Tech

Facebook bans researchers who slammed it for spreading misinformation

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2021

Facebook has banned the accounts of New York University researchers who criticised the tech giant

Facebook says it banned the researchers because of the threat they posed over privacy protection. However, the researchers have slammed the social media platform over this move.

Researcher Laura Edelson says the move is an attempt to silence them and other researchers who use the tool they developed to analyse the spread of misinformation.

“The work our team does to make data about disinformation on Facebook transparent is vital to a healthy internet and a healthy democracy,” she said.

This evening, Facebook suspended my Facebook account and the accounts of several people associated with Cybersecurity for Democracy, our team at NYU. This has the effect of cutting off our access to Facebook's Ad Library data, as well as Crowdtangle. 1/4
— Laura Edelson (@LauraEdelson2) August 4, 2021

“Facebook is silencing us because our work often calls attention to problems on its platform”

“If this episode demonstrates anything it’s that Facebook should not have veto power over who is allowed to study them,” said Edelson.

“Worst of all, Facebook is using user privacy, a core belief that we have always put first in our work, as a pretext for doing this.”

It follows months of battling between the tech giant and the researchers over the Ad Observer tool they developed. The tool allows Facebook users to share limited anonymous information about the political ads shown to them by the platform.

Facebook will label false posts more clearly as part of an effort to prevent 2020 election interference - The Verge

“Facebook should not be able to cynically invoke user privacy”

Another one of the researchers Damon McCoy says that Facebook shouldn’t be able to invoke user privacy to “shut down research that puts them in an unflattering light”.

“Particularly when the ‘users’ Facebook is talking about are advertisers who have consented to making their ads public,” McCoy said.

Facebook cops a grilling from Australian Senators

Tech

AI in the modern economy

Published

1 day ago

December 8, 2023

ticker NEWS

Unraveling the impact of AI: unprecedented economic growth or unforeseen challenges on the horizon?

In an era dominated by technological advancements, AI is spearheading a revolution in the modern economy, providing innovation, enhancing efficiency, and transforming industries.

But is the development of AI bringing positive change, or are there challenges we haven’t seen coming?

Denver Naidoo, CTO and co-founder of AI workforce provider Zeligate explores the ups and downs of AI in the modern economy.

Tech

Rising cybercrime spurs push for stronger cybersecurity measures

Published

1 day ago

December 8, 2023

ticker NEWS

Increased cybercrime reports highlight urgent need for threat detection and response tools

In a concerning trend, cybercrime reports have witnessed a sharp increase that has signalled a growing concern in the digital landscape, particularly within businesses.

The surge in reports emphasises the pressing need for organisations and individuals alike to adopt and deploy real-time threat detection and response tools more promptly, as the battle against evolving online threats intensifies.

David Peterson from Confluent talks in-depth on the subject of Cybersecurity and how businesses can take a more proactive strategy and preempt cybercrime.

Tech

AMD unveils advanced chips with lighting AI training speed

Published

2 days ago

December 7, 2023

ticker NEWS

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has launched a series of cutting-edge chips designed to supercharge the speed of artificial intelligence (AI) training.

With an emphasis on faster processing and improved efficiency, these new chips are set to redefine the capabilities of AI-driven applications across various industries.

The latest AMD chips boast an innovative architecture that significantly enhances the performance of AI training tasks, ranging from machine learning algorithms to neural network simulations.

This development addresses a critical need in the rapidly evolving field of AI, where speed and efficiency are paramount for handling complex computations and accelerating breakthroughs in research and development.

These chips are poised to revolutionise the landscape of AI-powered technologies, offering a competitive edge to businesses and researchers alike.

The enhanced processing power enables quicker training of AI models, unlocking the potential for more sophisticated applications such as advanced image recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous systems. As industries continue to embrace AI, the release of these chips underscores AMD’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology.

In the race to dominate the AI hardware market, AMD’s latest release positions the company as a formidable player alongside industry giants. As demand for faster and more efficient AI solutions grows, the impact of these chips on the development and deployment of AI applications is expected to be substantial.

The unveiling of these advanced chips not only marks a significant milestone for AMD but also signals a new era in the evolution of AI technologies.