The US Supreme Court has deferred rulings on the constitutionality of laws from Florida and Texas aimed at regulating social media companies’ content moderation practices. The laws, challenged by industry groups including NetChoice and CCIA, sought to limit platforms like Meta Platforms, Google, and others from moderating content they deem objectionable. While the lower courts had mixed decisions—blocking Florida’s law and upholding Texas’—the Supreme Court unanimously decided these decisions didn’t fully address First Amendment concerns and sent them back for further review.
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the majority, questioned Texas’ law, suggesting it sought to impose state preferences on social media content moderation, which could violate the First Amendment. Central to the debate is whether states can compel platforms to host content against their editorial discretion, which companies argue is necessary to manage spam, bullying, extremism, and hate speech. Critics argue these laws protect free speech by preventing censorship of conservative viewpoints, a claim disputed by the Biden administration, which opposes the laws for potentially violating First Amendment protections.
Why does it matter?
At stake are laws that would restrict platforms with over 50 million users from censoring based on viewpoint (Texas) and limit content exclusion for political candidates or journalistic enterprises (Florida). Additionally, these laws require platforms to explain content moderation decisions, a requirement some argue burdens free speech rights.
The Supreme Court’s decision not to rule marks another chapter in the ongoing legal battle over digital free speech rights, following earlier decisions regarding officials’ social media interactions and misinformation policies.
Australia has given internet-related companies six months to develop enforceable codes aimed at preventing children from accessing pornography and other inappropriate content online, according to the eSafety Commission’s announcement on Tuesday. To outline their expectations, it presented a policy paper to guide the internet actors’ codes. Preliminary drafts of the codes are to be presented by 3 October 2024, and final codes are to be submitted by 19 December 2024.
These codes will complement current government drives towards online content policy and safety. “We […] need industry to play their part by putting in some effective barriers to protect children,” said the eSafety Commissioner Ms Inman Grant. Concerned internet actors range from dating apps and social media to search engines and games.
The codes will be centred primarily around pornography, but will also encompass suicide and serious illnesses, including self-harm and eating disorders. Potential measures to protect children from explicit content may include age verification systems, default parental controls, and software to blur or filter inappropriate material.
The regulator did specify this will not completely limit access. “We know kids will always be curious and will likely seek out porn as they enter adolescence and explore their sexuality, so, many of these measures are really focused on preventing unintentional exposure to young children.” Australia has previously decided against the use of age verification for pornographic or adult content websites.
Australia already has a number of codes for online safety, many of which are conceived thanks to similar consultations with NGOs and civil society actors. Spokespeople for Google and Meta have already said they will continue to engage with the commissioner for the conception of regulation and safety codes codes.
New Zealand’s conservative coalition government plans to introduce a bill mandating digital technology platforms to pay media companies for news. The Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, initially proposed by the previous Labour government, aims to support local media companies in generating revenue from the news they produce. Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith stated that the bill would be amended to align more closely with Australia’s similar digital bargaining law, which forces internet firms like Meta and Google to negotiate content supply deals with media outlets.
Meta criticised the bill, arguing that it overlooked how its platforms function and the value they provide to news outlets; Google did not immediately comment. However, the proposed legislation would grant the communications minister the power to decide which digital platforms are subject to the law, with an independent regulator overseeing its enforcement.
While the right-wing ACT New Zealand party does not support the bill, the opposition Labour Party has expressed conditional support, pending a review of the amendments. Labour spokesperson Willie Jackson voiced relief that the government is progressing with legislation to create a fairer media landscape for news companies operating online.
In a groundbreaking shift for the academic world, AI now contributes to at least 10% of research papers, soaring to 20% in computer science, according to The Economist. This transformation is driven by advancements in large language models (LLMs), as highlighted in a University of Tübingen study comparing recent papers with those from the pre-ChatGPT era. The research shows a notable change in word usage, with terms like ‘delivers,’ ‘potential,’ ‘intricate,’ and ‘crucial’ becoming more common, while ‘important’ declines in use.
Researchers are leveraging LLMs for editing, translating, simplifying coding, streamlining administrative tasks, and accelerating manuscript drafting. However, this integration raises concerns. LLMs may reinforce existing viewpoints and frequently cite prominent articles, potentially leading to an inflation of publications and a dilution of research quality. This risks perpetuating bias and narrowing academic diversity.
As the academic community grapples with these changes, scientific journals seek solutions to address the challenges as the sophistication of AI increases. Trying to detect and prevent the use of AI is increasingly futile. Other approaches to uphold the quality of research are discussed, including investment into a more solid peer-reviewing process, insisting on replicating experiments, and hiring academics based on the quality of their work instead of quantity, promoted by public obsession.
Recognizing the inevitability of AI’s role in academic writing, Diplo introduced the KaiZen publishing approach. This innovative approach combines just-in-time updates facilitated by AI with reflective writing crafted by humans, aiming to harmonize the strengths of AI and human intellect in producing scholarly work.
As AI continues to revolutionize academic writing, the landscape of research and publication is poised for further evolution, prompting ongoing debates and the search for balanced solutions.
Meta asserts that its model complies with a ruling from EU’s top court and is aligned with the DMA, expressing a willingness to engage with the Commission to resolve the issue. However, if found guilty, Meta could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual turnover. The Commission aims to conclude its investigation by March next year.
The charge follows a recent DMA-related charge against Apple for similar non-compliance, highlighting the EU’s efforts to regulate Big Tech and empower users to control their data.
