tag:theconversation.com,2011:/nz/topics/technology-3440/articlesTechnology – The Conversation2024-03-28T00:10:00Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2267812024-03-28T00:10:00Z2024-03-28T00:10:00ZBridges can be protected from ship collisions – an expert on structures in disasters explains how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584868/original/file-20240327-24-swqhqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2988%2C1965&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A cargo ship hit the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Florida's Tampa Bay in 1980, collapsing one span and killing 35 people.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/BridgeCollapses-List/8ccc0211108542268f8c2a39403265d7/photo">AP Photo/Jackie Green</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The MV Dali, a 984-foot, 100,000-ton cargo ship, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-bridge-collapse-53169b379820032f832de4016c655d1b">rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge</a> when leaving Baltimore harbor on March 26, 2024, causing a portion of the bridge to collapse.</em></p>
<p><em>In an interview, University of Michigan civil engineer <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=764wTXMAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Sherif El-Tawil</a> explained how often ships collide with bridges, what can be done to protect bridges from collisions, and how a similar disaster in Florida in 1980 – just three years after the Key bridge opened – changed the way bridges are built.</em></p>
<p><strong>This is not the first time a ship has taken out a bridge. What’s the history of ship-bridge collisions?</strong></p>
<p>This is an extremely rare event. To my knowledge, there are about 40 or so recorded events in the past 65 years that involved similar type of damage to a bridge caused by a ship. So they seem to occur on average about once every one and a half to two years around the world. When you consider that there are millions of bridges around the world – and most of them cross waterways – you can imagine how rare this is.</p>
<p>The most influential case was the 1980 <a href="https://www.structuremag.org/?p=20417">Sunshine Skyway Bridge collision</a> in Florida, which prompted the federal government to take action in terms of developing guidelines for designing bridges for ship collision. By the early 1990s the provisions were developed and incorporated into the bridge design code, the AASHTO specifications. The <a href="https://transportation.org/">American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials</a> produces the design code every bridge in the United States must conform to.</p>
<p><strong>What was different about the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster from previous bridge collisions?</strong></p>
<p>There were casualties. The fact that a crash could bring down a bridge, just like in the Baltimore situation, prompted the concern: Can we do something about it? And that something was those specifications that came out and eventually became incorporated in the national design document.</p>
<p>What those specifications say is that you either design the bridge for the impact force that a ship can deliver or you must protect the bridge against that impact force. So you must have a protective system. That’s why I was surprised that this bridge did not have a protective system, some type of barrier, around it. I have not examined the structural plans of this bridge. All I could see is the pictures that were published online, but protective systems would be very visible and recognizable if they were there.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in 1980 prompted improvements in bridge safety.</span></figcaption>
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<p><strong>What is currently mandated for new bridge construction, and is it sufficient to handle today’s massive cargo ships?</strong></p>
<p>I estimate, based on the published speed and weight of the MV Dali, that the impact force was in the range of 30 million pounds. This is a massive force, and you need a massive structure to withstand that kind of force. But it is doable if you have a huge pier. That might dictate the design of the bridge and what it could look like. Most likely it could not be a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/truss-bridge">truss bridge</a>. It may be a <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/civil/bridge7.htm">cable stay bridge</a> that has a very large tower that is capable of taking that load.</p>
<p>If you cannot design for that load, then you have to consider other alternatives. And that’s what the specifications say. They’re very clear about this. And those alternatives could be to build an island around the pier or a rock wall, or put dolphins – standalone structures set in the riverbed – adjacent to it, or put on fenders that absorb the energy so the ship doesn’t come in so fast. All of these are ways you can mitigate the impact.</p>
<p>Engineers design structures – and bridges are no exception – for a certain probability of failure, because if we didn’t, the cost would be prohibitive. Theoretically, you could build a structure that would never fail, but you’d have to put infinite money into it. For a critical bridge of this type, we would consider an acceptable chance for failure to be <a href="https://conference-service.com/pianc-panama/documents/agenda/data/full_papers/full_paper_46.pdf">1 in 10,000 years</a>.</p>
<p>Based on published information, I tried to compute what the probability of this event would be, and it turns out to be 1 in 100,000 years or so. The ship made a beeline directly to the pier that was vulnerable. It was just shocking to see such a rare event unfold. </p>
<p>The authority of the bridge must have considered protecting it, and the low probability of this occurring must have played a role in whether they would invest or not in protective measures. Because any type of construction in water or on water is very expensive.</p>
<p><strong>Is it feasible to protect older bridges?</strong></p>
<p>I think so. For some of them it might be lower tech like the island idea. And it could use maybe rocks or concrete components that would prevent the ship from reaching the pier at all. </p>
<p>It was a massive ship with a flared bow. The lower part of the ship, which extends beyond the bow, I believe struck the foundation system, but the bow reached the pier. The pier was like an A shape, so the bow snapped one side of the A. The other side could not support the weight of the bridge and so the whole thing collapsed. If somebody kicks your feet from underneath you, you’re just going to fall. That’s exactly what happened.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Video captured the moment the Dali hit a pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.</span></figcaption>
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<p><strong>How many bridges are vulnerable to ship collisions?</strong></p>
<p>I don’t know the number, but I know that bridges that are in this category, that are long span, major bridges like this, are probably less than 0.1% of the bridges in the U.S. And some of them do not necessarily cross waterways, so that’s a subset that is an even lower percentage. So it’s a rare event occurring to a rare kind of bridge. </p>
<p><strong>Are cargo ships getting larger, and is that a consideration for protecting bridges?</strong></p>
<p>I expect so because there is an economy of scale. Bigger ships would be cheaper for transporting goods. But I cannot envision that the designer of this bridge 50 years ago or so would have thought that a ship this size could impact the bridge. I’m sure they would have taken steps to address that. It just didn’t cross their mind.</p>
<p>If this bridge had been designed to the current specifications, I believe it would have survived. There are two reasons a ship would deliver this kind of force: It’s moving too fast or it’s too heavy. And those two factors are taken into consideration in the impact force for which we design. So if we are taking those explicitly into consideration, then a bigger ship, yes, it’s a bigger force, and we would design for that. </p>
<p>But let’s go forward another 50 years and imagine you have a much larger ship that comes into being. At that time, bridges will have been designed for smaller ships, and you have the same problem all over again. It’s hard to predict how big these things will go. You can design for current ships, but as they evolve, it’s hard to predict many years into the future.</p>
<p><strong>Are there other takeaways from this disaster?</strong></p>
<p>The loss of this bridge, beyond the tragic loss of life, is going to be felt for many months if not years. It’s not a straightforward process to replace a bridge of this magnitude, of this span distance. It’s something that will require a lot of planning and a lot of resources to come back again to where we were before.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226781/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sherif El-Tawil receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>A civil engineer explains why ships taking out bridges is rare, and describes how bridge builders protect the structures from ship collisions.Sherif El-Tawil, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2262572024-03-26T17:01:56Z2024-03-26T17:01:56ZHow long before quantum computers can benefit society? That’s Google’s US$5 million question<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583117/original/file-20240320-26-rmpub2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C3828%2C2160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/quantum-computer-black-background-3d-render-1571871052">Bartlomiej K. Wroblewski / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Google and the XPrize Foundation have launched a competition worth US$5 million (£4 million) to develop <a href="https://blog.google/technology/research/google-gesda-and-xprize-launch-new-competition-in-quantum-applications/">real-world applications for quantum computers</a> that benefit society – by speeding up progress on one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, for example. The principles of quantum physics suggest quantum computers could perform very fast calculations on particular problems, so this competition may expand the range of applications where they have an advantage over conventional computers.</p>
<p>In our everyday lives, the way nature works can generally be described by what we call <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_physics#:%7E:text=Classical%20physical%20concepts%20are%20often,of%20quantum%20mechanics%20and%20relativity.">classical physics</a>. But nature behaves very differently at tiny quantum scales – below the size of an atom. </p>
<p>The race to harness quantum technology can be viewed as a new industrial revolution, progressing from devices that use the properties of classical physics to those utilising the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainsquantum-mechanics#:%7E:text=Quantum%20mechanics%20is%20the%20field,%E2%80%9Cwave%2Dparticle%20duality.%E2%80%9D">weird and wonderful properties of quantum mechanics</a>. Scientists have spent decades trying to develop new technologies by harnessing these properties. </p>
<p>Given how often we are told that <a href="https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/quantum-technologies">quantum technologies</a> will revolutionise our everyday lives, you may be surprised that we still have to search for practical applications by offering a prize. However, while there are numerous examples of success using quantum properties for enhanced precision in sensing and timing, there has been a surprising lack of progress in the development of quantum computers that outdo their classical predecessors.</p>
<p>The main bottleneck holding up this development is that the software – using <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/npjqi201523">quantum algorithms</a> –
needs to demonstrate an advantage over computers based on classical physics. This is commonly known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-quantum-advantage-a-quantum-computing-scientist-explains-an-approaching-milestone-marking-the-arrival-of-extremely-powerful-computers-213306">“quantum advantage”</a>.</p>
<p>A crucial way quantum computing differs from classical computing is in using a property known as <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/what-is-quantum-entanglement">“entanglement”</a>. Classical computing <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs101/bits-bytes.html">uses “bits”</a> to represent information. These bits consist of ones and zeros, and everything a computer does comprises strings of these ones and zeros. But quantum computing allows these bits to be in a <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/resources/cloud-computing-dictionary/what-is-a-qubit">“superposition” of ones and zeros</a>. In other words, it is as if these ones and zeros occur simultaneously in the quantum bit, or qubit.</p>
<p>It is this property which allows computational tasks to be performed all at once. Hence the belief that quantum computing can offer a significant advantage over classical computing, as it is able to perform many computing tasks at the same time. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-quantum-advantage-a-quantum-computing-scientist-explains-an-approaching-milestone-marking-the-arrival-of-extremely-powerful-computers-213306">What is quantum advantage? A quantum computing scientist explains an approaching milestone marking the arrival of extremely powerful computers</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<h2>Notable quantum algorithms</h2>
<p>While performing many tasks simultaneously should lead to a performance increase over classical computers, putting this into practice has proven more difficult than theory would suggest. There are actually only a few notable quantum algorithms which can perform their tasks better than those using classical physics.</p>
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<img alt="Quantum chips - rendering" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583127/original/file-20240320-20-fnde2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/futuristic-cpu-quantum-processor-global-computer-1210158169">Yurchanka Siarhei / Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The most notable are the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics/quvis/simulations_html5/sims/cryptography-bb84/Quantum_Cryptography.html">BB84 protocol</a>, developed in 1984, and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-95973-w">Shor’s algorithm</a>, developed in 1994, both of which use entanglement to outperform classical algorithms on particular tasks. </p>
<p>The BB84 protocol is a cryptographic protocol – a system for ensuring secure, private communication between two or more parties which is considered more secure than comparable classical algorithms.</p>
<p>Shor’s algorithm uses entanglement to demonstrate how current <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2023/09/when-a-quantum-computer-is-able-to-break-our-encryption.html#:%7E:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20important,secure%20internet%20traffic%20against%20interception.">classical encryption protocols can be broken</a>, because they are based on the factorisation of very large numbers. <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/365700">There is also evidence</a> that it can perform certain calculations faster than similar algorithms designed for conventional computers. </p>
<p>Despite the superiority of these two algorithms over conventional ones, few advantageous quantum algorithms have followed. However, researchers have not given up trying to develop them. Currently, there are a couple of main directions in research.</p>
<h2>Potential quantum benefits</h2>
<p>The first is to use quantum mechanics to assist in what are called <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.02279">large-scale optimisation tasks</a>. Optimisation – finding the best or most effective way to solve a particular task – is vital in everyday life, from ensuring traffic flow runs effectively, to managing operational procedures in factory pipelines, to streaming services deciding what to recommend to each user. It seems clear that quantum computers could help with these problems.</p>
<p>If we could reduce the computational time required to perform the optimisation, it could save energy, reducing the carbon footprint of the many computers currently performing these tasks around the world and the data centres supporting them.</p>
<p>Another development that could offer wide-reaching benefits is to use quantum computation to simulate systems, such as combinations of atoms, that behave according to quantum mechanics. Understanding and predicting how quantum systems work in practice could, for example, lead to better drug design and medical treatments. </p>
<p>Quantum systems could also lead to improved electronic devices. As computer chips get smaller, quantum effects take hold, potentially reducing the devices’s performance. A better fundamental understanding of quantum mechanics could help avoid this.</p>
<p>While there has been significant investment in building quantum computers, there has been less focus on ensuring they will directly benefit the public. However, that now appears to be changing.</p>
<p>Whether we will all have quantum computers in our homes within the next 20 years remains doubtful. But, given the current financial commitment to making quantum computation a practical reality, it seems that society is finally in a better position to make use of them. What precise form will this take? There’s US$5 million dollars on the line to find out.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226257/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adam Lowe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Quantum computing has huge promise from a technical perspective, but the practical benefits are less clear.Adam Lowe, Lecturer, School of Computer Science and Digital Technologies, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253162024-03-25T18:23:57Z2024-03-25T18:23:57ZHow nature can alter our sense of time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581900/original/file-20240314-16-9cpzvv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C38%2C4233%2C2801&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sunflowerclock-indicative-on-approach-noontime-57794410">Kisialiou Yury/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do you ever get that feeling that there aren’t enough hours in the day? That time is somehow racing away from you, and it is impossible to fit everything in. But then, you step outside into the countryside and suddenly everything seems slower, more relaxed, like time has somehow changed.</p>
<p>It’s not just you - recent research showed nature can regulate our sense of time. </p>
<p>For many of us, the combined demands of work, home and family mean that we are always feeling like we don’t <a href="https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/apps.12357">have enough time</a>. Time poverty has also been exacerbated by <a href="https://doi.org/10.7312/rosa14834-018">digital technologies</a>. Permanent connectivity extends working hours and can make it difficult to switch off from the demands of friends and family.</p>
<p><a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.10601">Recent research</a> suggests that the antidote to our lack of time may lie in the natural world. Psychologist Richardo Correia, at the University of Turku in Finland, found that being in nature may change how we experience time and, perhaps, even give us the sense of time abundance.</p>
<p>Correia examined research which compared people’s experiences of time when they performed different types of tasks in urban and natural environments. These studies consistently showed that people report a sense of expanded time when they were in nature compared to when they were in an urban environment. </p>
<p>For example, people are more likely to perceive a walk in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.10601#pan310601-bib-0025">countryside as longer</a> than a walk of the same length in the city. Similarly, people report <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3664">perceiving time as passing</a> more slowly while performing tasks in natural green environments than in urban environments. Nature seems to slow and expand our sense of time. </p>
<p>It’s not just our sense of time in the moment which appears to be altered by the natural world, it’s also our sense of the past and future. Previous research shows that spending time in nature helps to shift our focus from the immediate moment towards our future needs. So rather than focusing on the stress of the demands on our time, nature helps us to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.2295">see the bigger picture</a>.</p>
<p>This can help us to prioritise our actions so that we meet our long-term goals rather than living in a perpetual state of “just about keeping our head above water”. </p>
<p>This is in part because spending time in nature appears to make us <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097915">less impulsive</a>, enabling us to delay instant gratification in favour of long-term rewards.</p>
<h2>Why does nature affect our sense of time?</h2>
<p>Spending time in nature is known to have many benefits for <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598%20019%2044097%203">health and wellbeing</a>. Having access to natural spaces such as beaches, parks and woodlands is <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP1663">associated with</a> reduced anxiety and depression, improved sleep, reduced levels of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and improved wellbeing. </p>
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<img alt="Man carrying large clock under his arm in park with trees" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=517&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=517&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581901/original/file-20240314-30-ytbq44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=517&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Nature can help expand our sense of time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/alarm-timing-clock-schedule-punctual-time-523875211">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Some of these benefits may explain why being in nature alters our experience of time. </p>
<p>The way we experience time <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35902608/">is shaped by</a> our internal biological state and the events going on in the world around us. As a result, emotions such as stress, anxiety and fear can distort our sense of the passage of time. </p>
<p>The relaxing effect of natural environments may counter stress and anxiety, resulting in a more stable experience of time. Indeed, the absence of access to nature during COVID-19 may help to explain why people’s sense of time became so distorted during the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x">pandemic lockdowns</a>.</p>
<p>In the short term, being away from the demands of modern day life may provide the respite needed to re-prioritise life, and reduce time pressure by focusing on what actually needs to be done. In the longer term, time in nature may help to enhance our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x">memory and attention capacity</a>, making us better able to deal with the demands on our time. </p>
<h2>Accessing nature</h2>
<p>Getting out into nature may sound like a simple fix, but for many people, particularly those living in urban areas, nature can be hard to access. Green infrastructure such as trees, woodlands, parks and allotments in and around towns and cities are essential to making sure the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204607000503">benefits of time</a> in nature are accessible to everyone. </p>
<p>If spending time in nature isn’t possible for you, there are other ways that you can <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/magazine/new-issue-get-more-time">regain control of your time</a>. Start by closely examining how you use time throughout your week. Auditing your time can help you see where time is being wasted and to identify action to help you to free up more time in your life. </p>
<p>Alternatively, try to set yourself some boundaries in how you use time. This could be limiting when you access emails and social media, or it could be booking in time in your calendar to take a break. Taking control of your time and how you use it can help to you overcome the sense that time is running away from you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225316/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruth Ogden receives funding from The British Academy, The Wellcome Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council, CHANSE and Horizon 2020.
