Special Topics (390-0-21)

Topic

AI & Journalism

Instructors

James Lee

Meeting Info

McCormick Foundation Ctr 3127: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

Since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022, the promise and the hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) have surrounded us. On one hand, AI has come to represent an existential danger to truth and accurate information, and on the other, AI has been touted as a tool to solve some of our world's most pressing social and scientific problems.

This course will provide students with a foundational working understanding of the controversies, concepts, and methods of AI, with a focus on journalism and media. We will examine (1) how AI architectures work, (2) how they have impacted the news and media ecosystems for better and for worse, and (3) how future journalists might use AI methods creatively to inform and expand how they investigate and report the news.

We will combine readings from both journalistic and scholarly sources on the major current debates about AI's impact on the media industry specifically and on society in general, with hands-on workshops where students will learn to work with the AI technologies driving the current controversies. The course will conclude with an in-depth project where students will creatively experiment with ways to integrate AI technology into their future work in journalism and media. No previous experience with AI, computer programming, or data science is required.

Class Materials (Required)

None

Class Attributes

Attendance at 1st class mandatory
No Freshmen

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Medill Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors