“Humans in the Loop”: Joanna Geary on Curation, Algorithms, and Lessons for the AI Era

At Media Party Buenos Aires 2023, former Twitter Senior Director of Curation Joanna Geary highlighted how human curation bridges the gap between algorithmic automation and user expectations. Her 130-person team provided context for trends, elevated credible news, and classified data across 12 languages. Crucially, they combated misinformation by highlighting reliable sources and training algorithms to improve automated detection.

Geary also reflected on lessons for the AI era, noting a “Dunning-Kruger effect” between tech and media, where each side underestimates the other’s domain. She challenged the myth that algorithms are neutral while humans are biased, arguing that because all content selection involves bias, algorithmic transparency is just as essential as human editorial judgment.

Ultimately, Geary stressed that technology always depends on a “human in the loop” to set guidelines, define goals, and ensure quality. Human expertise remains indispensable to digital platforms. As the future of news distribution unfolds, she urged the industry to value and support the specialists working behind the scenes to make sense of the noise.

Don’t miss the full presentation! Watch Joanna Geary’s Keynote at Media Party Buenos Aires 2023.