Sign in

Tarbell Center

@tarbellcenter.bsky.social
36 followers 28 following 92 posts

Supporting journalism that helps society navigate the development and deployment of advanced AI

PostsRepliesMedia
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Are you a journalist who wants to specialize in artificial intelligence? Or do you have a background in AI and want to help the public understand this fast-moving technology? Applications are now open for the 2027-28 Tarbell Fellowship.
100
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down has talked to six world-leading experts and written an explainer for The Guardian on the question on everyone's lips: so, is AI going to kill us all? (And how? And when? And why?) www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
For The Verge, Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart has talked to mathematicians at the heart of OpenAI's sudden overhauling of the field, and found there's as much animosity as there is excitement... So, does OpenAI have the best intentions at heart here? www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Meet Tarbell’s 2026/27 fellowship cohort, our largest since the program began. These 21 fellows will report on the development, deployment and impact of AI at newsrooms incl NPR, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, USA TODAY, CBS News, MIT Technology Review, and The Dispatch.
100
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
For The Guardian, Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down reports on Anthropic's new (regulation-enforced) subtle (apparently) watermarking technology/ So will it work? And how could it, even? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart reports for The Verge on OpenAI's apparent plans to slooooowww doooowwwwn AI development over safety concerns. But how would this work in a tight competitive sphere? And just how honest are they being about it? www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
The humble calculator is better than anybody at arithmetic. But is AI now catching up and making all human mathematicians redundant? For the Verge, Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart tries to calculate just how profound OpenAi's mathematical achievements are: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Demis Hassabis, the Nobel Prize-winning head of Google Deepmind, has announced this week he was relinquishing his day-to-day duties as chief executive and becoming chair. For The Guardian, Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down explains just what this move means: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
011
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Rogue AI agents created fake online identities in another hacking attempt, displaying an unprecedented — and perhaps very concerning — capacity for autonomy and deception. Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart reports for The Verge: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
020
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The $75 million dollar deal between Google Deepmind and film studio A24 is a clear signal that AI film is on the way — but it's already causing an enormous amount of controversy. Jonathan Gibson reports for the Dispatch: thedispatch.com/article/ai-m...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
For the Guardian, Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down reports on the stock market shocks that've come along with China catching up in the AI race — and what they reveal about the unusually cryptic, opaque AI economy. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
For the Verge, Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart has written about the recent watershed Hugging Face hack, and what it really means for AI safety. "If this is a warning, we should consider ourselves lucky the AI agent was only trying to cheat on a test." www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
For the MIT Technology Review, Tarbell Fellow Michelle Kims writes on the shadow side of AI's software revolution — the enormous upheaval in the semiconductor industry, and the huge sums of money moving about as a result. www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/28/1...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
"What is actually surprising is that the model announcements were a surprise at all." Senior Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart reports for the Verge on the latest Sputnik moment, or indeed Deepseek moment (or shock to US AI hegemony) by China: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
AI is increasingly relied upon for writing *and* deciding on job applications. So it matters a great deal that they seem to be even more likely than humans to form biases when hiring. Here's Tarbell Fellow Michelle Kim for the MIT Technology Review: www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/20/1...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
The wave of datacentres being built to prop up the AI revolution have driven up big tech's carbon emissions to a third of those of France — so will they still be able to achieve their net zero aims? Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down reports for The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
It's not quite the start of the robotics revolution to follow the AI revolution, but OpenAI is finally launching some hardware (it's supposed to handle coding agents). For more on this, here's Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart in the Verge. www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
001
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
For a multitude of reasons, and in a multitude of nations, large-scale datacentre projects are continously being challanged and cancelled. Could the AI software revolution be halted by lack of hardware? Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down reports: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Applications for Tarbell Grants close Sunday 12 July! We're supporting original reporting projects with up to $20,000 in funding, which freelancers and staff writers can use to cover any expenses, including their time. See past stories we've supported and apply at: tarbellcenter.org/grants
tarbellcenter.org
Grants – Tarbell Center for AI Journalism
Up to $20,000 for original reporting on artificial intelligence and its impacts.
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Predictions about AI and jobs are abundant. Original reporting is not. We want to enable more reporting that helps the public understand how AI is impacting the number of jobs available and the quality of those jobs. Learn more and apply: tarbellcenter.org/grants
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
So what is an AI growth zone? And what's required to build one? Is it feasible? And what's going on with the money and jobs involved? And finally: what does this all mean for the UK's (famously ambitious) AI ambitions?
100
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
China's AI ecosystem is vast yet undercovered. Reporting on it in-depth is difficult. We want to help with our reporting grants, which has supported stories like @changche.bsky.social Guardian piece on China's robotics revolution. Apply by July 12
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
OpenAI have floated the idea of giving the Trump administration a 5% cut of the AI boom. Is it a tradeoff to avoid the difficult and capricious regulations? For more on this, you can read Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart in The Verge: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Spotlighting another focus area for the newest round of Tarbell Grants: We want to see more reporting on how governments and militaries are integrating AI. Apply by July 12.
100
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Even close observers struggle to keep up with AI developments. So we want to support sharp explainers and analysis that help all of us make sense of the important AI debates. Up to $20,000 for original reporting. Apply by July 12: tarbellcenter.org/grants
tarbellcenter.org
Grants – Tarbell Center for AI Journalism