This piece was written as part of the ESRC grant project “TIMED: TIMe experience in Europe’s Digital age" (ES/X005321/1) supported by CHANSE and the British Academy project "The Times of a Just Transition" (GCPS2\100005).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Thompson is the CEO for City of Trees, a Manchester (UK) based community forestry charity and is involed in academic research to better understand the impacts of civic environmental activity through an academic lens. </span></em></p>Time pressure is bad for your health- but the answer may be right outside your door.Ruth Ogden, Professor of the Psychology of Time, Liverpool John Moores UniversityJessica Thompson, PhD candidate in Environment and wellbeing, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2209462024-03-24T19:06:41Z2024-03-24T19:06:41ZWe created a VR tool to test brain function. It could one day help diagnose dementia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583308/original/file-20240321-22-fi7z9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5756%2C3842&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photograph-of-a-man-in-a-red-sweatshirt-holding-a-virtual-reality-headset-6667710/">Kampus Production/Pexels</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you or a loved one have noticed changes in your memory or thinking as you’ve grown older, this could reflect typical changes that occur with ageing. In some cases though, it might suggest something more, such as the onset of dementia.</p>
<p>The best thing to do if you have concerns is to make an appointment with your GP, who will probably run some tests. Assessment is important because if there is something more going on, <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=09da7f8f782d61bb23411c18ba0af0faae918cdc">early diagnosis</a> can enable prompt access to the right <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/gps.2191?casa_token=4xa6QPERgQkAAAAA:znhnzCjFlILbkI3ffikVOJAVx5vtCe2qFb9DydvjbFOwlvrYTcNHrKhG7hpDQY-yyRviyUTWhaW7DU27">interventions</a>, supports and care. </p>
<p>But current methods of dementia screening have <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2301149">limitations</a>, and testing can be daunting for patients.</p>
<p>Our research suggests virtual reality (VR) could be a useful cognitive screening tool, and mitigate some of the challenges associated with current testing methods, opening up the possibility it may one day play a role in dementia diagnosis.</p>
<h2>Where current testing is falling short</h2>
<p>If someone is worried about their memory and thinking, their GP might ask them to complete a series of quick tasks that check things like the ability to follow simple instructions, basic arithmetic, memory and orientation.</p>
<p>These sorts of screening tools are really good at confirming cognitive problems that may already be very apparent. But <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010783.pub2/full">commonly used screening tests</a> are <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13195-019-0474-3">not always so good</a> at detecting early and more subtle difficulties with memory and thinking, meaning such changes could be missed until they get worse. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/these-12-things-can-reduce-your-dementia-risk-but-many-australians-dont-know-them-all-191504">These 12 things can reduce your dementia risk – but many Australians don't know them all</a>
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<p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9492323/">clinical neuropsychological assessment</a> is better equipped to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ene.12488?casa_token=PUj3o1rEfrQAAAAA%3A_fa1cOudFpdvoGx_0u6QJRG2gzuRVWJ8h6x5qrQOKc2J7hwPjYox20DcEhRaRqyZdRXXHEkBIXuRgIH5nw">detect early changes</a>. This involves a comprehensive review of a patient’s personal and medical history, and detailed assessment of cognitive functions, including attention, language, memory, executive functioning, mood factors and more. However, this can be costly and the testing can take several hours.</p>
<p>Testing is also somewhat removed from everyday experience, not directly tapping into activities of daily living.</p>
<h2>Enter virtual reality</h2>
<p>VR technology uses computer-generated environments to create immersive experiences that feel like real life. While VR is often used for entertainment, it has increasingly found applications in health care, including in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10055-020-00495-x">rehabilitation</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269215517694677?casa_token=-T4Vh6ZsSXYAAAAA:2S7tM5qS25Oe0YQLCqdd0wPlspOIZPv9exKcc6InL5Wn4nfyetfzQOJxgBjb-6F0LGJPWggozMEoJQ">falls prevention</a>. </p>
<p>Using VR for cognitive screening is still a new area. VR-based cognitive tests generally create a scenario such as shopping at a supermarket or driving around a city to ascertain how a person would perform in these situations.</p>
<p>Notably, they engage various senses and cognitive processes such as sight, sound and spatial awareness in immersive ways. All this may reveal subtle impairments which can be missed by standard methods.</p>
<p>VR assessments are also often more engaging and enjoyable, potentially reducing anxiety for those who may feel uneasy in traditional testing environments, and improving compliance compared to standard assessments.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A senior woman sitting on a bed with her hand to her face." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583309/original/file-20240321-28-p3dtg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Millions of people around the world have dementia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-suffering-headache-2138485783">pikselstock/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most studies of VR-based cognitive tests have explored their capacity to pick up <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2021.628818/full">impairments in spatial memory</a> (the ability to remember where something is located and how to get there), and the results have been promising.</p>
<p>Given VR’s potential for assisting with diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia remains largely untapped, our team developed an online computerised game (referred to as semi-immersive VR) to see how well a person can remember, recall and complete everyday tasks. In our VR game, which lasts about 20 minutes, the user role plays a waiter in a cafe and receives a score on their performance.</p>
<p>To assess its potential, we enlisted more than 140 people to play the game and provide feedback. The results of this research are published across three recent papers.</p>
<h2>Testing our VR tool</h2>
<p>In our <a href="https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-024-02478-3">most recently published study</a>, we wanted to verify the accuracy and sensitivity of our VR game to assess cognitive abilities.</p>
<p>We compared our test to an existing screening tool (called the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913129/">TICS-M</a>) in more than 130 adults. We found our VR task was able to capture meaningful aspects of cognitive function, including recalling food items and spatial memory.</p>
<p>We also found younger adults performed better in the game than older adults, which echoes the pattern commonly seen in regular memory tests.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A senior man sitting outdoors using a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583311/original/file-20240321-18-smy2uf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Adults of a range of ages tried our computerised game.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-man-working-on-laptop-garden-1488244298">pikselstock/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>In a <a href="https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-024-04767-y">separate study</a>, we followed ten adults aged over 65 while they completed the game, and interviewed them afterwards. We wanted to understand how this group – who the tool would target – perceived the task.</p>
<p>These seniors told us they found the game user-friendly and believed it was a promising tool for screening memory. They described the game as engaging and immersive, expressing enthusiasm to continue playing. They didn’t find the task created anxiety.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-gave-palliative-care-patients-vr-therapy-more-than-50-said-it-helped-reduce-pain-and-depression-symptoms-223186">We gave palliative care patients VR therapy. More than 50% said it helped reduce pain and depression symptoms</a>
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<p>For a third study, we spoke to <a href="https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-023-02413-y">seven health-care professionals</a> about the tool. Overall they gave positive feedback, and noted its dynamic approach to age-old diagnostic challenges.</p>
<p>However, they did flag some concerns and potential barriers to implementing this sort of tool. These included resource constraints in clinical practice (such as time and space to carry out the assessment) and whether it would be accessible for people with limited technological skills. There was also some scepticism about whether the tool would be an accurate method to assist with dementia diagnosis. </p>
<p>While our initial research suggests this tool could be a promising way to assess cognitive performance, this is not the same as diagnosing dementia. To improve the test’s ability to accurately detect those who likely have dementia, we’ll need to make it more specific for that purpose, and carry out further research to validate its effectiveness.</p>
<p>We’ll be conducting more testing of the game soon. Anyone interested in giving it a go to help with our research can register on <a href="https://brainhealthhub.com.au/projects/leaf-cafe-virtual-reality/">our team’s website</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220946/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Current methods of screening for dementia have a range of limitations. Using virtual reality for cognitive screening is still a new area, but it’s showing promise.Joyce Siette, Research Theme Fellow in Health and Wellbeing, Western Sydney UniversityPaul Strutt, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254062024-03-22T16:20:58Z2024-03-22T16:20:58ZIndustrialisation is still vital to economic development but some countries are struggling to reap its benefits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581880/original/file-20240314-28-tax1ga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5920%2C4642&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/industrial-worker-factory-welding-closeup-218715772">SvedOliver/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US, wrote a wealth of reports that served as building blocks for the country’s economic system. In 1791, during his time as secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton published one of his most important: the <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-10-02-0001-0007">Report on the Subject of Manufactures</a>. </p>
<p>It argued that the US needed to develop its manufacturing sector through the use of industrial and trade policy to grow its economy, bolster its military, increase its productivity, and catch up with the industrial and technological powerhouse of the time, Great Britain. </p>
<p>Hamilton died in 1804. But US policymakers, led by Henry Clay, followed Hamilton’s advice. Throughout the 19th century, the US succeeded in its mission of catching up with Great Britain and eventually became the world’s technological superpower.</p>
<p>It’s important that we remember Hamilton’s report. It’s a reminder of how thinking and strategising for economic growth and international competitiveness was changing. It was changing to a mindset that national sovereignty, economic development, international competitiveness and productivity growth are achieved through industrialisation. </p>
<p>But this long-established relationship between economic prosperity and industrialisation is now starting to change. So-called “megatrends” (technological, economic, societal and ecological trends that have a global impact) are changing traditional ideas of technological progress and, as a result, the way countries look to develop their economies. </p>
<p>My book <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-future-of-the-factory-9780198861584?cc=gb&lang=en#">The Future of the Factory</a> investigates how four megatrends are changing (and not changing) industrialisation and manufacturing-led growth. These megatrends are: the rise of services, digital automation technology, globalisation of production and ecological breakdown.</p>
<h2>Digital technology</h2>
<p>In some ways, megatrends are not changing or diminishing the importance of manufacturing-led development. </p>
<p>Digital services are increasingly seen as an alternative to manufacturing in boosting economic development. But they are not replacing the manufacturing sector as the engine of innovation and productivity growth. The manufacturing sector still scores <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/155731631771398616/at-your-service-the-promise-of-services-led-development">substantially higher</a> than the service sector on tradeability, innovation potential and spillovers to other parts of the economy.</p>
<p>Digital automation technology has also undoubtedly been disruptive in some sectors and countries. But they are not a significant threat to overall job displacement. This is primarily because automation technology tends to create more jobs than it displaces. </p>
<p>The introduction of the personal computer (PC) is a great example. In the US, the PC <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/jobs-lost-jobs-gained-what-the-future-of-work-will-mean-for-jobs-skills-and-wages">created</a> 15.8 million more jobs than it displaced between 1980 and 2015. Research has also <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/what-happened-to-jobs-at-high-risk-of-automation-10bc97f4-en.htm">found</a> that the countries who faced a higher overall automation risk in the early 2010s experienced higher employment growth than other countries in subsequent years. </p>
<p>It seems we are excessively hyping up the expected impact of new technology on economic organisation, as we have done so many times in the past. Industrialisation and factory-based production remain crucial for economic development and innovation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People sat at desks using computers in an office." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581762/original/file-20240313-16-fvu77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The PC has created many more jobs than it has displaced.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/diverse-multiracial-workers-sitting-desk-working-1295892817">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Uneven opportunities</h2>
<p>Power asymmetries in the world economy are, however, creating uneven opportunities to reap the benefits from industrialisation. At worst, they are making it harder for developing countries to industrialise altogether. </p>
<p>Transnational corporations based in high-income countries are more powerful than ever. And they often use this power to prevent countries, firms and workers in developing countries from getting a fair share of profits in global production systems. </p>
<p>Apple, for example, doesn’t actually “make” the iPhone. It outsources the production of every single component. But Apple still somehow manages to walk away with over 50% of the final retail price.</p>
<p>By contrast, the firms and workers in developing countries who assemble the iPhone (the most labour intensive part of the process) get <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-future-of-the-factory-9780198861584?cc=gb&lang=en#">less than 1.5%</a> of the final price. Large corporations like Apple also use their power to lobby for international trade agreements to work in their interests. </p>
<p>Additionally, high-income countries refuse to take their fair share of blame for ecological breakdown. They preach green industrial policy to developing countries before putting their own house in order. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00044-4/fulltext">study</a> found that high-income countries were responsible for 74% of global excess resource use between 1970 and 2017, despite accounting for only 15% of the world’s population. By contrast, low-income and lower-middle income countries, which make up around 50% of the world’s population, accounted for a mere 1% of global excess resource use over this period. </p>
<p>Given these developments, our system of international trade needs to be reformed so that it is fair rather than “free”. And developing countries should also have more ecological policy space in their implementation of industrial policy. The burden to deal with ecological breakdown should fall mainly on high-income countries, as these are the countries that got us into this mess.</p>
<h2>The return of industrial policy</h2>
<p>In many ways, Alexander Hamilton’s insights are still timely. Hamilton stressed the urgent need for policymakers to build up manufacturing capabilities to achieve economic growth and development. </p>
<p>This is what the US government is currently doing in an effort to re-industrialise its economy and especially to become more competitive with China. In July 2022, the US Senate <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/us/politics/senate-chips-china.html">passed</a> a historic US$280 billion (£222 billion) industrial policy bill — the largest industrial policy bill in history. </p>
<p>And the US is not the only country actively revamping industrial policy. The global use of industrial policy is at an <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2023/12/23/The-Return-of-Industrial-Policy-in-Data-542828">all-time high</a> as the world grapples with geopolitical tension and shocks to global supply chains. Although megatrends are changing industrialisation in some ways, they are not changing its importance. </p>
<p>We can also use Hamilton’s insights to understand the nature of competition in the modern world economy. The world economy is vastly different today, but we need to understand, like Hamilton understood, that industrialisation is a competitive game that involves power, politics, dirty play – and even warfare. </p>
