AI Ethics & Policy Insights
The AI ethics & policy info we should know - simplified. Week of July 8, 2024. Issue 25.
I’m back! Thank you all for being so gracious with me while I took time off to enjoy getting married and all that comes with that season. We did it! On June 14th, 2024 we tied the knot. Here’s a photo, for those who enjoy this sort of thing.
AI Ethics News
Notable news in the world of AI ethics and responsible AI.
Figma’s AI Feature Copying Apple - Figma, a popular design platform, has temporarily disabled its “Make Design” AI feature, which was created to help designers get their ideas down quickly, select a design direction, and get to solutions faster. Unfortunately, within hours of its release, user Any Allen noticed that the designs created by the AI feature were almost identical to those of the Apple Weather app. Figma removed the feature withing 14 hours of its launch, and claimed that there was an underlying issue with the off-the-shelf LLM they were using. The CEO of Figma admitted to not completing a thorough QA process, in order to have the feature ready for the company’s Config conference.
AI is Aiding Job Scams - The Identity Theft Resource Center reported that consumer reports of job scams went up 118% in 2023, and many believe it to be due to AI and its ability to lend legitimacy to job seekers, especially those looking for remote work, by generating job descriptions and messages from recruiters that lack the tell-tale signs of a scammer message. The FTC said that “there’s no sure-fire way to detect” the scams, and that people need to be sure to protect themselves from the scams.
Microsoft, Google Edge Toward Choosing AI Progress over Climate Promises - Microsoft* and Google both pledged to be “net zero” or “climate neutral” by 2030 - and then AI happened. To be climate neutral, the idea is that the companies would not release more climate-changing gasses into the air than it removes. However, the tech giants are both coming under scrutiny because their desire to innovate with AI and profit off of AI products seems to be disrupting their promises to address climate change. This change largely comes down to the amount of energy each company uses to power its datacenters and AI. While Microsoft has imposed new energy requirements on suppliers in an effort to reign in the energy use, it’s still trending in a direction that is out of alignment with its ambitious goal, set in 2020.
*Paige works for GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft.
AI in the Wild
NEW! This section will highlight new and interesting uses of AI, so you can stay up-to-date on how the technology is changing.
New Google Android Feature Allows Users to “Circle to Search”
Just when I thought we’d see all of the cool innovation for mobile phones, AI came along and a new set of features became possible. It’s like magic, right? Google just announced their new “Circle to Search” feature which is cooler than I want to admit. If you’re an Android user, you can now circle or tap anything on your screen - whether it’s text, a video or image - and Google will get to work searching for the item in question.
It’s pretty cool to see:
Do you like those sunglasses? Circle to Search. Do you need a definition, or an explanation of an article? Circle to Search. It’s not surprising that the leader in Search would create a feature that lends to their bread and butter. It’s great for Google in multiple ways:
1. it’s novel, making it a market changing feature roll out
2. it makes Androids more attractive (read: competitive) as an alternative to Apple iPhones
3. it reinforces their AI-to-AI pipeline by using an AI feature, which leverages search that is ALSO supplemented with it’s own AI search capability “AI overviews”.
4. it will give Google even MORE data about what people want to see, buy or know. How often do you have a thought about an item and pop over to ChatGPT to type it in, or do nothing because it’s cumbersome to get the info? Now, with Circle to Search, it’ll be easier, and Google will have more insight for their ad business.
While there are definitely some ethical and privacy concerns to be looked into - there always are - I think we can safely congratulate Google on a feature that’s incredibly novel and useful.
AI Policy Beat
A look at what’s happening in the world of AI policy.
Robert Williams, Falsely Arrested and Detained in Detroit Due to Facial Recognition Match, Awarded $300k
You may remember this article in the New York Times from 2020, in which Robert Williams shared his experience of being falsely arrested and detained due to a facial recognition match and poor work by the Detroit PD. After four years, Mr. Williams was awarded $300k, and as part of the settlement, Detroit PD must make some key changes, including not making arrests based solely on facial recognition technology, corroborating tech leads, and re-reviewing cases from 2017 - 2023 identify misuse of the technology that may have led to false arrest or detainment.
The EU AI Act has PASSED
I know I’m late to the party on announcing this because I was out, but I wanted to be sure to share it for those who might not have heard. The EU AI Act passed in March. This passage marks the world’s first comprehensive AI Act. The Act entered into force 20 days after its publication in the official Journal. Within 24 months from its entry into force, it will be fully applicable. There has been much speculation as to whether this Act will hamper AI innovation in the EU and essentially make Wester innovation of AI more challenging. Only time will tell.
Japan Passes a Basic AI Policy for the Defense Ministry
In an effort to navigate the challenges that come with a shortage of human workers and to keep up with the AI military innovations from other nations, Japan passed a basic AI policy identifying when and how AI will be used in its military operations. The goal, according to the policy, is to “speed up decision-making, ensure superiority in information-gathering and analysis capabilities, reduce the burden on personnel and safe on labor and manpower.” The policy does call out the risks of AI and risk mitigation via continued ongoing discussions.
Spotlight on Research
Research: Using AI at Work Makes Lonelier and Less Healthy
David De Cremer and Joel Koopman travel down the path of AI productivity in the future, and the ways that “productivity” due to AI is actually negatively impacting people’s mental and physical health.
Open Source AI: The Overlooked National Security Imperative
Dr. Keegan McBride makes the argument that failure on the part of the Western world to invest in open source AI will lead to Chinese leadership in this area, and why that is a massive concern for national security interests for the West.
Deeper Insights: Open AI’s “Voice Mode” and the Danger of AI That’s Designed to Sound Human
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