Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagTechnocracy

agv-automated-guided-vehicle-in-warehouse-logistic-and-transport-stockpack-adobe-stock
AGV (Automated guided vehicle) in warehouse logistic and transport.
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post
Author
News
Date
September 27, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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U.S. Federal Trade Commission Sues Amazon

The lawsuit convicts Amazon of suppressing competition and stifling innovation from potential rivals
News
September 27, 2023
2
Technology

In a long-awaited lawsuit, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing Amazon for seeking to monopolize the online market, according to Reuters. The lawsuit convicts Amazon of suppressing competition and stifling innovation from potential rivals, arriving after years of complaints. From the Reuters article: he lawsuit, which was joined by 17 state attorneys general, follows a four-year investigation and federal lawsuits filed against Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms’ Facebook. “The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon,” the agency said in a statement. The FTC said that it was asking the court Read More ›

security-camera-on-modern-building-professional-surveillance-cameras-cctv-on-the-wall-in-the-city-security-system-technology-video-equipment-for-safety-system-area-control-outdoor-ai-generated-stockpack-adobe-stock
Security camera on modern building. Professional surveillance cameras. CCTV on the wall in the city. Security system, technology. Video equipment for safety system area control outdoor. AI generated.
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post
Author
News
Date
September 26, 2023
Categorized
Surveillance
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When Video Surveillance Gets It Wrong

An incident in Argentina calls the country's facial recognition tech into serious question
News
September 26, 2023
3
Surveillance

A new in-depth report from Wired recounts the story of an Argentinian man, Guillermo Ibarrola, who was falsely accused of a crime and pinpointed via video surveillance. According to Wired, Ibarrola spent nearly a week in custody before the “mixup” was spotted and authorities realized they had nabbed the wrong Guillermo Ibarrola. It was a data entry mistake. The case is only one of many others in Argentina’s mishaps with video surveillance, and how data mistakes can end up impacting innocent lives significantly. Karen Naundorf writes, When speaking of South America, mass surveillance technology is likely not the first thing that comes to mind. But a study by the data protection organization Access Now shows Argentina is one of the most surveilled Read More ›

lit-up-black-modern-hallway-stockpack-adobe-stock
Lit up black modern hallway
Type
post
Author
Wesley J. Smith
Date
September 7, 2023
Categorized
Technocracy
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The Technocracy Continues to Grow

We live in a time where individual freedom is under material threat from an emerging technocracy
Wesley J. Smith
September 7, 2023
6
Technocracy

Readers may recall two cases from the UK: Alfie Evans and Charlie Gard, infants with catastrophic illnesses whom the courts did not allow to be taken out of their hospitals — as desired by their parents — to receive treatment elsewhere. Now, also in the UK, a conscious and capable 19-year-old patient, referred to in legal documents as “ST,” with an apparent terminal disease has been told by a court that she can’t decide to continue life-extending treatment after the hospital sued to be able to move her to palliative care against her will. From the legal ruling involving the National Health Service Trust (emphasis added): The Trust’s case is that ST is “actively dying”. It became clear during the course of the oral evidence I heard Read More ›

aerial-cityscape-view-of-san-francisco-and-the-bay-bridge-at-night-stockpack-adobe-stock
Aerial cityscape view of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge at Night
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post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
August 27, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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Silicon Valley is All About Use, Not Truth

Of Athens, Jerusalem, and the "third city"
Peter Biles
August 27, 2023
3
Technology

A new article from Wired by Luke Birgis discusses the mentality and culture of Silicon Valley, and puts the technological vision of life up alongside the classic dichotomy between “Athens” and “Jerusalem.” Athens was symbolic of reason, while Jerusalem indicated the spiritual life of the soul. Figuring out a way of connecting (or disconnecting) these two mythic kingdoms has long been the task of philosophers and theologians. Need religion be separated from reason? Are science and faith naturally incompatible? These are worthy questions in their own right. Birgis, however, identifies another burgeoning kingdom that is arguably reducing both Athens and Jerusalem to hypothetical rubble: Silicon Valley. The Valley’s core philosophy is neither reason or beauty, but value, or usefulness. Birgis Read More ›

anonymous-crowd-of-people-walking-street-wearing-masks-during-covid-19-pandemic-in-new-york-city-stockpack-adobe-stock
Anonymous crowd of people walking street wearing masks during Covid 19 pandemic in New York City
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post
Author
News
Date
August 3, 2023
Categorized
Technocracy
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Doom and the Politics of Catastrophe