<p>If the playing field is level, competition isn’t all that bad. But the global playing field today certainly isn’t level when it comes to the distribution of industrial and technological capabilities. This is one of the main obstacles to economic development in the 21st century.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225406/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jostein Hauge does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In an era of transformation, manufacturing still matters.Jostein Hauge, Assistant Professor in Development Studies, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255262024-03-22T12:32:51Z2024-03-22T12:32:51ZTikTok’s duet, green screen and stitch turn political point-scoring into an art form<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583248/original/file-20240320-26-kf77aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C844%2C748&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">TikTok's features for combining users' videos lend themselves to political disputes.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/13360/11589">Quick et al</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since its <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/09/14/massive-tiktok-growth-up-75-this-year-now-33x-more-users-than-nearest-competitor/">astronomical rise in popularity</a> during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, TikTok has played an increasing role in all aspects of American life, including politics, from the White House <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/11/tik-tok-ukraine-white-house/">briefing key TikTok creators</a> on the war in Ukraine to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/joe-biden-tiktok-campaign-comments/">launching a TikTok account</a>. </p>
<p>The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on March 13, 2024, seeking to force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the app <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-governments-ban-tiktok-can-they-a-cybersecurity-expert-explains-the-risks-the-app-poses-and-the-challenges-to-blocking-it-202300">or face a ban</a> in the U.S. Even if this legislation passes the Senate and Biden signs it into law, it’s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-bill-explained-politics-tech-platform-2024-3">unlikely TikTok will go away</a> before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Any law banning TikTok is likely to be challenged in court, and the app won’t simply disappear from people’s phones overnight.</p>
<p>Given that TikTok is almost certain to play a role in the 2024 election, it’s important to examine how TikTok helps shape political expression and discussion. With communications scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nionUr8AAAAJ&hl=en">Mackenzie Quick</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=0LbmlocAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">I</a> recently published a journal article exploring how American TikTok users use the app’s stitch, duet and green screen features to stoke partisan conflict.</p>
<h2>Getting together</h2>
<p>TikTok says its mission is to “<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/about?lang=en">inspire creativity and bring joy</a>.” In 2019, it introduced several features to help bolster that mission: duet, green screen and stitch. Duet allows you to post your video side by side with a video from another TikTok user. Green screen allows you to superimpose your video on a video from another TikTok user. Stitch allows you to append your video to the end of a short clip from a video from another TikTok user. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NmkwMnsyXTU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">TikTok offers several ways to add your video commentary to other people’s tiktoks.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>TikTok describes these features as giving users “<a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/green-screen-effect-on-tik-tok/">the most creative tools available</a>” and providing a way for users “<a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/new-on-tiktok-introducing-stitch">to engage with the world of content that’s made</a> … by the ever-creative TikTok community.” Given these descriptions, it appears that these tools were designed to increase creativity, interaction and connections.</p>
<p>They can be used in playful ways or used by subject matter experts to convey information. For example, some veterinarians use TikTok to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2109980">convey pet health information</a>. </p>
<p>However, a platform’s statements about how it intends its features to be used and how people actually use them can be quite different. While these features are often used in TikTok’s preferred ways, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v29i3.13360">our research found</a> that in political tiktoks, people often used the tools to double down on their political positions and attack those who don’t agree with them. In a time of volatile political divisiveness, these features can function as outlets for people to express their strongly held political views. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="blurred photo of a woman's face superimposed ove a text list" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1087&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1087&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1087&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1366&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1366&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583245/original/file-20240320-24-9wz7ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1366&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A TikTok user makes a political statement using the app’s green screen feature.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/13360/11589">Quick et al</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Scoring points</h2>
<p>Reinforcement and insults were recurring themes in our study. For instance, the green screen feature was often used to incorporate “evidence” in the background to support the creator’s claims. With this feature, “evidence” was often presented in the form of news articles or posts from other social media platforms. </p>
<p>One post from a conservative-leaning creator features a screenshot of the Apple iTunes music store charts to show the popularity of a song called “Let’s Go Brandon,” a conservative rallying cry and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lets-go-brandon-what-does-it-mean-republicans-joe-biden-ab13db212067928455a3dba07756a160">coded insult</a> against Biden. This creator presents the song’s position at No. 1 in the music store as proof that the conservative viewpoint is popular. “Evidence” is a loose term and could be anything that supported the creator’s viewpoint. </p>
<p>We found the duet feature was often used to communicate nonverbally, often to poke fun at someone with opposing political views. Eye rolling, smirking and head shaking were common gestures. In one video, a conservative creator starts a chain – an extended succession of duets – of women who support former President Donald Trump. A liberal-leaning creator uses the duet feature to join the chain with video of themselves holding a clothes iron out to the side to make it appear as though the iron is burning the original creator’s hand. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Side-by-side photos of people with faces blurred" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1289&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1289&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583481/original/file-20240321-16-wz1mwc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1289&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">TikTok’s duet feature is often used to show support or opposition to a political statement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/13360/11589">Quick et al</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stitches functioned similarly to duets, but people tended to use the feature as a chance to verbally respond and refute the previous creator’s point. These uses show that on political TikTok, personal feelings and proving others wrong matter more than constructive debate.</p>
<h2>The who and why of political TikTok</h2>
<p>While regulation of the app is a political issue, understanding how political conversations occur across TikTok remains important for understanding an increasingly polarized American electorate. When considering political discussions on TikTok, however, it’s important to remember that the app’s features don’t force users to do anything. Users actively shape their experiences in digital spaces.</p>
<p>Also, as political communication scholars <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=w36ZS44AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Daniel Kreiss</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=eyKkCV4AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Shannon McGregor</a> note, it’s important to proceed with caution when discussing the effects of technology on polarization because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231161880">not all groups experience polarization the same way</a>. For instance, the Black Lives Matter movement may be seen as polarizing for disrupting existing power structures, but its goal is to fight for equality, and it’s important to consider that context when looking at the group’s use of technology. </p>
<p>The lesson is to consider who is engaging in polarizing content and why they are doing so. While some users expressing themselves via these TikTok features aim to simply prove others wrong, akin to petty arguments, others may be critiquing and challenging the powerful.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225526/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Maddox does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>TikTok’s features for combining different users’ videos have sparked a wave of creativity. They’ve also formed an arena for political arguments and insults.Jessica Maddox, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Creative Media, University of AlabamaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257602024-03-22T12:32:33Z2024-03-22T12:32:33ZGenerative AI could leave users holding the bag for copyright violations<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583567/original/file-20240321-21-h56ai6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5459%2C3612&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How can users of AI tools like OpenAI's Sora video generator be sure they aren't producing copyright-violating content?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/in-this-photo-illustration-a-video-created-by-open-ais-news-photo/2008187952">Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Generative artificial intelligence has been hailed for its <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01751-1">potential to transform creativity</a>, and especially by lowering the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3582269.3615596">barriers to content creation</a>. While the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adh4451">creative potential of generative AI tools</a> has often been highlighted, the popularity of these tools poses questions about intellectual property and copyright protection. </p>
<p>Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are powered by <a href="https://research.ibm.com/blog/what-are-foundation-models">foundational AI models</a>, or AI models <a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/news/what-foundation-model-explainer-non-experts">trained on vast quantities of data</a>. Generative AI is <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2023/explained-generative-ai-1109">trained on</a> billions of pieces of data taken from text or images scraped from the internet. </p>
<p>Generative AI uses very powerful machine learning methods such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14539">deep learning</a> and <a href="https://www.datacamp.com/tutorial/transfer-learning">transfer learning</a> on such vast repositories of data to understand the relationships among those pieces of data – for instance, which words tend to follow other words. This allows generative AI to perform a broad range of tasks that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445922">mimic cognition and reasoning</a>. </p>
<p>One problem is that output from an AI tool can be <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10922">very similar to copyright-protected materials</a>. Leaving aside how generative models are trained, the challenge that widespread use of generative AI poses is how individuals and companies could be held liable when generative AI outputs infringe on copyright protections.</p>
<h2>When prompts result in copyright violations</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/dap.2022.10">Researchers</a> and <a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/ai-image-generators-output-copyrighted-characters">journalists</a> have raised the possibility that through selective prompting strategies, people can end up creating text, images or video that violates copyright law. Typically, generative AI tools output an image, text or video but <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/midjourney-copyright">do not provide any warning about potential infringement</a>. This raises the question of how to ensure that users of generative AI tools do not unknowingly end up infringing copyright protection. </p>
<p>The legal argument advanced by generative AI companies is that AI trained on copyrighted works is not an infringement of copyright <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi0656">since these models are not copying the training data</a>; rather, they are designed to learn the associations between the elements of writings and images like words and pixels. AI companies, including Stability AI, maker of image generator Stable Diffusion, contend that output images provided in response to a particular text prompt <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/artists-copyright-infringement-case-ai-art-generators-1235632929/">is not likely to be a close match</a> for any specific image in the training data. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a pair of hands, one holding a paint brush, over a painting" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583571/original/file-20240321-16-98fgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some artists, including Kelly McKernan, who is shown here painting, have sued AI companies for copyright infringement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/AIVisualArtists/48ed9b3665824d72b59bf4b9a7151073/photo?Query=ai%20copyright&mediaType=photo&sortBy=creationdatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=21&currentItemNo=1">AP Photo/George Walker IV</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Builders of generative AI tools have argued that prompts do not reproduce the training data, which should protect them from claims of copyright violation. Some audit studies have shown, though, that <a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/ai-image-generators-output-copyrighted-characters">end users of generative AI</a> can issue <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/midjourney-copyright">prompts that result in copyright violations</a> by producing works that <a href="https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/no-multimodal-chatgpt-is-not-going">closely resemble copyright-protected content</a>.</p>
<p>Establishing infringement requires <a href="https://houstonlawreview.org/article/92126-copyright-safety-for-generative-ai">detecting a close resemblance</a> between expressive elements of a stylistically similar work and original expression in particular works by that artist. Researchers have shown that methods such as <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2301.13188">training data extraction attacks</a>, which involve selective prompting strategies, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2311.17035">extractable memorization</a>, which tricks generative AI systems into revealing training data, can recover individual training examples ranging from photographs of individuals to trademarked company logos. </p>
<p>Audit studies such as the one <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/midjourney-copyright">conducted by computer scientist Gary Marcus and artist Reid Southern</a> provide several examples where there can be little ambiguity about the degree to which visual generative AI models produce images that infringe on copyright protection. The New York Times provided a similar comparison of images showing how generative AI tools <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/25/business/ai-image-generators-openai-microsoft-midjourney-copyright.html">can violate copyright protection</a>. </p>
<h2>How to build guardrails</h2>
<p>Legal scholars have dubbed the challenge in developing guardrails against copyright infringement into AI tools <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4438593">the “Snoopy problem</a>.” The more a copyrighted work is protecting a likeness – for example, the cartoon character Snoopy – the more likely it is a generative AI tool will copy it compared to copying a specific image. </p>
<p>Researchers in computer vision <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3466780">have long grappled with the issue</a> of how to detect copyright infringement, such as logos that are counterfeited or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3466780">images that are protected by patents</a>. Researchers have also examined how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3611309">logo detection can help identify counterfeit products</a>. These methods can be helpful in detecting violations of copyright. Methods to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-023-00733-2">establish content provenance and authenticity</a> could be helpful as well. </p>
<p>With respect to model training, AI researchers have suggested methods for making <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-023-01767-4">generative AI models unlearn</a> <a href="https://openaccess.thecvf.com/content/CVPR2022W/HCIS/html/Kim_Efficient_Two-Stage_Model_Retraining_for_Machine_Unlearning_CVPRW_2022_paper.html">copyrighted data</a>. Some AI companies such as <a href="https://claudeai.uk/anthropic-says-no-client-data-used-in-ai-training/">Anthropic have announced pledges</a> to not use data produced by their customers to train advanced models such as Anthropic’s large language model Claude. Methods for AI safety such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2403.04893">red teaming</a> – attempts to force AI tools to misbehave – or ensuring that the model training process <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.10870">reduces the similarity</a> between the outputs of generative AI and copyrighted material may help as well.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DUwDqSY8StE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Artists and technologists are fighting back against AI copyright infringement.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Role for regulation</h2>
<p>Human creators know to decline requests to produce content that violates copyright. Can AI companies build similar guardrails into generative AI?</p>
