If it’s old but still works it’s not obsolete, it’s a classic.

https://gizmodo.com/hackers-have-been-sending-malware-filled-usb-sticks-to-1848323578

Hackers Have Been Sending Malware-Filled USB Sticks to U.S. Companies Disguised as Presents

The "malicious USB stick" trick is old but apparently it's still wildly popular with the crooks.

On Thursday, the FBI warned that a hacker group has been using the US mail to send malware-laden USB drives to companies in the defense, transportation and insurance industries. The criminals’ hope is that employees will be gullible enough to stick them into their computers, thus creating the opportunity for ransomware attacks or the deployment of other malicious software, The Record reports.

Warrant is another word for workaround?

https://www.cpomagazine.com/data-privacy/foia-request-reveals-exactly-what-law-enforcement-agencies-can-get-from-secure-messaging-apps/

FOIA Request Reveals Exactly What Law Enforcement Agencies Can Get From Secure Messaging Apps

An FBI training chart that was included in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has made clear exactly how much access American law enforcement agencies have to secure messaging apps. The chart explains what can be had from nine of the biggest messaging services, including iMessage, Signal and Telegram.

In general, law enforcement does not have access to end-to-end encrypted (E22E) messages sent via these services. However, they do have a workaround: messages that are backed up to cloud storage services may have an encryption key attached and may be fair game for agents with a warrant.

Consider using facial recognition to look at everyone ‘accidentally’ captured by google street view cameras.

https://thenextweb.com/news/italian-police-say-google-maps-helped-them-catch-a-mafia-member

Cops claim Google Maps led them to a mafia member, but there’s more to it than that

… The mafioso had been on the run for 20 years when he got a surprise visit from the police.

“How did you manage to find me? I haven’t even called my family for 10 years,” Gammino reportedly told the cops.

According to an anti-mafia investigator, they found him on Google Maps.

… His life on the lam led him to Galapager, a Spanish town near Madrid, where he lived under the assumed name of Manuel Mormino.

Gammino later opened a store bearing his alias: El Huerto de Manu (The Garden of Manu).

The greengrocer’s has a stellar 4.7-star rating on Google.

You can visit it for yourself — but only on Google Maps, The physical store is now labeled “permanently closed.”

While chatting outside the premises one day, Gammino was photographed by a Google Street View vehicle. Years later, Sicilian police said they spotted him on the service.

Is there no value in a google listing?

https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/07/india-hits-google-with-antitrust-investigation-over-alleged-abuse-in-news-aggregation/

India hits Google with antitrust investigation over alleged abuse in news aggregation

… The Competition Commission of India said Friday that Google dominates certain online services and its initial view is that Google has broken the local antitrust laws and pointed to new rules in France and Australia, where the firm has been asked to enter into “fair/good faith negotiation” with news publishers for paid licensing of content to address the “bargaining power imbalance between the two and the resultant imposition of unfair conditions by Google.”

“The allegations of the informant, when seen in this vertically integrated ecosystem operated by Google, makes it prima facie appear that news publishers have no choice but to accept the terms and conditions imposed by Google. Google appears to operate as a gateway between various news publishers on the one hand and news readers on the other. Another alternative for the news publisher is to forgo the traffic generated by Google for them, which would be unfavourable to their revenue generation,” the CCI said in its 21-page order.

Copyright trumps privacy? How bad do they want this guy?

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20211231/17201448207/court-orders-twitter-reveal-anonymous-tweeter-over-sketchy-copyright-claim-because-that-tweeter-wont-show-up-court.shtml

Court Orders Twitter Reveal Anonymous Tweeter Over Sketchy Copyright Claim, Because That Tweeter Won't Show Up In Court

Back in November we wrote about a very bizarre attempt to abuse copyright law to uncover who was behind a Twitter account, @CallMeMoneyBags. That account tweeted out various things mocking and shaming various extremely wealthy people, including billionaire Brian Sheth, a private equity bro. Some of the tweets in the fall of 2020 lightly mocked Sheth, including suggesting potential infidelity. The images themselves appeared to be social media-type photos of young women (or possibly just one young woman).

Sometime later, an organization called "Bayside Advisory LLC" showed up, claiming to hold the copyright on those images, and demanding Twitter take down the images -- which the company did. However, Bayside also tried to use the more controversial DMCA 512(h) subpoena process to try to uncover who was behind the MoneyBags account.

Perspective. AI proposes, people dispose?

https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/07/with-more-data-available-than-ever-are-companies-making-smarter-decisions/

With more data available than ever, are companies making smarter decisions?

