Author archives

From help to harm: How the government is quietly repurposing everyone’s data for surveillance

The Conversation, Nicole M. Bennett: “A whistleblower at the National Labor Relations Board reported an unusual spike in potentially sensitive data flowing out of the agency’s network in early March 2025 when staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency, which goes by DOGE, were granted access to the agency’s databases. On April 7, the Department …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Defense, E-Mail, E-Records, Government Documents, Health Care, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy

What Are Firms Using? GenAI Adoption Study & Data Extraction

LegalTech Hub: “In a recent survey that Legaltech Hub (LTH) delivered with the organizing committee for the Strategic Knowledge and Innovation Legal Leaders Summit (SKILLS), 100 top-tier firms responded to a series of questions about which generative AI (GenAI) technologies they were actively using, what they were piloting, and which technologies they were considering licensing …

Subjects: AI, Legal Research

The ruling against Trump’s law firm order shows how to respond in this moment

Law Dork – Chris Geitner – “…Judge Howell’s decision striking down the order targeting Perkins Coie can serve as a framework for addressing Trump. On Friday evening [May 2, 2025], U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell took a stab at summarizing what it means to exist in this moment — and how courts need to respond …

Subjects: Censorship, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

April 2025 Job Cuts Plunge, But DOGE Drives 2025 Layoffs to Pandemic-Era Highs

Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc: “U.S.-based employers announced 105,441 cuts in April, down 62% from the 275,240 job cuts in March. It is up 63% from the 64,789 cuts announced in the same month last year, according to a report released Thursday from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. April’s total …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

Visualizing Federal Funding at U.S. Universities

“The New York Times [no paywall] has created a visualization mapping the distribution of federal funding to universities across the country using data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. Each circle on the map represents a university, with size indicating the amount of federal funding received in 2023—ranging from $10 million to …

Subjects: Censorship, Education, Government Documents, Health Care, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Medicine

How does ChatGPT conduct local searches?

Search Engine Land: “While Google still dominates local search, ChatGPT has made notable strides.  Its local results, though not yet on par with Google’s, have improved significantly since we ranked it last among AI search tools less than a year ago. The key change? ChatGPT’s integration with Microsoft Bing’s search index last fall. While it now pulls …

Subjects: AI, Search Engines

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, May 3, 2025

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, May 3, 2025 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Privacy

AI in Finance and Banking, April 30, 2025

Via LLRX – AI in Finance and Banking, April 30, 2025. This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, conferences, industry white papers and reports, academic papers and speeches, and central bank actions on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links …

Subjects: AI, Economy, Financial System, Knowledge Management

AI-powered job board targets laid-off federal workers

StateScoop – “In response to more than 280,000 federal employees affected by layoffs, buyouts and terminations by the Trump administration since February, a group of former Big Tech employees launched GovJobs.fyi, designed to help workers quickly find new positions. Similar to a job board from a San Francisco startup called Jobright.ai, the new AI-powered jobs …

Subjects: AI, Economy, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Unlawful Orders: How Libraries Became the Front Line in the Fight for Democracy

Mostly Lawful Substack – Kyle K. Courtney – So here we are again — libraries as one of the last vanguards of real democratic values. When political power leans too hard, when laws are bent or broken, when public institutions are treated like disposable relics, somehow it’s librarians — and the people who believe in …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

CFPB rescinds 67 pieces of guidance

Banking Dive: “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau withdrew dozens of pieces of prior guidance Monday, according to a document published to the Federal Register on Friday. The 67 rescinded items include guidance regarding fair lending, overdraft fees, buy now, pay later firms, earned wage access programs and more, in alignment with an internal memo Chief …

Subjects: Censorship, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, ID Theft, Legal Research

AI In High-Stakes Litigation: The Critical Role of Experienced Attorneys

Via LLRX – AI In High-Stakes Litigation: The Critical Role of Experienced Attorney – Skepticism about AI is not only justified—it’s evidence of good judgment. There are indeed pitfalls to AI use. Inept use of AI won’t help you, but my experience has been that in the hands of skilled lawyers with good judgment, AI is …

Subjects: AI, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Marketing