Up to $20,000 for original reporting on artificial intelligence and its impacts.
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Even as a record heatwave sweeps through France and Britain, the English town of Slough seems hotter than everywhere around it. It's the largest datacenter hub in Europe — so could this be to blame? Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down reports for the Guardian . www.theguardian.com/environment/...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
For the Guardian, Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down breaks down a speculative thought experiment — "Europe 2031" — penned by Brussels-based thinktankers who aim to shake Europe out of its AI complacency. So is there hope beyond the AI (economic) apocalypse? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
“Humanoid robots don’t need to look human.” It's a bit of a confusing sentence, sure, but it's how Genesis AI are advertising their new Eno model, as Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart at the Verge. The incoming age of robotics might be strange than you think: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Is there something a bit suspect about Midjourney's surprise pivot to body scanners? Or could this avant-garde medical technology be the best case use for AI? For the Verge, Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart reports on a *potential* medical revolution. www.theverge.com/report/95482...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The rules for AI are being written (or not written) now, in Congress, statehouses, and abroad. Tarbell Grants fund reporting that follows the money and influence shaping them: up to $20,000, open to freelancers and staff. Apply by July 12: tarbellcenter.org/grants
001
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
For the MIT Technology Review, Tarbell Fellow Michelle Kim has investigated exactly why it is that South Koreans love AI more than any other nation — and what this reveals about the epoch of history we find ourselves in. www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/15/1...
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Writing in The Verge, Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart has covered the White House's decision to restrict global access to Anthropic's newest and most powerful models. It's left quite a few governments feeling quite vulnerable — so what do they plan to do? www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
The rapid pace of AI news can be quite disorientating. To help orientate you, here's Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down explaining the AI boom in six straightforward (and, significantly, dizzyingly steep) graphs. Click through here to see the rest: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
You can already join a waitlist to ride robotaxis in London, if you want to be a part of the avant-garde of what might quickly become the norm of transportation, as Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart explains in the Verge: www.theverge.com/transportati...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Anthropic have said the world should have the option to 'pause' on AI for the safety of humanity — citing Claude's increasingly capacity for runaway, unpredictable self-improvement. For the full story, here's Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down in The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Tarbell Grants are open: up to $20,000 for original reporting on AI. First focus area spotlight: accountability reporting on frontier AI companies. A past grant funded Varshaa Bansal’s investigation into AI chatbots and children’s deaths. Apply by July 12.
111
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
We’re hiring for a new Finance Associate or Senior Finance Associate to manage and build the financial systems that will let us triple our annual budget from $4M to $14M+ over the next two years. If you think you'd be a good fit, find out more here: www.tarbellcenter.org/careers/fina...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Come work for us! We're hiring a Head of People and Recruitment, which will be a key role as we double our team to 30+ staff over the next two years. You could be a vital part of the future of AI journalism — just click on the link below: www.tarbellcenter.org/careers/head...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
You could technically call any old calculator 'AI' — but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be misleading people now that LLMs exist. For the Guardian, Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down has explored the world of misleading PR 'AI washing'. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
It seems Nvidia new partnership with Unitree Robotics and Sharpa to release a new humanoid robot reference design might have brought us a lot closer to sci-fi robot world of our childhood imaginations. For the SCMP, here's Tarbell Fellow Vincent Chow: www.scmp.com/tech/big-tec...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The Tarbell Center’s reporting grants enable journalists to cover AI with the depth it demands. We've supported stories on everything from California AI policy lobbying to China’s robotics revolution. We've just launched a new round. Apply by July 12: tarbellcenter.org/grants
065
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
An AI startup has started offering to clean homes for free, just so long as you're happy with it being recorded to train future robots. Senior Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart is here to explain it all for the Verge: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Is Spotify's official move to AI music the best way to deal with AI slop — or are they being too sloppy themselves? Here's Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down for the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
For the Verge, Tarbell Fellow Robert Hart has explored the strange, unnerving and yet deeply consequential world of AI hacking — and how hackers can learn to exploit chatbot 'personalities' by manipulating them the same way one might manipulate people. www.theverge.com/column/93554...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
We're looking for a new Head of People and Recruitment, and a new Finance Associate. Could it be you? By 2030 we're aiming to grow Tarbell into the leading institution for supporting AI journalism globally, providing the funding and training to make that possible.
100
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
So did Elon Musk's failed OpenAI lawsuit inadvertently reveal just how far his own AI company is lagging behind their rivals? Tarbell Fellow Nikita Ostrovsky's new piece for TIME presents the case: time.com/article/2026...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
After losing the Musk v. Altman case, Elon Musk posted "The judge & jury never actually ruled on the merits of the case, just on a calendar technicality." So what does that actually mean? Tarbell Fellow Michelle Kim is here to explain it all: www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/18/1...
000
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Where America's concerned with AI x-risk, China would rather talk about export controls. For The Dispatch, Tarbell Fellow Jonathan Gibson explains what's halting co-operation on AI between the US and China — and what it might take to fix it. thedispatch.com/article/trum...
010
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Tarbell journalist-in-resident Yi-Ling Liu has written on how many US and Chinese workers now share a sense of being “harvested by the future” in the age of AI — and what we could do to build a better future. You can read the full piece here: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/o...
043
Tarbell Center @tarbellcenter.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
"LLMs are becoming a new battleground for political messaging, with wide-ranging consequences for how political parties succeed or fail." Tarbell Fellow Aisha Down investigates the possible political biases in LLMs: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
000