Setting the catastrophe of the 2020 pandemic in perspective
News
August 3, 2023
1
Technocracy

What happened in 2020? Why was there such confusion, contradicting information about Covid-19, and poor bureaucratic oversight of the pandemic? Setting the catastrophe of 2020 in historical perspective, renowned British historian Niall Ferguson explains why we are getting worse, not better, at handling disasters. The lessons of history that this country — indeed the West as a whole — should be closely heeded if we want to handle the next crisis better and avoid the ultimate doom of irreversible decline. We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This video is just one of many you can find at the Bradley Center’s YouTube page. There you’ll find several lectures, interviews, and panels dealing with issues that range from Read More ›

shanghai-china-stockpack-adobe-stock
Shanghai, China
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post
Author
News
Date
July 31, 2023
Categorized
China, Technology
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Big Tech and China

Evaluating the technological competition between the two superpowers
News
July 31, 2023
1
China, Technology

How should the United States deal with China? Jay Richards interviews Dr. Bob Kelly, Managing Partner of Ignition Partners, on a panel he was included in. The panel explored the technological competition between the U.S. and China, what it means for the future, and presented differing schools of thought on how the United States should approach China moving forward. We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This video is just one of many you can find at the Bradley Center’s YouTube page. There you’ll find several lectures, interviews, and panels dealing with issues that range from economics, Big Tech, and artificial intelligence. Notable speakers include 2022 Kyoto Prize winner Carver Mead, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, and George Gilder, co-founder of Discovery Read More ›

bright-iridescent-thread-floss-for-embroidery-and-needlework-stockpack-adobe-stock
bright iridescent thread floss for embroidery and needlework
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post
Author
News
Date
July 27, 2023
Categorized
Social Media
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Is the “Threads” App a Bust?

The app originally attracted around 100 million users but has tapered off dramatically.
News
July 27, 2023
2
Social Media

Within the first week of its existence, “Threads,” the new Twitter-like app from the tech company Meta, saw a colossal decline in usage. The app originally attracted around 100 million users but has tapered off dramatically. Jody Cerrano reports, Zuckerberg’s statements about returning users coincide with estimates from third-party traffic analysts that reported the big dip in Threads users last week. At that time, Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm, said that Threads’ daily active users on iOS and Android were down by 20%. The company added that traffic was not the only thing affected. Time spent on the app per user also fell, according to Sensor Tower, by 50% — from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. On Monday, the analyst Similarweb reported an Read More ›

european-telecommunication-network-connected-over-europe-france-germany-uk-italy-concept-about-internet-and-global-communication-technology-for-finance-blockchain-or-iot-elements-from-nasa-stockpack-adobe-stock
European telecommunication network connected over Europe, France, Germany, UK, Italy, concept about internet and global communication technology for finance, blockchain or IoT, elements from NASA
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post
Author
News
Date
July 10, 2023
Categorized
Cryptocurrency
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Can Crypto Reverse the Tech Decline?

