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SIPRI Report - Retaining Human Responsibility in the Development and Use of Autonomous Weapon Systems: On Accountability for Violations of International Humanitarian Law Involving AWS
by Diego.Latella Oct. 13, 2022

Oct. 13, 2022

FYI M. Bo et al. Retaining Human Responsibility in the Development and Use of Autonomous Weapon Systems: On Accountability for Violations of International Humanitarian Law Involving Autonomous Weapon Systems. STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE https://www.sipri.org/publications/2022/other-publications/retaining-human-… DL -- Dott. Diego Latella - Senior Researcher CNR/ISTI, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy (http:www.isti.cnr.it [1]) FM&&T Lab. (http://fmt.isti.cnr.it) CNR/GI-STS (http://gists.pi.cnr.it) https://www.isti.cnr.it/People/D.Latella - ph: +390506212982, fax: +390506212040 =================== I don't quite know whether it is especially computer science or its subdiscipline Artificial Intelligence that has such an enormous affection for euphemism. We speak so spectacularly and so readily of computer systems that understand, that see, decide, make judgments, and so on, without ourselves recognizing our own superficiality and immeasurable naivete with respect to these concepts. And, in the process of so speaking, we anesthetise our ability to evaluate the quality of our work and, what is more important, to identify and become conscious of its end use. […] One can't escape this state without asking, again and again: "What do I actually do? What is the final application and use of the products of my work?" and ultimately, "am I content or ashamed to have contributed to this use?" -- Prof. Joseph Weizenbaum ["Not without us", ACM SIGCAS 16(2-3) 2--7 - Aug. 1986] Links: ------ [1] http://www.isti.cnr.it

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Internet of Things and the Law: Legal Strategies for Consumer-Centric Smart Technologies | Guido Noto La Diega | 19 ottobre 2022, ore 10.00
by Nexa Media Oct. 12, 2022

Oct. 12, 2022

Gentilissime, gentilissimi, Vi invitiamo a partecipare alla presentazione del libro /*"Internet of Things and the Law: Legal Strategies for Consumer-Centric Smart Technologies"*/ (Routledge 2022), che si terrà *mercoledì 19 ottobre*, dalle ore 10.00 alle ore 11.30, presso l'*AULA B2, Campus Luigi Einaudi*, Lungo Dora Siena 100, Torino <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lungo+Dora+Siena,+100,+10153+Torino+TO/@4…>. Conduce: l'autore del libro *Guido Noto La Diega*, professore associato all'Università di Stirling e fellow del Centro Nexa. Presentano: *Marco Ricolfi*, co-direttore del Centro Nexa, e *Jacopo Ciani Sciolla*, ricercatore all'Università di Torino. Maggiori informazioni sull'evento: https://nexa.polito.it/guido-noto-ladiega L'evento si terrà nella sola forma in presenza, presso la sede sopra indicata. Grazie per l'attenzione, Cordiali saluti, -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: https://nexa.polito.it/ mail: anita.botta(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

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10° Festival dell'Innovazione e della Scienza | Interventi a cura del Centro Nexa | 12-14-16 ottobre 2022
by Nexa Media Oct. 10, 2022

Oct. 10, 2022

Gentilissime, gentilissimi, Vi invitiamo a partecipare, nell'ambito della *10° edizione del Festival dell'Innovazione e della Scienza di Settimo Torinese (9-16 ottobre 2022)* <https://festivaldellinnovazione.settimo-torinese.it/>, a tre incontri con ospiti *Juan Carlos De Martin*, co-fondatore e co-direttore del Centro Nexa, *Antonio Vetrò*, senior research fellow del Centro Nexa, e *Giacomo Conti*, project manager del Centro Nexa. Nello specifico degli incontri: 1. /*"Uno sguardo all'etica digitale"*/ <https://nexa.polito.it/etica-digitale>, a cura di Antonio Vetrò: mercoledì 12 ottobre, ore 11.00, presso la Biblioteca Archimede, piazza Campidoglio 50 - Sala Levi, Settimo Torinese; 2. /*"Apprendere videogiocando"*/ <https://nexa.polito.it/apprendere-videogiocando>, a cura di Giacomo Conti: venerdì 14 ottobre, ore 11.00, presso la Biblioteca Archimede, piazza Campidoglio 50 - Sala Levi, Settimo Torinese; 3. /*"Contro lo smartphone"*/ <https://nexa.polito.it/contro-smartphone>, a cura di Juan Carlos De Martin e Simone Arcagni: domenica 16 ottobre, ore 17.00, presso la Biblioteca Archimede, piazza Campidoglio 50 - Sala Levi, Settimo Torinese. Grazie per l'attenzione, Cordiali saluti, -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: https://nexa.polito.it/ mail: anita.botta(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