<p>There’s no established approaches to build such guardrails into generative AI, nor are there any <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/midjourney-copyright">public tools or databases that users can consult</a> to establish copyright infringement. Even if tools like these were available, they could put an excessive burden on <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/midjourney-copyright">both users and content providers</a>.</p>
<p>Given that naive users can’t be expected to learn and follow best practices to avoid infringing copyrighted material, there are roles for policymakers and regulation. It may take a combination of legal and regulatory guidelines to ensure best practices for copyright safety. </p>
<p>For example, companies that build generative AI models could <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4438593">use filtering or restrict model outputs</a> to limit copyright infringement. Similarly, regulatory intervention may be necessary to ensure that builders of generative AI models <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4438593">build datasets and train models</a> in ways that reduce the risk that the output of their products infringe creators’ copyrights.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225760/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anjana Susarla receives funding from the National Institute of Health</span></em></p>With the right prompts, AI users can mimic copyrighted works. There’s no easy technical or legal fix.Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256042024-03-19T18:17:35Z2024-03-19T18:17:35ZSmart rings’ ultra-precise movement tracking takes wearable technology to the next level<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581943/original/file-20240314-26-1uz986.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6382%2C4248&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-hands-blue-velvet-box-containing-2053213751">Vigen M / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is a lot of hype about smart rings right now – <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/samsung-galaxy-ring-everything-we-know-so-far/">Samsung is due to release a Galaxy ring</a>, and there is unsubstantiated speculation that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2024/02/27/apple-developing-ring-to-beat-samsung-galaxy-ring-report-claims/?sh=4195d8954e2c">Apple is considering a ring too</a>. But why would you want a smart ring in the first place?</p>
<p>The short answer is that they are likely to fulfil the same health and activity tracking as a watch, leaving your wrist free for a more fashionable or traditional timepiece.</p>
<p>But they can also track the your body’s movements much more precisely than other wearable technology, and record detailed information about the movement of your hands. This could allow you to control and interact with other technology in new ways – but also raise even more concerns about privacy.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://ouraring.com/">Oura ring</a> has been available since 2015 and one of us, Max, has been wearing one for more than five years. He does this to track sleep and activity data during times when he does not want to wear a watch (including sleeping). These rings track changes in your body temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability (the time intervals between heart beats), blood oxygen levels, and physical activity. A smart watch can also do much of this. </p>
<p>It is expected that the Galaxy Ring will do the same (at least that is what one of <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/smart-ring-competition-heats-up-with-samsungs-announcement-of-galaxy-ring/">their announcements focuses on</a>), and be added to its health and fitness range.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.patentlyapple.com/2023/08/apple-has-won-a-major-smart-ring-patent-designed-to-control-companion-device-uis-speed-scroll-documents-use-in-air-gesture.html">Apple’s patent application</a> indicates that its version may do more than monitor health. It may help control other devices, and vibrate to give users notifications.</p>
<h2>Benefits all round?</h2>
<p>Fingers are better than wrists at making specific gestures. With many more finger gesture options than arm positions, and finger gestures being the primary mode of interaction for VR (virtual reality) headsets, one probable future for smart rings is to control other devices. This would allow for the more precise detection of actions like pinching and pointing. </p>
<p>Multiple rings could work together to achieve this, with other devices. Apple’s ring patent, for example, implies that rings could be worn in different bands along the length of a single finger (not an uncommon choice with normal rings), allowing a company to know how your finger is angled. If communicating with a watch, smart rings could detect finger and hand position in relation to your arm. This potentially provides more precise interactions with VR headsets.</p>
<p>In being able to carefully track fingers, rather than wrists, smart rings might allow technology companies to understand, model, and help improve many more activities, especially in situations where cameras and sensors are less likely to be found. </p>
<p>One example of this is learning to play classical guitar, which does not involve as much strumming with the whole arm or at the wrist, but where all the skill is in the fingers. Bringing sensors closer to the body’s more dexterous touch sensors means that technology companies can more closely understand what you are doing. </p>
<h2>Status symbols</h2>
<p>Rings are jewellery, often worn to be seen. Apple is well known for making aesthetics a priority in its products. While the Galaxy ring looks a lot like the Oura Ring, it’s likely that Apple will consider the importance of personalisation and style.</p>
<p>Rings are not just worn on fingers, of course. Could rings for piercings, that go inside the body to some extent, like those on our ears or lips, give us additional data on ourselves? </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman runner using smart watch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582558/original/file-20240318-18-3tco3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Smart watches have found a particular use in fitness and health monitoring.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-fitness-woman-runner-checking-time-705175816">Ground Picture / Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There might also be value in incorporating smart technology into other adornments. There are already smart products <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/best-smart-jewelry?r=US&IR=T">designed to be worn as necklaces</a>. Potentially necklaces could help monitor stress levels because stress is closely linked to breathing patterns. There has also been a <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90853727/this-bra-tracks-your-vital-signs">smart bra</a>.</p>
<h2>Rings signify attachment</h2>
<p>The most well-known association that a ring has is as a gift of commitment and attachment. Researchers have looked at how we can use digital technology to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/634067.634252">communicate with loved ones who are not physically present</a>. Apple’s smart ring patent includes haptic feedback (where technology applies forces or vibrations to the user to simulate the experience of touch).</p>
<p>Smart wedding rings could be used to transmit messages between partners – to let one of them know the other is thinking about them. For example, an interaction such as twisting the ring could make your partner’s ring vibrate.</p>
<p>However, new smart devices will generate new forms of data and tracking, raising important questions about privacy and ethics. As with other wearable technology, there may be things people do not want to track. Imagine a message from your workplace telling you: “We see you aren’t typing at your desk right now.” </p>
<p>Social problems are also a possibility. If smart technology was incorporated into wedding rings, it could give people a way of tracking what their partners were doing even more closely than smartphones can.</p>
<p>These questions highlight the importance of governments focusing on the <a href="https://www.rai.ac.uk/">responsible use of AI</a>, as well as responsible innovation. <a href="http://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2023/11/be-smarter-than-your-smart-tech/">Research shows</a> that over half of British people (52%) feel like they do not know how their personal data is being collected and used.</p>
<p>Companies could create more targeted advertising based on changing circumstances, as when someone learns they are pregnant. Some regions of the world even offer cheaper life insurance to people with better health data from wearables.</p>
<p>What we should ask is: what is responsible and irresponsible for companies to track and try to infer about people from their wearables? This question should be at the forefront of thinking in the big tech companies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225604/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Horia Maior receives funding from UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Max L Wilson receives funding from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the European Union, as well as past research funding support from Google Research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steve Benford receives research funding from The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UKRI and the European Union. He has previously received funded from Unilever to research smart mirrors.</span></em></p>Smart rings can collect information about us that smartphones and smart watches struggle to.Horia Maior, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, University of NottinghamMax L Wilson, Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, University of NottinghamSteve Benford, Professor of Collaborative Computing, University of NottinghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247862024-03-19T18:17:34Z2024-03-19T18:17:34ZDeepfakes are still new, but 2024 could be the year they have an impact on elections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580733/original/file-20240308-30-tf2e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3865%2C2582&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/deep-fake-ai-face-swap-video-2376208005">Tero Vesalainen / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Disinformation caught many people off guard during the <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2018/620230/EPRS_ATA(2018)620230_EN.pdf">2016 Brexit referendum</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07761-2">US presidential election</a>. Since then, a mini-industry has developed to analyse and counter it.</p>
<p>Yet despite that, we have entered 2024 – a year of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elections_in_2024">more than 40 elections</a> worldwide – more fearful than ever about disinformation. In many ways, the problem is more challenging than it was in 2016. </p>
<p>Advances in technology since then are one reason for that, in particular the development that has taken place with synthetic media, otherwise known as deepfakes. It is increasingly difficult to know whether media has been fabricated by a computer or is based on something that really happened. </p>
<p>We’ve yet to really understand how big an impact deepfakes could have on elections. But a number of examples point the way to how they may be used. This may be the year when lots of mistakes are made and lessons learned.</p>
<p>Since the disinformation propagated around the votes in 2016, researchers have produced countless books and papers, journalists have retrained as <a href="https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2022/391-global-fact-checking-outlets-slow-growth-2022/">fact checking and verification experts</a>, governments have participated in <a href="https://www.igcd.org/">“grand committees”</a> and centres of excellence. Additionally, <a href="https://royalsociety.org/blog/2022/03/how-libraries-can-fight-disinformation/">libraries</a> have become the focus of resilience building strategies and a range of new bodies has emerged to provide analysis, training, and resources.</p>
<p>This activity hasn’t been fruitless. We now have a more nuanced understanding of disinformation as a social, psychological, political, and technological phenomenon. Efforts to support public interest journalism and the cultivation of critical thinking through education are also promising. Most notably, major tech companies <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-set-up-team-counter-disinformation-ai-abuse-eu-elections-2024-02-26/">no longer pretend to be neutral platforms</a>. </p>
<p>In the meantime, policymakers have rediscovered their duty to <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act_en">regulate technology</a> in the public interest. </p>
<h2>AI and synthetic media</h2>
<p>Regulatory discussions have added urgency now that AI tools to create synthetic media – media partially or fully generated by computers – have gone mainstream. These deepfakes can be used to imitate the voice and appearance of real people. Deepfake media are impressively realistic and do not require much skill or resources. </p>
<p>This is the culmination of the wider digital revolution whereby successive technologies have made high-quality content production accessible to almost anyone. In contrast, regulatory structures and institutional standards for media were mostly designed in an era when only a minority of professionals had access to production.</p>
<p>Political deepfakes can take different forms. The recent Indonesian election saw a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/12/asia/suharto-deepfake-ai-scam-indonesia-election-hnk-intl/index.html">deepfake video “resurrecting” the late President Suharto</a>. This was ostensibly to encourage people to vote, but it was accused of being propaganda because it produced by the political party that he led.</p>
<p>Perhaps a more obvious use of deepfakes is to spread lies about political candidates. For example, <a href="https://ipi.media/slovakia-deepfake-audio-of-dennik-n-journalist-offers-worrying-example-of-ai-abuse/">fake AI-generated audio</a> released days before Slovakia’s parliamentary election in September 2023 attempted to portray the leader of Progressive Slovakia, Michal Šimečka, as having discussed with a journalist how to rig the vote.</p>
<p>Aside from the obvious effort to undermine a political party, it is worth noting how this deepfake, whose origin was unclear, exemplifies wider efforts to scapegoat minorities and demonise mainstream journalism. </p>
<p>Fortunately, in this instance, the audio was not high-quality, which made it quicker and easier for fact checkers to confirm its inauthenticity. However, the integrity of democratic elections cannot rely on the ineptidude of the fakers.</p>
<p>Deepfake audio technology is at a level of <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-audio-deepfakes-are-quickly-outpacing-detection/">sophistication that makes detection difficult</a>. Deepfake videos still struggle with certain human features, such as the representation of hands, but the technology is still young.</p>
<p>It is also important to note the Slovakian video was released during the final days of the election campaign. This is a prime time to launch disinformation and manipulation attacks because the targets and independent journalists have their hands full and therefore have little time to respond.</p>
<p>If it is also expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to investigate deep fakes, then it’s not clear how electoral commissions, political candidates, the media, or indeed the electorate should respond when potential cases arise. After all, a false accusation from a deepfake can be as troubling as the actual deepfake.</p>
<p>Another way deepfakes could be used to affect elections can be seen in the way they are already widely used to <a href="https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/04/22/a-lifelong-sentence-the-women-trapped-in-a-deepfake-porn-hell">harass and abuse</a> women and girls. This kind of sexual harassment fits an <a href="https://theconversation.com/online-abuse-could-drive-women-out-of-political-life-the-time-to-act-is-now-214301">existing pattern</a> of abuse that limits political participation by women. </p>
<h2>Questioning electoral integrity</h2>
<p>The difficulty is that it’s not yet clear exactly what impact deepfakes could have on elections. It’s very possible we could see other, similar uses of deepfakes in upcoming elections this year. And we could even see deepfakes used in ways not yet conceived of.</p>
<p>But it’s also worth remembering that not all disinformation is high-tech. There are other ways to attack democracy. Rumours and conspiracy theories about the integrity of the electoral process are an insidious trend. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1abd7fde-20b4-11e9-a46f-08f9738d6b2b">Electoral fraud is a global concern</a> given that many countries are only democracies in name. </p>
<p>Clearly, social media platforms enable and drive disinformation in many ways, but it is a mistake to assume the problem begins and ends online. One way to think about the challenge of disinformation during upcoming elections is to think about the strength of the systems that are supposed to uphold democracy. </p>
<p>Is there an independent media system capable of providing high quality investigations in the public interest? Are there independent electoral administrators and bodies? Are there independent courts to adjudicate if necessary? </p>
<p>And is there sufficient commitment to democratic values over self interest
amongst politicians and political parties? This year of elections, we may well find out the answer to these questions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224786/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eileen Culloty coordinates the Ireland Hub of the European Digital Media Observatory, which is part-funded by the European Commission to undertake fact-checks, analysis, and media literacy.</span></em></p>As technology has advanced, AI-generated deepfakes have become more convincing.Eileen Culloty, Assistant Professor, School of Communications, Dublin City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256232024-03-19T14:07:44Z2024-03-19T14:07:44ZChina: why the country’s economy has hit a wall – and what it plans to do about it<p>China’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68508868">annual parliamentary meetings</a> in Beijing came to a close on March 11. They were conducted under great pressure: a weak economy and high expectations from both the domestic public and international observers as to what the government can do to get the economy out of the woods.</p>
<p>The country’s leaders did not shy away from mentioning all of the economic problems facing China. But they also attempted to boost the morale of the Chinese public by outlining how the country would march into the next chapter of the Chinese story – mainly by striving to become a global leader in technology.</p>
