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How AI can help reshape Congress
Fast Company (February 3, 2024)
In this Fast Company piece, Beth Noveck writes about Congress’ recent hearing on AI and legislatures. The Library of Congress is working with the Congressional Research Service, leveraging AI to assist analysts in creating high-quality summaries of pending bills for Congress.gov. However, there is so much more that Congress could and should be doing with AI to improve the quality of lawmaking.
Wait, did he really say that? Facebook urged to crack down on dangerous election deepfakes
USA Today (February 5, 2024)
Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, Meta’s content moderation decisions are under scrutiny by its independent review body – which is urging the company to overhaul its policy on manipulated videos. Notably missing from the rules is a clause addressing clips that show someone doing something they did not. A recent doctored video of President Joe Biden that appeared on Facebook last May tested the limits Meta’s failure to explicitly address election interference in its policy
Microsoft partners with Semafor for AI-assisted news content
Reuters (February 5, 2024)
Today, Microsoft announced a new partnership with media platform Semafor, as part of the tech company’s new collaborative initiative with journalists. The initiative’s goal: to “train a new generation of reporters on best uses of AI and identify ways AI can help create efficient business practices and… sustainable newsrooms for generations to come.” Newsrooms harnessing scalable AI tools is critical to a healthy information ecosystem that keeps up with the latest tech developments.
Jua raises $16M to build a foundational AI model for the natural world, starting with the weather
TechCrunch (February 5, 2024)
Swiss startup Jua, guided by concern for the increasing “volatility” of climate change and geopolitics, has raised $16 million to build an initial model for faster and more accurate modeling and forecasting of the natural world, powered by AI. Other industries the company plans to connect with its model’s outputs include agriculture, insurance, transportation and government.
The UK government’s AI goals are being stifled by ‘apocalyptic concerns’ over safety
IT Pro (February 5, 2024)
If the UK continues its tentative and tepid approach to AI safety, it could fail to address near-term security risks – and miss out on all the AI-powered benefits to government services that we continue to write about on this blog. A new House of Lords committee report warns that the government could be outpaced, become dependent on a few small tech firms, and “lose international influence” in the process.
State Lawmakers Target AI Deepfakes in Taylor Swift Aftermath
Bloomberg Law (February 5, 2024)
Across the U.S., lawmakers are stepping up to introduce bills against AI-created deepfakes without consent, particularly after incidents involving celebrities like Taylor Swift. Washington, Indiana, and Tennessee are considering measures, while California, Texas, Florida, New York, and six other states have enacted such statutes. Legislators aim to curb digital manipulation, ensuring people's rights are protected in the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
New Congressional task force could regulate use of AI but not focused on 2024 election
USA Today (February 3, 2024)
The newly announced bipartisan House task force, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, aims to explore regulation of AI but won't specifically address the 2024 election's concerns. This initiative reflects Congress's claimed effort to navigate “solutions ready for the rapid technological shift already underway with the emergence of artificial intelligence.” Some lawmakers are calling for steps to regulate AI-generated content in elections before Congress goes into August recess.
Gov. Inslee weighs in on AI use by Washington government agencies
Crosscut (January 31, 2024)
Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State signed an executive order to ordering WaTech, the agency operating the state’s technology, to identify potential generative AI initiatives and craft guidelines by September. By failing to issue guidelines now, the state is taking a more cautious approach than other jurisdictions that are embracing the use of responsible AI.
OpenAI is working on AI education and safety initiative with Common Sense Media
CNBC (January 29, 2024)
Curiously, OpenAI is teaming up with Common Sense Media, the people who evaluate movies for safety for children, to develop AI educational guidelines and materials aimed at helping teens and families navigate AI safely. Deliverables include materials designed to educate families and educators about responsible use of ChatGPT and a review system to assess AI's impact on learning and misinformation spread. It is notable that the focus is on safety rather than how to use these tools to advance student learning.
