Police reports written with advanced tech could help cops but comes with host of challenges: expert; Fox News, September 24, 2024

Christina Coulter , Fox News; Police reports written with advanced tech could help cops but comes with host of challenges

"Several police departments nationwide are debuting artificial intelligence that writes officers' incident reports for them, and although the software could cause issues in court, an expert says, the technology could be a boon for law enforcement.

Oklahoma City's police department was among the first to experiment with Draft One, an AI-powered software that analyzes police body-worn camera audio and radio transmissions to write police reports that can later be used to justify criminal charges and as evidence in court.

Since The Associated Press detailed the software and its use by the department in a late August article, the department told Fox News Digital that it has put the program on hold. 

"The use of the AI report writing has been put on hold, so we will pass on speaking about it at this time," Capt. Valerie Littlejohn wrote via email. "It was paused to work through all the details with the DA’s Office."...

According to Politico, at least seven police departments nationwide are using Draft One, which was made by police technology company Axon to be used with its widely used body-worn cameras."

Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response; FEMA, October 2024

 FEMA; Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response

"Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response

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Help keep yourself, your family and your community safe after Hurricane Helene by being aware of rumors and scams and sharing official information from trusted sources.

Do your part to the stop the spread of rumors by doing three easy things: 

1. Find trusted sources of information. 
2. Share information from trusted sources. 
3. Discourage others from sharing information from unverified sources."

[AI-Fabricated] Image shows a photo of former President Donald Trump wading through floodwater after Hurricane Helene.; PolitiFact, Poynter Institute, October 2, 2024

Ciara O'Rourke,  PolitiFact, Poynter Institute; [AI-Fabricated] Image shows a photo of former President Donald Trump wading through floodwater after Hurricane Helene.

"Trump surveyed Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia, but not from deep floodwaters; this image is fake

IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT

• This image was fabricated.

See the sources for this fact-check

Former President Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, on Sept. 30, to see how Hurricane Helene had damaged the area. 

But an image circulating online that purportedly shows him wading through floodwaters past his knees isn’t authentic. 

Posts sharing it were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

(Screengrab from Threads)"

Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories collide with election misinformation; The Guardian, October 4, 2024

Rachel Leingang , The Guardian; Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories collide with election misinformation

“Elon Musk, the owner of X and key Trump ally, claimed Fema was blocking flights trying to aid the area, calling it “belligerent government incompetence”. The transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, responded: “No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call.”

An AI-generated image of a young girl holding a puppy, looking devastated as she sat in a boat in the rain, seemingly fleeing the flood waters, spread widely. It was rightly flagged as AI-generated, but some didn’t seem to care.

“This picture has been seared into my mind,” Amy Kremer, an RNC national committeewoman from Georgia, posted on X. She later added: “Y’all, I don’t know where this photo came from and honestly, it doesn’t matter,” saying it was “emblematic” of the reality people were facing.

One myth amplified in the last few days suggests Fema is out of money because it has spent money on migrants instead, a claim that Trump and many of his allies have amplified. The story was on the cover of the New York Post.”

Lawmaker on Helene conspiracy theories: ‘PLEASE help stop this junk’; The Hill, October 4, 2024

  JULIANN VENTURA , The Hill; Lawmaker on Helene conspiracy theories: ‘PLEASE help stop this junk’

"North Carolina state Sen. Kevin Corbin (R) denounced what he described as “conspiracy theory junk” circulating about flooding in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, referring to allegations about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stealing money from donations, among several others.

“PLEASE help stop this junk. It is just a distraction to people trying to do their job. Folks, this is a catastrophic event of which this country has never known,” Corbin wrote Thursday in post on Facebook...

In an effort to curb misinformation surrounding Hurricane Helene, FEMA launched a “rumor response” page, where the agency asks the public to find and share information from trusted sources and to discourage others from sharing details from unverified ones. It also seeks to dispel rumors as the search for storm victims continues across multiple states and authorities contend with blocked roads and power outages."

‘They Can Control the Weather,’ Claims Marjorie Taylor Greene After Deadly Hurricane Helene Kills More Than 200; Mediate, October 4, 2024

 Charlie Nash, Mediate; ‘They Can Control the Weather,’ Claims Marjorie Taylor Greene After Deadly Hurricane Helene Kills More Than 200

"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) weighed in on the deadly hurricane which wreaked havoc in her state of Georgia and across the southern United States on Thursday, suggesting that the hurricane had been controlled.

