A new OMB Memo has been published:

M-24-10 Advancing Governance, Innovation, and Risk Management for Agency Use of Artificial Intelligence

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/M-24-10-Advancing-Governance-Innovation-and-Risk-Management-for-Agency-Use-of-Artificial-Intelligence.pdf

Trans people in the US: Whatever you think about staying and fighting versus living to fight another day, please get an up to date passport with your correct information on it before November if you’re able to. https://transequality.org/know-your-rights/passports #USPol #trans

We are hiring for a tenure track position in computer science at Haverford College

https://www.haverford.edu/provost/news/tenure-track-assistant-professor-computer-science

One positive Covid note: the test2treat (test2treat.org) program worked surprisingly well for me, even when I had a weird multiple-address situation from being out of town. less than 4 hours from contacting them to having a paxlovid rx pickup. If only every healthcare program in the US was like this...

Christmas came early! The FTC just banned Rite Aid from using facial recognition for five years. Here's Fight for the Future's statement. We were one of the first orgs to start campaigning against the use of facial recognition in retail stores: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2023-12-20-breaking-ftc-bans-rite-aid-from-using-facial-recognition-other-companies-should-take-note

Oh no -- @kharijohnson reports that WIRED has laid him off. A huge loss, his algorithmic justice coverage has been outstanding.

https://nitter.net/kharijohnson/status/1734664262273089683

“In this status quo, people are expected to ignore the threat of infection, pay through the nose if they get sick and face stigma and ridicule if they become disabled. Journalism can and should repudiate that bargain. We are not neutral actors…”

Must read opinion piece on Long Covid by Ed Yong

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/opinion/long-covid-reporting-lessons.html?unlocked_article_code=1.FE0.uIuH.1cxnoufWl1xp&smid=url-share

The FATE group at Microsoft Research NYC is looking for interns and postdocs!

Relevant research themes include:

- Computational, statistical, & sociotechnical approaches to fairness assessment

- Human-centered AI transparency

- Institutional, organizational, & economic challenges of AI development, deployment, and use

- AI law and policy

- Responsible AI in practice

Interns (apply soon, we're reviewing applications now!): https://jobs.careers.microsoft.com/global/en/job/1661365/Research-Intern---FATE%2C-NYC-(Fairness%2C-Accountability%2C-Transparency%2C-and-Ethics-in-AI)

Postdocs: https://jobs.careers.microsoft.com/global/en/job/1667778/Post-Doc-Researcher–-FATE-–-Microsoft-Research

If you’re a US adult and have covid or flu, welcome to national free telehealth (and paxlovid if needed).

If you’re uninsured/underinsured, on Medicaid or Medicare, or get VA or Indian Health Services care, you can enroll *without* a positive test and get free Lucira tests sent to you in the mail.

I’m all about infection reduction but nothing is certain for anyone and this is kind of a big step forward.

https://www.test2treat.org/s/?language=en_US

ETA: Muting thread, good luck! 💙

Today I’m walking off the job in solidarity with hundreds of my Washington Post colleagues. It's our first strike in 48 years. You can respect our picket line by avoiding Washington Post journalism today, Dec. 7, during our 24-hour strike.

You can also send a letter to our bosses if you like: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/workers-at-the-washington-post-deserve-a-living-wage

@davidthewid only my own thoughts, no specific institutional knowledge. I'd say interpret it in good faith. I.e. if you give enough context about yourself that it's obvious who wrote the paper, that violates the policy. But there's plenty of ways to explain your perspective without going that far.

Folks, do you remove positionality analysis/ statements for double blind review?

(Particularly asking about FAccT, but any advice appreciated)

It seems particularly annoying to do so given the nature of the argument I'm making in the paper.

FAccT's policy says "avoid obvious identifying statements" https://facctconference.org/2024/cfp

Give whoever wrote this headline a medal

BREAKING: Politico reports that Senator Cantwell says she will delay hotlining the Kids Online Safety Act (#KOSA) because of ongoing concerns around LGBTQ rights and the need for further changes.

This is an important win for human rights. But we have so much more to do

My department is seeking applications from African women willing to pursuit a PhD in computer science. If you know of someone who might be interested, please forward her this URL: https://www.upf.edu/web/etic/inici/-/asset_publisher/nT5ucm2DcHyd/content/-dorcas-muthoni-phd-fellowship-call-2024/maximized -- deadline 2nd May 2024
https://www.upf.edu/web/etic/inici/-/asset_publisher/nT5ucm2DcHyd/content/-dorcas-muthoni-phd-fellowship-call-2024/maximized

Also, it's kind of hilarious (lolsob) that OpenAI is burning enormous amounts of energy to take machines designed to perform calculations precisely to make them output text that mimics imprecisely the performance of calculations ... and then deciding that *that* is intelligent. 16/

But here is where the reporting really goes off the rails. AGI is not a thing. It doesn't exist. Therefore, it can't do anything, no matter what the AI cultists say. 17/

To make the most out of #ArtificialIntelligence technologies while reducing the risks, we need to change the conversation we’re having on #AI. #TalkBetterAboutAI brings together some STELLAR cross-sector leaders to discuss how they approach communicating clearly about these continually changing technologies.
Join us!
https://www.aspendigital.org/event/talk-better-about-artificial-intelligence/

No matter how it shakes out at OpenAI, one thing is clear: all of the leading AI companies are firmly for-profit entities and the illusion of OpenAI as a nonprofit optimizing for humanity is gone.

My latest for New York Times Opinion imagines what it would take to truly build AI in the public interest (spoiler: it could look like public libraries, but for compute):

(gift link)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/opinion/the-sam-altman-openai-board-microsoft.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AE0.USnQ.Or3s2jZFvj_R&smid=url-share

Heads up New Yorkers! COVID levels are rising ahead of Thanksgiving. 90% of wastewater sites in New York are at high levels, and we expect a surge right after Thanksgiving due to mass gatherings, travel, and the JN.1 variant.

Please test before your travel, wear a high quality mask, and open your windows when you gather, and don't forget to get your updated COVID vaccine!

If all search queries are replaced by ChatGPT-style queries, what does that mean for energy consumption and emissions?

tl;dr: Emissions would increase by 60x.

"Emissions from ChatGPT are much higher than from conventional search"

https://limited.systems/articles/google-search-vs-chatgpt-emissions/

#FrugalComputing #ClimateEmergency #AI