AI & Society
UN Calls Out AI
Human rights officials called for limits on some uses of AI.What’s new: Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, appealed to the organization’s member states to suspend certain
AI & Society
Rules for Recommenders
China moved toward a clamp down on recommendation algorithms.What’s new: China’s internet regulatory agency proposed rules that include banning algorithms that spread disinformation, threaten national security, or
AI & Society
Risk Reduction for Elders
Deep learning is helping to protect elderly people from potentially catastrophic tumbles.What’s happening: More than 2,000 senior living facilities across the U.S. use a diagnostic system called VirtuSense Balance to
AI & Society
AI Engineers Weigh In on AI Ethics
Machine learning researchers tend to trust international organizations, distrust military forces, and disagree on how much disclosure is necessary when describing new models, a new study found.
AI & Society
Dances With Robots
Tesla unveiled its own AI chip and — surprise! — plans for a humanoid robot.What’s new: At Tesla’s AI Day promotional event, the company offered a first look at an upcoming self-driving
AI & Society
Deep Unlearning
Privacy advocates want deep learning systems to forget what they’ve learned. What’s new: Researchers are seeking ways to remove the influence of particular training examples, such as an individual’s personal information,
AI & Society
User Privacy Versus Child Safety
Apple, which has made a point of its commitment to user privacy, announced that it will scan iPhones for evidence of child abuse.What’s new: The tech giant will include a machine learning model on the
AI & Society
Invented By AI
An algorithm received a patent for its invention.What’s new: South Africa’s intellectual property office issued a patent that names an AI system as the inventor of a food container with unique
AI & Society
Shots in the Dark
A crime-fighting AI company altered evidence to please police, a new investigation claims — the latest in a rising chorus of criticism.What’s new: ShotSpotter, which makes a widely used system of the same
AI & Society
Olympic AI
Computer vision is keeping a close eye on athletes at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.What’s new: Omega Timing, a Swiss watchmaker and the Olympic Games’ official timekeeper, is providing systems that go far beyond measuring
AI & Society
Meet the New Smart-Cities Champ
Chinese researchers for the first time swept a competition to develop AI systems that monitor urban traffic. What’s new: Chinese universities and companies won first and second place in all five categories of the 2021 AI City Challenge,
AI & Society
U.S. Lax on Face Recognition
A U.S. government watchdog agency called for stronger face recognition protocols for federal agencies.What’s new: An audit of federal agencies by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that, while many employ face recognition, they may not know
AI & Society
When Algorithms Manage Humans
Some delivery drivers fired by Amazon contend that the retailer’s automated management system played an unfair role in terminating their employment. What’s new: Drivers in Amazon Flex, an Uber-like program that enables
AI & Society
The New Space Race
I’ve been following with excitement the recent progress in space launches. Earlier this week, Richard Branson and his Virgin Galactic team flew a rocket plane 53 miles up, earning him astronaut wings. Next week, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is
AI & Society
Danke for the Interview
An independent test found flaws in AI systems designed to evaluate job applicants.What’s new: MyInterview and Curious Thing, which automate job interviews, gave a candidate who spoke only in German high marks on English proficiency, according to MIT Technology Review.
Subscribe to The Batch
Stay updated with weekly AI News and Insights delivered to your inbox