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Advances in speech technologies and generative AI (Gen AI) have enabled the possibility of generating conversational cues to improve engagement and creativity during small-group discussions. Such cues could contextually adapt and guide a live conversation, or conversely, serve as a distraction. How do conversational cues impact ideation and social interaction? How does the meeting modality impact the effectiveness of cues? We built a system, CueTip, to generate and deliver real-time contextual conversational cues using the GPT 4o-mini model. In a 2x2 study, N=172 participants in dyads completed a brainstorming task where they received cues or not during either a virtual or in-person discussion. Cued participants’ ideas and discussions were more topically diverse than Non-Cued participants. In-person groups noticed slightly more cues on average than virtual groups. We discuss implications for designing effective conversational cues. 

Discussing data related to news is one form of participatory journalism. \textit{Data talk} can promote data literacy, foster community around grounded understanding, and encourage civic engagement. What are the challenges and potential of scaffolding data talk on news websites? To understand current practices and perceptions around future visions for audience engagement in news, we interviewed 12 diverse stakeholders including journalists, data scientists, readers, and moderators. To provoke future thinking, we asked participants to react to our interactive design probe with three scenarios: questioning data on a chart, adding data views, and telling personal data stories. We identified several challenges stakeholders face with data talk, including the fast news cycle hindering thorough data discussions and the difficulty of creating accessible insights and visuals. Despite significant data wrangling, discussions around the data remain rare. Participants reacted positively to the interactive scaffolding features in the three design scenarios, noting that these features can make data an effective entry point for discussions, scaffold audience participation in the data pipeline, and lower the barrier for engagement.