🤖🧠2026, Reloaded: AI, Design and the Stories Ahead

Hey there, Benchies!

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2026!

We’re starting the year with reporting on how journalists are using AI, designers are rethinking creativity and data is helping us ask better questions — even when the answers aren’t easy.

Let’s get into what’s shaping the future of storytelling!

Here is our featured content this week:

🤖📰From Slack Bots to Story Tools: Hearst’s Tim O’Rourke on the future of AI in journalism

Tim O’Rourke, vice president of editorial innovation and AI strategy at Hearst Newspapers, discussed how the company is integrating artificial intelligence into newsrooms. O’Rourke said Hearst’s DevHub team experiments with tools like internal Slack bots and other systems to boost efficiency while keeping journalists in control. 

Hearst evaluates new technologies on whether they can be scaled across markets, help journalists or readers and push innovation forward. The newsroom prioritizes accuracy, ethics and human oversight as it expands AI use. Read more here!

👗💻 Digital Fashion Rises as a New Frontier for Clothing Design

Digital fashion, a field where clothes exist only online and are created with 3D software, augmented reality and game engines, is gaining attention as a creative medium. Unlike traditional fashion, these virtual garments focus on design possibilities not bound by physical materials. The emerging community of designers uses digital tools and AI to dress avatars, experiment with aesthetics and sell styles as digital assets. Check out the Q&A

🧠🔬Measuring the Invisible: How Journalists Navigate the Science of Trauma

Freelance science journalist Amanda Keener discussed the challenges of reporting on the biology of childhood trauma for her Knowable Magazine project “Unseen Scars of Childhood Trauma.” 

Keener said translating complex research into accurate, accessible journalism is difficult because scientific understanding of trauma and its biomarkers is still evolving. Her interest grew from foster parent training and questions about whether early interventions can change long-term health outcomes.

🎥💥Will Bottone Designs Emotion in Motion: Turning Three Seconds into Story

UK motion designer Will Bottone explained how he crafts emotionally resonant short-form videos that capture attention in seconds on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Trained in film production, Bottone blends cinematic instincts with animation and sound design to engage audiences quickly, focusing on what feeling he wants viewers to have in the first few seconds of a piece. Read here

Cool Stuff Corner: What are we reading?

🤖📊Can AI do your job? See the results from hundreds of tests.

A Washington Post interactive examines how well leading AI systems perform real work tasks compared with humans. A study using hundreds of freelance assignments found top models handled only about 2.5 % of tasks successfully on their own, struggling especially with visual understanding and complex projects. The findings suggest AI today may augment work but isn’t close to replacing most skilled labor.

🧠⏱️ The 5-day Brain Health Challenge

The New York Times launched a “Brain Health Challenge” quiz prompting readers to test their knowledge about brain health and learn steps to protect cognitive function in 2026. The interactive feature ties into broader guidance on lifestyle and habits that may support long-term brain wellness. 

PHOTO OF THE WEEK📷

First day of school in 2026 and the spring semester. What better start than morning rain and moderate snow while you’re already battling the ‘welcome to 2026’ flu. Snow better start to the semester! (Cries in the corner.)

That's all we've got for this week! Thanks for reading, and let us know if there's anything you'd like to see in these newsletters or in our coverage at [email protected].

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