After the Hurricane Helene death toll rose to over 200, Greene wrote in a social media post, “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”"

Politically charged rumors and conspiracy theories about Helene flourish on X; NPR, October 3, 2024

 Huo Jingnan, NPR; Politically charged rumors and conspiracy theories about Helene flourish on X

"Emergency management researchers lament that the platform owned by Elon Musk, which was once considered a useful source of information in a disaster, is instead contributing to the chaos in Helene's wake.

The disaster became fodder for political attacks

The storm hit two swing states just a month before a close election, making criticisms about the response a tempting political line of attack.

On X, the top results for “Helene” have millions of views but are not always reliable...

Former President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that Democrats were withholding aid from Republican areas. Trump also falsely claimed that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had not been able to speak to Biden, even though both confirmed they had spoken to one another.

There’s no evidence the federal government is withholding aid from affected states. The Republican governors of South Carolina and Georgia have praised the federal government’s support.

Other videos on X made wilder claims.

"Don’t worry guys, weather modification isn’t real! It’s just a coincidence that Hurricane Helene is one of the most devastating 'inland damage storms' in history and that hundreds of pro-Trump counties are being massively impacted during the most important election of our lifetimes," influencer Matt Wallace posted alongside video footage of flooding. The post received 11 million views."

The Fog of Disaster Is Getting Worse; The Atlantic, October 5, 2024

Juliette Kayyem , The Atlantic; The Fog of Disaster Is Getting Worse

"Keeping track of events during a natural disaster was hard enough in the past, before people with dubious motives started flooding social media with sensational images generated by artificial intelligence. In a crisis, public officials, first responders, and people living in harm’s way all need reliable information. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has shown that, even as technology has theoretically improved our capacity to connect with other people, our visibility into what’s happening on the ground may be deteriorating."

Locals turn to legacy media as hurricane rumors swirl; Axios, October 1, 2024

 Michael Graff, Sara Fischer, Axios; Locals turn to legacy media as hurricane rumors swirl

"Old-fashioned legacy media — especially radio — have become a vital information lifeline in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

Why it matters: Power outages, lost cell signals and hundreds of road closures have stifled on-the-ground reporting, giving way to falsehoods that can spread quickly online — and creating an urgent need to correct them.

• Local reporters are working overtime to correct the record. In many cases, they're filling an information void left by local government officials who were caught off guard by the severity of the storm's flooding in mountainous regions around Asheville, North Carolina."

US officials struggle to quash Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories; Reuters, October 5, 2024

Stephanie Kelly , Reuters; US officials struggle to quash Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories

"In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the United States this week, a new storm emerged on social media - false rumors about how disaster funds have been used, and even claims that officials control the weather.

Local and national government officials say they are trying to combat the rumors, including one spread by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

One of the more far-fetched rumors is that Helene was an engineered storm to allow corporations to mine regional lithium deposits. Others accuse the administration of President Joe Biden of using federal disaster funds to help migrants in the country illegally, or suggest officials are deliberately abandoning bodies in the cleanup."

Beyond the hype: Key components of an effective AI policy; CIO, October 2, 2024

 Leo Rajapakse, CIO; Beyond the hype: Key components of an effective AI policy

"An AI policy is a living document 

Crafting an AI policy for your company is increasingly important due to the rapid growth and impact of AI technologies. By prioritizing ethical considerations, data governance, transparency and compliance, companies can harness the transformative potential of AI while mitigating risks and building trust with stakeholders. Remember, an effective AI policy is a living document that evolves with technological advancements and societal expectations. By investing in responsible AI practices today, businesses can pave the way for a sustainable and ethical future tomorrow."

Ethical uses of generative AI in the practice of law; Reuters, October 3, 2024

 Thomson Reuters; Ethical uses of generative AI in the practice of law

"In the rapidly evolving landscape of legal technology, the integration of generative AI tools presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant ethical challenges. Ryan Groff, a distinguished member of the Massachusetts Bar and a lecturer at New England Law, explores these dimensions in his enlightening webinar, “Ethical Uses of Generative AI in the Practice of Law.” 