<p>The government used the meetings to <a href="https://npcobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-Government-Work-Report_EN.pdf">declare</a> that it was targeting GDP growth of 5% in 2024. This is lower than the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-q4-gdp-grows-52-yy-below-market-forecast-2024-01-17/">5.2% growth rate</a> that was achieved in 2023 but higher than the International Monetary Fund’s <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/CHN">forecast</a> of 4.6%. The Chinese government did not detail how this target will be achieved, but the target itself is indicative of the leadership’s confidence about the future.</p>
<p>Over the past four decades, China’s rapid economic growth has been attributed to market incentives, cheap labour, infrastructure investment, exports and foreign direct investment. But at the time of writing, none of these drivers are working effectively. </p>
<p>Market activities are intertwined with <a href="https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/2023/chinas-state-vs-private-company-tracker-which-sector-dominates">greater state intervention</a>. A declining population has weakened the labour supply. And uncertainty surrounding China’s economy and intensified geopolitical tensions have together driven foreign investment <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Foreign-direct-investment-in-China-falls-to-30-yearlow#:%7E:text=But%20FDI%20declined%20for%20the,recorded%20in%20the%20prior%20quarter.">out of China</a>. By January 2024, inward foreign direct investment in China was less than 10% of the US$344 billion (£270 billion) it received in 2021.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-doom-loop-a-dramatically-smaller-and-older-population-could-create-a-devastating-global-slowdown-221554">China's doom loop: a dramatically smaller (and older) population could create a devastating global slowdown</a>
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<h2>Property crisis</h2>
<p>Many of the risks facing China’s economy stem from its ailing real estate sector. For decades, China’s economy was dependent on a <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/02/02/cf-chinas-real-estate-sector-managing-the-medium-term-slowdown#:%7E:text=Real%20estate%20has%20long%20been,the%20buildup%20of%20significant%20risks">booming property market</a> driven by speculative investment returns. However, this growth was largely driven by debt. To maximise their profits, developers even began selling houses before they had been built.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A view of a room full of people in China sat facing a stage." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582141/original/file-20240315-28-bsptnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Delegates attending the closing meeting of the Two Sessions on March 11.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://epaimages.com/search.pp">Wu Hao/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>China’s economy started to slow and, in 2020, Chinese regulators <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-08/what-china-s-three-red-lines-mean-for-property-firms-quicktake">cracked down</a> on reckless borrowing. Beijing imposed widespread lending curbs on property developers, meaning they could not borrow more money to pay back their existing debts. </p>
<p>A crisis followed. In early 2024, Evergrande – the world’s most heavily indebted real estate developer – <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/embattled-china-evergrande-back-court-liquidation-hearing-2024-01-28/">went bust</a>. And other large property developers are in trouble. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67142093">Country Garden</a> has defaulted and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e1ffbcb4-3222-4a8e-be61-e3a6051567f5">Vanke</a> is struggling to find the new loans it needs to stay alive. </p>
<p>The government confirmed its determination to deflate the property bubble in its annual meeting. It did not highlight how to protect more property developers from defaulting, and only hinted at giving some help to allow developers to complete property projects.</p>
<p>The current weak consumer demand in China’s economy is closely related to the real estate crisis. The value of houses is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-17/china-home-prices-fall-most-since-2015-as-downturn-persists">much lower</a> today than it was two years ago, creating fear about the future value of personal wealth. This has prompted more precautionary saving and less consumption in the face of weak social protection, leading to a general <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/08/china-consumer-prices-plunge-at-fastest-rate-for-15-years-as-deflation-fears-deepen">decline in the price</a> of goods and services. </p>
<p>Demand for Chinese goods from abroad has also been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-us-pledge-joint-action-over-china-concerns-2023-05-13/">declining</a> due to trade restrictions imposed by the US and the EU, geopolitical concerns and shocks to global supply chains. This explains why throughout its annual meetings the government explicitly emphasised the need to strengthen the self-reliance of the Chinese economy. </p>
<h2>New drivers of growth</h2>
<p>The most eye-catching phrase to come out of the annual meetings was “new quality productive forces”. There are varying interpretations of the term, but they all focus on technology and innovation. </p>
<p>Chinese officials explicitly highlighted the need for China to strive to invent more products related to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The government envisions applications such as AI-powered travel agents and salespeople. </p>
<p>China has, up to this point, been better known for applying AI technologies. Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are all <a href="https://dgap.org/en/research/publications/chinas-smart-cities-and-future-geopolitics">smart cities</a>, where advanced technologies such as AI, cloud computing and big data are used in various areas including transport, urban planning and public security.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A robot police officer driving down a street in China." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582143/original/file-20240315-22-k4w6kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Shanghai’s first robot police officer patrolling the streets in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shanghai-china-dec-20-2019-shanghais-1594426684">atiger/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, transforming China’s economy from one that is driven by investment and fuelled by debt to one that is driven by innovation and technology will bring some fresh challenges. </p>
<p>First, innovation requires incentives and an institutional guarantee to reward risk-taking. Hence, the private sector needs to grow faster. <a href="https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/2023/chinas-state-vs-private-company-tracker-which-sector-dominates">Research</a> has found that the share of China’s private sector among the 100 largest listed companies in China dropped to 36.8% at the end of 2023 from 55.4% in mid-2021. </p>
<p>Second, innovation requires more highly skilled human capital. A <a href="https://www.oecd.org/future-of-work/reports-and-data/AI-Employment-brief-2021.pdf">report</a> by the OECD in 2021 concluded that the application of AI technology increases the demand for skilled employees, despite replacing low-skilled labour. This will pose a challenge for China as, up to this point, the country’s growth has been spurred by low-skilled labour. </p>
<p>Third, high-tech industries such as AI and digital services are energy intensive. China has already taken steps to diversify its energy supply, but securing energy supply chains will be essential in the longer term. </p>
<p>Heightened geopolitical tensions and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63883047">revamped global supply chains</a> may well reduce exports of energy and other natural resources to China in the future. Many of these resources come from developing economies that have exchanged their resources for China’s infrastructure investment in the past. This is unlikely to be the case in the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225623/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hong Bo previously received funding from the British Academy. </span></em></p>China is facing many economic obstacles, but Beijing remains optimistic about growth.Hong Bo, Professor of Financial Economics, SOAS, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202712024-03-19T12:26:28Z2024-03-19T12:26:28ZBuilding fairness into AI is crucial – and hard to get right<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582656/original/file-20240318-18-u3qu8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3478%2C3071&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are the AIs making decisions about your life fair?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/personnel-evaluation-by-artificial-royalty-free-illustration/1733429687?phrase=Artificial+intelligence+hiring">sorbetto/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Artificial intelligence’s capacity to process and analyze vast amounts of data has revolutionized decision-making processes, making operations in <a href="https://doi.org/10.7861%2Ffhj.2021-0095">health care</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2644">finance</a>, <a href="https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/using-artificial-intelligence-address-criminal-justice-needs">criminal justice</a> and other sectors of society more efficient and, in many instances, more effective.</p>
<p>With this transformative power, however, comes a significant responsibility: the need to ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed in a manner that is <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1610.02413">equitable and just</a>. In short, AI needs to be fair. </p>
<p>The pursuit of fairness in AI is not merely an ethical imperative but a requirement in order to foster trust, inclusivity and the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/">responsible advancement of technology</a>. However, ensuring that AI is fair is a major challenge. And on top of that, my research as a computer scientist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=ASf9Q04AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">who studies AI</a> shows that attempts to ensure fairness in AI can have unintended consequences.</p>
<h2>Why fairness in AI matters</h2>
<p>Fairness in AI has emerged as a <a href="https://www.aies-conference.com/2024/">critical area of focus</a> for researchers, developers and policymakers. It transcends technical achievement, touching on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/">ethical, social and legal dimensions of the technology</a>.</p>
<p>Ethically, fairness is a cornerstone of building trust and acceptance of AI systems. People need to trust that AI decisions that affect their lives – for example, hiring algorithms – are made equitably. Socially, AI systems that embody fairness can help address and mitigate historical biases – for example, those against women and minorities – fostering inclusivity. Legally, embedding fairness in AI systems helps bring those systems into alignment with anti-discrimination laws and regulations around the world.</p>
<p>Unfairness can stem from two primary sources: the input data and the algorithms. Research has shown that input data can <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2477899">perpetuate bias</a> in various sectors of society. For example, in hiring, algorithms processing data that reflects societal prejudices or lacks diversity can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3351095.3372828">perpetuate “like me” biases</a>. These biases favor candidates who are similar to the decision-makers or those already in an organization. When biased data is then used to train a machine learning algorithm to aid a decision-maker, the algorithm can <a href="http://proceedings.mlr.press/v81/buolamwini18a.html?mod=article_inline&ref=akusion-ci-shi-dai-bizinesumedeia">propagate and even amplify these biases</a>.</p>
<h2>Why fairness in AI is hard</h2>
<p>Fairness is inherently subjective, influenced by cultural, social and personal perspectives. In the context of AI, researchers, developers and policymakers often translate fairness to the idea that algorithms <a href="https://fairmlbook.org/index.html">should not perpetuate or exacerbate</a> existing biases or inequalities.</p>
<p>However, measuring fairness and building it into AI systems is fraught with subjective decisions and technical difficulties. Researchers and policymakers have proposed <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1610.02413">various definitions of fairness</a>, such as demographic parity, equality of opportunity and individual fairness.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Why the concept of algorithmic fairness is so challenging.</span></figcaption>
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<p>These definitions involve different mathematical formulations and underlying philosophies. They also often conflict, highlighting the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3433949">difficulty of satisfying all fairness criteria</a> simultaneously in practice.</p>
<p>In addition, fairness cannot be distilled into a single metric or guideline. It encompasses a spectrum of considerations including, but not limited to, <a href="https://fairmlbook.org/index.html">equality of opportunity, treatment and impact</a>.</p>
<h2>Unintended effects on fairness</h2>
<p>The multifaceted nature of fairness means that AI systems must be scrutinized at every level of their development cycle, from the initial design and data collection phases to their final deployment and ongoing evaluation. This scrutiny reveals another layer of complexity. AI systems are seldom deployed in isolation. They are used as part of often complex and important decision-making processes, such as making recommendations about hiring or allocating funds and resources, and are subject to many constraints, including <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4589207">security and privacy</a>.</p>
<p>Research my colleagues and I conducted shows that constraints such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2312.03886">computational resources, hardware types</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2021/78">privacy</a> can significantly influence the fairness of AI systems. For instance, the need for computational efficiency can lead to simplifications that inadvertently overlook or misrepresent marginalized groups. </p>
<p>In our study on network pruning – a method to make complex machine learning models smaller and faster – we found that this process <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2205.13574">can unfairly affect certain groups</a>. This happens because the pruning might not consider how different groups are represented in the data and by the model, leading to biased outcomes.</p>
<p>Similarly, privacy-preserving techniques, while crucial, can obscure the data necessary to identify and mitigate biases or disproportionally affect the outcomes for minorities. For example, when statistical agencies add noise to data to protect privacy, this can <a href="https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2021/78">lead to unfair resource allocation</a> because the added noise affects some groups more than others. This disproportionality can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2022/766">skew decision-making processes</a> that rely on this data, such as resource allocation for public services. </p>
<p>These constraints do not operate in isolation but intersect in ways that compound their impact on fairness. For instance, when privacy measures exacerbate biases in data, it can further amplify existing inequalities. This makes it important to have a comprehensive understanding and approach to both privacy and fairness for AI development.</p>
<h2>The path forward</h2>
<p>Making AI fair is not straightforward, and there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. It requires a process of continuous learning, adaptation and collaboration. Given that bias is pervasive in society, I believe that people working in the AI field should recognize that it’s not possible to achieve perfect fairness and instead strive for continuous improvement. </p>
<p>This challenge requires a commitment to rigorous research, thoughtful policymaking and ethical practice. To make it work, researchers, developers and users of AI will need to ensure that considerations of fairness are woven into all aspects of the AI pipeline, from its conception through data collection and algorithm design to deployment and beyond.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220271/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ferdinando Fioretto receives funding from the National Science Foundation, Google, and Amazon. </span></em></p>Bias in AI has been getting a lot of attention lately, but it’s just one aspect of the larger – and thornier – problem of fairness in AI.Ferdinando Fioretto, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234152024-03-18T12:32:12Z2024-03-18T12:32:12ZAs the US government and record labels go after TikTok, musicians get the squeeze<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582257/original/file-20240315-16-a1ogtt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C24%2C8243%2C5462&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thomas Raggi of the band Måneskin performs a concert that streamed live on TikTok in 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/thomas-raggi-of-the-band-maneskin-performs-at-a-live-news-photo/1233487624?adppopup=true">Fabian Sommer/Picture Alliance via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For much of the year, TikTok has been on the defensive. </p>
<p>On March 13, 2024, the House of Representatives <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">voted to approve a bill</a> that would force the short-form video app to be sold off from its Chinese parent company to non-Chinese owners or face a ban in the U.S. The Senate will still have to vote on the legislation, which received broad bipartisan support due to beliefs that TikTok creates risks to national security.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Universal Music Group, one of the biggest record labels in the world, <a href="https://www.universalmusic.com/an-open-letter-to-the-artist-and-songwriter-community-why-we-must-call-time-out-on-tiktok/">stopped licensing its music to TikTok</a> at the end of January 2024. Since then, songs by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and scores of other artists can no longer be used on the platform, while millions of TikTok videos that had incorporated tracks from Universal artists were muted.</p>
