MTM Selected Issues 1:
Sensors, Algorithmic News, Artificial Intelligence, and Deepfakes in Journalism

Master - WS '21/22

C. Loebbecke

2 SWS

Mondays, 11:45 am - 5:00 pm, max. 5 sessions!
 

Pre-Assignment Deadline: Oct. 07,'21, 11:00 am via eMail from your sMail account (see below)

Location: ZOOM (alias: let's walk the talk!) - live!

Held in English

Overview

This is a master level discussion course! We will understand and reflect upon a portfolio of presentations on 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Management' from the Academy of Management Conference (August 2020) and put them in perspective against the respective presenter's academic vita. We will then select those discussion elements that we can examine and discuss in light of publishing journalistic content.

Similarly, we will discuss an online presentation of today's deepfake 'opportunities'. Again, we will put the presentation in perspective against the presenter's vita and select those elements for discussion that are relevant for a business model in the context of 'making money' with journalistic content.

In both cases, the AI topics and deepfake solutions, the challenge will be the transfer to the specifics of publishing journalism.

As we will offer a broad range of considerations, both for AI and management and for journalistic production, students can shape the focus of our discussion after having read and heard the material. During the course sessions, we will have a grounded discussion among students on the cutting edge topics covered in the material and transfer their arguments to journalism. The idea is to develop and fine-tune one's arguments and line of thinking while being aware of rather contrasting insights and thoughts. The idea is NOT to know who said what and repeat anybody's text or words.

Hence, the main learning goals are (1) using academic research to understand contrasting views on AI in journalism, (2) transfer cutting edge technological developments to academic lines of arguments (here: around journalistic content); and (3) develop one's own thoughts / opinions (not technical solutions!) and back those up with academic arguments.

We will offer the Intermediate and the Final Assignment (and the related materials) soon after you have handed in the Pre-Assignment. We need to wait a bit to see how may stundents will register. From the Pre-Assignment accounting for 25% of the total grade, students should have a good idea of the total workload. The two Intermediate Assignments intertwine with the oral participation .... The Final Assignment will be a guided integration of previously covered course material - the more you got out of the course sessions, the easier and faster it will be.

Dates (max. 5)

Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Nov. 8, Nov. 15, Nov. 29 - all '21; likely 4 sessions

Pre-Assignment due Oct. 07,'21, 11:00 am via eMail from your sMail account.

Watch three video clips*, each <15 minutes and each entailing a short presentation on an 'AI and Management' topic and thoughts provided by a pre-assigned discussant, whose job is to challenge / question the given presentation. Note that these are NOT research presentations, but summaries of thoughts for entering a discussion; i.e., there is no research method etc. This gives you in total six persons providing their views.

For each video clip,

1) Google the speaker's and the discussant's CV / vita starting latest from their PhD (when, where). Pay attention to their academic positions and possible major academic roles outside their home institution.  For each write about 150 words NOT COPYING from any website; spend a few klicks to look them up, on where they are based, since when, and one or two other points that may help you remember who is who [6x 100 words, 600 words in total].

2) Summarize  his / her main topic / message / view point in about 150 words). Write your text in a way that you give us explanations for the differences in the statements. What aspect of a presentation does a discussant use as viewpoint to provide a contrasting or complimentary perspective [6x 150 words, about 900 words in total]. Note that we are NOT interested in any particular study a presenter may offer!

3) Relate one of the video clips to one feature covered in Loebbecke / Picot (2015) (link requires VPN connection; https://vpngate.uni-koeln.de/) [about 50 words].

[(4) Be prepared to present your short pieces in the ZOOM discussion and to comment on your fellow students' contributions - graded as class participation, not as Pre-Assignment.]

