Jeremy Singer-Vine, Data is Plural: “As part of its National Water-Quality Assessment Project, the US Geological Survey publishes maps and datasets that estimate local pesticide usage, based on “proprietary surveys of farm operations.” The datasets provide high/low estimates (measured in kilograms) by county, chemical, and year, as well as by crop group for each state. The most recent “preliminary” figures refer to 2019, with the next release not scheduled until “late 2024.” Read more: “Move to change how U.S. tracks pesticide use sparks protest,” an article by Virginia Gewin in Science, reporting on the pushback against USGS’s decision “to reduce the number of chemicals it tracks and to release updates less frequently.” [h/t Walt Hickey]
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Category Archives: Legal Research
How AI could take over elections and undermine democracy
Archon Fung, Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government, Harvard Kennedy School and Lawrence Lessig, Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard University – The Conversation: “…Imagine that soon, political technologists develop a machine called Clogger – a political campaign in a black box. Clogger relentlessly pursues just one objective: to maximize the chances that its candidate –… Continue Reading
Lawyer cites fake cases invented by ChatGPT, judge is not amused
Simon Willison’s Weblog: “Legal Twitter is having tremendous fun right now reviewing the latest documents from the case Mata v. Avianca, Inc. (1:22-cv-01461). Here’s a neat summary: So, wait. They file a brief that cites cases fabricated by ChatGPT. The court asks them to file copies of the opinions. And then they go back to… Continue Reading
Florida Higher Ed Faces an Ideologically Driven Assault Unparalleled in US History
American Association of University Professors: “Earlier this year, the AAUP established a special committee to review the apparent pattern of politically, racially, and ideologically motivated attacks on public higher education in Florida. Today, after interviewing dozens of faculty members at multiple public colleges and universities in the state, the committee has released a preliminary report… Continue Reading
Office of Civil Rights Issues Guidance on HIPAA Compliant Use of Meta Pixels
ABA: “A Meta Pixel is a code embedded in websites that tracks users’ online activities and sends such activities as discrete packets of user data to Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The Meta Pixel can track “users as they navigate through a website, logging which pages they visit, which buttons they click, and certain… Continue Reading
Google Flood Hub
“Flood Hub – “How it works – Flood Hub provides Google’s flood alerts to the general population. If you are in a flood prone area, open Flood Hub and see the current flood information in your area. If not, open Flood Hub, zoom out/in to find your area of interest and see the relevant flood… Continue Reading
Former Gun Company Executive Explains Roots of America’s Gun Violence Epidemic
ProPublica: “From the movie theater to the shopping mall, inside a church and a synagogue, through the grocery aisle and into the classroom, gun violence has invaded every corner of American life. It is a social epidemic no vaccine can stem, a crisis with no apparent end. Visual evidence of the carnage spills with numbing… Continue Reading
AI Initiatives from Biden Administration
Via Tech Policy Press: “A little more than a week ago, the White House released its national research and development strategy for artificial intelligence. The document joins the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, a phalanx of AI initiatives from the Biden administration, including: The White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights;… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, June 3, 2023
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, June 3, 2023 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, 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… Continue Reading
The Best Ways to Scan a Document Using Your Phone or Tablet
How to Geek: “Scanners had their moment, but nowadays it’s not as necessary to own one. However, that doesn’t mean you never need to scan a document or photo. Thankfully, you probably have some tools to do it without a scanner. If you find yourself scanning a lot of documents and photos, it’s a good… Continue Reading
Regulating AI
Gizmodo: “What Would AI Regulation Look Like? How could Congress corral artificial intelligence? Erect guardrails, ensure accountability, and address monopolistic power. A new federal agency to regulate AI sounds helpful but could become unduly influenced by the tech industry. Instead, Congress can legislate accountability. Instead of licensing companies to release advanced AI technologies, the government… Continue Reading
AI Bots Are Coming to Finance
Bloomberg [free link]: “Also direct listing lawsuits, SPAC lawsuits, unemployed Harvard MBAs and the CEO of Goldman Sachs is also a DJ. AI is also expensive, both to develop and to run. Estimates show the costs of using large language models to answer a question can be as much as $14 per query, compared with… Continue Reading