<p>Universal Music Group has an estimated <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4580695-universal-music-group-buy-the-leader-of-the-music-industry-ahead-of-earnings">37.5% market share</a> in the music industry, so its songs likely make up a significant portion of the clips used on TikTok prior to the ban.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/tiktok-begins-removing-universal-music-publishing-songs-expanding-roya-rcna140713">The record label claims</a> its artists account for a majority of songs on the platform, and therefore, Universal artists should be better compensated and have guardrails against the harmful effects of artificial intelligence. TikTok, in its response, has said that it has come to amicable agreements with other record labels and that Universal is being unreasonable to the detriment of the artists it seeks to protect.</p>
<p>In the end, both companies simply want to have a larger piece of the pie.</p>
<p>But each of their interests, I believe, should be secondary to the creators that sustain them. Over the past two decades, as the internet and streaming have disrupted the music industry, wage gains for music professionals have been far more pronounced at the top of the income ladder. However, most composers and performers have seen their income and employment prospects dwindle.</p>
<p>TikTok has become a beacon in an otherwise dismal digital streaming landscape, and while musicians increasingly need TikTok, TikTok also needs music. </p>
<h2>Gains have gone to the top</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/bc01f8f80efe2e8d006b26520064d146">My research explores the impact of technology</a> on music professionals in the internet era.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91040797/what-the-digital-streaming-revolution-of-the-2000s-can-teach-us-about-the-ai-revolution-today-according-to-a-former-musician">Technology was supposed to democratize the music industry</a>, allowing more artists to more easily gain access to new markets.</p>
<p>Artists no longer needed a record deal to record their music and get it out to the world. They can record music cheaply using their computers, upload it to YouTube, Spotify, BandCamp, SoundCloud, Tidal or any number of platforms for music distribution, then promote their work on social media to build their audience.</p>
<p>But this didn’t lead to more music professionals making a living off their work.</p>
<p>That’s the conclusion I came to by analyzing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which includes two categories of music professionals: performers, who record songs and put on live shows, and composers, which includes musicians who conduct performances or create original works of music but do not necessarily perform that music. A performer would be someone like Dua Lipa, whereas a composer might be someone who is credited for writing a track on Dua Lipa’s album. </p>
<p>From 1999 to 2022, composers saw a strong 85.3% boost in employment, reflecting a gain of 5,380 jobs. This alone suggests that technology has helped music professionals gain employment.</p>
<p>However, when we look at performers – whose employment numbers shrank by 14,690, or 31.6% – it tells a different story. </p>
<p>Put together, the total number of music professionals fell by 9,310 people from 1999 to 2022, reflecting a 17.6% drop. All the free promotion of social media and the lowered barriers to entry that the internet provided were not enough to sustain artists’ livelihoods.</p>
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<p>Wages tell a more complex story. </p>
<p>While more people have earned a living from composing music since 1999, their wage gains paled in comparison to that of performers. In short, there are fewer people working as performers now, but those who can cut it are making more money. </p>
<p>This would seem to show that technology has helped most working music professionals.</p>
<p>However, there were outsize gains among the top 10% of music professionals – so the bulk of the rewards from technological advancement went to those at the top. The average wage gain for music professions rises as you climb the income ladder.</p>
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<h2>Artists first, or artists last?</h2>
<p>Artists, then, are having an increasingly difficult time making a living, especially independent artists who comprise the lower income brackets. </p>
<p>The promises of technology <a href="https://hbr.org/2024/01/is-genais-impact-on-productivity-overblown">are often overblown</a>; in the case of music, the winners and losers have ended up mirroring <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rising-inequality-a-major-issue-of-our-time/">broader societal inequalities</a>.</p>
<p>Even as technology hasn’t deliver what it promised to artists, artists are increasingly reliant on technology to make a living. </p>
<p>They’ve increasingly turned to TikTok to do so.</p>
<p>TikTok, with <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/">more than a billion active users</a> worldwide, has revolutionized music promotion and discovery. Unlike traditional social media, TikTok’s unique format, algorithm-driven content discovery and collaborative features supposedly democratize fame. </p>
<p>Lesser-known artists can go viral, shaping the Billboard charts and propelling songs into the mainstream. Lil Nas X <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/lil-nas-xs-no-1-run-began-tiktok-now-music-industry-taking-notice">rose to fame on TikTok</a> with “Old Town Road” and promptly signed on to Columbia Records. Oliver Anthony, the creator of the populist hit “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/oliver-anthony-music-rich-men-north-of-richmond-number-one-debut-hot-100-1235396681/">went viral</a> in summer 2023, eventually reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.</p>
<p>In this era of virality, TikTok has become an essential promotional tool for musicians and record labels alike, transcending the boundaries of conventional social platforms.</p>
<p>By cutting ties with TikTok, Universal Music Group is not only depriving its artists of these opportunities, but it’s also alienating a large and loyal fan base who use TikTok to interact with their favorite artists and their songs. </p>
<p>TikTok also loses in this situation, since music is such a critical part of its audiovisual experience. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-22/tiktok-lost-customers-when-it-took-away-music-in-australia">In a 2023 test conducted by TikTok</a>, the platform limited the music that some users in Australia could use in posts. For three straight weeks, the number of users, along with the time users spent on the app, declined. </p>
<p>Both parties say they want to protect the artists, <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktok-statement-in-response-to-universal-music-group">with TikTok arguing</a> that it has reached “artist-first agreements with every other label” and that “Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.”</p>
<p>TikTok is banking on the perception that platforms provide opportunities for cultural producers by saying that the power of the platform lies in it being “a free promotional and discovery vehicle” for artists. Some members of Congress who opposed the TikTok ban cited the platform’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/tiktok-bill-ban-house-vote-af4d0800?mod=hp_lead_pos1">utility for maintaining creators’ livelihoods</a>, so this is a common refrain.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman holds sign reading 'I'm 1 of 170 million Americans on TikTok.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A protester holds a sign in support of TikTok at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on March 12, 2024.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/participants-hold-signs-in-support-of-tiktok-at-a-news-news-photo/2079160123?adppopup=true">Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>In response, Universal Music Group has declared that TikTok has an “outdated view” of the modern music business due to the app’s insistence that it provides exposure for artists – and that this exposure is good enough. As my research shows, this free promotion has not grown the ranks of artists who can make a living off music.</p>
<p>TikTok still holds out hope that it can reach “<a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/umpg-update-february-28-2024">an equitable agreement with Universal Music Group</a>,” but the record label hasn’t budged.</p>
<p>The two media companies say they want to protect artists. But I believe the artists are the ones who will end up hurt the most in a divorce.</p>
<p>In other words, TikTok and Universal need to stay together for the kids.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223415/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ediz Ozelkan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For some musical artists, TikTok has become a beacon in an otherwise dismal digital streaming landscape.Ediz Ozelkan, Lecturer of Media Studies, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200362024-03-18T12:31:28Z2024-03-18T12:31:28ZAI vs. elections: 4 essential reads about the threat of high-tech deception in politics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582204/original/file-20240315-28-p5czjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4977%2C6250&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Like it or not, AI is already playing a role in the 2024 presidential election.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/android-celebrating-4th-july-royalty-free-image/499467267?phrase=Robot+Uncle+Sam">kirstypargeter/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s official. Joe Biden and Donald Trump have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/13/few-voters-decide-trump-biden-nominations/">secured the necessary delegates</a> to be their parties’ nominees for president in the 2024 election. Barring unforeseen events, the two will be formally nominated at the party conventions this summer and face off at the ballot box on Nov. 5. </p>
<p>It’s a safe bet that, as <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-tech-firms-have-tried-to-stop-disinformation-and-voter-intimidation-and-come-up-short-148771">in recent elections</a>, this one will play out largely online and feature a potent blend of news and disinformation delivered over social media. New this year are powerful generative artificial intelligence tools such as <a href="https://openai.com/chatgpt">ChatGPT</a> and <a href="https://openai.com/sora">Sora</a> that make it easier to “<a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=4040800">flood the zone</a>” with propaganda and disinformation and produce convincing deepfakes: words coming from the mouths of politicians that they did not actually say and events replaying before our eyes that did not actually happen.</p>
<p>The result is an increased likelihood of voters being deceived and, perhaps as worrisome, a growing sense that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378236203_Profiling_the_Dynamics_of_Trust_Distrust_in_Social_Media_A_Survey_Study">you can’t trust anything you see online</a>. Trump is already taking advantage of the so-called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055423001454">liar’s dividend</a>, the opportunity to discount your actual words and deeds as deepfakes. Trump implied on his Truth Social platform on March 12, 2024, that real videos of him shown by Democratic House members were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/13/trump-video-ai-truth-social/">produced or altered using artificial intelligence</a>.</p>
<p>The Conversation has been covering the latest developments in artificial intelligence that have the potential to undermine democracy. The following is a roundup of some of those articles from our archive. </p>
<h2>1. Fake events</h2>
<p>The ability to use AI to make convincing fakes is particularly troublesome for producing false evidence of events that never happened. Rochester Institute of Technology computer security researcher <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UxGWcUYAAAAJ&hl=en">Christopher Schwartz</a> has dubbed these <a href="https://theconversation.com/events-that-never-happened-could-influence-the-2024-presidential-election-a-cybersecurity-researcher-explains-situation-deepfakes-206034">situation deepfakes</a>.</p>
<p>“The basic idea and technology of a situation deepfake are the same as with any other deepfake, but with a bolder ambition: to manipulate a real event or invent one from thin air,” he wrote.</p>
<p>Situation deepfakes could be used to boost or undermine a candidate or suppress voter turnout. If you encounter reports on social media of events that are surprising or extraordinary, try to learn more about them from reliable sources, such as fact-checked news reports, peer-reviewed academic articles or interviews with credentialed experts, Schwartz said. Also, recognize that deepfakes can take advantage of what you are inclined to believe.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/events-that-never-happened-could-influence-the-2024-presidential-election-a-cybersecurity-researcher-explains-situation-deepfakes-206034">Events that never happened could influence the 2024 presidential election – a cybersecurity researcher explains situation deepfakes</a>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">How AI puts disinformation on steroids.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>2. Russia, China and Iran take aim</h2>
<p>From the question of what AI-generated disinformation can do follows the question of who has been wielding it. Today’s AI tools put the capacity to produce disinformation in reach for most people, but of particular concern are <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-disinformation-is-a-threat-to-elections-learning-to-spot-russian-chinese-and-iranian-meddling-in-other-countries-can-help-the-us-prepare-for-2024-214358">nations that are adversaries</a> of the United States and other democracies. In particular, Russia, China and Iran have extensive experience with disinformation campaigns and technology.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot more to running a disinformation campaign than generating content,” wrote security expert and Harvard Kennedy School lecturer <a href="https://www.schneier.com/">Bruce Schneier</a>. “The hard part is distribution. A propagandist needs a series of fake accounts on which to post, and others to boost it into the mainstream where it can go viral.”</p>
<p>Russia and China have a history of testing disinformation campaigns on smaller countries, according to Schneier. “Countering new disinformation campaigns requires being able to recognize them, and recognizing them requires looking for and cataloging them now,” he wrote.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-disinformation-is-a-threat-to-elections-learning-to-spot-russian-chinese-and-iranian-meddling-in-other-countries-can-help-the-us-prepare-for-2024-214358">AI disinformation is a threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024</a>
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<h2>3. Healthy skepticism</h2>
<p>But it doesn’t require the resources of shadowy intelligence services in powerful nations to make headlines, as the New Hampshire <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-robocall-biden-new-hampshire-primary-2024-f94aa2d7f835ccc3cc254a90cd481a99">fake Biden robocall</a> produced and disseminated by two individuals and aimed at dissuading some voters illustrates. That episode prompted the Federal Communications Commission to <a href="https://theconversation.com/fcc-bans-robocalls-using-deepfake-voice-clones-but-ai-generated-disinformation-still-looms-over-elections-223160">ban robocalls that use voices generated</a> by artificial intelligence. </p>
<p>AI-powered disinformation campaigns are difficult to counter because they can be delivered over different channels, including robocalls, social media, email, text message and websites, which complicates the digital forensics of tracking down the sources of the disinformation, wrote <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=yu4Ew7gAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Joan Donovan</a>, a media and disinformation scholar at Boston University.</p>
<p>“In many ways, AI-enhanced disinformation such as the New Hampshire robocall poses the same problems as every other form of disinformation,” Donovan wrote. “People who use AI to disrupt elections are likely to do what they can to hide their tracks, which is why it’s necessary for the public to remain skeptical about claims that do not come from verified sources, such as local TV news or social media accounts of reputable news organizations.”</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fcc-bans-robocalls-using-deepfake-voice-clones-but-ai-generated-disinformation-still-looms-over-elections-223160">FCC bans robocalls using deepfake voice clones − but AI-generated disinformation still looms over elections</a>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">How to spot AI-generated images.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>4. A new kind of political machine</h2>
<p>AI-powered disinformation campaigns are also difficult to counter because they can include bots – automated social media accounts that pose as real people – and can include <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-take-over-elections-and-undermine-democracy-206051">online interactions tailored to individuals</a>, potentially over the course of an election and potentially with millions of people.</p>
<p>Harvard political scientist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3Bl9cn8AAAAJ&hl=en">Archon Fung</a> and legal scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LxG5YWcAAAAJ&hl=en">Lawrence Lessig</a> described these capabilities and laid out a hypothetical scenario of national political campaigns wielding these powerful tools.</p>
<p>Attempts to block these machines could run afoul of the free speech protections of the First Amendment, according to Fung and Lessig. “One constitutionally safer, if smaller, step, already adopted in part by European internet regulators and in California, is to prohibit bots from passing themselves off as people,” they wrote. “For example, regulation might require that campaign messages come with disclaimers when the content they contain is generated by machines rather than humans.”</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-take-over-elections-and-undermine-democracy-206051">How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/election-2024-disinformation-151606">This article is part of Disinformation 2024:</a></strong> a series examining the science, technology and politics of deception in elections.</em></p>
