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Prosecutors Ask Congress for Help in ‘Race Against Time’ to Protect Children From AI Dangers
The attorneys general in all 50 states are calling on Congress to look into how artificial intelligence (AI) can exploit children through pornography and put forward legislation to address it.
“We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI,” the prosecutors wrote in a Tuesday letter to Congressional leadership. “Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act.”
The top prosecutors sent the letter to ask lawmakers to “establish an expert commission to study the means and methods of AI that can be used to exploit children specifically.” The letter notes AI can be used to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfakes that can exploit abused children.
“AI brings the potential for a lot of good but also kicks open the door for a lot of wrongdoing. We need to make sure children aren’t harmed as this technology becomes more widespread, and when Congress comes back from recess, we want this request to be one of the first things they see on their desks,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) who spearheaded the effort.
#Novaxdjokovic: Aaron Rodgers Praises Novak Djokovic’s Position on COVID Vaccine
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent Sunday taking in action at the U.S. Open and saw Novak Djokovic topple Borna Gojo in the round of 16. Later that day, in his story on Instagram, Rodgers appeared to praise Djokovic’s refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The post contains an image of Djokovic behind the baseline, preparing to serve. The caption reads: “Bucket list being able to witness the greatness of @djokernole in person at #arthurashestadium.” But Rodgers also used the hashtag #novaxdjokovic and crossed out the logo of a Moderna ad that appeared on a side panel along the width of the court with a red line striking through it. Moderna is one of the major pharmaceutical companies that manufactured one of the widely-administered COVID-19 vaccines.
Djokovic defeated Gojo in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals.
Aside from being the men’s record holder for most grand slam championships, Djokovic became well known for his personal stance against taking the COVID-19 vaccine. He missed last year’s U.S. Open due to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mandate that required non-U.S. citizens to be vaccinated to enter the country; earlier in 2022, Djokovic received a medical exemption to play at the Australian Open but was deported when he lost a court battle after his visa was canceled.
Freedom Convoy Truckers Trial Sparks Calls for ‘Uprising’
The trial for organizers of the Canadian Freedom Convoy trucker protests is set to begin on Tuesday, prompting calls online for an uprising from users sympathetic to their situation.
The protests took place across Canada and culminated in the capital city of Ottawa last year, with truckers using their vehicles to block key traffic corridors in opposition to the country’s COVID-19 safety protocols. The blockades lasted several days before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the country’s Emergencies Act for the first time in 50 years, granting government authorities greater power to restore order.
In the weeks after, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, two of the organizers who helped bring together the protests, were arrested and each charged with counts of mischief, obstructing police, counseling others to commit mischief and intimidation. Speaking with BBC News, Joao Velloso, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, said that the mischief charges, in particular, given the allegations, are “quite ordinary,” but likely to take on a greater significance due to the political tensions surrounding the situation.
The trial is set to take place over the next 13 days, with another six days set aside in October. Another protest organizer, Pat King, will face a separate trial in November. Lich and Barber, along with other organizers, are also facing a civil suit from Ottawa residents over the disruptions the convoy caused in the city.
The U.S. Government Is Investing $22 Million Into Developing Surveillance Clothing That Includes Shirts, Pants, and Underwear That Can Record Video and Audio
The federal government is reportedly funneling $22 million into developing ready-to-wear clothing that can record audio, video, and geolocation data through something it’s calling The Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems program, or SMART ePANTS, for short, according to The Intercept.
Garments slated for production include shirts, pants, socks, and underwear, all of which are intended to be washable, The Intercept reported.
Some are worried, though, that the SMART ePANTS program could lay the groundwork for more invasive forms of surveillance.
These 9 Stadiums Are Already Using Facial Recognition at Games
When the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team introduced its new “Go-Ahead Entry” facial recognition authentication method last week, it was intended to decrease wait times and increase efficiency. In reality, according to Axios, it did just the opposite.
Glitches in the system accidentally picked up the faces of others waiting in lines, forcing security to create an impromptu “buffer zone” for the cameras. Glitches or not, the Phillies aren’t alone. Other sports stadiums in the U.S. have already implemented, or are testing some form of facial recognition authentication.
