Welcome to episode 318 (“Deepfake Democratic Threats”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 24, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) embarked on a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments in artificial intelligence, copyright laws, and the impact of technology in education and society at large. The conversation kicked off with a deep dive into Meta’s investment in Nvidia AI chips, underscoring Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to bolstering AI capabilities with billions of dollars. This move signals a significant shift towards more advanced AI integrations across various platforms and services. In the realm of AI and intellectual property, the hosts discussed the new certificates for copyright-compliant AI, highlighting the challenges and controversies surrounding AI-generated content and its compliance with copyright laws. Despite these efforts, notable tools like ChatGPT have faced scrutiny for potential copyright issues. A concerning trend in the misuse of AI technology was addressed through the discussion of a fake Joe Biden robocall, which misled voters in New Hampshire. This incident illustrates the growing problem of deepfake technologies and their potential to disrupt democratic processes. The hosts also delved into the legal and ethical dimensions of AI, discussing perspectives on whether training generative AI models on copyrighted works constitutes fair use. This topic sparked a debate on the future of intellectual property in an AI-dominated landscape. From an economic viewpoint, a MIT study shed light on the limitations of job automation by AI, suggesting that only a fraction of tasks involving vision are economically viable for AI automation. This finding prompts a reevaluation of AI’s impact on the workforce and the need for a balanced approach to integrating these technologies. On the technological front, updates to Google Chrome and ChromeOS were discussed, including new generative AI features and enhancements aimed at improving user productivity and focus. The hosts also touched on Google’s latest AI video generator, Lumiere, capable of creating whimsical scenarios featuring cute animals, showcasing the lighter side of AI advancements. Apple’s recent developments were a hot topic, with discussions on the App Store rule changes, the sale of Vision Pro headsets, and innovative features like Stolen Device Protection to safeguard iPhones against theft. The conversation also highlighted Apple’s plans to integrate generative AI into iPhones, emphasizing the company’s strategic direction towards embracing AI technology. In education, the release of Microsoft’s AI-powered reading tutor as a free resource marked a significant milestone in leveraging AI to enhance learning experiences. The update to the National Ed-Tech Plan, its first since 2017, was praised for its forward-looking vision in integrating technology into education. Finally, the hosts reflected on the dire consequences of accessing forbidden content in North Korea, as highlighted in a BBC report, and the vulnerabilities of cash apps in facilitating theft, underscoring the broader societal implications of technology adoption and security. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!
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- Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif) – aicentrist.com – blog: blog.ncce.org
- Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
- Mark Zuckerberg indicates Meta is spending billions of dollars on Nvidia AI chips (CNBC; 18 January 2024)
- Certificates for copyright-compliant AI are here — but ChatGPT won’t get one (The Next Web; 18 January 2024)
- Fake Joe Biden robocall tells New Hampshire Democrats not to vote Tuesday (MSNBC, 22 Jan 2024)
- Is A.I. the Death of I.P.? (THe New Yorker; 15 January 2024)
- Training Generative AI Models on Copyrighted Works Is Fair Use (Association of Research Libraries, 23 Jan 2024)
- Rethinking AI’s impact: MIT CSAIL study reveals economic limits to job automation (MIT; 22 January 2024)
- Google’s next Chrome update adds three new generative AI features (Engadget, 23 Jan 2024)
- ChromeOS 122 bringing Focus Mode to Chromebooks (About Chromebooks; 21 January 2024)
- How to customize your mouse buttons on a Chromebook [VIDEO] (ChromeUnboxed; 6 January 2024)
- Google’s latest AI video generator can render cute animals in implausible situations (ArsTechnica, 24 Jan 2024) – Lumiere
- Apple’s App Store rule changes draw sharp rebuke from critics (Bloomberg; 18 January 2024)
- Kuo: Apple Has Already Sold Up to 180,000 Vision Pro Headsets (MacRumors; 22 January 2024)
- Apple’s Stolen Device Protection feature is now live. Here’s how it can help protect your iPhone (CBS News; 23 January 2024)
- Apple boosts plans to bring generative AI to iPhones (FT, 23 Jan 2024)
- Bots May Have Nabbed Thousands of Apple Vision Pro Preorders (PC Mag, 24 Jan 2024)
- Microsoft makes its AI-powered reading tutor free (TechCrunch, 18 Jan 2024)
- National Ed-Tech Plan Gets First Update Since 2017 (Government Technology, 24 Jan 2024)
- North Korea: Rare footage shows teens sentenced to hard labour over K-drama (BBC, 18 Jan 2024)
- Mugger take your phone? Cash apps too easily let thieves drain accounts, DA says (ArsTechnica, 24 Jan 2024)
- Jason’s Geeks of the Week: https://clipdrop.co/ – https://www.aicentrist.com/
- Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Roll Call Question Random Generator – Recent AI Discoveries (thread) – Invidious – https://www.wesfryer.com/after/