<p><em>You may also be interested in:</em></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/disinformation-is-rampant-on-social-media-a-social-psychologist-explains-the-tactics-used-against-you-216598">Disinformation is rampant on social media – a social psychologist explains the tactics used against you</a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/misinformation-disinformation-and-hoaxes-whats-the-difference-158491">Misinformation, disinformation and hoaxes: What’s the difference?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/disinformation-campaigns-are-murky-blends-of-truth-lies-and-sincere-beliefs-lessons-from-the-pandemic-140677">Disinformation campaigns are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs – lessons from the pandemic</a></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220036/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Using disinformation to sway elections is nothing new. Powerful new AI tools, however, threaten to give the deceptions unprecedented reach.Eric Smalley, Science + Technology EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253822024-03-15T17:34:38Z2024-03-15T17:34:38ZElon Musk’s brain implant company offers an intriguing glimpse of an internet connecting human minds<p>Elon Musk’s <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15077864/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-computer-interface-ai-cyborgs">company called Neuralink</a>, launched in 2016, aims to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-elon-musk-neuralink-20170421-htmlstory.html">implant a piece of technology</a> in people’s brains that would allow them to control a computer or phone by thought alone. This is otherwise known as a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3497935/">brain-computer interface</a>. </p>
<p>After years of <a href="https://theconversation.com/neuralink-put-a-chip-in-gertrude-the-pigs-brain-it-might-be-useful-one-day-145383">experimenting on animals</a>, Neuralink recently announced the implantation of one of their devices in the brain of a person.</p>
<p>Yet “neurotechnology”, of which this is a form, holds the promise of alleviating human suffering and allowing <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06377-x">people with disabilities to regain lost capacities</a>.</p>
<p>And it raises further questions. Would people without disabilities also embrace technology that directly connects with their brains and nervous systems? What would happen in future if people were able to link themselves to devices, infrastructure and even other people’s brains in a kind of brain-computer internet?</p>
<p>It’s now time to begin to think about those questions. Medical conditions such as <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/locked-syndrome">locked-in syndrome</a> prevent people from communicating or moving their limbs. Neuralink’s device is initially aimed at restoring capacities to people with such conditions by controlling a computer cursor to communicate, or using a robotic arm to feed themselves. </p>
<p>However, the longer term aspirations of the company, as expressed by Musk, include the capacity to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/08/28/elon-musk-wants-to-put-a-fitbit-in-your-skull-to-summon-your-tesla/?sh=f71cac7586a9">summon a self-driving vehicle by thought alone</a>. These aspirations suggest that neurotechnology might connect people to a wide variety of technological systems currently in everyday use.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-brain-is-the-most-complicated-object-in-the-universe-this-is-the-story-of-scientists-quest-to-decode-it-and-read-peoples-minds-222458">The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists' quest to decode it – and read people's minds</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are brain-computer interfaces?</h2>
<p>Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) detect the electrical activity in the brain connected to a person’s intentions. For example, if a person wants a cursor to move to the right, they might imagine waving their hand. This brain activity is decoded and converted into a command for a cursor. </p>
<p>This approach can work with a robotic arm, the lights in a smart home, a video game, or <a href="https://www.usf.edu/news/2018/mind-machine-students-to-compete-usf-first-ever-brain-drone-race.aspx">even a drone or robot</a>. A BCI can be thought of as a “universal controller”, or as the eminent neuroscientist Professor Rafael Yuste has described it, <a href="https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/rafael-yuste-lets-act-its-too-late">an iPhone for the brain</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Elon Musk" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581735/original/file-20240313-22-mv5ska.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Elon Musk believes BCIs could be used to control self-driving vehicles by thought alone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/paris-france-june-16-2023-elon-2318800285">Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Neurotechnology can be invasively implanted in the brain or nervous system, or come in the form of wearable technology, such as a headset or earbuds. Air traffic controllers with external headsets can have their brains monitored to alert them when their attention levels are dropping. </p>
<p>Children in <a href="https://archive-yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mind-control-chinas-classrooms">Chinese high schools</a> have already had their brains monitored by teachers. The company <a href="https://www.brainwavescience.com/">Brainwave Science</a> even offers a product to security services and police that can monitor suspects’ brains during interrogations.</p>
<p>However, things might go even further, as forms of direct <a href="https://theconversation.com/brain-to-brain-interfaces-the-science-of-telepathy-37926">brain to brain communication</a> are being tested. Instead of calling your friend or texting them, you might one day communicate telepathically. Rudimentary forms of direct brain to brain communication between humans (and even between humans and various animals) have already been achieved.</p>
<h2>Military uses</h2>
<p>Various militaries are also interested in the potential of “super soldiers” enhanced with neurotechnology, as they could operate more effectively in challenging environments, such as urban settings.</p>
<p>This would incorporate weapon systems, sensing and monitoring the human brains of military personnel in a distributed system of battlefield control. A particularly striking example of this approach comes in the form of the <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/news/tech-design/mind-control-robots-reality">thought-controlled robotic dogs</a> that have recently been demonstrated by the Australian Army.</p>
<p>This brings to mind the fictional <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borg">Borg civilisation</a> from Star Trek, who are a similar mix of biology and machine parts. The alien Borg are individuals connected by neurotechnology that operate together as an entity. The implications of an interconnected system of humans and machines enabled by neurotechnology is something we should start to think about, along with what values <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290974852_We_Are_the_Borg_Human_Assimilation_into_Cellular_Society">that society might have</a>.</p>
<p>We can envisage all kinds of scenarios. In future, it’s possible that those who operate critical infrastructure in cities could have their brains monitored to prevent accidents. People with mobility issues might increasingly interact with devices in their home, turning lights on and off and controlling domestic robots via their brain-computer interfaces. </p>
<h2>Wider take-up?</h2>
<p>At some point, people without disabilities could also decide to dispense with handheld remote control appliances in favour of controlling devices with their brains. Prisoners and offenders in the community could be monitored in real-time to assess their <a href="https://lsj.com.au/articles/a-clockwork-orange-again/">mental states</a>.</p>
<p>In time, these separate applications might start to make connections with each other in service of enhanced efficiency, commercial expediency, and social control. Neurotech could emerge as an essential infrastructure that becomes the key interface of human relationships with technological systems.</p>
<p>What emerges from all of this? There has some been some thinking and action in relation to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-quarterly-of-healthcare-ethics/article/minding-rights-mapping-ethical-and-legal-foundations-of-neurorights/2F3BD282956047E1E67AA9049A2A0B68">the human rights</a> and broader <a href="https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/research/how-will-brain-monitoring-technology-influence-the-practice-of-law">legal implications of neurotechnology</a>. But much of the debate is rather individualistic in orientation and neglects the wider societal implications of changing human relationships with technological systems. </p>
<p>Consequently, we need a discussion about the larger purpose of neurotechnology, its use and implications. This needs input from a variety of groups, such as infrastructure specialists, designers, architects, human computer interaction specialists and community groups.</p>
<p>Neurotechnology is likely to have diverse impacts across society: in the home, the workplace, the criminal justice system and networks of infrastructure.</p>
<p>Teasing out the emerging issues across these different sectors should enable us to anticipate the harms and benefits of neurotechnology. This will allow us to shape its development to support humans and the environment. </p>
<p>To paraphrase the Borg: resistance may not be futile after all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225382/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Allan McCay is a member of Standards Australia's Brain-computer interface committee.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Marvin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Could the technology move beyond medical applications and into wide use?Simon Marvin, Director, Urban Institute, University of SheffieldAllan McCay, Academic Fellow, University of Sydney Law School, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257492024-03-15T15:15:16Z2024-03-15T15:15:16ZIs TikTok’s parent company an agent of the Chinese state? In China Inc., it’s a little more complicated<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582050/original/file-20240314-28-369bin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C5%2C3553%2C2358&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some U.S. lawmakers have grown concerned about TikTok.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/people-walk-past-an-advertisement-featuring-the-tiktok-logo-news-photo/2075608549?adppopup=true">Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Does the Chinese government have officials inside TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, pulling the strings? And does the storing of data from the popular social media app outside of China protect Americans?</p>
<p>These questions appear to dominate the current thinking in the U.S. over <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/13/technology/tiktok-ban-house-vote.html">whether to ban TikTok</a> if its owner, Chinese technology giant ByteDance, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/tiktok-ban-china-would-block-sale-of-short-video-app.html">refuses to sell the platform</a>.</p>
<p>But in my opinion – forged through <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vXeBa0kAAAAJ&hl=en">40 years as a scholar of China, its political economy and business</a> – both questions obscure a more interesting point. What’s more, they suggest a crucial misunderstanding of the relationship between state and private enterprise in China.</p>
<p>Simply put, there’s no clear line between the state and society in China in the same way that there is in democracies. The Chinese Communist Party – which is synonymous with the Chinese state – both owns and is the nation. And that goes for private enterprises, too. They operate like joint ventures in which the government is both a partner and the ultimate boss. Both sides know that – even if that relationship isn’t expressly codified and recognizable to outside onlookers.</p>
<h2>ByteDance under the microscope</h2>
<p>Take ByteDance. The company has become the focus of scrutiny in the U.S. largely due to the outsized influence that its subsidiary <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/02/22/how-u-s-adults-use-tiktok/">plays in the lives of young Americans</a>. Some <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-house-vote-force-bytedance-divest-tiktok-or-face-ban-2024-03-13/">170 million Americans</a> are TikTok users, and U.S. politicians fear their data has a direct route back to the Chinese state via ByteDance, which has its head offices in Beijing.</p>
<p>Location aside, concerned voices in the U.S. cite the evidence of former ByteDance employees who suggest <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-bytedance-user-data-d257d98125f69ac80f983e6067a84911">interference from the Chinese government</a>, and reports that the state has quietly <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/beijing-tightens-grip-on-bytedance-by-quietly-taking-stake-china-board-seat">taken a direct stake and a board seat</a> at Beijing ByteDance Technology Co. Ltd., ByteDance’s Chinese subsidiary.</p>
<p>Grilled by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in March 2023, TikTok’s Singaporean CEO Shou Zi Chew <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-ceo-congressional-hearing-bytedance-china-44d948c5b0ba18e2a714e0fa62d52779">said unequivocally</a> that ByteDance was not “an agent of China or any other country.”</p>
<p>The history of the Chinese government’s dealings with private companies suggests something more subtle, however.</p>
<h2>The rise of China Inc.</h2>
<p>Over its century-long history, the Chinese Communist Party has sought to exercise control over all aspects of the country, including its economy. In its early days, this control took the form of a heavy-handed <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/command-economy.asp">command economy</a> in which everything was produced and consumed according to government planning.</p>
<p>China took a step in a more capitalist direction in the latter half of the 20th century after the death of Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China. But even the <a href="https://www.cato.org/publications/chinas-post-1978-economic-development-entry-global-trading-system">reforms of Deng Xiaoping</a> in the late 1970s and 1980s – credited for opening up China’s economy – were in the service of party goals. Because China’s economy was in ruins, the party’s emphasis was on economic development, and it loosened its grip on power to encourage that. The continuation of party control was still paramount – it just needed to reform the economy to ensure that goal.</p>
<p>That didn’t mean the party wanted pluralism. After decades of economic growth, and with a GDP surpassing that of the U.S. when <a href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3085501/china-overtakes-us-no-1-buying-power-still-clings-developing">measured by purchasing power parity</a>, the Chinese government once again started to shift its focus to a comprehensive control of China.</p>
<p>In recent years, under the increasingly <a href="https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/Chapter_1--CCP_Decision-Making_and_Xi_Jinpings_Centralization_of_Authority.pdf">centralized control of Xi Jinping</a>, the Chinese government has evidently opted to run the entire country as a <a href="http://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-12-2019-1103">giant corporation</a>, with the ruling party as its management.</p>
<h2>A party with unusual power</h2>
<p>Unlike political parties in democracies, which people freely join and leave, the Chinese Communist Party resembles a secret society. <a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/download/Constitution_of_the_Communist_Party_of_China.pdf">To join</a>, you need to be introduced by two party members and tested for an extended period, and then pledge to die for the party’s cause. Quitting it also <a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com//politics/2017-02/05/c_1120413145.htm">needs approval by the party</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/corg.12023">Orders are implicit</a>, and protecting one’s superior is crucial. </p>
<p>People who don’t cooperate face serious consequences. In 2022, an official warned a resident who disobeyed the official’s order in COVID-19 testing that three generations of the resident’s descendants <a href="https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/generation-05122022062839.html">would be adversely affected</a> if he were uncooperative. The same is true of businesses: Ride-sharing company Didi incurred the party’s displeasure by listing its stocks in the U.S., and was harshly punished and forced to delist as a result – <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-fines-didi-global-12-bln-violating-data-security-laws-2022-07-21/">losing more than 80% of its value</a>. </p>
<p>Since those who disobey the party are weeded out or are punished and seen to have learned their lessons, all surviving and successful private businesses are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jack-ma-makes-ant-offer-to-placate-chinese-regulators-11608479629?page=1">party supporters</a> – either voluntarily or otherwise.</p>
<p>The rapid emergence of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009076210">China Inc.</a> has caught even seasoned Chinese entrepreneurs off guard. Consider the case of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/07/28/1021651586/chinese-billionaire-sun-dawu-is-sentenced-to-18-years-for-provoking-trouble">Sun Dawu</a>, a successful agricultural entrepreneur known for advocating for rural reform and the rights of farmers. That offended the party, and in 2020, authorities confiscated all his assets and sentenced him to 18 years in prison.</p>
<p>As if that weren’t enough, China’s National Intelligence Law granted broad powers to the country’s spy agencies and obligates companies to assist with intelligence efforts. That’s why some American lawmakers are concerned that ByteDance could be <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/will-the-us-crack-down-on-tiktok-six-questions-and-expert-answers-about-the-bill-in-congress/">forced to hand over Americans’ private data</a> to the Chinese state. <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-au/the-truth-about-tiktok">TikTok denies</a> this is the case. However, recently <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/leaked-hacking-files-show-chinese-spying-on-citizens-and-foreigners-alike">leaked files</a> of I-Soon, a Chinese hacking firm, reveal public-private collusion in data sharing is common in China.</p>
