facility and by men of color specifically, can be a defiant, life-affirming and rehabilitating act in itself. Greg Kwedar directs this intimate drama, starring Colman Domingo as the leader of a prison's theater program, Clarence Maclin as its newest addition and an ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. After watching it yourself, you might agree with me that the A24 release, which received three Oscar nods, deserved a fourth acknowledgement: a nomination for best picture. — Ashley Lee Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone's talking about I don't really believe in the idea of 'superhero fatigue,' but Prime Video's 'Invincible,' which returned this week for its third season, could be an antidote for those who do. The adult animated coming-of-age drama is an adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comic book series of the same name, following teenager Mark Grayson as he navigates life, identity and what it means to be a hero. Mark's mother is human but his father is a Viltrumite — an alien from the planet Viltrum — and superhero known as Omni-Man. With enhanced strength and the ability to fly (think Superman), Omni-Man supposedly arrived on Earth on a mission to protect it. The first season sees Mark's superpowers finally awaken and the high schooler is excited to follow in his father's footsteps, using the alias Invincible. But the teen quickly learns that being a superhero is not easy. In addition to juggling school, romance, team-ups with other teen superheroes and maintaining a secret identity, Mark discovers that Viltrumites are not as benevolent as he was raised to believe. His father was actually sent to Earth to prepare it to be invaded and conquered by the Viltrum Empire and he expects his son to join him. The two come to blows and the second season involves Mark having to deal with the fallout while still trying to be the superhero he believes he is meant to be. Season 2 also introduces the multiverse and many more aliens, including the introduction of Mark's younger half-brother. In case it wasn't obvious, 'Invincible' is not for the squeamish: the show features plenty of blood, violence, weird creatures and moral ambiguity. And while there is plenty of action, the way it subverts and parodies some of the more common conventions of superhero comics is what separates it from the pack. — Tracy Brown READ MORE: Why TV's next Golden Age might come thanks to adult animation A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching The Academy Award for casting has been a long time coming. And with her own guild's Artios Awards marking their 40th anniversary on Wednesday, Casting Society President Destiny Lilly would know. As the 'Only Murders in the Building' and 'The Color Purple' casting director tells Screen Gab, casting is as much an 'art form' as any of the other crafts celebrated during award season, and recognition at next year's Oscars will bring greater awareness of that fact than ever. (And in the meantime, many of this year's top contenders, including 'A Complete Unknown,' 'Dune: Part Two,' 'Conclave' and 'Wicked,' will compete at Artios first.) Lilly also shared what she's watching, what good casting requires and more. — Matt Brennan What have you watched recently that you're recommending to everyone you know? One of my favorite shows of the last few years is 'Slow Horses' [Apple TV+]. People who know me are probably sick of hearing about it, but I really love that show. The show manages to be truly funny and deathly serious at the same time. The cast is brilliant across the board. The incredible casting by Nina Gold is the hallmark of the show. What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again? I love to watch old sitcoms like 'The Golden Girls' [Hulu], '227' [Pluto], 'Cheers' [Paramount+], and 'Frasier' [Prime Video]. It's just so relaxing to get into those familiar rhythms and see some great comedic geniuses at the height of their powers. The work that Shelley Long, Jackée Harry, and all of the Golden Girls were doing was next level. I also love an original recipe 'Law & Order' [Peacock] marathon. I didn't realize it at the time, but watching 'Law & Order' as a kid was great preparation for my life as a casting director because so many great New York theater actors appeared on the show. What's the number one skill a casting director needs to be successful that you don't think a layperson would expect? I think flexibility is very important. The ability to pivot and change course and still guide a process is key. You have to be able to rethink and start over, to look at the process with fresh eyes and understand other people's perspectives. You have to be open: to new ideas, new ways of working and new people. Learning not to be rigid allows me to create my best work through innovation and collaboration. The 2026 ceremony will inaugurate a new casting Oscar. What do you think that platform will bring to the understanding and appreciation of casting directors' work that isn't there now? Multiple generations of casting directors fought to be included in the Oscars and their tireless work has truly paid off. Casting directors have often been hidden and sometimes forgotten, and acknowledgement by the Academy is an incredible honor and a huge step toward getting the respect casting directors deserve. I hope that people watching at home will see casting as an art form alongside our peers in other crafts.