Listen to a 2019 COSM panel on crypto and the blockchain
News
July 10, 2023
1
Cryptocurrency

For today’s featured COSM video, enjoy this panel from the 2019 conference on cryptocurrencies, the blockchain, and its potential for the tech world. The panel explores the future of cryptocurrency/blockchain technologies, and considers the implications for global money, global security, and internet architecture. We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This video is just one of many you can find at the Bradley Center’s YouTube page. There you’ll find several lectures, interviews, and panels dealing with issues that range from economics, Big Tech, and artificial intelligence. Notable speakers include 2022 Kyoto Prize winner Carver Mead, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, and George Gilder, co-founder of Discovery Institute and author of Life After Capitalism: The Meaning of Wealth, the Future of the Economy, and Read More ›

big-data-analytics-visualization-technology-with-scientist-analyzing-information-structure-on-screen-with-machine-learning-to-extract-strategical-prediction-for-business-finance-internet-of-things-stockpack-adobe-stock
Big data analytics visualization technology with scientist analyzing information structure on screen with machine learning to extract strategical prediction for business, finance, internet of things
Type
podcast
Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
June 29, 2023
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What is the Future of the Internet? 

Robert J. Marks
June 29, 2023
1

In the age of data harvesting and Big Tech monopolies, what will the Internet look like in a decade? In today’s episode, Robert J. Marks speaks with computer engineer Adam Goad about “Web 3.0,” decentralization, cryptocurrency, and the future of the blockchain. Additional Resources

smiling-entrepreneur-businesswoman-talking-on-smartphone-with-colleague-discuss-business-project-financial-report-or-strategy-cheerful-female-sales-manager-communicating-with-client-on-cellphone-stockpack-adobe-stock
Smiling entrepreneur businesswoman talking on smartphone with colleague discuss business project, financial report or strategy. Cheerful female sales manager communicating with client on cellphone
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post
Author
News
Date
June 28, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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The End of Silicon Valley?

What will remote work do to Silicon Valley in the longterm?
News
June 28, 2023
1
Technology

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of hybrid work, and allowed many workers to operate remotely. What does this mean for major tech centers like Silicon Valley and Seattle? And what are the advantages for competitors like Austin and Miami? In this lecture, hear a panel discuss these issues and related concerns at the 2021 COSM conference. We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This video is just one of many you can find at the Bradley Center’s YouTube page. There you’ll find several lectures, interviews, and panels dealing with issues that range from economics, Big Tech, and artificial intelligence. Notable speakers include 2022 Kyoto Prize winner Carver Mead, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, and George Gilder, co-founder of Discovery Read More ›

un-robot-ia-traite-le-courrier-stockpack-adobe-stock
Un robot IA traite le courrier
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post
Author
News
Date
June 27, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Don’t Tell Google Bard Your Secrets

Executives are warning employees of potential privacy leaks
News
June 27, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., advised its employees not to share personal information with the chatbot “Bard,” noting that doing so could lead to privacy leaks, which has reportedly already happened at Samsung. Kevin Hurler reports, Four sources close to the matter told Reuters that the massive tech giant has advised employees not to enter confidential information into chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s own Bard over fears of leaks. Alphabet is reportedly concerned with employees inputting sensitive information into these chatbots since human reviewers may sit on the other end reviewing chat entries. These chatbots may also use previous entries to train themselves, posing another risk of a leak. That risk is warranted, as Samsung confirmed last month that its own internal Read More ›

artificial-intelligence-robot-thinking-about-world-looking-at-the-city-futuristic-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Artificial intelligence, robot thinking about world, looking at the city. Futuristic concept.
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post
Author
Eric Holloway
Date
June 21, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Can AI Create its Own Information?

The simple answer is "no," but why? Eric Holloway explains
Eric Holloway
June 21, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

AI is amazing. It is all the rage these days. Companies everywhere are jumping on the AI bandwagon. No one wants to be left behind when true believers are raptured to the mainframe in the sky. What makes the AI work? The AI works because of information it gained from a human generated dataset. Let’s label the dataset D. We can measure the information in the dataset with Shannon entropy. Represent the information with H(D). When we train an AI with this data, we are applying a mathematical function to the dataset. This function is the training algorithm. Labelling the training algorithm T, then we represent training as T(D). The outcome of training is a new AI model. The model generates new data. We Read More ›

covid-19-coronavirus-and-crisis-concept-us-president-franklins-eyes-and-face-mask-on-100-dollar-money-bill-corona-virus-affects-global-stock-market-stockpack-adobe-stock
COVID-19 coronavirus and crisis concept, US president Franklin`s eyes and face mask on 100 dollar money bill. Corona virus affects global stock market.
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post
Author
Wesley J. Smith
Date
June 20, 2023
Categorized
Technocracy
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Is the Public Health Technocracy Faltering?

