During the Thanksgiving holiday, the Poynter Institute highlighted a piece from September on how a Seattle reporter used FOIA requests to see how city officials in Seattle city government were using generative AI.
Nate Sanford, a reporter for PBS affiliate KNKX got a tip that the city government was experimenting with using generative AI. Sanford started looking into the situation and came out with a series of stories about how the Seattle government was using AI.
Read the full story and Q&A with with Sanford: Is your mayor using ChatGPT? Here’s how to FOIA around and find out
And just a reminder, back in May of this year the DC SPJ chapter did a program on the pros and cons of integrating AI in requests for government records. Freelance journalist James Mae talked with Axel Ebermann, President, New York Coalition for Open Government, and Irvin McCullough, Co-Founder, FOIA Friend.
You can see the full session at our YouTube Channel. Or below.