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Can you trust AI? Here's why you shouldn't

Retrieved on:

Thursday, July 20, 2023

It doesn’t take much to make it lambaste the other tech giants, but it’s silent about its own corporate parent’s misdeeds.

Key Points:

It doesn’t take much to make it lambaste the other tech giants, but it’s silent about its own corporate parent’s misdeeds.
When Alexa responds in this way, it’s obvious that it is putting its developer’s interests ahead of yours.
To avoid being exploited by these systems, people will need to learn to approach AI skeptically.
Many apps and websites manipulate you through dark patterns, design elements that deliberately mislead, coerce or deceive website visitors.

In the dark

For that AI digital assistant to be truly useful, it will have to really know you.
Leave aside the hallucinations, the made-up “facts” that GPT and other large language models produce.
We expect those will be largely cleaned up as the technology improves over the next few years.

Making money

They’re being offered to people to use free of charge, or at very low cost.
And, as with the rest of the internet, that somehow is likely to include surveillance and manipulation.
Or the candidate who paid it the most money?

Trustworthy by law

We believe that people should expect more from the technology and that tech companies and AIs can become more trustworthy.
The AIs of the future should be trustworthy.
For all its technological wizardry, the AI tool may be little more than the same.

The hidden cost of the AI boom: social and environmental exploitation

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) have been dominated by a few key concerns, such as whether superintelligent AI will wipe us out, or whether AI will steal our jobs.

Key Points:

Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) have been dominated by a few key concerns, such as whether superintelligent AI will wipe us out, or whether AI will steal our jobs.
But we’ve paid less attention the various other environmental and social impacts of our “consumption” of AI, which are arguably just as important.

Environmental impacts of AI use

And although AI is currently estimated to contribute less than 1% of total carbon emissions, the AI market size is predicted to grow ninefold by 2030.
Data centres use water towers to cool the on-site servers where AI models are trained and deployed.
In a preprint published this year, Pengfei Li and colleagues presented a methodology for gauging the water footprint of AI models.
They did this in response to a lack of transparency in how companies evaluate the water footprint associated with using and training AI.

Social impacts of AI use

This is typically outsourced to independent contractors who face precarious work conditions in low-income countries, leading to “digital sweatshop” criticisms.
Left unchecked, AI has the potential to be used to manipulate public opinion, and by extension could undermine democratic processes.
The large-scale adoption of AI has the potential to worsen global wealth inequality.

Are there solutions?

Future generative AI models could be designed to use significantly less energy, but it’s hard to say whether they will be.
These would help users understand and compare the impacts of specific AI services, allowing them to choose those which have been certified.
China has also published rules on the use of generative AI, requiring security assessments for products offering services to the public.
Read more:
EU approves draft law to regulate AI – here's how it will work
Ascelin Gordon is employed by RMIT University.

We asked same-gender couples how they share the 'mental load' at home. The results might surprise you

Retrieved on:

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Parent, Season, Ageing, Queer, Philosophy, Man, Woman, PLOS One, Health, Interview, Research, Negotiation, Time, Conditional sentence, Toy, Management, Nursing, Tutoring, Design, Retail, Google, Zoom

A significant body of research has looked at how heterosexual couples divide housework, so we decided to look more closely at the housework experiences of people in same-gender couples.

Key Points:

A significant body of research has looked at how heterosexual couples divide housework, so we decided to look more closely at the housework experiences of people in same-gender couples.
Our study, published today in the journal PLOS One, involved interviews with 16 same-gender couples with no children.
Our study found, however, that same-gender couples divided the cognitive labour according to each other’s strengths, preferences and changing needs.

What we did and what we found

Four of our interviewees were men, ten were women and two were non-binary.
Unlike most other studies, we chose to speak to the interviewees as a couple so they could tell their story together.
What was stark was the performance and allocation of cognitive labour shifted between each person depending on their individual circumstances.
Our results show that couples divided the cognitive labour according to each other’s strengths, preferences and changing needs.

