Blog Archives

Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up

Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up

Imagine scrolling through social media or playing an online game, only to be interrupted by insulting and harassing comments. What if an artificial intelligence (AI) tool stepped in to remove the abuse before you even saw it? This isn’t science fiction. Commercial AI tools like ToxMod and Bodyguard.ai are already used to monitor interactions in real time across social […] … learn more→

‘We nicknamed it Eddy’: what do schools and teachers think of AI in classrooms?

‘We nicknamed it Eddy’: what do schools and teachers think of AI in classrooms?

It’s almost two years since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022. Since then, educators worldwide have been grappling with what generative artificial intelligence might mean for classrooms and learning. ChatGPT has been met with both anxiety and a sense of optimism. While there has been a lot of discussion about what is happening in universities, there […] … learn more→

In a new manifesto, OpenAI’s Sam Altman envisions an AI utopia – and reveals glaring blind spots

In a new manifesto, OpenAI’s Sam Altman envisions an AI utopia – and reveals glaring blind spots

By now, many of us are probably familiar with artificial intelligence hype. AI will make artists redundant! AI can do lab experiments! AI will end grief! Even by these standards, the latest proclamation from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, published on his personal website this week, seems remarkably hyperbolic. We are on the verge of “The Intelligence Age”, […] … learn more→

ChatGPT is changing the way we write. Here’s how – and why it’s a problem

ChatGPT is changing the way we write. Here’s how – and why it’s a problem

Have you noticed certain words and phrases popping up everywhere lately? Phrases such as “delve into” and “navigate the landscape” seem to feature in everything from social media posts to news articles and academic publications. They may sound fancy, but their overuse can make a text feel monotonous and repetitive. This trend may be linked […] … learn more→

How can machines take into account the consequences of their actions?

How can machines take into account the consequences of their actions?

The emergence of so-called large language models, such as ChatGPT , has revived long-standing academic debates . What characteristics must an AI system possess to be considered truly intelligent ? Should it have common sense ? Should it be autonomous? Should it take into account the consequences of its actions? Answering these questions is crucial to understanding where we are in the challenge […] … learn more→

The United Nations has a plan to govern AI – but has it bought the industry’s hype?

The United Nations has a plan to govern AI – but has it bought the industry’s hype?

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has released its final report on governing AI for humanity. The report presents a blueprint for addressing AI-related risks while still enabling the potential of this technology. It also includes a call to action for all governments and stakeholders to work together in governing AI to foster […] … learn more→

Clones in the classroom: why universities must be wary of embracing AI-driven teaching tools

Clones in the classroom: why universities must be wary of embracing AI-driven teaching tools

The university sector in Aotearoa New Zealand is at a tipping point due to chronic underfunding, shifting enrolments and increasing costs from inflation. In response, the government has established two working groups to assess the health of the sector and provide recommendations for the future. Meanwhile, universities find themselves increasingly beholden to the education technology (EdTech) industry, which claims […] … learn more→

AI in court: how do magistrates appropriate “predictive justice” tools?

AI in court: how do magistrates appropriate “predictive justice” tools?

Among the fantasies raised by AI and new technologies, predictive justice tools promise to eventually replace the judicial system, by deducing from legal texts the judgment to be rendered on a new case. Ongoing experiments to introduce these legal techs into the courtroom show that it is not so simple, and that magistrates welcome them by confronting […] … learn more→