Stanford’s JSK Journalism Fellowships and Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Initiative join forces

• Updated on: 2019-01-24
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The application process for 2019-2020 JSK Fellowships will close on Jan. 31.

TheJohn S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellowship today announced a new partnership with theStanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) Initiative to help journalists explore the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the journalism industry and humanity.  

The partnership embeds current JSK Fellows within Stanford’s HAI community and designates up to two new members of the JSK Class of 2019-2020, as JSK-HAI Fellows. As the public conversation around AI evolves, leading journalists will play a critical role setting the agenda on key AI issues that will shape society for years to come.

“Journalists strive to put the public interest first and foster an environment where society can make decisions based on information and debate,” said John Etchemendy, HAI co-director and the Patrick Suppes Family Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences. “HAI is proud to partner with the JSK community to support journalists as they set the agenda on critical AI issues that have the power to transform lives and our society.”

Each year, JSK brings up to 20 journalists to Stanford to work on some of the most urgent issues facing the journalism industry and the communities journalism serves. JSK Fellows currently working on artificial intelligence projects and the 2019-2020 JSK-HAI Fellows will have access to the vast interdisciplinary resources offered by HAI like working groups, discussions, and seminars hosted by the HAI Initiative. The HAI Initiative is led by faculty co-directors John Etchemendy, the Patrick Suppes Family Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, and Fei-Fei Li, Professor of Computer Science in the School of Engineering. The HAI initiative is a cross-disciplinary pursuit of Stanford’s leading experts in the fields of business, communication, computer science, engineering, journalism, law, medicine, political science, psychology, sociology, and more.

Beginning in September 2019 in addition to taking classes at the university and attending all JSK events, the JSK-HAI Journalism Fellows, with funding provided by the HAI Initiative, will also be able to access and engage the interdisciplinary Stanford community focused on AI, including by participating in HAI Fellows seminars and workshops, and contributing to research and outreach. Through collaboration with other members of the JSK and HAI communities, these diverse, resilient leaders will explore solutions to some of the biggest programs in journalism—and the world.

“Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential element of every part of our lives, from powering the information we see on the internet, to driving new policy and regulatory decisions, to affecting the most mundane choices we make every day,” said Dawn Garcia, director of the JSK Fellowships. “Journalists must be able to understand how AI is reshaping our industry and society, so that we can better explain its impacts for the public and so that we can all fully participate in our changing communities. Our partnership with the HAI Initiative strengthens our ties at Stanford and signals the importance of artificial intelligence both for our profession and for humanity.”

To apply for a JSK-HAI Journalism Fellowship, applicants must complete the regularJSK Fellowships application, but clearly explain in their project proposal why they believe they would make an ideal JSK-HAI Fellow. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2019. The JSK Fellowships will announce the Class of 2019-2020, including the JSK-HAI Fellows, in spring 2019. Though up to two fellows will be designated as JSK-HAI Fellows, more members of the cohort may work on artificial intelligence projects and work with Stanford’s AI community.

The John S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellowships supports diverse, resilient leaders with collaborative mindsets who are exploring solutions to journalism’s biggest problems in a time of tremendous change. We champion advancements that improve access to the information people need to create and sustain democratic communities. For more, visitjsk.stanford.edu.

The Stanford Human-Centered AI (HAI) organizes and enhances Stanford’s vibrant intellectual resources around the future of AI. It provides a shared space for research across disciplines, fosters a global dialogue among the academy, the technology industry, government and civil society, and encourages responsible leadership in the development of artificial intelligence. It is based on three powerful ideas:

The HAI Initiative is led by faculty co-directors John Etchemendy, the Patrick Suppes Family Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, and Fei-Fei Li, Professor of Computer Science in the School of Engineering. For more, visit hai.stanford.edu.