No ‘queer utopia’

During interviews, couples talked about reaching a threshold and feeling stressed by the cognitive labour they were taking on.
Couples talked about communicating their needs and their changing capacity to take on this labour on a regular basis.
Cognitive labour in the home was something couples made a point of negotiating on a regular basis.
A 50/50 split in cognitive labour may not work for everyone or be the goal couples strive for.

Transportation apps can help people with disabilities navigate public transit but accessibility lags behind

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

But many of those apps remain inaccessible to those with various disabilities.

Key Points:

But many of those apps remain inaccessible to those with various disabilities.
Many people with disabilities rely on public transit as many do not have a driver’s licence.
My research has shown that smartphone app technology can encourage inclusion by helping people with disabilities better navigate transport systems.

Apps and accessibility

My research, conducted in the U.S., found that one of the ways transportation-related general audience apps aim to address the travel needs of people with disabilities is by including accessibility features, such as text-to-voice conversion.
Despite the availability of technology, many apps remain inaccessible, including for cost and lack of mandatory requirements and regulations.

The cost factor

The way app development processes are currently set up, the cost of developing apps with accessibility service features is more expensive than those without such features.
The cost of developing an app depends on the quality of the app and the number of features it includes, with additional features resulting in higher costs.
The inclusion of features that address multiple disabilities in one app might also add to the complexity and cost.

Operating system providers

Developers distribute apps on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems via their app stores, Google Play and the App Store, respectively.
However, we found that many of the transportation-related smartphone apps that we reviewed in our study were without accessibility features.

Regulating recent advancements

As it currently stands, the ADA does not specifically apply to recent technological advancements such as smartphone apps.
When it comes to information and communications technology, the FCC has a mandate to develop and implement regulations.
One of the requirements states that, if achievable, manufacturers must make their hardware and software, including apps, accessible to people with disabilities.

The future of accessibility

It is inevitable that disability-related regulations will catch up to app technology and the world of apps will move towards more specific accessibility requirements.
This may help developers avoid potential ADA-related lawsuits, fines and expensive accessibility retrofitting, which may end up being more expensive than the initial cost of adding accessibility features.

Biophobia: search trends reveal a growing fear of nature

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Key Points:

“I can’t even watch a snake on TV without feeling sick to my stomach.”
“Swimming?
Forget about it… I’m too afraid of sharks!”
“I can’t even be in the same room as a spider, it freaks me out.”
“I can’t even watch a snake on TV without feeling sick to my stomach.” “Swimming?
Indeed, fear of spiders (arachnophobia) or of snakes (ophidiophobia) are thought to be among the most common “biophobias”.

Drivers of contemporary fear of nature

This is worrying because it can lead to excessive anxiety and avoidance of interactions with nature, preventing affected individuals from experiencing the many physical and mental benefits that nature can provide.
Researchers interested in this phenomenon have therefore started to explore the reasons behind the sustained prevalence of nature phobias in modern societies.
One hypothesis that has been put forward for this phenomenon points toward living in urbanised areas as a key driver of fear of nature in contemporary societies.
Contemporary societies may suffer from a vicious cycle of biophobia, whereby nature disconnection leads to nature phobias and vice versa.

How prevalent are biophobias nowadays?

Our study suggests the most common biophobias include fear of spiders, microbes and germs (mysophobia), and parasites (parasitophobia).
We also found a steady increase in online search volume for biophobias between 2004 and 2022, albeit with marked differences in trends for specific phobias.
Interest in the some of the most common biophobias, such as fear of snakes (ophidiophobia) or germs, is also increasing, which suggests they are becoming more prevalent.
Other possible explanations for our results include aspects related to differences in Internet access between countries or the motivations behind Internet searches for biophobias.