In the webinar, Ryan Groff discusses the ethical implications of using generative AI (GenAI) in legal practices, tracing the history of GenAI applications in law and distinguishing between various AI tools available today.  He provides an insightful overview of the historical application of GenAI in legal contexts and differentiates the various AI tools currently available. Groff emphasizes that while AI can enhance the efficiency of legal practices, it should not undermine the critical judgment of lawyers. He underscores the importance of maintaining rigorous supervision, safeguarding client confidentiality, and ensuring technological proficiency."

I Quit Teaching Because of ChatGPT; Time, September 30, 2024

 Victoria Livingstone, Time; I Quit Teaching Because of ChatGPT

"Students who outsource their writing to AI lose an opportunity to think more deeply about their research. In a recent article on art and generative AI, author Ted Chiang put it this way: “Using ChatGPT to complete assignments is like bringing a forklift into the weight room; you will never improve your cognitive fitness that way.” Chiang also notes that the hundreds of small choices we make as writers are just as important as the initial conception. Chiang is a writer of fiction, but the logic applies equally to scholarly writing. Decisions regarding syntax, vocabulary, and other elements of style imbue a text with meaning nearly as much as the underlying research...

Generative AI is, in some ways, a democratizing tool...

The best educators will adapt to AI. In some ways, the changes will be positive. Teachers must move away from mechanical activities or assigning simple summaries. They will find ways to encourage students to think critically and learn that writing is a way of generating ideas, revealing contradictions, and clarifying methodologies.

However, those lessons require that students be willing to sit with the temporary discomfort of not knowing. Students must learn to move forward with faith in their own cognitive abilities as they write and revise their way into clarity. With few exceptions, my students were not willing to enter those uncomfortable spaces or remain there long enough to discover the revelatory power of writing."

Judge blocks California’s new AI law in case over Kamala Harris deepfake; TechCrunch, October 2, 2024

Maxwell Zeff, Tech Crunch ; Judge blocks California’s new AI law in case over Kamala Harris deepfake

"A federal judge blocked one of California’s new AI laws on Wednesday, less than two weeks after it was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Shortly after signing AB 2839, Newsom suggested it could be used to force Elon Musk to take down an AI deepfake of Vice President Kamala Harris he had reposted (sparking a petty online battle between the two). However, a California judge just ruled the state can’t force people to take down election deepfakes – not yet, at least.

AB 2839 targets the distributors of AI deepfakes on social media, specifically if their post resembles a political candidate and the poster knows it’s a fake that may confuse voters. The law is unique because it does not go after the platforms on which AI deepfakes appear, but rather those who spread them. AB 2839 empowers California judges to order the posters of AI deepfakes to take them down or potentially face monetary penalties.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the original poster of that AI deepfake – an X user named Christopher Kohls – filed a lawsuit to block California’s new law as unconstitutional just a day after it was signed. Kohls’ lawyer wrote in a complaint that the deepfake of Kamala Harris is satire that should be protected by the First Amendment.

On Wednesday, United States district judge John Mendez sided with Kohls. Mendez ordered a preliminary injunction to temporarily block California’s attorney general from enforcing the new law against Kohls or anyone else, with the exception of audio messages that fall under AB 2839.

Read for yourself what Judge Mendez said in his decision:..

It’s nevertheless a big win for Elon Musk’s camp of free speech posters on X. In the days following Newsom signing AB 2839 into law, Musk and his usual allies posted a series of AI deepfakes that tested California’s new law."

Elon Musk’s X Is Now Worth Around A Fifth Of The $44 Billion He Paid For It, Fidelity Says; Forbes, September 30, 2024

Ty Roush , Forbes; Elon Musk’s X Is Now Worth Around A Fifth Of The $44 Billion He Paid For It, Fidelity Says

"Elon Musk’s X is worth a little more than one-fifth of the $44 billion he paid to acquire the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, according to Fidelity, the latest in a series of valuation cuts by Fidelity since Musk’s takeover in 2022...

Musk is the wealthiest person in the world with a fortune valued at $269.8 billion, according to our latest estimates...

$24 billion. That’s how much the eight largest investors in X have lost in combined value since Musk purchased the firm as of Sept. 1, according to the Washington Post."

