Author: The Conversation

As reported on Aug. 6, Zoom recently attempted to rewrite its Terms of Service with ambiguous language that would permit the extraction of user data for the purpose of training AI. However, after public pushback, Zoom began to rectify that clause the very next day, fully committing to a “no AI training” set of policies by Aug. 11. Even though Zoom pedalled back this time, their drive to gather data highlights the possibility of future hidden data extraction by them and other big tech companies. More specifically, as a researcher working with and looking at Indigenous communities and their data, I am concerned…

One of the reasons people can never be entirely sure about what is going on at Area 51 is that it is a highly classified secret military facility. It was not until 2013 that the U.S. government even acknowledged the existence and name “Area 51.” This information came out as part of a broader set of documents released through a Freedom of Information Act request, which is something regular citizens and groups can do to ask the U.S. government to provide details about government activities. In this case, the request made public formerly classified CIA information regarding the historical development and testing…

The big idea Some employers are excited about swapping out computer monitors for virtual reality headsets, but the side effects of using VR are not completely understood. In a recent study, my colleagues and I propose 90 factors that could influence VR side effects in the workplace. In another study, we suggest guidelines to reduce these negative symptoms. Our analysis considers over 350 studies to identify a range of VR side effects. Some negative symptoms of VR use – like headaches, tiredness, eyestrain and neck and shoulder pain –are familiar to those workers who sit at a computer all day. But the nature of…

Montréal’s public art program attracts people to specific locations throughout the city, encouraging visitors to linger. This helps stimulate the economy, as people often also visit nearby retailers. Interactive artworks in Montréal’s public spaces range from audiovisual sound sculptures and light installations to engaging and playful experiences. But while these installations are entertaining, there is often a certain uniformity across these different works. The rise of social media has encouraged people to look for Instagrammable experiences and TikTok-worthy content. As a result, many public art installations in Montréal have been designed with social media visuals in mind. Artificial creativity Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly incorporated into every aspect of our lives, including…

There are thousands of mental health apps available on the app market, offering services including meditation, mood tracking and counselling, among others. You would think such “health” and “wellbeing” apps – which often present as solutions for conditions such as anxiety and sleeplessness – would have been rigorously tested and verified. But this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, many may be taking your money and data in return for a service that does nothing for your mental health – at least, not in a way that’s backed by scientific evidence. Bringing AI to mental health apps Although some mental health apps connect users…

These days, cars are computer centres on wheels. Today’s vehicles can contain over 100 computers and millions of lines of software code. These computers are all networked together and can operate all aspects of your vehicle. It’s not surprising, then, that car theft has also become high-tech. The ones and zeros of getting from A to B The computers in a vehicle can be divided into four categories. Many computers are dedicated to operating the vehicle’s drive train, including controlling the fuel, battery or both, monitoring emissions and operating cruise control. The second category is dedicated to providing safety. These…

There are several parallel projects running across the world to save the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), one of Africa’s captivating and iconic wildlife species. With the death of last male in 2018 and with only two females alive, the species is functionally extinct. The most famous of these projects is an international research consortium called BioRescue. It was founded in 2019 by a team of scientists and conservationists under the leadership of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany. In one of its research lines, the BioRescue team collects mature eggs – scientifically called oocytes – from one of…

There is much talk in the automotive industry about the “internet of vehicles” (IoV). This describes a network of cars and other vehicles that could exchange data over the internet in an effort to make transportation more autonomous, safe and efficient. The IoV could help vehicles identify roadblocks, traffic jams and pedestrians. It could help with a car’s positioning on the road, potentially enable them to be driverless, and provide easier diagnoses of faults. It’s already happening to some extent with smart motorways, where technology is used with the intention of managing motorway traffic in the most effective manner. A more…

Hiring is normally featured as a prime example for algorithmic bias. This is where a tendency to favour some groups over others becomes accidentally fixed in an AI system designed to perform a specific task. There are countless stories about this. Perhaps the best known example is when Amazon tried to use AI in recruitment. In this case, CVs were used as the data to train, or improve, this AI. Since most of the CVs were from men, the AI learned to filter out anything associated with women, such as being the president of the women’s chess club or a graduate from a women’s…

Canadians spend more than two hours per day on social media platforms. Social media is becoming more prevalent every day, and influencers and those that want to be influencers are too. Influencing is an all-new career option that, until recently, didn’t exist. A social media influencer is someone who has established a reputation for being knowledgeable about a specific topic or industry and has an online following that they engage with. Social media influencers build relationships with their followers through the content they share and interactions on live streams, comments and chats. This in turn builds a greater sense of community and ultimately gives influencers more…