… Baseball is one of the best examples of how data can impact a business. The book and movie “Moneyball” showed how Oakland Athletics’ GM Billy Beane changed the sport by introducing advanced statistical analysis instead of simply relying on reports from human scouts. Today, baseball is ruled by analysts as much as experienced baseball professionals — but could there be too much data?

Alex Spier writing in the Boston Globe’s Sunday Baseball Notes column recently pointed out that Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora will have 11 coaches on staff this year for 26 players. Compare that with Terry Francona in 2011, who had six for 25, and you can see the number has nearly doubled.

Spier attributes this in part to the growing amount of data that teams are collecting, which requires more people to observe, interpret, and implement a plan to leverage. As Spier wrote, “The result? Several teams now feature three hitting coaches, and staffs keep growing in an effort to distill the mountains of information into a digestible form for the 26 players on a roster.”

Baseball is like a laboratory for advanced statistical analysis, and businesses could learn a lot from watching how the sport deals with expanding datasets.

To a politician, politics is real. The world around us (reality) is not.

https://www.wired.com/story/will-hurd-tech-regulation-american-reboot/

The Future of Tech Is Here. Congress Isn't Ready for It

In a conversation with WIRED, former representative Will Hurd talked AI, the metaverse, China, and how ill-prepared legislators are to grapple with any of it.

“THERE ARE STILL many senators that don’t even use email—if you don’t even use email how are you going to understand some of these other tools? We need folks that are running for office that understand these things."

Perhaps I am too familiar with AI to consider it god-like...

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2303858-beth-singler-interview-the-dangers-of-treating-ai-like-a-god/

Beth Singler interview: The dangers of treating AI like a god

Artificial intelligence’s lack of transparency is leading many to fear the technology and others to elevate it to a mysterious god-like figure, but we should be more critical of those making decisions about how AI is used, says anthropologist Beth Singler

How to become a scammer…

https://threatpost.com/google-voice-authentication-scam/177421/

Google Voice Authentication Scam Leaves Victims on the Hook

The FBI is seeing so much activity around malicious Google Voice activity, where victims are associated with fraudulent virtual phone numbers, that it sent out an alert this week.

Fluffy is missing.

You post your lost pet’s photo online, hoping that some good Samaritan will find Fluffy, listing your phone number and crossing your fingers.

You get a text or email from somebody who thinks they’ve found Fluffy – or, say, somebody who wants to buy that scruffy old couch you posted for sale on Craigslist.

The purported lost-pet-finder/old-couch-aficionado tells you they don’t want to get scammed, though. They’ve heard about fake online listings and want to verify that you’re a real person and not a bot, or they might say that they want to verify that you’re the pet’s true owner.

So they tell you they will send you a Google authentication code in the form of a voice call or a text message, and then ask you to repeat the number back to them to prove you’re real.

In reality, they’re setting up a Google Voice account in your name, using your phone number, and the “authentication” code is actually the two-step verification code needed to complete the set-up process.

There are a growing number of scammers are rolling out this Google Voice scam — to the point where the FBI was moved to issue a warning about them this week.

Helping to define the minimum acceptable level of computer security? Do this if you want us to assume any of the risk.

https://www.databreaches.net/why-canadian-cyber-insurance-companies-are-requiring-businesses-to-use-multi-factor-authentication/

Why Canadian cyber insurance companies are requiring businesses to use multi-factor authentication

Alyssa DiSabatino reports:

Canadian cyber insurance companies are now requiring businesses to offer multi-factor authentication (MFA) and have cybercrime/data breach response plans in place before qualifying for coverage.

Prudent, since cybercrimes and ransomware attacks are on the rise – Canadians have lost $4.9 billion to ransomware attacks in the last year.

Read more at Canadian Underwriter.

Could the US dictate an “opt-out button” on every website?

https://thehackernews.com/2022/01/france-fines-google-facebook-210.html

France Fines Google, Facebook €210 Million Over Privacy Violating Tracking Cookies

The Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL), France's data protection watchdog, has slapped Facebook (now Meta Platforms) and Google with fines of €150 million ($170 million) and €60 million ($68 million) for violating E.U. privacy rules by failing to provide users with an easy option to reject cookie tracking technology.

"The websites facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com offer a button allowing the user to immediately accept cookies," the authority said. "However, they do not provide an equivalent solution (button or other) enabling the Internet user to easily refuse the deposit of these cookies."