The European Union has directed Chinese fast-fashion e-commerce giants Temu and Shein to disclose their compliance with EU online content regulations by July 12. This move follows complaints lodged by consumer groups and designates both platforms as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act. These designations impose stricter obligations on handling illegal and harmful content.
According to the European Commission, requests for information have been issued to Temu and Shein regarding their measures to combat illegal products, prevent user deception through manipulative interfaces, and safeguard minors. The Commission also seeks transparency in their recommendation systems, traceability of sellers, and compliance integration into platform design.
The enforcement action stems from consumer organisations’ complaints and underscores the EU’s commitment to ensuring digital platforms uphold regulatory standards. Failure to comply with the Digital Services Act could lead to fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover, emphasising the seriousness with which the EU views adherence to online content rules.
Temu and Shein are mandated to furnish comprehensive responses by the specified deadline, marking a pivotal moment in how global e-commerce giants navigate regulatory landscapes beyond their home markets. The outcome of these disclosures will be closely monitored as the EU continues to assert its regulatory authority over digital platforms operating within its jurisdiction.
Instagram is trialling a new feature called ‘AI Studio’, allowing creators to develop AI versions of themselves. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed on his broadcast channel that the feature is undergoing an initial test phase with selected creators and users in the United States.
Zuckerberg highlighted that AI avatars from popular creators and interest-based AI models will soon appear in Instagram messaging. These AI entities are initially designed to interact within messaging threads and will be clearly marked as AI-generated.
During the broadcast, Zuckerberg demonstrated early examples featuring AI-powered chatbots developed in collaboration with creators such as the team behind the meme account ‘Wasted’ and Don Allen Stevenson III. These chatbots aim to assist creators by engaging with their followers and responding to messages on their behalf.
Creators on Instagram can initiate interactions by tapping the ‘Message’ button, prompting users to acknowledge that the responses may be AI-generated and potentially not entirely accurate or appropriate. Each AI-generated message will be prefaced with ‘AI’ and marked with a ‘beta’ tag, indicating ongoing development and testing.
Meta’s launch of AI Studio last year enabled businesses to create AI chatbots for platforms like Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. The initiative reflects Meta’s ongoing efforts to integrate advanced AI technologies into its social media platforms, enhancing user engagement and interaction capabilities.
Why does it matter?
The IATSE’s tentative agreement represents a significant step forward in securing fair wages and job protections for Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes workers, ensuring that the rapid advancements in technology do not come at the expense of human employment.
NBC is set to bring sportscaster Al Michaels back to the Olympics with a twist this summer: his voice will be powered by AI. The network announced on Wednesday that AI software will recreate Michaels’ voice to deliver daily recaps of the Summer Games for subscribers of its Peacock streaming platform. That marks a significant milestone for the use of AI by a major media company.
The AI-driven recaps will be part of a new feature called ‘Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,’ offering 10-minute highlight packages. These packages will include event updates, athlete backstories, and other content personalised to subscriber preferences. NBC claims the highlights can be packaged in about 7 million different ways, drawn from 5,000 hours of live coverage from Paris, showcasing the efficiency of AI in delivering tailored content.
Al Michaels expressed initial scepticism about the project but became intrigued after seeing a demonstration. He is being compensated for his involvement. Michaels, known for his long broadcasting career, including the iconic Miracle on Ice Game at the 1980 Winter Olympics, lent his past NBC broadcast audio to train the AI system. NBC assures that all content will be reviewed by a team of editors for factual accuracy and proper pronunciation. The highlights tool will be available on Peacock via web browsers and iOS and iPadOS apps starting 27 July.
Time magazine has entered a multi-year agreement with OpenAI, granting the AI firm access to its news archives. The deal allows OpenAI’s ChatGPT to cite and link back to Time.com in user queries, although financial details were not disclosed. OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, has forged similar partnerships with prominent media outlets such as the Financial Times, Axel Springer, Le Monde, and Prisa Media.
These collaborations help train and enhance OpenAI’s products while providing media companies access to AI technology for developing new products. Despite some media companies suing OpenAI over content usage, such partnerships are crucial for training AI models and offer a potential revenue stream for news publishers. Such a trend comes amid broader industry tensions, highlighted by Meta’s decision to block news sharing in Canada following new legislation requiring payment for news content.
Why does it matter?
The OpenAI-Time deal is part of a larger movement where publishers seek fair compensation for their content amid the rise of generative AI, which has prompted discussions on ethical content usage and compliance with web standards.
With the UK heading to the polls, the role of AI in guiding voter decisions is under scrutiny. ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, has been tested on its ability to provide insights into the upcoming general election. Despite its powerful pattern-matching capabilities, experts emphasise its limitations and potential biases, given that AI tools rely on their training data and accessible online content.
ChatGPT suggested a strong chance of a Labour victory in the UK based on current polling when prompted about the likely outcomes of the election. However, AI’s predictions can be flawed, as demonstrated when a glitch led ChatGPT to declare Labour as the election winner prematurely incorrectly. This incident prompted OpenAI to refine ChatGPT’s responses, ensuring more cautious and accurate outputs.
ChatGPT can help voters navigate party manifestos, outlining the priorities of major parties like Labour and the Conservatives. By summarising key points from multiple sources, the AI aims to provide balanced insights. Nevertheless, the psychological impact of AI-generated single answers remains a concern, as it could influence voter behaviour and election outcomes.
Why does it matter?
The use of AI for election guidance has sparked debates about its appropriateness and reliability. While AI can offer valuable information, the importance of critical thinking and informed decision-making must be balanced. As the election date approaches, voters are reminded that their choices hold significant weight, and participation in the democratic process is crucial.
