INMA Silicon Valley Study Tour

The INMA Silicon Valley Study Tour offers a comprehensive exploration of the intersection of technology, media, and artificial intelligence over a span of three days in San Francisco. Participants will engage with industry leaders, innovators, and organizations that are at the forefront of transforming the media landscape through technology. The tour is designed for professionals from various sectors including journalism, technology, and media, and aims to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in these fields.The tour kicks off with a registration breakfast, followed by an introduction to the Silicon Valley ecosystem, which sets the tone for the subsequent sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to visit notable companies such as Otter.ai, where founder Sam Liang shares insights on AI's role in workplace collaboration and privacy matters. Following this, a lunch at Stanford's Brown Institute features discussions on the integration of AI tools in journalism, with notable speakers like Cheryl Phillips discussing the Big Local News Initiative, and Professor Nate Persily addressing AI's impact on news visibility and trust. The day concludes with an engaging dinner featuring the Senior Vice President of NYT Games, who will discuss how AI is reshaping user experience in gaming and media engagement.The second day delves deeper into AI's implications for content creators and publishers. A session at Cloudflare focuses on protecting content from unauthorized scraping, vital for maintaining fair market conditions. Participants will engage with OpenAI to explore advancements in generative AI and its application in news discovery and personalized experiences. The day includes visits to Microsoft’s various divisions where discussions will span AI-driven news experiences and how companies are harnessing AI for enhanced engagement and quality journalism. The day wraps up with a debrief and an evening for personal exploration of San Francisco.On the final day, Cyril Gorlla, an AI researcher, discusses the importance of transparency in newsroom AI tools, addressing key challenges such as the assessment of copyrighted material in AI models. The tour also includes an insightful session at the San Francisco Chronicle, detailing how Hearst is implementing AI across their network. Participants will enjoy lunch with the Publisher and CEO of the Chronicle, discussing local media challenges and AI opportunities. The tour concludes with discussions on AI's impact on media from AWS experts, focusing on key trends and infrastructure innovations in the publishing world. The final evening features a rooftop welcome reception, providing a networking opportunity for attendees to connect and reflect on the knowledge gained throughout the study tour. Overall, this event is designed not only to educate but also to foster collaboration and innovation within the media industry.