The questions raised by Sisi Wei, editor-in-chief at The Markup, in a recent article shed light on the dilemmas faced by journalists when covering AI-generated pictures. She questions whether the news articles should contain the generated images and, if so, how to label them or what kinds of disclaimers to include. As she notes, this issue is difficult because readers may not pay attention to the caption. The following is a quote from the article.
There’s no question to me that anyone who comes into contact with the internet these days will need to start questioning if the images they’re seeing are real. But what’s our job as journalists in this situation? When we republish viral or newsworthy images that have been altered or were generated by AI, what should we do to make sure we’re giving readers the information they need? Doing it in the caption or the headline isn’t good enough—we can’t assume that readers will read them.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting the city of Ravenna and admiring its exquisite mosaics. The rich history of this city is eloquently encapsulated in a quote from the host of the Medievalists Podcast during an episode featuring a conversation with Judith Herrin on Ravenna’s history between 400 and 800 AD.
“[h]istory tends to get pulled through Ravenna rather than Ravenna pulling itself through history. [Ravenna] tends to fall into various cracks in the way we organize history.” (+- at 4')
Indeed, the city of Ravenna bears witness to the passage of various powers, each leaving behind remarkable buildings and works of art.
In recent news, the Italian region of South Tyrol (Alto Adige) has initiated a DNA profiling program to identify owners of dogs responsible for leaving excrement or those found as strays. While there have been challenges in convincing owners to submit samples, the program is set to launch this year. Local authorities plan to send these samples to a regional government agency. The applicability of this initiative beyond the region may be questioned, but it raises the possibility of future inter-regional or national interoperability even?
“Intendiamo così salvare i dati delle analisi del DNA nella banca dati centrale al fine di essere in grado, tramite appositi test del DNA, di individuare i responsabili di eventuali escrementi ed anche i proprietari di cani randagi”, così spiega le ragioni del provvedimento l’assessore provinciale Arnold Schuler, che oggi (31 agosto) lo ha illustrato in Giunta provinciale che lo voterà nella seduta della prossima settimana. Gli enti locali, gli enti pubblici e le forze dell’ordine potranno, così, presentare campioni biologici ai laboratori competenti per la profilazione genetica, e quindi chiedere al Servizio Veterinario dell’Azienda Sanitaria dell’Alto Adige la correlazione dei dati con quelli inseriti nella banca dati dell’anagrafe degli animali di affezione. La correlazione fra i dati è finalizzata all’esercizio di funzioni istituzionali e può essere richiesta esclusivamente dagli enti indicati." (source)
A company in the US is calling such technology PooPrints and “adheres to FBI protocol”…
Via Gary Max on the surveillance studies mailing list.
In this article, Ian Bogost discusses the introduction of email reactions and how they have evolved on the internet. As a user of dedicated email software (Thunderbird), I found it awkward when I first received a thumbs-up reply to an email. Although these reactions can be useful to indicate receipt of a message, I also agree with Bogost’s view that they can be futile and add work. Worse, it is often saddening when someone can’t respond more thoughtfully.
The arrival of reactions in our email, of all places, represents their final success and inevitable futility. Adding confetti to a Gmail conversation affirms that reactions underpin the internet—that online life has become reaction-driven in a deep sense. Much of what we make and share online is made or shared precisely in the hope of eliciting emoji. At this point, we’re so overrun with these attempts—with things to make us laugh or cry or throw confetti—that the very work of having a reaction may soon be obsolete.
An in-depth analysis of the floodings in Emilia-Romagna this year has been conducted by Corriere della Sera. The article provides useful information on the region’s structural problems that have worsened the floodings. Here are two interesting excerpts from the article:
La Romagna una volta era una palude, poi è stata bonificata e sulla ex palude si è costruito lo sviluppo. Dagli anni ‘40 in poi ogni metro quadrato si è trasformato in attività agricola, allevamenti, capannoni e abitazioni.
Negli anni ‘90 arriva la spinta federalista […] Il risultato è che se una Regione, per evitare allagamenti, deve rompere un argine che sta su un confine, l’altra Regione si oppone perché ritiene che i suoi campi siano più utili di quelli della Regione adiacente.
Please take a moment to appreciate the stunning interactive essay from The New York Times, which uses the medieval manuscript Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry as a reference to explore how time is perceived through the utilization of time-keeping devices, like calendars.
Have a look at this Medium blog post by Azadeh Akbari regarding Automated License Plate Recognition systems. The post discusses how these systems have become a commonplace form of surveillance that often goes unnoticed.
How do you see “banal surveillance” in your everyday life? Think about the streets in your neighbourhood. Are there speed cameras, CCTV, “smart lamp posts”, or other forms of surveillance that you’ve grown accustomed to ignoring? How could you determine what these cameras do, who installed them, and on what legal basis? Can you find out who owns the data and how and where it is processed? We promise you, find out, and you will be surprised.
For instance, I have not yet seen the cameras near the towers in Bologna, even though I am aware of their existence.
Cornelia Mayr explains in a blog post at Everyday Sociology how the concept of home is created through “home-making practices,” such as organizing a space. She uses the insights from anthropologist Mary Douglas, who explained how keeping things in their proper place contributes to a sense of domestic order:
For the anthropologist Mary Douglas (1991, p. 289), the home is a “localizable idea” that “starts by bringing some space under control.” In this sense, a place like home acquires its meaning through home-making practices; and as such, it becomes part of processes of the creation of domestic order. Put differently, order is sustained and things go smoothly so long as they are being kept in the proper place within the home.
The NO TECH MAGAZINE reader shared some intriguing links worth checking out:
The documentary “The secrets of civilization” gave fascinating insights into how Romans changed their environment. First, there is an artificial mound in Rome known as Monte Testaccio, a big ancient waste heap which is nearly entirely made of broken pieces from discarded containers (amphora) used for, for example, storing olive oil. Here are two videos about the site:
Second, the documentary mentioned how a landscape in Spain, Las Médulas is the result of a Roman gold-mining technique called Ruina Montium (“wrecking of mountains”). Here is a video describing the process from IMAGEEN.
Finally, it’s interesting to know that it seems that a period of unusually warm weather, called the Roman Climactic Optimum, may have benefitted the Romans.