OK, many of us already use or have used the most popular/best known AI app out there – ChatGPT, right? So here is the first question on your AI IQ test.
What does the “GPT” stand for?
So, full disclosure, my knowledge of artificial intelligence is, at best, modest. I have read news stories about it in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and The Economist these past couple years, as well as several of my online news sources including Bloomberg. Until this week, my knowledge essentially was that AI was sort of like a new Google search, except that instead of just spitting out a topic-specific definition of sorts, AI could go the next step and, after crawling the web for relevant information to your query, it could reply in narrative form that processed many relevant pieces of data from the internet and synthesized a summary based on that.
Can you write my term paper for me?
Of course, I had also read about all sorts of things that AI (ChatGPT) could do in response to a command such as “write a high school level research paper that would be appropriate for my AP high school American literature assignment which is …” Or what I heard my wife ask ChatGPT yesterday, “I have these ingredients available. What can I make with these for dinner, and how do I make it?”
Advice to CEOs
One of my friends who is a CEO of a company that runs many medical practices told me that he asks ChatGPT for advice on how to conduct annual staff evaluations. He describes the personality of each staff person to ChatGPT – their Enneagram number or their Myers-Briggs status if he has them. Then, ChatGPT coaches him on how to communicate with each particular employee. He told me that it has greatly improved the evaluations and saved him massive amounts of time.
The possibilities, of course, are endless.
I asked Chat the following question: “What can you tell me about Ray Appen?” Within a couple seconds I got a lengthy overview about me. It surprised me – in a good way!
“Ray Appen is a media entrepreneur….. His media outlets focus on local news, government, education, and community issues – a rarity in today’s shrinking local news landscape… Appen Media has been recognized for sustaining independent local journalism despite national trends of consolidation…. Ray Appen is known for advocating civic engagement and free speech.”
I then asked ChatGPT, “What can I say to my readers about how critical – how absolutely critical – their contributions and support are to helping Appen Media survive into the future and continue producing honest, reliable, accountability local journalism? I asked it to limit the response to 200 words. Here is what I got:
Why Your Support Matters
At Appen Media, we believe that strong communities start with informed citizens. That’s why we’re committed to producing honest, independent journalism that holds power to account and keeps you connected to what matters most — your schools, your local government, your neighbors.
But producing quality, reliable reporting isn’t free. It takes time, resources, and a team of dedicated journalists who live and work in the same communities we cover. Unlike national outlets or social media, we’re not backed by billionaires or driven by clicks — we’re driven by a mission to serve you.
Your support — whether through a one-time donation or a monthly contribution — is not just helpful. It’s essential. It keeps reporters in the field, holds elected officials accountable and ensures local voices are heard.
Without it, our ability to cover your city council, your school board, your community — truthfully and without bias — is at substantial risk.
If you value trustworthy local journalism, please consider supporting us today. Because when local news disappears, so does local accountability.
Thank you for standing with us.
— The Appen Media Team”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Succent, truthful, and honest. Chat summarized very accurately what’s at stake at Appen – and all local media – and how you can help your local journalism – your local newspaper survive and continue to serve you. That’s not just words; it is reality. We need the community to support us so we can do our jobs – for you.
Please act now!
Please use this link to go to our website and join your neighbors in supporting us with an annual, monthly, or one time contribution. Our goal is to be able to sustain one full-time reporter per city via your donations and support. For the cost of a few cups of Starbucks a week or one dinner out a month, you can make a long-lasting impact on supporting your local news.
Here is the link to the contribution page: https://tinyurl.com/AppenLinkContribute
Or you can mail a check to Appen News, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009. In the subject line please put this: “Appen Press Club”
So, what does the GPT in ChatGPT stand for? “Generative Pre-Trained Transformer”! More on that later.
THANK YOU so very much and sincerely for considering supporting our efforts to keep local news alive.
— Ray Appen and the Appen Media Team
