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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Digital Policy Alert – CLaiRK BETA

“CLaiRK is the latest initiative of the Digital Policy Alert team. Over the first half of 2024, we aim to build a comprehensive tool that will help you navigate the rapidly changing landscape of artificial intelligence rules. Our mission is to help policymakers, legal professionals, journalists and citizens better understand the nuances of digital regulations… Continue Reading

What Is Focus Status on Your iPhone?

MakeUseOf – And How to Enable It – “Let everyone know you’re busy with Focus status on your iPhone. While Apple’s Focus feature is a great way to minimize distractions and silence notifications, you may unintentionally make your friends feel like you’re ignoring them at times. In such situations, you can use the “Share Focus… Continue Reading

US patent office confirms AI can’t hold patents

The Verge: “The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) maintains that artificial intelligence systems cannot be named inventors, but humans can use AI tools in the process of creating patented inventions and must disclose if they do. The agency published its latest guidance following a series of “listening” tours to gather public feedback. It states… Continue Reading

The East Coast Is Sinking

The New York Times interactive [read free] – “New satellite-based research reveals how land along the coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise. A major culprit: overpumping of groundwater. The most vulnerable areas of Boston have been sinking up to 3.8 centimeters per decade, which adds up to… Continue Reading

Judge rejects most ChatGPT copyright claims from book authors

Ars Technica: “A US district judge in California has largely sided with OpenAI, dismissing the majority of claims raised by authors alleging that large language models powering ChatGPT were illegally trained on pirated copies of their books without their permission. By allegedly repackaging original works as ChatGPT outputs, authors alleged, OpenAI’s most popular chatbot was just… Continue Reading

DuckDuckGo’s privacy browser adds built-in password syncing

The Verge: “DuckDuckGo has added a new “Sync & Backup” feature to its privacy-first browser that will keep passwords, bookmarks, and favorites constant across all of your devices — without setting up an account. Falling right in line with its usual claims that it won’t track you or collect your data, the company says that… Continue Reading

Wyden Reveals Phone Data Used to Target Abortion Misinformation at Visitors to Hundreds of Reproductive Health Clinics

“U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., revealed today that an anti-abortion political group used mobile phone location data to send targeted misinformation to people who visited any of 600 reproductive health clinics in 48 states. In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission, Wyden urged the government to act quickly to… Continue Reading

AI will judge your entire financial life – and Moody’s is stoked about it

Quartz – The credit-rating firm provided a window into how generative AI could change its business – “A lot of CEOs are highlighting AI initiatives on earnings calls with investors and analysts. Add Moody’s to the list. The firm, which rates the creditworthiness of institutions including companies and governments, cited “GenAI” at least 33 times… Continue Reading

Social Media Posts Have Power, and So Do You

Rand – Stop the Spread of False and Misleading Information During Voting Season by Alice Huguet, Julia H. Kaufman, Melissa Kay Diliberti – “In a healthy democracy, having accurate information is crucial for making informed decisions about voting and civic engagement. False and misleading information can lead to knowledge that is inaccurate, incomplete, or manipulated.… Continue Reading