Welcome to the Pulse edition of the Monthly Monitor, where we spotlight key cultural moments influencing our work and society. Our goal is to be fast, curious, and timely. We’re diving into the buzz surrounding Oprah Winfrey’s AI special, exploring engagement trends and key conversations that surfaced around this thought-provoking event.
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Cautious Excitement
Impact on Human Values
Responsible Innovation
Takeaways from The Special
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AI-powered Google search
BLOOM
ChatGPT
Google search
Interacting with a large language model costs 10 times the power consumption of a standard Google search - roughly the equivalent of running a low-lumen LED light bulb for an hour.
Watt-hours of electricity per request
Power consumption of AI-powered Google search assessed by research firms New Street Research, which estimated 6.9 Wh per request, and Semi-Analysis, which estimated 8.9 Wh per request.
Alex de Vries
Phi Do, Los Angeles Times
Source: LA Times
Media landscape
Reporters to follow
Influencers to watch
Cool brand stories
The conversations reflected a sense of ambivalence, balancing excitement for its transformative potential in science, health, and education with serious concerns about its societal, ethical, and security implications.
As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, there is a growing need to ensure that its development aligns with human values, maintaining a balance between technological progress and preserving what makes us fundamentally human.
AI’s incredible potential to transform industries comes with the critical need for transparency, regulation, and collaboration between tech companies and governments to ensure its responsible use.
Stat of the month
Quote of the month
interest of the month
10X
more electricity is needed for a query using AI than a standard Google search
AI-powered systems require more energy than standard Google search
Source: BBC
Although the creative community is leading an anti-AI sentiment movement, it reflects a broader skepticism and wariness towards AI technologies among consumers and businesses.
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During Show Social Engagement
AI mentions through August
Politics have continued to play a large role in AI driven social coverage- particularly with commentary on AI- generated crowd sizes for rallies.
The conversation has steadied in terms of volume, with a total of ~16M mentions.
The intersection of blockchain and AI is increasingly driving social media conversations, especially as these technologies converge to transform various industries. Which is sparking discussions on new applications like decentralized AI models, enhanced data privacy, and secure data sharing.
About Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a digital consumer intelligence and social media listening platform that helps businesses and organizations monitor, analyze, and derive insights from online conversations and social media activity. The platform collects data from various social media platforms, blogs, forums, news sites, and other online sources to give users a comprehensive view of what is being said about their brand, industry, or competitors.
Pre-Show Social Engagement
Pre-show social conversation dominated by a widely shared story on Bill Gates wanting to use AI to tackle misinformation (high negative spike in sentiment) and a story related to Sam Altman meeting the Biden Administration to discuss AI and infrastructure
AI-related news was driven by several high-profile incidents, including former President Donald Trump's sharing of AI-generated images that falsely depicted Taylor Swift endorsing his presidential campaign. The controversy highlighted the growing concerns over AI's role in misinformation, particularly in political contexts.
Source:
New York Times,
Aljazeera
Microsoft's announcement
of a partnership to build 500 megawatts of community-scale solar power stood out in AI-related news. As the energy demands of AI escalate, tech companies are increasingly investing in clean energy to meet climate targets.
Source: Newsweek
OpenAI signed a multi-year
deal with Conde Nast to use content from brands like Vogue and The New Yorker in its products, including ChatGPT and SearchGPT. This highlights OpenAI’s strategy to collaborate with news publishers for accurate and reliable information in AI platforms.
Source: Axios
Many media outlets, including CNN, The Guardian, and BBC, are driving conversations around the ethical concerns, legal issues, and societal impacts of AI. This includes debates on privacy, job displacement, and the regulation of AI technologies.
Source: Axios
Outlets like Forbes, Business Insider, and TechRadar emphasize the business and economic effects of AI across various industries. They highlight innovations in AI, its integration into products and services, and its role in enhancing productivity and market strategies.
Source: Axios
About Cision
Cision is a tool that helps businesses and organizations manage their PR and communications efforts. Cision's platform allows users to monitor media coverage, manage their brand's reputation, and engage with media outlets. It offers tools for media monitoring, social media listening, press release distribution, media database management, and analytics.
Research Deep Dive
The Wall Street Journal >
ZDNet >
Entrepreneur >
About Quid
Quid is an AI tool that provides a news article network graph of articles that mention AI. The different clusters represent subtopics that make up the larger conversation. The subtopics are represented by the colored clusters, showing both the volume and the connectivity of the topics.
Media macro
Coverage is focusing on how AI is transitioning from a buzzword to the driving force behind industry transformation. From making buildings smarter and fleets greener to reshaping sectors like healthcare and finance, AI is driving efficiency and innovation across the board.