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MEMENTO | 155° Mercoledì di Nexa | 12 Ottobre 2022, ore 17.00
by Nexa Media Oct. 10, 2022

Oct. 10, 2022

Gentilissime, gentilissimi, vi ricordiamo che il *155° Mercoledì di Nexa* si terrà *mercoledì 12 ottobre, alle ore 17.00*, con la presentazione del nuovo libro open access di Alessandro Mantelero /*"Beyond Data. Human Rights, Ethical and Social Assessment in AI"*/. L'incontro sarà condotto dall'autore del libro, *Alessandro Mantelero*, professore associato al Politecnico di Torino ed esperto di diritto e tecnologia, protezione dei dati personali, IA, etica dei dati e diritti umani. _L'incontro si terrà IN PRESENZA e ONLINE_. _SEDE FISICA_ dell'incontro: Centro Nexa su Internet e Società, Politecnico di Torino, Via Boggio 65/a, Torino (1° piano). QUI <https://nexa.polito.it/contatti> maggiori informazioni su come raggiungerci. _STANZA VIRTUALE _dell'incontro: https://didattica.polito.it/VClass/NexaEvent Di seguito maggiori dettagli sull'evento: https://nexa.polito.it/mercoledi-155 Grazie per l'attenzione, Cordiali saluti, -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: https://nexa.polito.it/ mail: anita.botta(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

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GAO REPORT - Ransomware: Federal Agencies Provide Useful Assistance but Can Improve Collaboration - GAO-22-104767 notsp
by Diego.Latella Oct. 10, 2022

Oct. 10, 2022

US Government Accountability Office Ransomware: Federal Agencies Provide Useful Assistance but Can Improve Collaboration GAO-22-104767 https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104767?utm_campaign=usgao_email&utm_con… DL -- Dott. Diego Latella - Senior Researcher CNR/ISTI, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy (http:www.isti.cnr.it [1]) FM&&T Lab. (http://fmt.isti.cnr.it) CNR/GI-STS (http://gists.pi.cnr.it) https://www.isti.cnr.it/People/D.Latella - ph: +390506212982, fax: +390506212040 =================== Links: ------ [1] http://www.isti.cnr.it

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New PayPal Policy Lets Company Pull $2,500 From Users’ Accounts If They Promote ‘Misinformation’ | The Daily Wire
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 8, 2022

Oct. 8, 2022

https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-paypal-policy-lets-company-pull-2500-fro… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

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Questions & Answers: EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 7, 2022

Oct. 7, 2022

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_6045 (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

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"A warning from China’s surveillance state: It could happen here"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 7, 2022

Oct. 7, 2022

A warning from China’s surveillance state: It could happen here China is using AI to engineer a society in which most people enjoy ‘convenience, security, and predictability.’ Isn’t Silicon Valley selling something like that? ByEvan Selinger Updated October 5, 2022, 3:00 a.m. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/05/opinion/warning-chinas-surveillance-…

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"10 things we should all demand from Big Tech right now"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 7, 2022