New book ‘Character Limit’ explores Musk’s impact on social media after buying Twitter; PBS News Hour, October 2, 2024

Ali Rogin , PBS News Hour; New book ‘Character Limit’ explores Musk’s impact on social media after buying Twitter

"He’s the richest person in the world, but also one of the most controversial and increasingly engaged in polarizing political debates. A new book details the tumultuous leadership of Elon Musk and his approach to owning X. Ali Rogin spoke with Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, authors of "Character Limit.""

How Elon Musk and X Became the Biggest Purveyors of Online Misinformation; Rolling Stone, August 9, 2024

Miles Klee , Rolling Stone; How Elon Musk and X Became the Biggest Purveyors of Online Misinformation

"Elon Musk has trouble telling the truth. Whether he’s overpromising on what his companies can accomplish or twisting the facts about his own children, it’s clear he doesn’t feel constrained by reality, which is no doubt what made him into the mogul of misinformation he is today. 

Almost two years after Musk completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter (now X), he and the platform — where he reigns not just as owner but the most-followed user — have become essential to the life cycle of incendiary falsehoods and conspiracy theories. While mainstream social media companies have long tried to prevent such content from gaining traction, leaving extremists to ply their lies on smaller, obscure, unmoderated networks, Musk fired the Twitter teams tasked with battling deceptive material. He also reinstated thousands of accounts that had received permanent bans, including neo-Nazis and conspiracy kingpin Alex Jones, often engaging with these people himself. On top of that, he changed the verification system into a pay-to-play scheme in which subscribers enjoy boosted visibility; at the same time, it became harder to tell which accounts belonged to genuine public figures.

The removal of Twitter’s (imperfect) guardrails meant that suddenly, for the first time, a major online resource many relied on for news and information was overrun by the manipulative trolls formerly relegated to the fringes of the social web. Misinformation about wars, health, climate change, elections and more flourished alongside violent rhetoric and hate speech, in a digital forum that has actual influence on the course of human events.         

At the center of it all is Musk, whose turn to hard-right ideology has led him to spout and amplify untruths with abandon, algorithmically forcing them onto an audience of millions. But he wasn’t always so deep into the reservoir of easily debunked rumors and bogus claims. In this timeline, we trace how he turned X into a misinformation machine."

British government had ‘constructive’ talks with Musk’s X over disinformation, minister says; CNBC, September 13, 2024

 Ryan Browne, CNBC; British government had ‘constructive’ talks with Musk’s X over disinformation, minister says

"The U.K. government has had “constructive” talks with Elon Musk’s social media site X over the spread of misinformation and other harmful content, technology minister Peter Kyle told CNBC Friday...

Kyle’s comments to CNBC come after misinformation spread online after a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in northwest England sparked far-right, anti-immigration riots — with shops and mosques being attacked in towns across the country.

Multiple social media users at the time spread false information about the alleged perpetrator, who has since been charged with murder and attempted murder, claiming he was an asylum seeker.

During the riots, Musk, who owns X, made comments about the situation in the U.K., calling Prime Minister Keir Starmer “two-tier Keir” in reference to the conspiracy theory that police were treating white far-right protesters and rioters more harshly than minority groups.

He also suggested the unrest could end up resulting in a civil war, saying in an X post: “Civil war is inevitable.” Musk’s comments were condemned by the U.K. government."

It’s Elon Musk’s X and governments are having to live with it; Politico, August 7, 2024

 JOHN SAKELLARIADIS, CHRISTINE MUI and BRITTANY GIBSON, Politico; It’s Elon Musk’s X and governments are having to live with it

"The biggest spreader of political divisiveness and incendiary posts on Elon Musk’s revamped Twitter is turning out to be Musk himself."

What You Need to Know About Grok AI and Your Privacy; Wired, September 10, 2024

Kate O'Flaherty , Wired; What You Need to Know About Grok AI and Your Privacy

"Described as “an AI search assistant with a twist of humor and a dash of rebellion,” Grok is designed to have fewer guardrails than its major competitors. Unsurprisingly, Grok is prone to hallucinations and bias, with the AI assistant blamed for spreading misinformation about the 2024 election."

