black men were likely underdiagnosed with lung problems because of bias in software, study suggests

(AP News) Racial bias built into a common medical test for lung function is likely leading to fewer Black patients getting care for breathing problems, a study published Thursday suggests. As many as 40% more Black male patients in the study might have been diagnosed with breathing problems if current diagnosis-assisting computer software was changed,…

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filings reveal pe and vc returns amid escalating write-down

(TechCrunch) Some high-profile venture capital and private equity firms are slashing the valuation of their holdings, causing billions in apparent profits to evaporate as the economic downturn undermines the sustained growth of the last 13 years. The California Pension System, the largest pension system in the U.S. whose investments are sprinkled across the globe, injected $368.8…

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federal regulators fine amazon $25 million over child privacy issues

(Washington Post) Federal regulators on Wednesday announced Amazon would pay $25 million to settle allegations that its voice assistant Alexa violated a federal law protecting children’s privacy — a sign of Washington’s mounting scrutiny of the e-commerce giant’s sprawling businesses. Regulators said Wednesday that Amazon failed to delete children’s recordings and location information, in some…

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california may ban fossil fuel investments by pension giants

(Axios) California’s state senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a ban on fossil fuel investments by the pension funds representing state employees and state teachers. Why it matters: CalPERS and CalSTRS are the country’s two largest state pension systems, with around $768 billion in combined assets under management. Read more here.

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A hiring law blazes a path for a.i. regulation

(NYT) European lawmakers are finishing work on an A.I. act. The Biden administration and leaders in Congress have their plans for reining in artificial intelligence. Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, maker of the A.I. sensation ChatGPT, recommended the creation of a federal agency with oversight and licensing authority in Senate testimony last week. And the…

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new framework will allow firms to assess their impact on nature

(The Guardian) Businesses can now assess their impacts on nature loss using science-based targets as part of a move to “get nature into the boardroom”. Research shows that the biodiversity crisis is as serious as the climate crisis, yet there is less information about how companies drive nature loss, because this data is not being…

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esg attacks prompt urgent talks as insurers quit coalition

(Bloomberg) The world’s biggest climate coalition for insurers is set to hold emergency talks after a wave of defections revealed the extent to which anti-ESG rhetoric in the US is unsettling members. Signatories of the Net Zero Insurance Alliance are due to meet Thursday to discuss next steps after some of the group’s biggest members including Munich Re walked out, according…

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after openai hearing, a.i. experts urge congress to listen to more diverse voices on regulation

(CNBC) At most tech CEO hearings in recent years, lawmakers have taken a contentious tone, grilling executives over their data-privacy practices, competitive methods and more. But at Tuesday’s hearing on AI oversight including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, lawmakers seemed notably more welcoming toward the ChatGPT maker. One senator even went as far as asking whether Altman…

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