*

Henfridsson, O., AI Capability for Data Network Effects, duration: 13:41, size: 75 MB (Download)

Keil, M., AI – Are we asking the right questions?, duration: 13:26, size: 16 MB (Download)

Rai, A., How Will the AI Genie Behave?, duration: 14:53, size: 104 MB (Download)
 

1st Intermediate Assignment - due Oct. 21, '21, 11:00 am via eMail

Repeat the Pre-Assignment on another two video presentations plus discussants*.

Then offer one integrated Intermediate Assignment that entails both, the revised Pre-Assignment and the new text on the additional three videos (10 x Task 1, 10 x Task 2), relate Loebbecke / Picot (2015) to one of the videos of the Pre-Assignemnt AND to one of two new videos, be ready for Task 4 :-).
 

Again, and very important here: Note that we are NOT interested in any particular study, which a presenter may offer! Your job is to "skip" those parts. Apply lessons learned in Session 1 to this Intermediate Assignment.

*
Ramaprasad, J., AI & Decision-Making: Programming, Biases, and Moral Decision-Making - plus discussant, duration: 14:41, size: 96 MB (Download)
Butler, B., Assessing AI Value & Impact – Accounting for the Hidden Work of Reliability - plus discussant, duration: 13:27, size: 18 MB (Download)

Formal requirements
- State your name, Matr.-Number, sMail address, and study program and its start date on top of the first page; then continue typing, no cover sheet!
- Type/copy the task and then type your answer. Include one empty line ONLY BEFORE  new task, no empty lines after typing the task or between paragraphs! Fill the pages, do not automatically start a new page per task.
- Times New Roman, 12 pt., single-spaced.

- Format paragraphs ("Absaetze" with 2 points (pots.) before and after each paragraph).
- Scientific writing style - no jokes, no slang, hardly any passive voice.
- References IN THE TEXT (no footnotes), no 'ibid.' - s. some Anglo-American academic management journals.
- No author first names, no repetition of reference titles in the assignment text.
- For formatting the reference list, see our website.
- Consistent format (including spacing).
- Page numbers of references only for word-by-word citations.
- Complete reference list formatted appropriately with all required information per file (see mtm.uni-koeln.de) - even if it is only one source.

Delivery
Please send an eMail from your sMail account to claudia.loebbecke<at>uni-koeln.de and irina.boboschko<at>uni-koeln.de; attach a non-protected word file (.doc or .docx)
- Subject line: MTM-Issues1-Inter1-Lastname (your lastname only, no accent etc.)
- File name: MTM-Issues1-Inter1-Lastname.doc(x) (your lastname only, no accent etc.)

Course Grading

- 25%: Pre-Assignment

- 25%, individual: Intermediate assignments
- 30%, individual: Active participation throughout the sessions - building on assignments / having digested the material

- 20%, individual: Final Assignment and presentation
It is required to at least 'pass' (grade 4.0 or better) each grading element for passing the course.
'Alle Prüfungselemente müssen mindestens bestanden sein.'

Required Course Registration:

(1) Hand in Pre-Assignment by Oct. 07, '21 (minimum passing that grading element) AND thereupon (2) register for the exam on KLIPS by Oct. 19, '21, 11:00 am

If you are interested in taking the course, please send an eMail from your sMail account to three persons: claudia.loebbecke<at>uni-koeln.de, astrid.obeng-antwi<at>uni-koeln.de, and irina.boboschko<at>uni-koeln.de. The eMail must list the course for which you want to register, your first name, your last name, your 'Matr.-Number', and your study program. We suggest that you also add a phone number so that we can help on short notice.

We confirm the receipt; then you have your seat secured.
However, the registration only becomes binding for you, once you have handed in the Pre-Assignment latest on Oct. 7, '21 (see above). Hence, on Oct. 08, '21, we will list you as course participant in KLIPS and by Oct. 19, '21 you will then have to register for the exam of the course ('Prüfungsanmeldung') via KLIPS. We will help and double check, if / after you have handed in the Pre-Assignment.
For any course related questions, please contact claudia.loebbecke<at>uni-koeln.de from your sMail account.

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