Category «Legal Research»

AI Sweeps Through Newsrooms, but Is It a Journalist or a Tool?

The New York Times [Gift Article] – A.I. has set off industrywide soul-searching about its potential and pitfalls – Artificial intelligence is sweeping through newsrooms, transforming the way journalists around the world gather and disseminate information. Traditional news organizations increasingly use tools from companies like OpenAI and Google to streamline work that used to take …

Subjects: AI, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Codifying the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses

The Brennan Center – “To prevent corruption, the Constitution prohibits the president and other officials from receiving untoward benefits. Congress, however, must take action to enable enforcement. A number of President Donald Trump’s actions in his second term potentially violate the Constitution’s Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses. These clauses bar the president and other federal …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Cryptocurrency, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

To Preserve Records, Homeland Security Now Relies on Officials to Take Screenshots

The New York Times Gift Article: “Experts say the new policy, which ditches software that automatically captured text messages, opens ample room for both willful and unwitting noncompliance with federal records laws. The Department of Homeland Security has stopped using software that automatically captured text messages and saved trails of communication between officials, according to …

Subjects: Data Governance, E-Government, E-Records, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show

Reuters: “Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by Reuters show. And the social media giant internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day. Among its responses to suspected rogue marketers: charging them a premium for ads – and …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Legal Research, Marketing, Social Media

After Law Firm Deals With Trump, D.C. Bar Warns of Ethical Jeopardy

Follow up to previous post – How Trump’s crackdown on law firms is undermining legal defenses for the vulnerable…Read the D.C. Bar legal ethics committee opinion. The New York Times: “Months after law firms made deals with President Trump to ward off punitive executive orders, the ethics committee of the District of Columbia Bar is …

Subjects: Censorship, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Google’s Hidden Empire

Google’s Hidden Empire: This paper presents striking new data about the scale of Google’s involvement in the global digital and corporate landscape, head and shoulders above the other big tech firms. While public attention and some antitrust scrutiny has focused on these firms’ mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities, Google has also been amassing an empire …

Subjects: E-Commerce, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Internet, Legal Research, Privacy, Search Engines

Whistleblower docs show Maxwell seeking commutation

Follow up to Epstein survivors sue Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon – The Hill: “Documents provided by a whistleblower show Ghislaine Maxwell has asked President Trump to commute her sentence as prison employees suggest she has received “concierge-style treatment” at a new facility where she is being given custom meals and access …

Subjects: Censorship, Congress, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

AI Is Supercharging the War on Libraries, Education, and Human Knowledge

404 Media: “Last month, a company called the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database announced a new version of a product called Class-Shelf Plus. The software, which is used by school libraries to keep track of which books are in their catalog, added several new features including “AI-driven automation and contextual risk analysis,” which includes an AI-powered …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Civil Liberties, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries, Search Engines

More Articles Are Now Created by AI Than Humans

Five Percent: “Since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, many companies have explored publishing content generated by LLMs such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to grow their traffic across channels such as Google Search, social, and advertising. This is a cost-effective alternative to spending hundreds of dollars for humans to write content. The quality of AI …

Subjects: AI, Education, Intellectual Property, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Banquet of Greed: Trump Ballroom Donors Feast on Federal Funds and Favors

Follow up to previous posting Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing is nearly complete – Public Citizen: “The corporate and billionaire donors to Donald Trump’s gaudy ballroom project are beset by conflicts of interest, according to a new Public Citizen report – Banquet of Greed: Trump Ballroom Donors Feast on Federal Funds and Favors. …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research