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EPIC Obtains Documents About DC's Use of Automated 'Risk Scores' for Public Benefit Recipients
by Diego.Latella Sept. 23, 2021

Sept. 23, 2021

From the web site of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (and Issue 28-07 of EPIC Alert) EPIC Obtains Documents About DC's Use of Automated 'Risk Scores' for Public Benefit Recipients https://epic.org/2021/08/epic-obtains-documents-about-d-3.html Diego From the web site of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (and Issue 28-07 of EPIC Alert) EPIC Obtains Documents About DC's Use of Automated 'Risk Scores' for Public Benefit Recipients https://epic.org/2021/08/epic-obtains-documents-about-d-3.html Diego -- 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, mob: +39 348 8283101, 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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Fuori i dati! Rompere i monopoli sulle informazioni per rilanciare il progresso | 27 settembre, ore 17:30
by Nexa Media Sept. 22, 2021

Sept. 22, 2021

Gentilissimi, vi segnaliamo che *lunedì **27 settembre**, alle ore 17:30*, si terrà, presso la Sala Consiglio di Facoltà del Politecnico di Torino, la presentazione del libro:/*"Fuori i dati! Rompere i monopoli sulle informazioni per rilanciare il progresso"*/. Ospiti dell'incontro, organizzato da Biennale Tecnologia, e in collaborazione con Egea: l'autore*Viktor Mayer-Schönberger* (Università di Oxford), in dialogo con Alessandro Mantelero (Politecnico di Torino) e Juan Carlos De Martin (Codirettore Centro Nexa). / / La diretta streaming dell'incontro: https://polito-it.zoom.us/j/85639766773 <https://polito-it.zoom.us/j/85639766773> Maggiori informazioni sono disponibili alla pagina: https://nexa.polito.it/fuori-i-dati-rompere-i-monopoli-sulle-informazioni-r… <https://nexa.polito.it/fuori-i-dati-rompere-i-monopoli-sulle-informazioni-r…> 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/ <https://nexa.polito.it/> _mail:_anita.botta@polito.it <mailto:anita.botta@polito.it> tel: 011 090 7219

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controllo del green-pass e privacy
by Enrico Nardelli Sept. 22, 2021

Sept. 22, 2021

A quanto mi risulta le scuole ricevono dal ministero ogni giorno l'elenco dei green pass "verdi" e "rossi" ed usano queste informazione per facilitare lo screening dei docenti che entrano. Per quanto ho capito io, la norma del green pass prevede la sua verifica al momento in cui la persona entra nel luogo soggetto a controllo, mentre farlo indipendentemente dalla sua presenza (p.es., il docente può avere un giorno libero) mi sembra sia una violazione della privacy. Sarei lieto di avere un chiarimento da qualche giurista... Ciao, Enrico -- EN ===================================================================== Prof. Enrico Nardelli Dipartimento di Matematica - Universita' di Roma "Tor Vergata" Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc - 00133 Roma tel: +39 06 7259.4204 fax: +39 06 7259.4699 mobile: +39 335 590.2331 e-mail: nardelli(a)mat.uniroma2.it home page: http://www.mat.uniroma2.it/~nardelli blog: http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/blog/enardelli/ http://link-and-think.blogspot.it/ ===================================================================== --

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An appeal for an objective, open, and transparent scientific debate about the origin of SARS-CoV-2
by 380° Sept. 21, 2021

