If you're going to read just a small amount of my work, I personally recommend these three complementary pieces about the Tesla diner in Los Angeles.
I wrote these during my summer fellowship at 404 Media.
I was one of the first people to write about the diner, as well as the only reporter (as far as I know) to get access to two neighbouring buildings. All photos and video also by me.
1. 'It's Not a Political Statement': Checking in With Tesla Superfans at Elon Musk's New Diner
2. Living Next To Tesla Diner Is 'Absolute Hell,' Neighbors Say
3. 'Honk If You Hate Elon:' Two Days of Protest at the Tesla Diner
And this video that I also made about the experience, and how Cybertruck owners were feeling.
I'm good at spotting interesting social trends and writing about them.
TikTok Shop Sells Viral GPS Trackers Marketed to Stalkers
“If your girl says she’s just out with friends every night, you’d better slap one of these on her car.”
Rosie Thomas
Voiceover Artists Weigh the ‘Faustian Bargain’ of Lending Their Talents to AI
The human voiceover artists behind AI voices are grappling with the choice to embrace the gigs and earn a living, or pass on potentially life-changing opportunities from Big Tech.
Rosie Thomas
AI Bunnies on Trampoline Causing Crisis of Confidence on TikTok
People failing to identify a video of adorable bunnies as AI slop has sparked worries that many more people could fall for online scams.
Rosie Thomas
‘Deportation Tok’ Is Taking Off
People are uploading videos of their post-deportation life to TikTok and other platforms.
Rosie Thomas
I'm also pretty good at writing about and explaining AI, and talking to academics about their work in that field.
Guy Gives Himself 19th Century Psychiatric Illness After Consulting With ChatGPT
“For 3 months, he had replaced sodium chloride with sodium bromide obtained from the internet after consultation with ChatGPT.”
Rosie Thomas
Gemini Is ‘Strict and Punitive’ While ChatGPT Is ‘Catastrophically’ Cooperative, Researchers Say
In tests involving the Prisoner’s Dilemma, researchers found that Google’s Gemini is “strategically ruthless,” while OpenAI is collaborative to a “catastrophic” degree.
Rosie Thomas
AI Models And Parents Don’t Understand ‘Let Him Cook’
LLMs are not familiar with “ate that up,” “secure the bag,” and “sigma,” showing that training data is not yet updated to Gen Alpha terminology.
Rosie Thomas
Fine-Tuning LLMs For ‘Good’ Behavior Makes Them More Likely To Say No
Researchers took inspiration from r/AmITheAsshole to find out if chatbots are likely to demonstrate an exaggerated version of human beings’ “bias for inaction.”
Rosie Thomas
Meta’s AI Model ‘Memorized’ Huge Chunks of Books, Including ‘Harry Potter’ and ’1984′
Researchers found Meta’s popular Llama 3.1 70B has a capacity to recite passages from ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’ at a rate much higher than could happen by chance.
Rosie Thomas
I also love writing local stories and talking to people about their lives and experiences:
Many American foods still use dyes linked to hyperactivity in kids. Parents want them banned.
Artificial food dyes are everywhere: in Cheetos, Jolly Ranchers, applesauce, pickles, spinach wraps, ice cream, even Tylenol. Parents of kids who are sensitive to the dyes want them banned.
Marisa Donnelly, Your Local Epidemiologist New York
New robot unveiled at BronxNet to highlight technology equity - Mott Haven Herald
September saw an unusual visit to the South Bronx: a meeting between small business leaders, and “Sophia”, an AI-powered robot. Sophia is an AI “humanoid”, created by Hong Kong-based technology […]
Joe Hirsch
As Trump campaign pushed anti-trans message, LGBTQ+ center celebrated 15th anniversary - Mott Haven Herald
Destination Tomorrow, the only center for LGBTQ+ people in New York City run by trans people of color, celebrated its 15th anniversary with a gala on Nov. 1, just four […]
Joe Hirsch
Melrose remembers a beloved teacher at a street renaming ceremony - Mott Haven Herald
South Bronx residents gathered on a Sunday morning in September to celebrate the renaming of E. 152nd Street for the ‘saint of the neighborhood’ Michael P. McCauley. McCauley taught at […]
Joe Hirsch