Technocrats don’t rely on mandates but eagerly impose policies that render society less free
Wesley J. Smith
June 20, 2023
4
Technocracy

In February, I warned about a treaty being negotiated to empower the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic, which would trigger governments assuming mandatory emergency powers. From, “Transforming WHO into a Public-Health Technocracy“: The WHO director-general would be granted the power to “declare pandemics,” at which point emergency provisions of the treaty to impose public-health policies would go into effect. . . . The WHO would be able to dictate policies if international consensus were not obtained by a vote of the two presidents and four vice presidents of the WHO CA+. . . The International Court of Justice would also be granted decisive power. . . . It would centralize pandemic planning and response into itself. . . Read More ›

COSM-2021-174A3033-Peter-Thiel Large
Peter Thiel on General Artificial Intelligence at COSM 2021
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post
Author
News
Date
June 11, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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Peter Thiel on Big Tech: A Throwback Lecture

Peter Thiel opens up about how artificial intelligence, 5G wireless, and blockchain security are converging in a new era
News
June 11, 2023
1
Technology

We’ve been sharing and promoting several videos from the 2022 COSM conference, but there’s also a wealth of material to be found in the YouTube archives. Today, we’d like to share a lecture from the 2019 conference featuring prominent venture capitalist and technology innovator Peter Thiel. Peter Thiel opens up about how artificial intelligence, 5G wireless, and blockchain security are converging in a new era. In a substantive and wide-ranging discussion with tech guru George Gilder, Thiel outlines how new Internet and monetary systems can remedy the currently torturous relations between the U.S. and China, and how understanding money as time overthrows the prevailing economic and technological models and opens the way to a cornucopian future.

mockup-of-social-media-app-user-interface-in-dark-screen-mode-stockpack-adobe-stock
Mockup of social media app user interface in dark screen mode
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post
Author
News
Date
June 8, 2023
Categorized
Social Media
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The Dark Side of Instagram

An investigative report shows that Instagram algorithm promotes pedophilia networks
News
June 8, 2023
3
Social Media

It’s an unfortunate fact that sex trafficking and pedophilia rings have benefitted from the invention of the internet. Even worse, Meta‘s Instagram is amplifying the problem – not because Meta wants to, of course, but because the algorithm promotes the activity. The Wall Street Journal did an investigative report in partnership with a team from Stanford University on Instagram’s promotion of pedophilia rings, with Jeff Horwitz and Katherine Blunt writing, Pedophiles have long used the internet, but unlike the forums and file-transfer services that cater to people who have interest in illicit content, Instagram doesn’t merely host these activities. Its algorithms promote them. Instagram connects pedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems that excel at linking those Read More ›

vr-virtual-reality-headset-goggles-worn-by-man-3d-illustration-with-colorful-abstract-art-showing-creativity-fun-metaverse-and-more-with-a-white-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
VR virtual reality headset goggles worn by man 3D illustration with colorful abstract art showing creativity, fun, metaverse and more, with a white background.
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post
Author
News
Date
June 7, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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Apple’s Vision Pro Promises “Augmented Reality”

The goal? To seamlessly blend digital and physical space
News
June 7, 2023
3
Technology

We’ve written here several times on Meta‘s struggling metaverse project; Zuckerberg‘s darling endeavor hasn’t gotten the traction he hoped for, with teetering investor involvement and an even more fragile consumer interest. But that didn’t stop Apple from chasing their own augmented reality project. The tech giant recently announced the Vision Pro, a headset that allows users to see apps and messages within their physical space. The product is a major development, and the main goal, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, is to dissolve the boundaries between our physical and digital dimensions. Per a report from ABC News, “Vision Pro is a new kind of computer that augments reality by seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world,” Apple Read More ›

cctv-security-room-stockpack-adobe-stock
CCTV Security Room
Type
post
Author
News
Date
May 25, 2023
Categorized
Surveillance
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New Surveillance Tech in the UK