Sept. 21, 2021

Buongiorno, so che è un palese off-topic per questa lista, anche se /vagamente/ tratta di fake-news e disinformazione diffusa anche per mezzo del web. Ovviamente tratta sì di tecnologia, la tecnologia delle ricerche di laboratorio sugli agenti patogeni, editing genetico incluso. Secondo voi che SARS-CoV-2 sia zoonotico o no fa davvero la differenza, sapendo quello che (non) sappiamo dei centri di ricerca che trattano questi agenti patogeni? «An appeal for an objective, open, and transparent scientific debate about the origin of SARS-CoV-2» Published:September 17, 2021 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02019-5 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02019-5/… --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- [...] There is so far no scientifically validated evidence that directly supports a natural origin. [...] The fact that the causative agent of COVID-19 descends from a natural virus is widely accepted, but this does not explain how it came to infect humans. [...] supports the natural origin hypothesis, but suffers from a logical fallacy: it opposes two hypotheses—laboratory engineering versus zoonosis—wrongly implying that there are no other possible scenarios. [...] the absence of traces of reverse-engineering systems does not preclude genome editing, which is performed with so-called seamless techniques. Finally, the absence of a previously known backbone is not a proof, since researchers can work for several years on viruses before publishing their full genome (this was the case for RaTG13, the closest known virus, which was collected in 2013 and published in 2020). [...] documented cases of laboratory escapes of SARS-CoV [...] Although considerable evidence supports the natural origins of other outbreaks (eg, Nipah, MERS, and the 2002–04 SARS outbreak) direct evidence for a natural origin for SARS-CoV-2 is missing. After 19 months of investigations, the proximal progenitor of SARS-CoV-2 is still lacking. Neither the host pathway from bats to humans, nor the geographical route from Yunnan (where the viruses most closely related to SARS-CoV-2 have been sampled) to Wuhan (where the pandemic emerged) have been identified. [...] the international research community has no access to the sites, samples, or raw data. [...] A research-related origin is plausible. Two questions need to be addressed: virus evolution and introduction into the human population. [...] Some unusual features of the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence suggest that they may have resulted from genetic engineering, an approach widely used in some virology labs. Alternatively, adaptation to humans might result from undirected laboratory selection during serial passage in cell cultures or laboratory animals, including humanised mice. Mice genetically modified to display the human receptor for entry of SARS-CoV-2 (ACE2) were used in research projects funded before the pandemic, to test the infectivity of different virus strains. Laboratory research also includes more targeted approaches such as gain-of-function experiments relying on chimeric viruses to test their potential to cross species barriers. A research-related contamination could result from contact with a natural virus during field collection, transportation from the field to a laboratory, characterisation of bats and bat viruses in a laboratory, or from a non-natural virus modified in a laboratory. There are well-documented cases of pathogen escapes from laboratories. Field collection, field survey, and in-laboratory research on potential pandemic pathogens require high-safety protections and a strong and transparent safety culture. However, experiments on SARS-related coronaviruses are routinely performed at biosafety level 2, which complies with the recommendations for viruses infecting non-human animals, but is inappropriate for experiments that might produce human-adapted viruses by effects of selection or oriented mutations. [...] Beyond this issue, it is important to continue debating about the risk–benefit balance of current practices of field and laboratory research, including gain-of-function experiments, as well as the human activities contributing to zoonotic events. [...] --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- «This time you've gone too far, I told you, I told you, I told you, I told you» [Digging In The Dirt by Peter Gabriel, 1992] -- 380° (Giovanni Biscuolo public alter ego) «Noi, incompetenti come siamo, non abbiamo alcun titolo per suggerire alcunché» Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice but very few check the facts. Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.

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Urgent action needed over artificial intelligence risks to human rights
by don Luca Peyron Sept. 21, 2021

Sept. 21, 2021

States should place moratoriums on the sale and use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems until adequate safeguards are put in place, UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet said. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1099972 _________________________ don Luca Peyron Direttore Ufficio per la Pastorale Universitaria Arcidiocesi di Torino www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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Eutanasia e cannabis, successo online. Le nuove libertà e le parole diverse
by don Luca Peyron Sept. 20, 2021

Sept. 20, 2021

Buona lettura per chi lo desidera, per quello che interessa nello specifico questa lista mi piace sottolineare due passaggi * perché nel flusso mediatico prevalente pare di non udire alcuna voce dissenziente, come fosse venuta meno la stessa voglia di alimentare un confronto vero?* *Ma proprio dentro lo scarsissimo appeal delle 'ragioni difficili' sta la domanda sulle nostre omissioni educative, che hanno spianato la strada alla spensierata adesione dei più giovani a campagne di morte a colpi di tap sullo schermo dello smartphone, come fosse shopping online.* Al di là delle posizioni sui temi specifici, mi pare che la mancanza di confronto ed il raffronto con lo shopping on line possano darci da pensare. dl https://www.avvenire.it/opinioni/pagine/le-nuove-libert-e-le-parole-diverse _________________________ don Luca Peyron Direttore Ufficio per la Pastorale Universitaria Arcidiocesi di Torino www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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Memento | 91° Nexa Lunch Seminar | 22 Settembre 2021
by Nexa Media Sept. 20, 2021

