When reporter Grace Elletson proposed filming an interview with Bina48, an A.I.-powered robot housed at a small technology think tank in Lincoln, we knew it was a great opportunity. But how would it work? Can you clip a lapel mic onto a robot? Would she actually answer our questions? Would we identify her on-screen like any other… person?
We answered these questions the way we often do — on the fly. But Bina48 turned out to be more or less like any other interview subject. She gave insightful answers to Grace’s questions. Her “handler,” Bruce Duncan, chimed in when it was helpful. And we came away with a better understanding of the artificial intelligence tools that the Terasem Movement Foundation was using to explore broader questions about technology.
It was an ideal jumping off point for Grace’s longform exploration of how A.I. is used around Vermont. And it made for one of our top multimedia projects of the year. Here are a few more.
How the DMV sells your data
Our most-downloaded Deeper Dig podcast this year detailed Xander Landen’s investigation into how the Vermont DMV sells and shares personal information — and earns millions of dollars doing it. Xander explained the practice, while Vice reporter Joseph Cox showed how privacy advocates are pushing to reform the federal law that allows it. Plus, Vermont DMV official Michael Smith and private investigator Susan Randall describe how DMV data can be crucial to certain sectors.
Where migrating Vermonters are going — and why
Data reporter Erin Petenko’s breakdown of Vermont population trends topped our site this year. On our podcast, she explains how the outmigration trends she observed ran counter to what state politicians often describe. Researcher Jill Mudgett and Vermont Council on Rural Development director Paul Costello talk about the forces behind those trends. And one soon-to-be-ex-Vermonter, Nate Hibler, describes why he’s moving to Boston.
The hemp harvest, from “pot of gold” to disappointment
The number of growers in Vermont has more than doubled in the last year, but the market hasn’t kept pace. We spent a day at one of Vermont’s largest hemp operations to talk about how they were faring in a year that wasn’t so lucrative for all of the state’s many new growers. Sunsoil benefits from vertical integration — they grow and process all of their own product. But other hemp farmers were left with nowhere to sell their crop.
Welch’s role in impeachment — beyond the zinger
Vermont’s lone member of Congress scored a viral moment during the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment hearings this fall. But as VTDigger’s Kit Norton explained in a podcast recording from the capital, Welch’s laugh line was just the most visible step in his ongoing role as an outspoken supporter of the impeachment process.
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