More than GDPR?

https://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/2022/01/06/indias-draft-data-protection-bill-moves-closer-to-passage/

India’s Draft Data Protection Bill Moves Closer to Passage

Stephen Mathias from Kochhar & Co. reports that on December 16, 2021, the Indian Joint Parliamentary Committee (the “JPC”) submitted its report on India’s draft Data Protection Bill (the “Bill”). The Bill is now likely to be passed by Parliament in its next session, beginning in February 2022, and likely will enter into force in the first half of 2022.

… One key change relates to notification to the DPA within 72 hours of discovery of a data breach, which the Bill makes mandatory for every breach affecting Indian data subjects. Following notification, the DPA would decide whether data subjects would need to be notified of the data breach.

… Additionally, data localization requirements remain unchanged in the Bill. “Critical data” must be processed locally in India. “Sensitive personal data” (including biometric information, government identifiers and financial information) may be transferred out of India, but a copy of the data must be stored in India.

… Overall, the Bill goes beyond the GDPR in certain respects and will present new compliance considerations for many businesses subject to the law.

Another angle of the ‘public’ information argument?

https://www.pogowasright.org/background-reports-protected-by-section-230-dennis-v-mylife/

Background Reports Protected by Section 230–Dennis v. MyLife

Eric Goldman writes:

Plaintiffs sued MyLife for selling background reports about them and furnishing “public reputation scores.” MyLife aggregates its data from third-party sources, but the plaintiffs “seek to hold Defendant liable for packaging and re-publishing this information on its website without their permission.”

Article III Standing. The plaintiffs have standing because “both Plaintiffs have pleaded a concrete harm under a disclosure theory, as they allege that MyLife disseminated private and/or inaccurate information about them to third parties through their website.”

Section 230. The case fails due to Section 230.

Read Goldman’s explanation as to why at Technology & Marketing Law Blog.

Case citation: Dennis v. MyLife.com, Inc., 2021 WL 6049830 (D.N.J. Dec. 20, 2021)

Not exactly ‘we can, therefore we must’ but more like ‘no doubt everyone will want to implement this option so lets make that assumption for them.’

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/01/norton-360-now-comes-with-a-cryptominer/

Norton 360 Now Comes With a Cryptominer

Norton 360, one of the most popular antivirus products on the market today, has installed a cryptocurrency mining program on its customers’ computers. Norton’s parent firm says the cloud-based service that activates the program and allows customers to profit from the scheme — in which the company keeps 15 percent of any currencies mined — is “opt-in,” meaning users have to agree to enable it. But many Norton users complain the mining program is difficult to remove, and reactions from longtime customers have ranged from unease and disbelief to, “Dude, where’s my crypto?”

For me and my students…

https://www.bespacific.com/how-to-get-free-microsoft-office-for-students/

How to Get Free Microsoft Office for Students

Make Use Of: “Microsoft Office is the most widely used suite of office tools. It includes a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation program, and several other tools. The company also sells different plans designed for non-profit, business, or personal usage. If you are a school administrator, teacher, or student, you might be eligible for a free Microsoft 365 subscription. The Microsoft Office student package is great for students on a budget, especially those who don’t want to or can’t pay the full price for the Office Suite…”

Tools & Techniques.

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-find-anyone-on-the-internet-for-free-1848312948

How to Find Anyone on the Internet for Free

We live in the most connected time in history. We can collaborate with people who live thousands of miles away, virtually visit places without leaving the comfort of our homes, and we can—with varying results—express our every thought to the entire world.

And yet, in some ways, we’re more isolated than ever. It’s become increasingly difficult to find people, simply due to the sheer size of our modern networks. It’s one thing to find someone still living in your neighborhood, but the task can be pretty daunting the wider you have to look.

But sometimes you need to find someone, and the good news is that most of us have a digital presence. Whether it’s idle curiosity about how an old friend is doing, or a customer or business associate whose details you’ve lost, we all sometimes need to find someone, and just popping a name into a search engine won’t always work.

Tools and Techniques.

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/freemypdf-unlock-restricted-pd/

How to Use FreeMyPDF to Unlock Restricted PDF Files

FreeMyPDF makes accessing a restricted PDF document simple. With this web app, you'll never find yourself locked out of a PDF again.

Sounds like a serious threat. Are they trying to establish a precedent? Is it enforceable? Is it legal?

https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/05/ftc_log4j_fix/

You better have patched those Log4j holes or we'll see what a judge has to say – FTC

Apply fixes responsibly in a timely manner or face the wrath of Lina Khan

The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday warned companies that vulnerable Log4j software needs to be patched … or else.

