The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has secured unprecedented access to at least seven sensitive federal databases, including those of the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. This access has sparked fears about cybersecurity vulnerabilities and privacy violations. Another concern has received far less attention: the potential use of the data to train a private company’s artificial […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
DOGE threat: How government data would give an AI company extraordinary power
Black Inc has asked authors to sign AI agreements. But why should writers help AI learn how to do their job?
Melbourne-based publisher Black Inc Books is seeking to partner with an unnamed AI company or companies and wants its authors to allow their work to be used to train artificial intelligence. Writers were reportedly asked to permit Black Inc the ability to exercise key rights within their copyright to help develop machine learning and AI systems. This includes using […] … learn more→
AI deepfakes threaten democracy and people’s identities. ‘Personality rights’ could help
How much is your voice worth? It could be as little as roughly A$100. That was how much ABC News Verify recently spent to clone federal senator Jacqui Lambie’s voice – with her permission – using an easily accessible online platform. This example highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) apps which create a synthetic replica of a person’s […] … learn more→
AI: The Less People Know About How It Works, the More They Like It
Artificial intelligence is becoming more widespread, but many people are wondering: Who is most likely to adopt AI in their daily lives? Many believe that tech-savvy people—those who understand how AI works—are the most eager to adopt it. Surprisingly, our new study, published in the Journal of Marketing , finds the opposite. People with less knowledge about […] … learn more→
AIs flunk language test that takes grammar out of the equation
Generative AI systems like large language models and text-to-image generators can pass rigorous exams that are required of anyone seeking to become a doctor or a lawyer. They can perform better than most people in Mathematical Olympiads. They can write halfway decent poetry, generate aesthetically pleasing paintings and compose original music. These remarkable capabilities may make it seem like generative artificial intelligence systems […] … learn more→
Artificial intelligence: open to all or closed for the benefit of a few?
In the early 1980s my parents brought home a home computer connected to the television screen. This motivated me to “play” scientist. I was proud to publish in those early computer magazines simple programs on how to draw mathematical functions, monitor the machine code of the microprocessor or rudimentary animations and computer games. Everything was published, […] … learn more→
Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off at lightning speed in the past couple of years, creating disruption in many industries. Newsrooms are no exception. A new report published today finds that news audiences and journalists alike are concerned about how news organisations are – and could be – using generative AI such as chatbots, image, […] … learn more→
Teenagers turning to AI companions are redefining love as easy, unconditional and always there
Teenagers are falling in love with chatbots. Young people are reporting epidemic levels of loneliness, and some are turning to technology to fill the void. Recent tragedies provide a glimpse into the extent of this trend and the dangers it poses. A 14-year-old boy’s suicide following a romantic relationship with an AI companion raised national alarms about the dangers […] … learn more→
Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths
This week, France hosted an AI Action Summit in Paris to discuss burning questions around artificial intelligence (AI), such as how people can trust AI technologies and how the world can govern them. Sixty countries, including France, China, India, Japan, Australia and Canada, signed a declaration for “inclusive and sustainable” AI. The United Kingdom and United States notably refused to sign, […] … learn more→
AI: what risks for our democracies?
AI, the web, social networks and more generally digital technologies are transforming society, for the better, but also for the worse. They facilitate daily activities for searching for information or writing texts, automate painful or tedious tasks. They also contribute to the progress of knowledge in science, health or space. On the risk side, we can fear […] … learn more→