The growing popularity of facial recognition at stadiums and music venues like Madison Square Garden has drawn criticism from privacy advocates who say the technology doesn’t work as well for women or non-white people.
A coalition of more than 100 artists, including rock band Rage Against the Machine, recently signed a pledge earlier this year to boycott performing in stadiums that use the technology. Artists succeeded in preventing facial recognition from being implemented at some of the world’s largest music festivals, but preventing the expansion of the tech in sports is proving to be a more difficult task. The players aren’t mounting the same offensive as the artists did; there aren’t any exhibition games meant to highlight potential privacy incursions.
University of Michigan Asking Students Who Test Positive for COVID to Leave Dorms, Isolate at Hotels
Students paying to live on campus at the University of Michigan may need to find a hotel room to isolate should they test positive for COVID-19, according to guidance on the school’s website.
Students who test positive for the virus will be required to leave their dorms during their isolation period, which could last for five days, university Chief Health Officer Robert D. Ernst said in a message to the school community Friday.
“This could include relocating to your permanent residence, staying with a nearby relative or friend, or finding a hotel space,” the guidance states. “Students in Michigan Housing must leave their residence halls during isolation, even if they are in a single room.”
It was unclear whether the university would cover the cost if students needed to find hotel accommodations for isolation periods.
Mask Mandate Update: California Officials Address Rising COVID Cases
Health officials in California recently spoke about the possible return of mask mandates in the state amid a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases. On Thursday, officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health held a press conference to speak about a rise in new COVID-19 cases, saying that over the past week, cases have doubled.
During the press conference, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer was asked about the potential return to mask mandates and if the county would ever make them mandatory again.
“‘Ever’ is not a word I’m comfortable with. There’s not that level of certainty with this pandemic. I’m never going to say there’s not going to be a time when we all need to put our masks back on. I am going to say we certainly don’t all need to put our masks back on now. We are at a place where people make their own assessment,” she said, Deadline reported.
Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare company headquartered in California, recently announced that it was returning to its mask mandate for visitors, staff members and patients.
Atlanta College at Center of COVID Backlash Confirms End of Mask Mandate
A college in Georgia has ended its mask mandate that was prompted by reports of positive COVID-19 cases among students, officials confirmed to Newsweek.
Morris Brown College in Atlanta sparked a backlash after announcing in August that it had reinstated its ruling that required masks to be worn on college property.
The mask mandate was scheduled to end on Sunday, James confirmed to Newsweek in an email. However, the college will “still have several safety protocols in place,” he said.
Students and employees are also obligated to undergo temperature checks on arrival at the campus and maintain physical distancing, the letter said. Those who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for five days and undergo contact tracing. It was not immediately clear which of the protocols outlined in the letter remained in place.
COVID Testing to Be Scaled Up in England as Winter Pressure on NHS Draws Near
Coronavirus testing and monitoring are set to be scaled up for the winter, the U.K.’s public health agency has said, as pressures on the health service are expected to rise in the coming months.
Scientists warned last month that the U.K. was nearly “flying blind” when it comes to COVID because many of the surveillance programs that were in place at the height of the pandemic have been wound down.
Now the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that it is planning to boost testing and surveillance as winter approaches.
Major AI Players Are Getting in Sync, but It’s What Comes Next That Really Matters
AI is here. It is transformational, and it is changing the world. As a result, Silicon Valley’s mojo is back.
On the other side of the country, in Washington, DC, an equally momentous sea change is taking place: The AI industry’s weightiest players are taking a public policy approach almost as unexpected as the technology itself.
Today’s leading AI companies are shrewdly engaging policymakers early. They are offering members of Congress and their staffs briefings to better understand the technology, and they have shown a willingness to appear before committees publicly and privately. Moreover, they are organizing multi-stakeholder forums and are even signing joint agreements with the White House.
Some argue that the AI industry’s public pronouncements are simply a facade. These companies know Congress moves at a glacial pace — if at all. They know the time required for Congress to establish a new regulatory and oversight agency, fund it, staff it, and arm it with the teeth needed for meaningful enforcement could take years. For context, social media companies remain almost entirely unregulated decades after first taking the world by storm.
