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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Going plastic-free is nearly impossible. These people are trying anyway.

Washington Post:  The global trend of Plastic Free July offers ideas on how to cut back on plastic use at home. “…According to the Plastic Free Foundation, the nonprofit that Prince-Ruiz founded, 89 million people in 190 countries pledged to reduce their plastic use during July last year. The countries with the most participants are… Continue Reading

Here’s how machine learning can violate your privacy

Via LLRX – Here’s how machine learning can violate your privacy – Jordan Awan, Assistant Professor of Statistics, Purdue University explains how machine learning has pushed the boundaries in several fields, including personalized medicine, self-driving cars and customized advertisements. Research has shown, however, that these systems memorize aspects of the data they were trained with in order… Continue Reading

Try DuckDuckGo’s AI Chat for Private Chats With ChatGPT and More

MakeUseOf: “AI-powered tech is everywhere, but using it often comes with a hidden cost: your privacy. AI tech companies typically collect and store user data, including any personal information you share, to train their AI models and improve output, be that an AI chatbot, image generator, or otherwise. Now, privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has stepped… Continue Reading

The Internet is Not Forever, So It’s Time to Preserve What You Can

How to Geek: “Key Takeaways Web content is constantly at risk of being lost; users can help preserve it. Physical media and DRM-free backups are essential for long-term access. Focus on preserving personal favorites and cultural artifacts for future generations. There’s a saying that “the internet never forgets” but that’s just wishful thinking. Storing data… Continue Reading

The Legal Tech Bro Blues: Generative AI, Legal Indeterminacy, and the Future of Legal Research and Writing

Georgetown Law Technology Review – Essays – The Legal Tech Bro Blues: Generative AI, Legal Indeterminacy, and the Future of Legal Research and Writing, Nicholas Mignanelli, May 2024. “In recent years, a new figure, the tech bro, has arrived in the legal field. He can be found opining on podcasts and social media platforms, selling… Continue Reading

Generative AI

Georgetown Law Technology Review, Generative Law, Sadie O’Connor, May 2024. “Generative artificial intelligence (“GAI”) is AI that is capable of creating various forms of new content (audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos). With AI becoming increasingly present in today’s world and rapidly growing in capability, its advantages, disadvantages, and potential uses have become a… Continue Reading

Internet Archive Lists Banned Books

Metafilter: “included within a recent announcement by the the Internet Archive is a list of banned books. this is a great resource! started reading & only got as far as Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe [gbooks]. there’s apparently also a film. looking forward to exploring further!” Continue Reading

The Hype Behind Harvey

Law.com: Part 1 – The Hype Behind Harvey: How the Stealthy Startup Is Raising Industry Eyebrows. “Harvey, the OpenAI-backed legal tech startup, has nabbed high-profile clients and tons of cash, along with an air of suspicion around its AI capabilities.” Law.com: Part 2 – The Hype Behind Harvey: How Firms Are Using the Gen AI… Continue Reading

Illegal Immigrant Murderers in Texas, 2013–2022

CATO Institute: “Crime committed by illegal immigrants is an important and contentious public policy issue, but it is notoriously difficult to measure and compare their criminal conviction rates with those of other groups such as legal immigrants and native‐​born Americans. This policy analysis is the latest paper that attempts to resolve those data disputes by… Continue Reading

Inhouse Counsel More Focused on AI + Automation Than US Law Firms

Artificial Lawyer: “A survey of over 200 senior lawyers at AmLaw 200 law firms and those working inhouse at major corporations, mainly with a professional interest in disputes, has found that inhouse lawyers appear to be more focused now on AI and automation than their external cousins. The study by ALSP UnitedLex found that when… Continue Reading