The debate over security and privacy rights is reaching a new level
News
May 25, 2023
1
Surveillance

The government in the United Kingdom is reportedly working on a new surveillance technology that could monitor the online activity of millions of people. Critics say implementing the tech in practice would be a radical intrusion of privacy. Matt Burgess writes at Wired, Haidar of Privacy International says that creating powers to collect more of people’s data doesn’t result in “more security” for people. “Building the data retention capabilities of companies and a vast range of government agencies doesn’t mean that intelligence operations will be enhanced,” Haidar says. “In fact, we argue that it makes us less secure as this data becomes vulnerable to being misused or abused.” -Matt Burgess, The UK’s Secretive Web Surveillance Program Is Ramping Up | Read More ›

finger-touching-phone-with-social-media-concept-and-dark-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
Finger touching phone with social media concept and dark background
Type
post
Author
News
Date
May 24, 2023
Categorized
Social Media
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Social Media is Hurting Kids. Does Big Tech Care?

Body image issues, low self-esteem, and social comparison are all typical outcomes of excessive social media use among teens and children
News
May 24, 2023
2
Social Media

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a warning in a briefing this week on the negative impact of social media on kids, particularly teenage girls. Murthy called tech companies to provide “safeguards” to protect children who are at a critical stage in brain development. Early exposure to social media, numerous studies show, are correlated with anxiety and depression in young people. Murthy said, “We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis – one that we must urgently address.” Social media could harm youth mental health, U.S. Surgeon General warns | Reuters Problems like body image issues, low self-esteem, and social comparison are all Read More ›

robot-humanoid-use-laptop-and-sit-at-table-for-big-data-analytic-using-ai-thinking-brain-artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-process-for-the-4th-fourth-industrial-revolution-3d-rendering-stockpack-adobe-stock
Robot humanoid use laptop and sit at table for big data analytic using AI thinking brain , artificial intelligence and machine learning process for the 4th fourth industrial revolution . 3D rendering.
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post
Author
News
Date
May 11, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Artificial General Intelligence is the Answer, says OpenAI CEO

The tech optimism talk just got a little vague
News
May 11, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

The tech optimism talk just got a little more bizarre from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Altman is confident that artificial intelligence is going to better our world in countless ways; sometimes, however, he doesn’t specify just how that’s going to happen. Other days it seems like he’s actually on the doomsday train. Which is it? Is AI going to save us and pilot us into a transhumanist eternity or will it enslave us forever and diminish everything that makes us human? Maybe it’s both at this point! Maggie Harrison writes in a new blog at Futurism, It’s true that AGI could, in theory, give humans a helping hand in curing some of our ills. But such an AGI, and AGI Read More ›

tv-news-studio-recording-and-broadcasting-media-in-a-modern-set-design-with-blue-background-for-journalists-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
TV News studio - recording and broadcasting media in a modern set design with blue background for journalists. Generative AI
Type
post
Author
News
Date
May 2, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Media and Tech Companies Continue to Struggle

Vice reportedly is opting for bankruptcy, while Meta's metaverse flounders
News
May 2, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

According to a report from The New York Times, Vice Media Group, the entertainment outlet, is expected to file for bankruptcy. The news arrives amid considerable downsizing in the once leading media giant. Vice has long been known for its outreach to younger audiences and popularizing itself on social media platforms. Buzzfeed also recently announced the closure of its news division. After years of edgy and “irreverant” reporting, it seems the act is over. Other major technology companies are cutting expenses and laying off employees. With Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the woes seem to amount to the failed metaverse project, which was apparently was supposed to be so groundbreaking that it merited a makeover of the company name. With its vague Read More ›