In case any system administrators last month somehow missed the widespread alarm over vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-44228, CVE-2021-45046, CVE-2021-44832 ) in the Java logging package, the trade watchdog said Log4j continues to be exploited by a growing number of attackers and urged organizations to act now before it's too late.

The FTC is advising companies to consult the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) guidance on dealing with the Log4j flaws. If companies fail to fix their code and lose customer data, the FTC says it may just see what a judge thinks about that.

"The duty to take reasonable steps to mitigate known software vulnerabilities implicates laws including, among others, the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act," the commission said. "It is critical that companies and their vendors relying on Log4j act now, in order to reduce the likelihood of harm to consumers, and to avoid FTC legal action."

Think of my digital avatar which I can copy and hire out to multiple digital bosses…

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3646234/the-rise-of-ai-based-managers-they-now-play-a-big-role-in-hiring-training-and-firing.html

The rise of digital bosses: They can hire you — and fire you

Automated software programs that help hire employees and monitor their work are becoming more popular as companies grapple with how to manage a disparate, remote workforce.

… A recent report from research firm IDC predicts that by 2024, 80% of Global 2000 companies will use AI/ML-enabled "Digital Managers" to hire, fire, and train workers in jobs measured by continuous improvement — but only one in five companies will get any real value from the move without human engagement.

Technology tends to go from expensive, one-off to cheap, generic.

https://www.ft.com/content/aef5901e-4b9c-4561-a559-a6b7197bafe1

Low-cost warfare: US military battles with ‘Costco drones’

… Frank McKenzie, the four-star Marine Corps general who commands US troops in the Middle East, says that despite a big push the US still remains under equipped for the drone threat, which first emerged as a serious concern in 2016.

“Right now, generally, the advantage lies with the attackers,” McKenzie told the Financial Times in an interview in December, saying cheap, small drones were easy to modify into lethal weapons and hard to distinguish from other airborne objects.

Why not a cheerful study for a change?

https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/cybercriminals-can-breach-93-of-company-networks-and-trigger-unacceptable-events-in-under-a-month-study-finds/

Cybercriminals Can Breach 93% Of Company Networks and Trigger Unacceptable Events in Under a Month, Study Finds

A new study by Positive Technologies found that cybercriminals could breach 93% of company networks and trigger 71% of unacceptable events within a month.

The tractor as Terminator? Worth reading carefully.

https://www.wired.com/story/john-deere-self-driving-tractor-stirs-debate-ai-farming/

John Deere's Self-Driving Tractor Stirs Debate on AI in Farming

The automation, and control of the resulting data, raise questions about the role of human farmers.

DEERE & CO. helped mechanize agriculture in 1837 with the first commercially successful steel plow. On Tuesday, the company unveiled a machine that could prove just as transformative: a fully autonomous tractor.

John Deere’s new 8R tractor uses six pairs of stereo cameras and advanced artificial intelligence to perceive its environment and navigate. It can find its way to a field on its own when given a route and coordinates, then plow the soil or sow seeds without instructions, avoiding obstacles as it goes. A farmer can give the machine new orders using a smartphone app.

… “It's a monumental shift,” says Jahmy Hindman, Deere’s chief technology officer, of the new machine, revealed at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “I think it's every bit as big as the transition from horse to tractor.”

… Hindman says the system will gather data about the soil as it toils away. That information will be used to tweak its algorithms, helping to improve performance and provide farmers with new insights on how to best work their land.

That troubles some farmer advocates and students of agriculture. Christopher Kitts, a professor who runs a field robotics program at Santa Clara University and studies agricultural automation, says the data collected by autonomous tractors could be so useful to farmers that Deere could charge extra to access it. It might also make it harder for rivals to compete.

… Ultimately, Kenney says, Deere may not even need farmers, dispatching autonomous tractors to manage large-scale “robotic farms.”

… But Hindman agrees that the farmer is no longer inextricably tied to his equipment. “We've now figured out how to decouple the labor from the machine,” he says. Unlike in the days of the plow, the farmer is not even strictly necessary.

What regulation is useful, what regulation is impossible…

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162099/china-rolls-out-new-regulation-rein-algorithms-used-apps-beijing

China rolls out new regulation to rein in algorithms used on apps as Beijing continues to clip wings of Big Tech firms

China is rolling out a new regulation to rein in algorithms used on apps to recommend what consumers would like to read, watch, play and buy online, marking Beijing’s latest effort to bring the country’s Big Tech sector firmly in line with state policies.

