Mounting pressure to regulate children’s use of technology in the United States raises the question: Is childproofing the internet constitutional? In response to significant political pressure stemming from alarming revelations about youth experience with digital technologies, a wave of state laws have recently passed across the U.S. They address a variety of online harms affecting children, ranging from exposure […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: October 2024
Is childproofing the internet constitutional? A tech law expert draws out the issues
What are the limits of free speech? We may have arrived at them
Political operatives on the far right have long spoken about their ambition to shift the “Overton window”. The aim is to “mainstream” ideas long considered unthinkable, through gradual, step-by-step radicalisation and repetition – especially on hot-button issues such as immigration, sexuality, race and identity. If challenged, commentators respond by appealing to “free speech”, accusing their critics of […] … learn more→
Nobel Prize in physics spotlights key breakthroughs in AI revolution − making machines that learn
If your jaw dropped as you watched the latest AI-generated video, your bank balance was saved from criminals by a fraud detection system, or your day was made a little easier because you were able to dictate a text message on the run, you have many scientists, mathematicians and engineers to thank. But two names […] … learn more→
AI is a multi-billion dollar industry. It’s underpinned by an invisible and exploited workforce
In dusty factories, cramped internet cafes and makeshift home offices around the world, millions of people sit at computers tediously labelling data. These workers are the lifeblood of the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Without them, products such as ChatGPT simply would not exist. That’s because the data they label helps AI systems “learn”. But […] … learn more→
What is special consideration for exams? How does it work?
Many Year 12 students are preparing for final exams throughout October and November. What happens if something unexpected happens that makes final preparations or performance on the day more difficult? This is where special consideration or special provisions can help. How might you be eligible? Students who experience something unexpected during the exam period may […] … learn more→
How foreign operations are manipulating social media to influence your views
Foreign influence campaigns, or information operations, have been widespread in the run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Influence campaigns are large-scale efforts to shift public opinion, push false narratives or change behaviors among a target population. Russia, China, Iran, Israel and other nations have run these campaigns by exploiting social bots, influencers, media companies and generative AI. At the Indiana University Observatory on Social Media, my colleagues and […] … learn more→
Mobile phones in the classroom: weapons of mass distraction or useful tools?
Let’s imagine that before going to work we are asked to leave our mobile phone in a box and we are told that we can get it back when we leave. Let’s imagine that our boss tells us that if he or she catches us looking for a flight or checking WhatsApp during working hours, […] … learn more→
How ChatGPT Undermines Motivation to Write and Think for Oneself
Are students who use AI at risk of losing some valuable writing habits for their thinking and creativity? They are aware that the new tools can change their style and they sometimes feel dispossessed of their texts. Investigation in the United States and Europe. When OpenAI launched its new AI program, ChatGPT, in late 2022, education experts […] … learn more→
Understanding rising oceans: a game to educate young people about the environmental crisis
How can we show young people that the future is not fixed and that they have a role to play in it? This is the challenge taken up by PROTECT, a European research project, combined with an interactive digital game. In May 2024, the last glacier in Venezuela disappears . At the same time, in Panama, the first […] … learn more→
Some online conspiracy-spreaders don’t even believe the lies they’re spewing
There has been a lot of research on the types of people who believe conspiracy theories, and their reasons for doing so. But there’s a wrinkle: My colleagues and I have found that there are a number of people sharing conspiracies online who don’t believe their own content. They are opportunists. These people share conspiracy theories to […] … learn more→