Oct. 7, 2022

10 things we should all demand from Big Tech right now /We need an algorithmic bill of rights. AI experts helped us write one./ By Sigal Samuel <https://www.vox.com/authors/sigal-samuel> Updated May 29, 2019, 9:30am EDT A woman’s job application is rejected because of a recruiting algorithm <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-jobs-automation-insight/amazo…> that favors men’s résumés. A girl dies by suicide after graphic images of self-harm are pushed up on her feed by social media algorithms <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/technology/instagram-self-harm-ban.html>. A black teen steals something and gets rated high-risk for committing future crime by an algorithm used in courtroom sentencing <https://www.propublica.org/article/machine-bias-risk-assessments-in-crimina…>, while a white man steals something of similar value and gets rated low-risk. In recent years, advances in computer science have yielded algorithms so powerful that their creators have presented them as tools that can help us make decisions more efficiently and impartially. But the idea that algorithms are unbiased is a fantasy; in fact, they still end up reflecting human biases. And as they become ever more ubiquitous, we need to get clear on what they should — and should not — be allowed to do. In a new book, /A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence/ <https://www.amazon.com/Humans-Guide-Machine-Intelligence-Algorithms/dp/0525…>, Kartik Hosanagar, a University of Pennsylvania technology professor, argues we need an algorithmic bill of rights to protect us from the many risks AI is introducing into our lives, alongside the various benefits. People <https://ainowinstitute.org/reports.html> have <https://www.pnas.org/content/113/48/13538.full> called <https://www.amazon.com/Data-People-Make-Post-Privacy-Economy/dp/0465044697/… for the people&qid=1552847226&s=books&sr=1-1> for <https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/public-policy/2017_joint_statem…> such protections in the past, and in April, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Algorithmic Accountability Act <https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Algorithmic%20Accountability%20A…>. If passed, it would require companies to audit their algorithms for bias and discrimination <https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/10/18304960/congress-algorithmic-accountabi…>. Some AI experts praised it as a “great first step” <https://twitter.com/aselbst/status/1116350971351896065?utm_campaign=the_alg…> but noted that it leaves a number of concerns unaddressed. All this got me wondering: Which demands, exactly, belong on an algorithmic bill of rights? So I reached out to 10 experts (including Hosanagar) who are at the forefront of investigating how AI risk is creeping into the mundane aspects of life as well as high-stakes fields like immigration, medicine, and criminal justice. I asked them each to name a protection the public needs enshrined in law. Allow me to present the result: a crowdsourced algorithmic bill of rights. [...] continua qui: https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/22/18273284/ai-algorithmic-bill-of…

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Now we know for sure that big tech peddles despair, we must protect ourselves | Zoe Williams | The Guardian
by Alberto Cammozzo Oct. 7, 2022

