4 Ways I Use AI to Improve Content Curation on Flipboard

ByJanette Speyer

Everybody is talking about ChatGPT! When I check the #Marketing topic feed on Flipboard, every fifth story is about generative AI.

I admit I enjoy exploring the space. I am not completely convinced about AI replacing me as a creative, but I like it for simple functions that make my life easier.

I curate large amounts of content on Flipboard. Many of the stories I add to my Magazines come from across the web, and now ChatGPT allows me to take my curation and creativity to the next level.

Here’s how I put ChatGPT, and its visual counterpart DALL-E, to work:

1. New Ideas for interesting topics

I used ChatGPT to help prepare for a dinner party. I used the prompt: “What can I make for a vegan dinner party? Give me some menu suggestions.” I got a list of interesting suggestions (see the suggested menu below)! My favorites were the stuffed bell peppers and the vegan paella, so I Googled recipes for these dishes. The list ChatGPT gave me was long enough to warrant the creation of a Magazine about how to host a party. I titled it Dinner at My House, and it’s where I save recipes and ideas on hosting, planning and more. If you are a recipe blogger, for instance, you can get tons of inspiration from ChatGPT to write or try a few recipes.

The image you provided lists a variety of vegan menu suggestions for a dinner party. Here's a breakdown:

Appetizers:

Vegan Bruschetta: Toasted baguette slices topped with diced tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and balsamic glaze.
Stuffed Mushrooms: Filled with breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, and vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Main Courses:

Stuffed Bell Peppers: Made with quinoa, black beans, corn, spices, and vegan cheese.
Mushroom Risotto: A creamy dish using arborio rice and a mix of mushrooms.
Vegan Stir-Fry: A mix of tofu or tempeh, vegetables, and stir-fry sauce.
Vegan Paella: Rice dish with vegetables, saffron, and smoked paprika.
Sides:

Quinoa Salad: Filled with fresh vegetables, herbs, and lemon vinaigrette.
Vegan Coleslaw: Made with vegan mayonnaise or cashew-based dressing.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Creamy potatoes with vegan butter and roasted garlic.
Desserts:

Fruit Salad: A mix of fresh seasonal fruits.
Vegan Cheesecake: Dairy-free cheesecake, often made using cashews.
Vegan Ice Cream: Dairy-free ice cream which can be topped with items like nuts, berries, and chocolate chips.
These options provide a well-rounded menu for a vegan dinner party, catering to a range of tastes and preferences.

2. Inspiration for spectacular Magazine covers

I have talked about Magazine covers in many of my articles. It’s always a challenge to find the perfect one. I wanted a picture of a mountain for a Magazine about Argentina travel. Most of the time, I use my own photographs but DALL-E is a good option if I don’t have exactly what I need. I put in my prompt: “A mountain in Argentina.” Sometimes, my initial prompt doesn’t get the desired look, and I need to update the prompt. Being more specific with my description or changing the wording can result in a very different output. Even if I don’t like the output, these images inspire me to search for something amazing.

The images showcase three breathtaking mountain landscapes:

The first image depicts a stunning mountain with a lake at its base. The clear blue waters of the lake contrast beautifully with the dark hues of the mountain and the snow-capped peaks in the background. The description suggests this is a mountain located in Argentina.
The second image features a rugged mountain landscape with patches of snow. The foreground has dense green vegetation which adds to the depth and beauty of the scene.
The third image showcases a hilly terrain with deep valleys. The sky above is adorned with fluffy white clouds casting shadows on the mountains, giving a dynamic feel to the landscape.
Each of these images evokes a sense of wonder and captures the natural beauty of mountainous regions.

3. Pick a topic and broaden the subject

When I look for content to add to a new Magazine, I always search the Web. Now, I ask Open AI to expand on a keyword. For example I will put in a prompt like: “cars”, “Luxury Cars”, “Luxury Cars from 1960″ and so on. Flipboard can do this for you as well by selecting topics and drilling down. I like to populate my Magazines with fresh content so that I am not flipping the same thing over and over again so the more sources, the better for me. ChatGPT is like a soundboard or brainstorm partner for me. Here’s a screenshot showing how I just added one single prompt “cars” and I have ten suggestions for Magazine content that I can search for on Flipboard, Google or Bing.

This image appears to be a screenshot of a text-based response about cars. The information provided covers a broad overview of cars, touching on various aspects including:

Types of Cars: Overview of different car categories like sedans, SUVs, hatchbacks, and more.
Fuel Types: Discussion about various fuels that power cars, including gasoline, electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cells.
Car Brands: Mention of some renowned car manufacturers like Toyota, Ford, and Tesla.
Safety Features: Description of advanced safety measures in modern cars, such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and lane departure warning.
Environmental Considerations: Highlighting the efforts of car manufacturers towards producing eco-friendly vehicles.
Car Maintenance: Emphasizing the importance of regular car upkeep.
Classic and Vintage Cars: Introduction to cars that are valued for their historical significance and aesthetics.
Car Buying and Selling: A brief about the process and considerations involved in purchasing or selling cars.
Car Culture: A nod to the broader cultural phenomena around cars, including car shows and car clubs.
There are also red checkmarks next to the points about "Environmental Considerations" and "Classic and Vintage Cars," indicating that these points have been selected. — This screenshot shows how I use my prompts to search for ideas for a “car” magazine. I am very curious about the environmental considerations for automobiles and transport. I also like vintage cars so I just put in my general prompt to see what came up. I have highlighted my choices in red. These selections will be future Flipboard Magazines.

4. Answer questions about how to use Flipboard

ChatGPT can answer questions or provide information about Flipboard and its features. It can share tips and tricks to make the most out of Flipboard. For example, how to customize your feed, save articles for later, and follow specific topics. It can also make suggestions on how to create and manage your own Magazines. You can even use it for troubleshooting.

The image you shared is a text-based explanation of how generative AI can be used in conjunction with Flipboard. Here's a summarized breakdown of the content:

Flipboard's Functionality (As of September 2021): Flipboard is described as a content curation and news aggregation platform. It allows users to make digital magazines by selecting content from various sources. Though human curation is its primary method, generative AI can be used to enhance the user experience in multiple ways.
Content Suggestions: Generative AI, through natural language processing and machine learning, can analyze user reading habits and preferences. This facilitates the suggestion of articles and topics tailored to individual users' interests, simplifying the curation process on Flipboard.
Summarization: AI-driven summarization can create concise summaries of articles, enabling users to quickly gauge their relevance and decide if they should be added to their Flipboard magazine.
Language Translation: AI can assist in translating articles from various languages, making it feasible for users to incorporate content from diverse linguistic sources and create multilingual magazines.
Image and Video Analysis: Generative AI can also help in automating tasks related to images and videos, like tagging or categorizing, which can be especially beneficial for magazines with a rich multimedia content.
Trend Analysis: AI tools can be used to analyze and identify trends, emerging topics, and breaking news. This provides users with an edge when curating contemporary and relevant content for their magazines.

If that fails, you can also ask me 🙂 or contact FlipboardCS on Mastodon.

Final Thoughts

Will ChatGPT replace people like me or you? Not in my opinion; it’s just another tool to help you deliver your best work. I am a firm believer in using and making the best of all tools available.

Come and chat with me on Mastodon, follow my Flipboard profile or join the Facebook user community for #Fliptips, tricks and connection with other Magazine curators.

— Janette Speyer is curating AI Thinking

Janette is co-founder and partner of marketing agency Hot Ice Media. She also leads Flipboard User Group, an online community for marketers, publishers, educators and business owners leveraging the power of Flipboard to educate and build awareness for their education centers and businesses.