Ex-Meta staffers see booming business targeting online disinformation after two wars break out

November 17, 2023

(CNBC) Lauren Wagner knows a lot about disinformation. Heading into the 2020 U.S. presidential election, she worked at Facebook, focusing on information integrity and overseeing products designed to make sure content was moderated and fact-checked. She can’t believe what’s she’s seeing now. Since war erupted last month between Israel and Hamas, the constant deluge of misinformation…

Lawsuit claims UnitedHealth AI wrongfully denies elderly extended care

November 14, 2023

(Reuters) UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) uses an artificial intelligence algorithm that systematically denies elderly patients’ claims for extended care such as nursing facility stays, according to a proposed class action lawsuit filed on Tuesday. Family members of two now-deceased UnitedHealth beneficiaries sued the insurer in federal court in Minnesota, saying they were forced to pay out of pocket for…

Melinda French Gates: ‘It’s time to change the face of power in venture capital’

November 13, 2023

(Fortune) At some point in our lives, many of us will need professional help to take care of ourselves or someone we love. Helen Adeosun wants to make sure that when that day comes, there will be a competent, compassionate caregiver ready to knock on your door. Helen is the founder of CareAcademy, a rapidly growing online training…

Meta to Require Campaigns to Disclose AI-Altered Political Ads

November 8, 2023

(WSJ) Meta on Wednesday announced that it will require advertisers to disclose when they run political ads with media that has been digitally altered by artificial intelligence or other software ahead of the U.S. presidential election in 2024. The Facebook parent company said the new policy will go into effect at the start of the…

The US and 30 Other Nations Agree to Set Guardrails for Military AI

November 8, 2023

(Wired) When politicians, tech executives, and researchers gathered in the UK last week to discuss the risks of artificial intelligence, one prominent worry was that algorithms might someday turn against their human masters. More quietly, the group made progress on controlling the use of AI for military ends. On November 1, at the US embassy in…

Uber and Lyft Agree to $328 Million Payout for New York Drivers

November 2, 2023

(New York Times) Uber and Lyft have agreed to pay New York drivers a $328 million settlement after the state attorney general investigated a wage-theft complaint charging that the companies collected certain taxes and fees from drivers rather than passengers. Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will provide $38 million into two funds that…

Artists Lose First Round of Copyright Infringement Case Against AI Art Generators

October 30, 2023

(The Hollywood Reporter) Artists suing generative artificial intelligence art generators have hit a stumbling block in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over the uncompensated and unauthorized use of billions of images downloaded from the internet to train AI systems, with a federal judge’s dismissal of most claims. U.S. District Judge William Orrick on Monday found that copyright…

The White House Is Preparing for an AI-Dominated Future

October 30, 2023

(The Atlantic) Earlier today, President Joe Biden signed the most sweeping set of regulatory principles on artificial intelligence in America to date: a lengthy executive order that directs all types of government agencies to make sure America is leading the way in developing the technology while also addressing the many dangers that it poses. The…

Joy Buolamwini: “We’re giving AI companies a free pass”

October 29, 2023

(MIT Technology Review) Joy Buolamwini, the renowned AI researcher and activist, appears on the Zoom screen from home in Boston, wearing her signature thick-rimmed glasses.  As an MIT grad, she seems genuinely interested in seeing old covers of MIT Technology Review that hang in our London office. An edition of the magazine from 1961 asks:…

41 states sue Meta, claiming Instagram, Facebook are addictive, harm kids

October 24, 2023

(Washington Post) Forty-one states and D.C. are suing Meta, alleging that the tech giant harms children by building addictive features into Instagram and Facebook — legal actions that represent the most significant effort by state enforcers to tackle the impact of social media on children’s mental health. The barrage of lawsuits is the culmination of…