The Authority File Round-Up: November 2023

In the penultimate month of the year, our guests shared how higher education and publishing are approaching artificial intelligence

Posted on December 12, 2023 in Blog

Since the release of ChatGPT last November, artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. But how are higher education and the publishing industry responding to the technology? In last month’s series, our speakers dove into the world of AI and explored its impact on critical thinking. Our guests considered the benefits and drawbacks of generative AI, also looking at current institutional guidance and tactics for incorporating AI in the classroom and library. Ethical issues surrounding GenAI were covered in depth, along with the importance of transparency from publishers using the technology. 

Here’s a quick round-up of the episodes, in case you missed them. We hope you find the conversations timely, beneficial, and thought-provoking. Thanks for listening!

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The Intersection of Critical Thinking Skills and AI

Last month’s series brought together Dr. Leo Lo, Dean and Professor of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico, Katie Metzler, Vice President for Books & Social Science Innovation at Sage Publishing, and author and tech philosopher Dr. Tom Chatfield. Centered on the intersection of critical thinking skills and AI, the series revealed how academics, authors, and publishers are approaching AI tools. Our speakers also underlined the value of allowing hands-on experiences for students and faculty, international policy differences, and ethical concerns including the digital divide. Brought to you by Sage.

Listen to episode one: Benefits, Pitfalls, and Setting the Scene
Listen to episode two: Tactics for Effective Use
Listen to episode three: Ethics, Governance, and Policy
Listen to episode four: Current Strategies and Moving Forward

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Missed October’s episodes? We’ve got you covered.

Our first series in October took a creative approach to academia, underscoring the benefits of applying experimentation and avoiding perfectionism in writing. Our guests, editors of The Frankfurt Kabuff Critical Edition, discussed their research on the Frankfurt Book Fair and their Ullapoolism manifesto on arts-based research. They also highlighted how the medium of fiction provided a unique outlet to critique the publishing industry and shared how scholarship can function as a form of activism. Listen to the series here.

Next up, guests from United Nations Publications detailed how they assemble UN research and the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The speakers revealed the UN agencies’ editorial processes, diving into the iLibrary platform and UN Publications’ various content types. Our guests explained how UN Publications distributes its content, spotlighting their work at academic conferences and the benefits joining the SDG Publishers Compact provides to libraries. Listen to the series here.

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What’s Coming Up in December

This month we sat down with Kait Pinder and Joel Deshaye, coeditors of The Contemporary Leonard Cohen: Response, Reappraisal, and Rediscovery. Reflecting on the legacy of Leonard Cohen, Kait and Joel share the development of their title and their use of the concept of “contemporaneity” to frame the text. Kait and Joel delve into the political and social impact of Cohen’s music, literature, and art, while also acknowledging the more controversial aspects of Cohen’s career and personal life. Listen to the first episode here.

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You can find more episodes of the Authority File here on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening! See you next month.

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