The regulation, which was published on Tuesday, will take effect on March 1. It was jointly drawn up by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

App operators who extensively use algorithm recommendation in their platforms – including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, social media and video gaming market leader Tencent Holdings, TikTok owner ByteDance and on-demand delivery services provider Meituan – are directed by the new regulation to “promote positive energy” and allow consumers to decline personalised recommendations generated by their services. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Interesting but unlikely?

https://bdtechtalks.com/2022/01/04/individual-artificial-intelligence/

Individual artificial intelligence: A new technology that will change our world

“Our consciousness is everything. You become what you think about.” Buddha

In the few minutes that you are reading this article, I will tell you about a completely new type of artificial intelligence, I will name the design features and advantages, I will outline the immediate prospects and possible long-term consequences of the introduction of this technology into real life. Together we will touch the future.

I feel lazy, I’ve only read one of these.

https://www.businessinsider.com/5-books-mit-says-you-have-to-read-from-2021-2021-12

5 books published in 2021 that MIT says you must read if you want to understand the world better

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) has compiled a small list of the top books published in 2021.

The institute recommends these books for anyone who wants a better understanding of how the world has changed in the last two years, and what the future may look like.

It includes essays on investment, remote working, artificial intelligence, and vaccines — the authors are mostly university professors, researchers, and economists.

For the serious music nerd? Music in the public domain.

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2022/01/the-national-jukebox-16000-early-music.html

The National Jukebox - 16,000+ Early Music Recordings

The Library of Congress offers many interesting collections of digital archives including one called the National Jukebox. I first wrote about it more than a decade ago. Since then the size of the collection has expanded because more recordings have entered the public domain and because the Library of Congress has digitized more recordings. The collection now offers more than 16,000 recordings made between the years of 1900 and 1925. Nearly all of the recordings were originally done on wax cylinders through the acoustical recording process.

The recordings in the National Jukebox can be searched and listened to on your computer. You can search the archives by recording date, recording type, language, and target audience. The National Jukebox has also arranged playlists that you can listen to in a continuous stream. You can also embed the recordings player into your blog or website as I have done below. Watch this short video to see the National Jukebox in action.

Remembering every transaction we make.

https://www.cpomagazine.com/data-privacy/proposed-digital-rupee-cbdc-from-indias-central-bank-raises-privacy-concerns/

Proposed “Digital Rupee” CBDC From India’s Central Bank Raises Privacy Concerns

A proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) from India’s central bank, which could get a test run in 2022, has some concerned about the implications for privacy as national governments begin making concrete moves into the digital currency space.

The “digital rupee” pilot could launch as early as April, but many important details have yet to be put into place. It remains unclear what the government’s plans are for centralizing the technology and using intermediaries, and there is currently no privacy law governing the proposal.

… China’s CBDC project, the first serious effort backed by a central bank and with a planned launch in early 2022, has come under fire from privacy advocates for its proposed concept of “controllable anonymity.” User identity can be made anonymous to the retailers and service providers that payments are exchanged with, but not to the government. The government touted its plans to monitor the currency in real time to police criminal activity. [And all other activity… Bob]

Another ‘We can, therefore we must?” Do we really need cameras that do all these things?

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/nextbase-iq-dash-cam-ai-cloud-adas/

Nextbase iQ is an AI-powered, cloud-connected smart dash cam

More than just a dash cam, the iQ series uses its always-on data connection and onboard artificial intelligence to boost safety and security.

… The new iQ models boost safety and security with the addition of 4G LTE connectivity, but can also help prevent accidents in the first place, thanks to an evolving suite of AI-powered, advanced driver-assistance technologies.

… There are two cameras integrated into the unit's housing, one pointed forward that captures in 1080p, 1440p or 4K resolution and another monitoring the cabin in either 1080p or 1440p. There is also an optional third wired remote camera that points out the rear window, capturing at 1440p.

The compact iQ is designed to be discrete and low-distraction, so it doesn't feature a screen. Instead, users will interact with the device using voice commands that allow them to capture clips or activate the new Witness Mode, which notifies your chosen emergency contacts and activates a real-time stream of video to the cloud during "vulnerable road situations" like road rage or police stops.

Witness Mode is powered by the iQ's built-in 4G LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity. This always-on data connection also powers what I reckon is the iQ's most important new feature, Emergency SOS Response. If an impact is detected and the driver is incapacitated or unresponsive, the smart dash cam can send precise location and heading information directly to emergency responders, along with optional medical information like blood type.

