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Daily Archives: July 17, 2023

‘Not for Machines to Harvest’: Data Revolts Break Out Against A.I.

The New York Times [free to read]: “Fed up with A.I. companies consuming online content without consent, fan fiction writers, actors, social media companies and news organizations are among those rebelling…Fan fiction writers are just one group now staging revolts against A.I. systems as a fever over the technology has gripped Silicon Valley and the world. In recent months, social media companies such as Reddit and Twitter, news organizations including The New York Times and NBC News, authors such as Paul Tremblay and the actress Sarah Silverman have all taken a position against A.I. sucking up their data without permission. Their protests have taken different forms. Writers and artists are locking their files to protect their work or are boycotting certain websites that publish A.I.-generated content, while companies like Reddit want to charge for access to their data. At least 10 lawsuits have been filed this year against A.I. companies, accusing them of training their systems on artists’ creative work without consent. This past week, Ms. Silverman and the authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey sued OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and others over A.I.’s use of their work…”

How to Use the Updated “Nursing Home Inspect” Database

ProPublica: “Nursing Home Inspect” makes it fast and easy to search thousands of recent government inspection reports, find information about specific nursing homes and discover new serious issues found by inspectors. Below are some tips to help you make the most of our database. First, a little background. Nursing homes receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding… Continue Reading

New data shows Supreme Court ideology continues to lean conservative

Axios: “The Supreme Court continued to lean conservative during its most recent term, according to preliminary data. Why it matters: After overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, the court continued to push American law toward the right — including in its historic decisions last week on affirmative action and gay rights. Driving the news: Preliminary… Continue Reading

How to Use Browser Extensions and Add-ons in Incognito Mode

MakeUseOf: “Extensions are helpful tools that make it easier to complete certain tasks as you browse. When you’re using Google Chrome or Firefox, your extension will appear in the toolbar, allowing you to access them whenever it’s necessary…But sometimes, you might prefer to browse in incognito or private mode. When you’re browsing in private mode,… Continue Reading

A Comparative Perspective on AI Regulation

Lawfare: Itsiq Benizri, Arianna Evers, Shannon Togawa Mercer, Ali A. Jessani – July 17, 2023 – The question isn’t whether AI will be regulated, but how. “On May 30, approximately 350 artificial intelligence (AI) experts penned a letter to express significant concerns about risks associated with AI. The letter stated that “[m]itigating the risk of extinction… Continue Reading

The pre-election discourse, the post-election environment and artificial intelligence in political analysis

“Following the iMEdD Lab’s project on the analysis of political election discourse, nine experts from the fields of political science and communication, computer science and journalism write about the post-election political scene, the election campaigns that preceded it and the contribution of artificial intelligence to political analysis and journalism.” Continue Reading

Explore the Graphic Design Treasures of the Internet Archive

Kottke: “archives.design is a labor of love site run by Valery Marier where she collects graphic design related materials that are available to freely borrow, stream, or download from the Internet Archive. I’ve only scratched the surface in poking around, but so far I’ve found Olivetti brochures, a collection of theater programs from the 19th… Continue Reading