- The Bench Brief
- Posts
- We tested out Apple's new AI-powered transcription tool against other paid services so you don't have to
We tested out Apple's new AI-powered transcription tool against other paid services so you don't have to
A little post-Halloween treat from us at Storybench 🎃🍬
Storybench
November 01, 2024
Hey there, Benchies! Happy Halloween! 🎃
We’ve got all kinds of awesome content for you this week - some spooky some not (though if you ask me anything pertaining to AI is a little spooky, amirite?👀) I digress. So, without further ado, grab your favorite pumpkin-spice-mocha-frappe whatever (I’m not judging), settle in with your favorite Halloween costume Snuggie (again, not judging, mine is a minion) and let’s get to it! ⬇️
Here is our featured content this week:
If you’re an iPhone user who delays updates until your phone is on the brink of breakdown (it’s only a call out if you think it’s one) you may not have noticed all the exciting new features Apple launched as part of its recent update. The iOS 18.1 operating system, which hit our pockets this week, included a new feature for phone calls and the Voice Memo and Notes apps that takes talk-to-text to a new level — allowing users to record and transcribe entire audio interviews on both mobile and desktop. The new abilities also represent Apple’s foray into a new area: the transcriptions are accompanied by an AI-generated summary on newer phones. And while our inner journalist is jumping for joy at the idea of never having to painstakingly transcribe an interview again, we’d be doing our profession a disservice if we didn’t ask all the questions. Take a look at how this new software stacks up against its competitors! 📱
It wouldn’t be fall 🍁 without an AI and journalism update! Our own Rahul Bhargava, Peiyao Hu, and Vivica D'souza are bringing you the scoop on some need-to-know news about what's happening at the intersection of Al and journalism — starting with, but not limited to, Al's role in newsrooms. But it doesn't stop there – the update also covers everything from AI Assistance in Data Visualization, to generative AI and the law, open AI developments, and the one we’ve all been waiting for… spotting AI generated fakes. Take a look!
Cool Stuff Corner: What are we reading?
When people use the word spooky, you might think of jack-o’-lanterns 🎃 but I’d take a jack-o’-lantern or even a witch 🧙♀️ over my data being hacked and/or my identity being stolen. That latter scenario is the real life nightmare playing out for millions of Americans as this Boston Globe article illustrates. As reporter Scooty Nickerson explains, a new Globe analysis of state data shows just how off-the-charts the problem has become. In 2022, 1.9 million Massachusetts resident accounts were impacted by data breaches. The following year, that number spiked to more than 6.9 million accounts, fueled in part by large-scale breaches, including one that affected more than 2 million Harvard Pilgrim Health Care accounts. But it’s not getting better, so far this year, the numbers are already above the historical average. Buckle up for this one, it’s more than a little terrifying, but it’s a read you won’t want to miss.
Speaking of data breaches.. since we scared you (and ourselves, let’s be honest) with the above piece, thought we’d also throw you a 🦴 by offering up this one to quell the nerves. As we all learned from Scooty Nickerson’s above article, no one is safe when it comes to data. But knowledge IS power. And knowing what to do if – is it if, or when? Because it seems to be the latter at this point – your data gets hacked, can make all the difference. First and foremost? DO NOT ignore it. Turns out data hacks are a lot like the dentist… ignoring the problem makes it a whooooole lot worse. See for yourself!
From the Vault
As we said at the beginning, it wouldn’t be a spooky season newsletter without AI 😱 Continuing on that theme, we’ve got a gem from the vault. As Storybench’s Annie Probert explained in her 2023 article, AI has the capacity to create images of people who have never existed in seconds (I know, shiver). That means a LinkedIn connection, Facebook friend request, or dating profile now has the potential to carry an AI-generated photo, and digitally altered videos called “deep fakes” have employed the likeness of presidents and celebrities so that they appear to spread messages they’ve never actually said, captivating the attention of media and raising concerns about the potential of AI to be used further by nefarious actors. Bottom line, it’s becoming nearly impossible to trust anything you see online, but not so fast, there may be hope, brought to us by two University of Washington professors. Take a look!
When we talk about scary scenarios, finding out you have cancer is at the top of a lot of people’s lists. And as anyone who’s ever made the mistake of googling their symptoms knows all too well, the diagnosis seems to be everywhere. But what is it ACTUALLY like to be dealt health news like that? We mean by an actual doctor not web MD 👀 Storybench’s Claire Yates sat down with Boston Globe entertainment writer Mark Shanahan to talk about his six-part podcast series, Mr. 80 Percent, in which he goes into granular, personal detail about his treatment journey with a disease that affects one in nine men according to the American Cancer Society: prostate cancer. You won’t want to miss this.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK 📷
Here’s a view I never get tired of, turns out BU has one b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l view from the top of one of its libraries. Don't tell them I may have or may not have pretended to be a student to get up to this spot, but oh so worth it. 🤫
Send us your favorite Boston skyline pic & you may just see it in next week’s newsletter!
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].
And follow us on Instagram, Twitter (or X, or whatever) and LinkedIn for live updates on stories each week!