4G also enables the Valet mode, if the vehicle exceeds a certain speed or leaves its location boundaries, and the Live View mode that lets users check in on a live video stream from their car while it's parked, via the new Nextbase iQ app, and even broadcast their voice to the car using the iQ's built-in speaker. Users can also receive alerts when their parked vehicle is bumped or if the onboard AI detects would-be intruders looking into or loitering around their car.

How the Privacy Foundation was funded…

https://www.insideprivacy.com/united-states/litigation/ninth-circuit-affirms-approval-of-injunctive-relief-and-cy-pres-settlement-of-google-street-view-privacy-claims/

Ninth Circuit Affirms Approval of Injunctive Relief and Cy Pres Settlement of Google Street View Privacy Claims

Last week, in a decision that confirms the viability of cy pres settlements in privacy class action cases, the Ninth Circuit affirmed approval of a class action injunctive relief and cy pres-only settlement in In re Google Inc. Street View Electronic Communications Litigation, No. 20-15616, 2021 WL 6111383. The case featured Wiretap Act claims based on Google Street View vehicles’ collection of “payload data,” including emails, passwords, and documents that Internet users transmitted over unencrypted Wi-Fi networks.

Interesting.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-worst-case-scenarios

AI’s 6 Worst-Case Scenarios

Who needs Terminators when you have precision clickbait and ultra-deepfakes?

… as Malcolm Murdock, machine-learning engineer and author of the 2019 novel The Quantum Price, puts it, “AI doesn’t have to be sentient to kill us all. There are plenty of other scenarios that will wipe us out before sentient AI becomes a problem.”

Are we wrong to ask AI to explain its decisions?

https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/opinion/article-691456

Are we outsourcing our brains? - opinion

… There are countless more examples where learning models have proven to impact real-world systems in a very positive way. But are there some “side effects” that should concern us? Two possible risks are highlighted below.

The first is that, for the most part, learning models are not designed and built to provide an exact, easy to comprehend “formula” to explain the results they reach. No wonder scientists often refer to the inner “works” of such models as “neural networks.” Just as we are unable to understand exactly how a human brain, containing over one hundred billion neurons, reaches a certain conclusion, or why two people presented with identical data may reach different conclusions, we cannot really figure out a learning models’ outcomes. They resemble a “black box” guaranteeing, with a certain level of confidence, that if one feeds it with data that is like those it was trained on, the outcomes will continue to serve us well time after time.

… Second, as more and more professions are served by learning models, we may see professionals working in these areas give up trying to apply their own brain to the challenges ahead of them, as they succumb to the temptation to “outsource” this effort to virtual machines that do a fantastic job time and again. Rather than carefully reading each new case and trying to understand the human aspects involved, a judge may delegate this work to the model that will do it for him. A family doctor who used to talk to her patients, look at them while attempting to translate what their words and body language are telling her, may now prefer to let a model do the diagnosis in no time and with a much smaller probability of making a mistake.

Perspective.

https://insidebigdata.com/2022/01/03/2022-trends-in-intelligent-bots-knowledge-worker-empowerment/

2022 Trends in Intelligent Bots: Knowledge Worker Empowerment

… “Over the next one to two years we’ll see tens of thousands more knowledge workers deploy digital assistants to reduce complexity, achieve error-free work, help their customers by drastically reducing their ‘on-hold’ times and, most importantly, eliminate the frustration that arises from performing repetitive, manual tasks,” presaged Automation Anywhere CTO Prince Kohli.

Perspective.

https://insights.dice.com/2022/01/04/what-tech-jobs-demand-a-i-and-machine-learning-skills-in-2022/

What Tech Jobs Demand A.I. and Machine Learning Skills in 2022?

… According to Emsi Burning Glass, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, the number of job postings requesting A.I. skills will increase 297 percent over the next two years. Over the past 12 months, some 142,346 job postings asked for A.I. skills; the median salary for jobs with a heavy A.I. component stands at $103,168.

But which tech jobs will see the strongest demand for A.I. skills? Based on job-posting data, it seems like data scientists, computer scientists/researchers, and data architects will see the most A.I.-related requests from employers. Check out the chart:

What does it mean when AI is mentioned in Vogue?

https://www.vogue.com/article/lior-cole-model-ai-technology-robo-rabbi

Lior Cole Is the Model Combining Artificial Intelligence With Religion