Mark Cuban Fact-Checks Unhinged Elon Musk Conspiracy Theory Using Musk's Own Tech; HuffPost, September 30, 2024

Ryan Grenoble , HuffPost; Mark Cuban Fact-Checks Unhinged Elon Musk Conspiracy Theory Using Musk's Own Tech

"Elon Musk on Sunday embraced a racist and wildly conspiratorial election theory ― only to get fact-checked by fellow billionaire Mark Cuban, who used Musk’s own AI chatbot to do the job.

Musk, who’s endorsed Donald Trump and was once rumored to be donating $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC, claimed Sunday that the former president “is the only way to save” democracy from immigrants.

“Very few Americans realize that, if Trump is NOT elected, this will be the last election,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform that’s lost nearly 80% of its value since he took over.

He then asserted, without any evidence, that Democrats are flying immigrants “directly into swing states” who are then “fast-tracked to citizenship” for the purpose of altering the outcome of the election.

The claim is false.

Noncitizens must first spend at least five years as a lawful permanent resident before they’re typically eligible for naturalization, meaning Musk’s conspiracy would have had to begin during the Trump administration to bear any meaningful fruit. (The median number of years in the U.S. for citizens naturalized in 2023 was actually longer: seven years.)

And according to the Department of Homeland Security, the top 10 states where people who were naturalized last year reside are: California (not a swing state), Texas (not a swing state), Florida (not really), New York (absolutely not), New Jersey (also solidly blue), Illinois (nuh-uh), Washington (try again), Pennsylvania (the only one), Massachusetts (blue) and Virginia (debatable).

Nine-tenths of those are not swing states. Pennsylvania, the lone exception, only accounted for 2.8% of those naturalized in 2023. More than 50% live in California, Texas, Florida and New York.

Undeterred by facts, Musk predicted that, if Trump loses, “there will be no more swing states” and “Democracy is over.” (Relatedly, Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden both separately deported more people than Donald Trump.)

Musk’s rant also caught the eye of Mark Cuban, who fact-checked Musk using Twitter’s own “anti-woke” AI chatbot Grok, which Musk concocted after finding competitors were too politically liberal.

“Hey [Elon Musk], truly appreciate the work you have done with [Grok].” Cuban wrote to Musk in a public message. “It’s a great way to factcheck you.”

Cuban then shared a link to Grok’s lengthy analysis of Musk’s claim.

The chatbot concluded that Musk’s xenophobic theory “contains exaggerated claims and speculative fears rather than factual analysis,” and was “presented in an alarmist and overly deterministic manner.”

X’s AI chatbot spread voter misinformation – and election officials fought back; The Guardian, September 12, 2024

Rachel Leingang, The Guardian; X’s AI chatbot spread voter misinformation – and election officials fought back

"Finding the source – and working to correct it – served as a test case of how election officials and artificial intelligence companies will interact during the 2024 presidential election in the US amid fears that AI could mislead or distract voters. And it showed the role Grok, specifically, could play in the election, as a chatbot with fewer guardrails to prevent the generating of more inflammatory content.

A group of secretaries of state and the organization that represents them, the National Association of Secretaries of State, contacted Grok and X to flag the misinformation. But the company didn’t work to correct it immediately, instead giving the equivalent of a shoulder shrug, said Steve Simon, the Minnesota secretary of state. “And that struck, I think it’s fair to say all of us, as really the wrong response,” he said.

Thankfully, this wrong answer was relatively low-stakes: it would not have prevented people from casting a ballot. But the secretaries took a strong position quickly because of what could come next.

“In our minds, we thought, well, what if the next time Grok makes a mistake, it is higher stakes?” Simon said. “What if the next time the answer it gets wrong is, can I vote, where do I vote … what are the hours, or can I vote absentee? So this was alarming to us.”

Especially troubling was the fact that the social media platform itself was spreading false information, rather than users spreading misinformation using the platform.

The secretaries took their effort public. Five of the nine secretaries in the group signed on to a public letter to the platform and its owner, Elon Musk. The letter called on X to have its chatbot take a similar position as other chatbot tools, like ChatGPT, and direct users who ask Grok election-related questions to a trusted nonpartisan voting information site, CanIVote.org.

The effort worked. Grok now directs users to a different website, vote.gov, when asked about elections."