Press release - Nature restoration: press conference Wednesday 14.00 with rapporteur César Luena

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Commission, ES, Google, SD, Google Chrome, CET, European Parliament, IPad, Lobster, EU, Safari

Nature restoration: press conference Wednesday 14.00 with rapporteur César Luena

Key Points:

Nature restoration: press conference Wednesday 14.00 with rapporteur César Luena
The European Parliament will vote on its position on the EU nature restoration law on Wednesday 12 July around 12.00.
Following the vote, Parliament’s rapporteur César Luena (SD, ES) will hold a press conference on the EU nature restoration law.
When: Wednesday, 12 July 2023, 14.00-14.30 CET
Where: European Parliament, Strasbourg, press conference room Daphne Caruana Galizia, WEISS N -1/201
Interpretation will be available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.
Journalists who have never used Interactio before are asked to connect 30 minutes before the start of the press conference to perform a connection test.

Hey, Alexa! What are you doing with my data?

Retrieved on:

Friday, July 7, 2023

Hey, Alexa! What are you doing with my data?

Key Points:

Hey, Alexa! What are you doing with my data?

FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information – and broke its privacy promises

Retrieved on:

Friday, July 7, 2023

FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information – and broke its privacy promises

Key Points:

FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information – and broke its privacy promises

Press release - Press briefing on next week’s plenary session - Friday, 7 July, at 11.00

Retrieved on:

Thursday, July 6, 2023

IPad, COVID-19, Parliament, Google Chrome, Communication, Google, Caxton Press (United Kingdom), Tutoring, Whaling, EU, Mediterranean Sea, Safari, Debate

Press briefing on next week’s plenary session - Friday, 7 July, at 11.00

Key Points:

Press briefing on next week’s plenary session - Friday, 7 July, at 11.00
Spokespersons for Parliament and for political groups will hold a briefing on the 10 - 13 July plenary session on Friday at 11.00, in Parliament’s Anna Politkovskaya press room.
Information for the media - Use Interactio to ask questions
Interactio is only supported on iPad (with the Safari browser) and Mac/Windows (with the Google Chrome browser).
When connecting, enter your name and the media you are representing in the first name / last name fields.
Contacts:
Jaume DUCH GUILLOTEP Spokesperson and Director General for Communication
Delphine COLARDHead of Spokesperson’s Unit and Deputy Spokesperson
Neil CORLETTHead of the Press Unit

AI is an existential threat – just not the way you think

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

The rise of ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence systems has been accompanied by a sharp increase in anxiety about AI.

Key Points:

The rise of ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence systems has been accompanied by a sharp increase in anxiety about AI.
Worries peaked in May 2023 when the nonprofit research and advocacy organization Center for AI Safety released a one-sentence statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from A.I.
And, in its most extreme version, this argument morphs into explicit anxieties about AIs enslaving or destroying the human race.

Actual harm

Yes, AI’s ability to create convincing deep-fake video and audio is frightening, and it can be abused by people with bad intent.
In fact, that is already happening: Russian operatives likely attempted to embarrass Kremlin critic Bill Browder by ensnaring him in a conversation with an avatar for former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Cybercriminals have been using AI voice cloning for a variety of crimes – from high-tech heists to ordinary scams.

Not in the same league

The statement from the Center for AI Safety lumped AI in with pandemics and nuclear weapons as a major risk to civilization.
COVID-19 resulted in almost 7 million deaths worldwide, brought on a massive and continuing mental health crisis and created economic challenges, including chronic supply chain shortages and runaway inflation.
They have also changed the calculations of national leaders on how to respond to international aggression, as currently playing out with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

What it means to be human

AI in its current form can alter the way people view themselves.
It can degrade abilities and experiences that people consider essential to being human.
But the role of algorithmic recommendation engines is to reduce that kind of serendipity and replace it with planning and prediction.
If it does, educators will lose a key tool for teaching students how to think critically.

Not dead but diminished

But the increasingly uncritical embrace of it, in a variety of narrow contexts, means the gradual erosion of some of humans’ most important skills.
Algorithms are already undermining people’s capacity to make judgments, enjoy serendipitous encounters and hone critical thinking.
The fantastic anxieties around the coming AI cataclysm, singularity, Skynet, or however you might think of it, obscure these more subtle costs.