Sept. 20, 2021

Gentilissimi, vi ricordiamo che *mercoledì **22 settembre**, dalle ore 13.00 alle ore 14.00*, si svolgerà il 91° Nexa Lunch Seminar, con un incontro dal titolo: /*"La visualizzazione delle informazioni tra retorica della trasparenza e traduzione consapevole"*/. Ospite: *Valentina Manchia* (Politecnico di Milano). Sarà possibile partecipare al seminario connettendosi al seguente indirizzo: https://didattica.polito.it/VClass/NexaEvent <https://didattica.polito.it/VClass/NexaEvent> Maggiori informazioni sull'incontro sono disponibili alla pagina: https://nexa.polito.it/lunch-91 <https://nexa.polito.it/lunch-91> 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/ <https://nexa.polito.it/> _mail:_anita.botta@polito.it <mailto:anita.botta@polito.it> tel: 011 090 7219

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The Scientist and the A.I.-Assisted, Remote-Control Killing Machine - Ronen Bergman and Farnaz Fassihi - The NYT notsp
by Diego.Latella Sept. 18, 2021

Sept. 18, 2021

I thought you might be interested in this: Ronen Bergman and Farnaz Fassihi _The Scientist and the A.I.-Assisted, Remote-Control Killing Machine_ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/18/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-fakhrizade… The New York Times - Sep. 18 Diego -- 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, mob: +39 348 8283101, fax: +390506212040 =================== The quest for a war-free world has a basic purpose: survival. But if in the process we learn how to achieve it by love rather than by fear, by kindness rather than compulsion; if in the process we learn how to combine the essential with the enjoyable, the expedient with the benevolent, the practical with the beautiful, this will be an extra incentive to embark on this great task. Above all, remember your humanity. -- Sir Joseph Rotblat Links: ------ [1] http://www.isti.cnr.it

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Apple Threatened to Boot Facebook From the App Store: WSJ
by Alberto Cammozzo Sept. 18, 2021

Sept. 18, 2021

<https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-threatened-to-kick-facebook-off-app-s…> Apple threatened to kick Facebook off its App Store after a 2019 BBC report <https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50228549> detailed how human traffickers were using Facebook to sell victims, according to The Wall Street Journal <https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?platform=browser&postSource=bi%…>. The paper viewed company documents that show a Facebook investigation team was tracking down a human trafficking market in the Middle East whose organizers were using Facebook's services. What appeared to be employment agencies were advertising domestic workers that they could supply against their will, per the Journal. The BBC published a sweeping undercover investigation of the practice, prompting Apple to threaten to remove Facebook from its store, the paper said. An internal memo found that Facebook was aware of the practice even before then: A Facebook researcher wrote in a report dated 2019, "was this issue known to Facebook before BBC inquiry and Apple escalation?," per the Journal. Underneath the question reads, "Yes. Throughout 2018 and H1 2019 we conducted the global Understanding Exercise in order to fully understand how domestic servitude manifests no our platform across its entire life cycle: recruitment, facilitation, and exploitation." Apple and Facebook did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday also reported how Facebook's AI content moderators cannot detect most languages <https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-content-moderation-ai-cant-speak-a…> used on the platform, a needed skill if the company is going to monitor content in foreign markets where it has expanded. The paper found that human moderators don't know how to speak the languages used in those markets, leaving a blind spot in the company's efforts to crack down on harmful content. One result was drug cartels and human traffickers using the platform to conduct their business, per The Journal.

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Instagram è pericoloso per la salute mentale delle ragazze. E Facebook lo sa
by don Luca Peyron Sept. 16, 2021

Sept. 16, 2021

Una ricerca interna della società di Menlo Park, rivelata dal Wsj, mostra che la società di Zuckerberg è consapevole che il social delle foto può portare a disturbi alimentari e depressione. Buona lettura dl https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/instagram-e-pericoloso-la-salute-mentale-ra… _________________________ don Luca Peyron Direttore Ufficio per la Pastorale Universitaria Arcidiocesi di Torino www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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