Oct. 7, 2022

We cannot seal off a death from despair as an individual act when there are global corporations unrestrainedly marketing despair. <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/07/big-tech-despair-prot…> Now that the inquest into the awful death of Molly Russell in 2017 has delivered its findings, we have a new reality to adjust to. The teenager died from an act of self-harm, “while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content”. Her father described how she had entered “the bleakest of worlds”: online content on self-harm and suicide was delivered in waves by Instagram and Pinterest, just leaving it to the algorithm. “Looks like you’ve previously shown an interest in despair: try this infinitely replenishing stream of fresh despair.” Social media platforms deliberately target users with content, seeking attention and therefore advertising revenue: we knew that. This content can be extremely damaging: we knew that, too. But surely now that we’ve struggled, falteringly, towards the conclusion that it can be deadly, there can be no more complacency. These are corporations like any other, and it’s time to build on the consensus that they cause harm by regulating, as we would if they were producing toxic waste and pumping it into paddling pools. People, parents especially, worry a lot about the digital age and its impact on teenagers, and a lot of those worries are nonsense: are they addicted to Fifa? Will Minecraft turn them into recluses or sever their connection with the natural world? Does Fortnite stop them reading books (in fact, yes, but some other time for that)? Sometimes you’ll get a useful correction from a specialist in addiction or adolescence but there isn’t a coherent pushback from tech giants, because these anxieties create exactly the debate they need, amorphous and essentially luddite in character: what if today’s kids are less resilient than yesterday’s because they were raised in a world with different stimuli? If the real threat to kids is modernity itself, it can never be addressed, it can only be discussed. Underneath all that noise is a persistent drumbeat, an agenda now well known, pursued by methods that have been widely studied. Any platform that is free to use exists to maximise its advertising revenue, which means chasing watchers and watch-time. The algorithms suggesting content are not designed to prioritise quality or relevance, but rather to take an existing interest in any given user and direct them, in Molly Russell’s case, to more extreme versions of it. This had the tragic outcome with Molly that she was bombarded by more and more explicit explorations of misery, such that the coroner, Andrew Walker, said: “It would not be safe to leave suicide as a conclusion.” We cannot seal off a death from despair as an individual act when there are global corporations unrestrainedly marketing despair. The problem goes far beyond young people: we can see algorithm impacts in nativist politics all over the world, and in that regard, youth is not the defining factor – indeed, the casual characterisation of youth as a state of vulnerability is its own blind alley. Nevertheless, there are two elements that make social media particularly influential on the young, and the behemoths of the field particularly culpable in their failure to address the problem. As Laura Bates notes in Men Who Hate Women, her detailed research into the “manosphere”, the social media coverage of Gen Z is astronomical: 85% of US teens use YouTube, 72% use Instagram, 51% still use Facebook. People spend significantly more time watching content that’s been recommended than stuff they’ve gone looking for: on YouTube, 70% of everything watched has been suggested by the site. Adolescence is also, manifestly, a time of great intellectual as well as neurological plasticity, when you might easily want to know what an incel is without wanting to become one, or feel very keenly that the world is doomed one day, without being ready for your entire feed to be about variations of the apocalypse. We can, and do, debate ad nauseam how a mature society supports the outer edges of youthful turbulence, from eating disorders to toxic masculinity, yet we allow the main media consumed by that generation to operate, not just without any sense of responsibility or duty, but with a business model that foments every problem for profit. The standards that social media companies set for themselves are curiously duplicitous, as well as being demonstrably insufficient. Last year, the staff of Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal set up a fake Insta account posing as a 13-year-old girl interested in “extreme dieting”; it was immediately directed towards user accounts called “I have to be thin”, “Eternally starved”, “I want to be perfect”: evidence, the senator said, that the algorithm amplified harmful content by design. The platform’s response was that it was a sifting error – the site already had rules against the promotion of extreme dieting, and these accounts slipped through it. But this doesn’t answer the central charge, which was not that their rules weren’t executed well enough, but that they were actively advertising eating disorders to kids who showed an interest. CNN repeated the sting the following week, with the same results. The online safety bill, expected to progress through parliament – although it may not be enacted until 2024 – addresses content that promotes self-harm and suicidal ideation, and would put it in Ofcom’s hands to evaluate what is appropriate for under-18s. It’s a useful waypoint, away from tech giants just regulating themselves, but insufficient both practically and in spirit. There’s no point countries regulating one by one, the response needs to be international: and we should not waste time discussing what kind of suicidal ideation is appropriate for what age group. We need to ask more fundamental questions, starting further up the pipeline, about what the moral responsibilities of mass publishing are. All this takes time, youth is short, parents will be thinking they should control incoming influence themselves, that they don’t have time to wait for international initiatives, bills to progress. You can micromanage your kids’ consumption, be aware of the triggers everywhere – YouTube for toxic masculinity, TikTok for overwhelming climate anxiety, Instagram for eating disorders – try to control it all yourself, and this will work for some. But it also corrodes your relationship with your children to be constantly policing them, destroying their trust and openness. I don’t want to turn into the internet jailer just so that Mark Zuckerberg can enjoy unfettered profit. An air of pre-emptive defeatism hangs over this debate: a sense that it is too late to regulate social media, that the lie has travelled all the way round the world, and there is now no point in the truth getting its pants on. But that is a counsel of despair. We cannot afford despair. But at the same time, the solution is not individual. The answer isn’t for a billion parents to surveil their children’s Instagram and Pinterest feeds. It is to build a consensus, which is as global as the platforms themselves, that some things are more important than profit, and regulate accordingly.

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