Posts Categorized: ethics

‘Dangerous’ AI offers to write fake news

Posted by & filed under Artificial intelligence, Ethical Issues, ethics, IS ethics.

An artificial intelligence system that generates realistic stories, poems and articles has been updated, with some claiming it is now almost as good as a human writer. The text generator, built by research firm OpenAI, was originally considered “too dangerous” to make public because of the potential for abuse. But now a new, more powerful version… Read more »

Health Canada starts releasing protected drug and medical device data

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, ethics, health, Privacy.

Nonie Wideman said a plastic mesh she had surgically implanted to support her bladder gave her debilitating health problems. Health Canada rejected her multiple requests to see the clinical evidence the department used to approve the mesh for use in Canada. (Craig Chivers/CBC) Source: CBC News Date: March 15th, 2019 Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/health-canada-drug-device-database-1.5054838 Discussion 1) “Canadians want greater access to credible… Read more »

The world’s most prolific writer is an algorithm

Posted by & filed under Artificial intelligence, bots, Ethical Issues, ethics.

“Inflatable duck baby pool with canopy.” “Hot selling colourful temporary full arm tattoo for men.” “Splendid reusable dog pee pad (minimum order: 500).” Load up the homepage for e-commerce giant, Alibaba – a wholesale shopping site that’s more or less China’s answer to eBay – and you’ll find images and descriptions of anything you could wish to… Read more »

YouTube stars’ fury over algorithm tests

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, ethics, YouTube.

Some of YouTube’s most popular stars have criticised the website for “experimenting” with how their videos are delivered to their fans. Unannounced, YouTube started testing an algorithm that changed the order videos appeared in users’ subscription feeds. The experiment came to light when some users complained on social media. One YouTube star said it was… Read more »

Facebook, AggregateIQ now being jointly probed by Canada, B.C. data watchdogs

Posted by & filed under Civil Liberties, data mining, Ethical Issues, ethics, FaceBook.

Privacy  watchdogs in Canada and British Columbia are combining existing investigations into Facebook  and AggregateIQ. The latter being a Victoria-based ad targeting tech company that has been linked to Cambridge Analytica,  the political consultancy at the center of the Facebook data misuse storm. Source: Tech Crunch Date: April 6th, 2018 Link: https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/06/facebook-aggregateiq-now-being-jointly-probed-by-canada-b-c-data-watchdogs/ Discussion 1) Much of the media attention in this issue is… Read more »

Geek Squad staff ‘paid by FBI’ to flag illegal imagery

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, ethics, pornography, Privacy.

Best Buy’s computer repair workers have been aiding the FBI for at least 10 years, new documents suggest. They indicate that several of the US company’s Geek Squad staff were paid for reporting child abuse imagery. The rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation said that the relationship “circumvents computer owners’ Fourth Amendment rights” to privacy. Source: BBC… Read more »

Bodyhackers: Bold, inspiring and terrifying

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, ethics.

Stelarc, a 72-year-old Australian, has an ear on his arm. Soon he hopes to attach a small microphone to it so people can, via the internet, listen to whatever it hears.  Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow – yes, that’s his legal name – has the chip from his Sydney travel card implanted into his hand. Source: BBC Future… Read more »

The Tricky Ethics of Knightscope’s Crime-Fighting Robots

Posted by & filed under Artificial intelligence, Ethical Issues, ethics.

THE San Francisco SPCA deployed a 5-foot-tall, 400-pound robot to patrol its campus. Not for muscle, mind you, but for surveillance. The SPCA, a large complex nestled in the northeast corner of the city’s Mission neighborhood, has long dealt with vandalism, break-ins, and discarded needles in its surrounding parking lots. Fearing for the safety of its… Read more »