News Article (145)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 7 min
- The New York Times
- 2019
Biometric facial recognition software, specifically that used with arrest photos in the NYPD, makes extensive use of children’s arrest photos despite a far lower accuracy rate.
- The New York Times
- 2019
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- 7 min
- The New York Times
- 2019
She Was Arrested at 14. Then Her Photo Went to a Biometrics Database
Biometric facial recognition software, specifically that used with arrest photos in the NYPD, makes extensive use of children’s arrest photos despite a far lower accuracy rate.
How can machine learning algorithms cause inequality to compound? Would it be better practice to try to make facial recognition equitable across all populations, or to abandon its use in law enforcement altogether, as some cities like Oakland have done?
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- 4 min
- Reuters
- 2020
Facebook has a new independent Oversight Board to help moderate content on the site, picking individual cases from the many presented to them where it is alright to remove content. The cases usually deal in hate speech, “inappropriate visuals,” or misinformation.
- Reuters
- 2020
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- 4 min
- Reuters
- 2020
From hate speech to nudity, Facebook’s oversight board picks its first cases
Facebook has a new independent Oversight Board to help moderate content on the site, picking individual cases from the many presented to them where it is alright to remove content. The cases usually deal in hate speech, “inappropriate visuals,” or misinformation.
How much oversight do algorithms or networks with a broad impact need? Who all needs to be in a room when deciding what an algorithm or site should or should not allow? Can algorithms be designed to detect and remove hate speech? Should such an algorithm exist?
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- 7 min
- Wired
- 2020
As different levels of the U.S government have introduced and passed bills regulating or banning the use of facial recognition technologies, tech monopolies such as Amazon and IBM have become important lobbying agents in these conversations. It seems that most larger groups are on different pages in terms of how exactly face recognition algorithms should be limited or used, especially given their negative impacts on privacy when used for surveillance.
- Wired
- 2020
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- 7 min
- Wired
- 2020
Congress Is Eyeing Face Recognition, and Companies Want a Say
As different levels of the U.S government have introduced and passed bills regulating or banning the use of facial recognition technologies, tech monopolies such as Amazon and IBM have become important lobbying agents in these conversations. It seems that most larger groups are on different pages in terms of how exactly face recognition algorithms should be limited or used, especially given their negative impacts on privacy when used for surveillance.
Can and should the private sector be regulated in its use of facial recognition technologies? How is it that tech monopolies might hold so much sway with government officials, and how can this be addressed? Do the benefits of facial recognition, such as convenience at the airport, listed at the end of the article make enough of a case against a complete ban of the technology, or do the bad applications ultimately outweigh the good ones? What would the ideal bill look like in terms of limiting or banning facial recognition?
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- 10 min
- The New York Times
- 2021
This article tells the story of Chris Merkle, a former U.S Marine soldier who was able to work through former traumatic memories and PTSD using virtual realities similar to his lived experiences in war as a form of exposure therapy. As virtual reality sets become more affordable and commercialized, and as experts and universities develop more impressive virtual and augmented reality technologies, the opportunities for exposure therapy through VR technology become far more widespread, with the potential to help civilian disorders and traumas as well as those of veterans.
- The New York Times
- 2021
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- 10 min
- The New York Times
- 2021
Virtual Reality Aids in Exposure Therapy
This article tells the story of Chris Merkle, a former U.S Marine soldier who was able to work through former traumatic memories and PTSD using virtual realities similar to his lived experiences in war as a form of exposure therapy. As virtual reality sets become more affordable and commercialized, and as experts and universities develop more impressive virtual and augmented reality technologies, the opportunities for exposure therapy through VR technology become far more widespread, with the potential to help civilian disorders and traumas as well as those of veterans.
How can it be ensured that this type of therapy is accessible to all people? How can it be ensured that this type of therapy does not interfere with other forms of therapy or treatment? Should this become the norm for treating mental health disorders? How might this alter people’s perceptions of reality, for better or for worse?
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- 5 min
- Wired
- 2021
This narrative describes the recent AI Incident Database launched at the end of 2020, where companies report case studies in which applied machine learning algorithms did not function as intended or caused real-world harm. The goal is to operate in a sense similar to air travel safety report programs; with this database, technological developers can get a sense of how to make algorithms which are more safe and fair while having the incentive to take precautions to stay off the list.
- Wired
- 2021
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- 5 min
- Wired
- 2021
Don’t End Up on This Artificial Intelligence Hall of Shame
This narrative describes the recent AI Incident Database launched at the end of 2020, where companies report case studies in which applied machine learning algorithms did not function as intended or caused real-world harm. The goal is to operate in a sense similar to air travel safety report programs; with this database, technological developers can get a sense of how to make algorithms which are more safe and fair while having the incentive to take precautions to stay off the list.
What is your opinion on this method of accountability? Is there anything it does not take into account? Is it possible that some machine learning algorithms make mistakes that cannot even be detected by humans? How can this be avoided? How can the inner workings of machine learning algorithms be made more understandable and digestible by the general public?
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- 5 min
- Vice
- 2020
Robot researches in Japan have recently begun to use robotic “monster wolves” to help control wildlife populations by keeping them out of human civilizations or agricultural areas. These robots are of interest to robot engineers who work in environmentalism because although the process of engineering a robot does not help the environment, the ultimate good accomplished by robots which help control wildlife populations may outweigh this cost.
- Vice
- 2020
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- 5 min
- Vice
- 2020
Robotic Beasts, Wildlife Control, and Environmental Impact
Robot researches in Japan have recently begun to use robotic “monster wolves” to help control wildlife populations by keeping them out of human civilizations or agricultural areas. These robots are of interest to robot engineers who work in environmentalism because although the process of engineering a robot does not help the environment, the ultimate good accomplished by robots which help control wildlife populations may outweigh this cost.
What are all the ways, aside from those mentioned in the article, in which robots and robotics could be utilised in environmentalist and conservationist causes? How could robots meant to tell wildlife where not to travel be misused?