However, with these advancements come new challenges, such as data ownership concerns and the need for vigilant human oversight to ensure ethical practices.
As industries integrate AI, the balance between leveraging its potential and addressing its risks will be key to sustainable growth.
Tech focus
The AI narrative focuses on how it’s creating a seismic shift in the tech world, a point the media is quick to emphasize. From making waves in healthcare to streamlining business operations, AI is redefining what's possible.
But it's not all smooth sailing. The conversation is also heating up around the hurdles we face, like governing this powerful tool and the unsettling prospect of job displacement.
As AI continues to weave its way into every corner of tech, the story is evolving. It's no longer just about the promise of AI but about how we navigate its immense potential while keeping an eye on the risks, ensuring innovation moves forward responsibly.
VentureBeat >
Focuses on the application development of AI, and feature releases from both consumer and B2B brands.
Michael Nunez
About Quid
Quid is an AI tool that provides a news article network graph of articles that mention AI. The different clusters represent subtopics that make up the larger conversation. The subtopics are represented by the colored clusters, showing both the volume and the connectivity of the topics.
About Tagger
Tagger is an influencer marketing platform designed to help brands, agencies, and marketers discover, manage, and analyze influencer marketing campaigns. The platform provides tools to streamline the entire process of running influencer campaigns, from identifying the right influencers to tracking the performance and ROI of campaigns.
Overview
It looks like cat food.
“
”
— A taster sampling an AI created dish
Professional chef and cookbook writer experiments with AI to generate new and creative recipes.
*Image created by ChatGPT
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Stand-out quotes
Sam Altman
"The ethical responsibilities of AI developers cannot be overstated. Transparency and accountability are crucial to ensure that AI serves the greater good and does not exacerbate existing inequalities."
Bill Gates
"AI is poised to revolutionize sectors like healthcare and education, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. However, we must also prepare for the significant shifts it will bring to the job market."
Marques Brownlee
"AI is already transforming our daily lives in ways we might not even realize. From enhancing productivity to providing convenience, its potential is vast and growing."
We set up a real-time social media analysis to capture audience reactions and insights as they unfolded. By tracking key conversations and engagement trends, we aimed to understand how viewers connected with the show’s themes, from AI’s potential impact to the ethical dilemmas it raises. This approach helped us uncover emerging sentiments and narratives that can shape how brands and organizations navigate the evolving landscape of AI.
General Social Engagement Overview
Other pre-show chatter reflected a rising curiosity about AI, with outlets eagerly anticipating Oprah’s special featuring discussions with AI leaders like Bill Gates and Sam Altman - though some coverage carries a hint of skepticism.
Key Takeaways
The show didn’t introduce any major changes to the AI conversation. Instead, it provided a general overview of the rapid innovation, areas for disruption, and potential risks of AI applications.
Audience reactions showed a range of emotions—while the potential of AI ignited excitement and optimism, there was also a strong undercurrent of skepticism and fear about its broader impact.
Much of the social media discussion from major outlets centered around Sam Altman’s frequent meetings with government officials, including his recent session with the Biden Administration and Nvidia.
While sentiment of the conversation stayed fairly stable throughout, the two main emotions from the audience were contrasted between 'anger' and 'joy' - demonstrating the varying sides of the conversation being told.
Most interestingly however, we saw a large increase in audiences showing a fearful response during the show – increasing by 1300% - this was seen in posts related to the potential negative impact to society, regulation, and deepfakes.
According to the social Topic Wheel, key drivers from the conversation include Sam Altman’s regular government meetings and OpenAI’s progress in AI development. Bill Gates (falling under "Key Missions") faced some backlash over his views on using AI to fight misinformation, especially regarding vaccines, while highlighting AI’s potential to disrupt jobs and transform healthcare and education. Oprah’s role primarily revolved around interest in the show, with some attention to her praise of AI and reaction to deepfakes.
Social media reactions to the show highlight a clear divide in public sentiment toward AI, with some viewers praising its potential and value, while others express concern over its dangers and negative implications.
Other show chatter sparked curiosity on social media, with some viewers questioning the source of the data fueling these advancements, while others echoed Bill Gates’ belief that AI will surpass the impact of the internet itself.
Post Show Social Engagement
Post-show discussions mirrored the broadcast's tone, with some viewers excited about AI's potential advancements, while others expressed skepticism and concern, reflecting a divided audience sentiment toward the future of AI.
Social media reactions focused on key moments from the show, including Oprah’s praise of AI as "miraculous," Sam Altman's regular communication with government officials, and Bill Gates' comparison of AI to past technological revolutions like personal computers and the internet, emphasizing its transformative potential.
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