AI Spotlight Series Workshop: Investigating Data Centers

We're excited to share this new module in the AI Spotlight Series for those interested in researching data centers. This session is open to freelance and staff journalists, as well as civil society organizations. In this online training, we'll cover the basics of data centers and finding information and sources for data center investigations. Former AI Accountability Fellows Pablo Jiménez Arandia and Laís Martins, in collaboration with lead curriculum designer Karen Hao, have drawn on their own reporting to develop a framework for data center reporting. In this workshop you will learn approaches to assessing the impact of AI infrastructure across stages of development, reporting beats, and geographies. We’ll also review core concepts from the AI Spotlight Series Curriculum, including what AI is, how it works, and a framework to identify critical stories and highlight the technology’s impacts. Register here. Upon receipt and review of registration forms, attendees will receive a calendar invite with the Zoom link for the event. What time is that in my city? Training Coaches: Laís Martins, investigative reporter, the Intercept Brasil Pablo Jiménez Arandia, investigative reporter, multiple outlets Moderator: Erika Owens, Coordinator, AI Spotlight Series Speakers: Laís Martins is an investigative journalist based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her coverage focuses on technology, human rights, and politics—and what lies at the intersection of these topics. She is a reporter with the Intercept Brasil, but her work as an independent journalist was previously featured in top international and Brazilian media outlets. Pablo Jiménez Arandia is an investigative reporter and freelance journalist based in Barcelona. He covers stories on the intersection between technology, social justice, and human rights. Since 2020 Jiménez has been reporting on the use of algorithms and AI systems in the public sector, including prisons, welfare policies, and law enforcement. He has worked with organizations such as Lighthouse Reports and AlgorithmWatch on several algorithmic accountability projects. He has also done two documentary podcasts on the topic. Jiménez is a contributor to some of Spain's major media outlets, including El País and El Confidencial. Erika Owens, coordinator of the Pulitzer Center’s AI Spotlight Series, loves helping people problem solve and organize at the intersection of journalism, technology, and community. Previously, Owens was co-director at OpenNews, where she supported a thriving network and created inclusive, caring spaces for peer learning where people built connections and shared strategies on pushing for change in their organizations. She serves on the board of the Movement Alliance Project and Superbloom, and was a 2024 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow. She is based in Sheffield, England.