<p>That’s why I’m not convinced by TikTok’s argument that American users’ data is safe because it’s stored <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktok-facts-how-we-secure-personal-information-and-store-data">outside of China</a>, in the U.S., Malaysia and Singapore. I also don’t think it’s relevant whether the party has members on the ByteDance board or gives explicit orders to TikTok.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether ByteDance has formal ties with the party, there will be the tacit understanding that the management is working for two bosses: the investors of the company and – more importantly – their political overseers that represent the party. But most importantly, when the interests of the two bosses conflict, the party trumps.</p>
<p>As such, as long as ByteDance owns TikTok, I believe ByteDance will use TikTok to support the party – not just for its own business survival, but for the safety of the personnel of ByteDance and TikTok, and their families.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225749/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shaomin Li does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In China, ‘private’ businesses aren’t entirely private and the ultimate boss is the CCP, not the CEO.Shaomin Li, Eminent Scholar and Professor of International Business, Old Dominion UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254652024-03-13T12:28:21Z2024-03-13T12:28:21ZWhat we know so far about the rumoured Apple smart ring<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581294/original/file-20240312-18-nq5gb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C3858%2C2583&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A generic image of a smart ring in use.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/modern-payment-new-technology-payments-using-691766359">Fotos593 / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Samsung officially announced the launch of a new smart ring-shaped wearable device, Galaxy Ring, as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7x0E0hLaJ8">part of its Galaxy Unpacked event</a> earlier this year. The ring, expected to be on sale in late summer 2024, will be able to monitor the user’s health parameters and provide insights based on the health metrics observed, which is very similar to what a smartwatch can do.</p>
<p>The global smart ring <a href="https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/34772/smart-ring-market/">market is expected to grow</a> from USD$314.52 billion (£246.3 billion) in 2023 to USD$2,570.30 billion (£2,012 billion) by 2030. So it is no surprise that Apple is now rumoured to be <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2024/02/27/apple-developing-ring-to-beat-samsung-galaxy-ring-report-claims/?sh=53a35fbd4e2c">applying for its smart ring patents</a> and is expected to have the product ready in time to compete with Samsung’s release.</p>
<p>But it might be surprising to learn that neither Samsung nor Apple are pioneers in this new wearable technology. <a href="https://ouraring.com/">Oura was launched in 2015</a> with a Kickstarter campaign for the first generation ring.</p>
<p>Now on its third generation, with the fourth one expected in 2024, this smart ring can measure respiratory rate, heart rate, health rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen levels, and body temperature. The ring also has an accelerator that logs the user’s activity and movement. However, the main question is: is wearable technology worth it?</p>
<h2>What is wearable technology?</h2>
<p>Wearable devices come in many shapes and sizes, including smart watches and sports watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays, smart jewellery, smart clothing, and even <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9185336/">implantable devices</a>.</p>
<p>Technological advances have enabled manufacturers to access low-cost, low-power sensor technology and develop this variety of devices. At a minimum, wearable devices are equipped with sensors, software and connecting technology.</p>
<p>The sensors gather information from the person wearing the device, and the software gathers the data and sends it to a device with processing capacity via a wireless connection. The ecosystem on which wearable technology works is <a href="https://www.oracle.com/uk/internet-of-things/what-is-iot/">known as the Internet of Things (IoT)</a>. It is the same principle as smart technology used at home, on devices such as thermostats that can be operated from a mobile device outside the home, or smart speakers, but applied at a personal level. It is important to note that mobile devices do not process the data; it is usually sent to “the cloud” for processing, and the mobile device displays the data to the user.</p>
<p>What makes an IoT solution even more attractive is the interpretation of the data gathered by the sensors. For example, the <a href="https://ouraring.com/oura-experience">Oura Ring and the Oura Membership</a> allow users to monitor their sleep, manage stress and predict when they might get sick by monitoring body temperature and heart rate. This is all possible due to analysis of the data collected by the ring. </p>
<p>With advances in artificial intelligence (AI), it is expected that in 2024, there will be a <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/what-to-expect-from-smartwatches-in-2024-more-ai-new-health-features-and-more/">boost in health tracking</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Smart watch and smart phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581298/original/file-20240312-22-xfl78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Smart rings are unlikely to replicate the functionality of smart watches and other devices.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/data-synchronization-health-book-between-smartwatch-188507768">Alexey Boldin</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Benefits and drawbacks</h2>
<p>Smart rings come with sensors similar to those of a smartwatch. However, because of their proximity to large blood vessels in the fingers, smart rings can provide more accurate readings than smartwatches, because they can use the capillaries (small blood vessels) in your finger to get their readings. Another advantage of smart rings is that they have a longer battery life than smartwatches. However, smart rings are unlikely to come with GPS or a screen.</p>
<p>In terms of price, the cheapest version of the Oura ring starts at £299 and users must pay a membership fee of £5.99 per month, with the first month free. This is required to get all the benefits of data analysis. However, the ring will still work with the Oura mobile app. The most affordable version of the AppleWatch, the SE version, starts at £219, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Bluetooth starts at £239.</p>
<p>Smart rings can’t and won’t be able to replicate the functionality offered by a smartwatch. However, they represent an attractive choice for users interested in health tracking, who also want a simple device with minimalistic features. <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/samsungs-surprise-galaxy-ring-whos-the-wearable-actually-for/">Bryan Ma</a>, the Vice President of devices research at International Data Corporation, has said: “The idea behind such rings is not so much about being cheaper than smartwatches, but instead being a much smaller and discrete device for use in cases like sleep tracking.”</p>
<h2>The future of wearable technology?</h2>
<p>Wearable technology will continue evolving, with a strong focus on health monitoring. For example, Microsoft has been <a href="https://duoskin.media.mit.edu/">exploring smart tattoos</a> as the next generation of wearable tech since 2016. However, due to the labour intensive fabrication technique for gold leaf, which is used in the tattoos, researchers are now focusing on more robust, advanced, and inexpensive materials.</p>
<p>Researchers at the University of Washington have also <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2024/02/07/smart-earrings-can-monitor-temperature/">developed the thermal earring</a>. This was able to measure the user’s earlobe temperature but shows promise for other areas of monitoring, including for eating and exercise. Although not commercially available, this device demonstrates how engineers are developing new ideas for wearable devices.</p>
<p>Under Armour already sells <a href="https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/t/connected-shoes-page.html">running shoes embedded with Bluetooth and sensors</a> that track run statistics such as distance and pace. The shoes also measure running from metrics such as cadence (steps per minute), ground contact time, foot strike angle and stride length. </p>
<p>The app provides real time audio coaching, but only focuses on cadence. In future, we can expect to see advances in <a href="https://www.feelgoodcontacts.com/blog/smart-contact-lenses-of-the-future">smart contact lenses</a>, <a href="https://shop.jakcom.com/products/jakcom-n3-smart-nail-chip">smart nails</a>, <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Nordic-news/2018/02/beam-smart-button">smart buttons</a>, and many more.</p>
<h2>Is wearable technology worth it?</h2>
<p>The expected increase in the market size of this technology shows users’ interest in monitoring their health and improving their lifestyle. Developments in the Internet of Things, in general, have improved our way of life and supported our wellbeing.</p>
<p>Connected devices collect, track, and store user data, which is the primary purpose of the technology. What users need to know is that many wearable devices share data with third party apps and services, and it is often unclear how this data is being used. The data can be sold to other companies or utilised for different purposes without the user’s knowledge or consent. Moreover, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/08/theres-a-hack-for-that-fitbit-user-accounts-attacked.html">wearable devices can be hacked</a>.</p>
<p>With this in mind, and as we have done with all new technology, users must consider the advantages of wearable technology and determine if the risks are worth taking. If security and data privacy are a concern, users are encouraged to follow all security recommendations provided by experts and manufacturers to protect their devices and research more on how their data is used and shared.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225465/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erika Sanchez-Velazquez does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What are the benefits and drawbacks of putting smart technology into a ring?Erika Sanchez-Velazquez, Deputy Head of School, Computing and Information Science, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244772024-03-11T12:26:13Z2024-03-11T12:26:13ZAre private conversations truly private? A cybersecurity expert explains how end-to-end encryption protects you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580537/original/file-20240307-24-mrho7r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1080%2C719&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Several popular messaging apps, including Messenger, Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, use end-to-end encryption.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/openrightsgroup/50534017012/in/dateposted-public/"> Open Rights Group/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine opening your front door wide and inviting the world to listen in on your most private conversations. Unthinkable, right? Yet, in the digital realm, people inadvertently leave doors ajar, potentially allowing hackers, tech companies, service providers and security agencies to peek into their private communications. </p>
<p>Much depends on the applications you use and the <a href="https://www.passcamp.com/blog/data-encryption-standards-what-you-need-to-know/">encryption standards</a> the apps uphold. <a href="https://www.ibm.com/topics/end-to-end-encryption">End-to-end encryption</a> is a digital safeguard for online interactions. It’s used by many of the more popular messaging apps. Understanding end-to-end encryption is crucial for maintaining privacy in people’s increasingly digital lives. </p>
<p>While end-to-end encryption effectively secures messages, it is not foolproof against all <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/topics/cyber-threats-and-advisories">cyberthreats</a> and requires users to actively manage their privacy settings. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=0ixaP0AAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">cybersecurity researcher</a>, I believe that continuous advancements in encryption are necessary to safeguard private communications as the <a href="https://www.enzuzo.com/blog/digital-privacy-definition">digital privacy</a> landscape evolves.</p>
<h2>How end-to-end encryption works</h2>
<p>When you send a message via an app using end-to-end encryption, your app acts as a cryptographer and encodes your message with a <a href="https://www.thesslstore.com/blog/cryptographic-keys-101-what-they-are-how-they-secure-data/">cryptographic key</a>. This process transforms your message into a <a href="https://www.hypr.com/security-encyclopedia/cipher">cipher</a> – a jumble of seemingly random characters that conceal the true essence of your message. </p>
<p>This ensures that the message remains a private exchange between you and your recipient, safeguarded against unauthorized access, whether from hackers, service providers or surveillance agencies. Should any <a href="https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/eavesdropping">eavesdroppers</a> intercept it, they would see only gibberish and would not be able to decipher the message without the <a href="https://sensorstechforum.com/what-is-decryption-key/">decryption key</a>.</p>
<p>When the message reaches its destination, the recipient’s app uses the corresponding decryption key to unlock the message. This decryption key, securely stored on the recipient’s device, is the only key capable of deciphering the message, translating the encrypted text back into readable format.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram showing three document icons linked left to right by two arrows with key icons above the arrows" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=281&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=281&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=281&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580578/original/file-20240307-23-3a9gom.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When you send a message using end-to-end encryption, the app on your phone uses the recipient’s public key to encrypt the message. Only the recipient’s private key, stored on their phone, can decrypt the message.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asymmetric_encryption_scheme.png">MarcT0K/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This form of encryption is called <a href="https://ssd.eff.org/module/deep-dive-end-end-encryption-how-do-public-key-encryption-systems-work">public key, or asymmetric, cryptography</a>. Each party who communicates using this form of encryption has two encryption keys, one public and one private. You share your public key with whoever wants to communicate securely with you, and they use it to encrypt their messages to you. But that key can’t be used to decrypt their messages. Only your private key, which you do not share with anyone, can do that. </p>
<p>In practice, you don’t have to think about sharing keys. Messaging apps that use end-to-end encryption handle that behind the scenes. You and the party you are communicating securely with just have to use the same app.</p>
<h2>Who has end-to-end encryption</h2>
<p>End-to-end encryption is used by major messaging apps and services to safeguard users’ privacy. </p>
<p>Apple’s <a href="https://www.apple.com/privacy/features/">iMessage</a> integrates end-to-end encryption for messages exchanged between iMessage users, safeguarding them from external access. However, messages sent to or received from non-iMessage users such as SMS texts to or from Android phones do not benefit from this level of encryption.</p>
<p>Google has begun rolling out end-to-end encryption for <a href="https://support.google.com/messages/answer/10262381?hl=en">Google Messages</a>, the default messaging app on many Android devices. The company is aiming to modernize traditional SMS with more advanced features, including better privacy. However, this encryption is currently limited to one-on-one chats.</p>
<p><a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/12/default-end-to-end-encryption-on-messenger/">Facebook Messenger</a> also offers end-to-end encryption, but it is not enabled by default. Users need to start a “<a href="https://parentzone.org.uk/article/facebook-secret-conversations">Secret Conversation</a>” to encrypt their messages end to end. End-to-end encrypted chats are currently available only in the Messenger app on iOS and Android, not on Facebook chat or messenger.com.</p>
<p><a href="https://faq.whatsapp.com/490592613091019">WhatsApp</a> stands out for its robust privacy features, implementing end-to-end encryption by default for all forms of communication within the app. </p>
<p><a href="https://signal.org/">Signal</a>, often heralded by cybersecurity experts as the gold standard for secure communication, offers end-to-end encryption across all its messaging and calling features by default. Signal’s commitment to privacy is reinforced by its open-source protocol, which allows independent experts to verify its security. </p>
<p><a href="https://telegram.org/faq">Telegram</a> offers a nuanced approach to privacy. While it provides strong encryption, its standard chats do not use end-to-end encryption. For that, users must initiate “<a href="https://core.telegram.org/blackberry/secretchats">Secret Chats</a>.”</p>
<p>It’s essential to not only understand the privacy features offered by these platforms but also to <a href="https://www.telemessage.com/privacy-settings-in-mobile-messaging-apps-how-to-configure-and-which-app-protects-your-privacy-best/">manage their settings</a> to ensure the highest level of security each app offers. With varying levels of protection across services, the responsibility often falls on the user to choose messaging apps wisely and to opt for those that provide end-to-end encryption by default. </p>
<h2>Is end-to-end encryption effective?</h2>
<p>The effectiveness of end-to-end encryption in safeguarding privacy is a subject of much debate. While it significantly enhances security, no system is entirely foolproof. Skilled hackers with sufficient resources, especially those backed by security agencies, can sometimes find ways around it. </p>
<p>Additionally, end-to-end encryption does not protect against threats posed by <a href="https://www.seciron.com/blog/10-signs-that-your-mobile-device-is-compromised/">hacked devices</a> or <a href="https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/phishing-prevention-tips">phishing attacks</a>, which can compromise the security of communications.</p>
<p>The coming era of <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-quantum-computers-about-to-break-online-privacy/">quantum computing</a> poses a potential risk to end-to-end encryption, because quantum computers could theoretically break current encryption methods, highlighting the need for continuous advancements in encryption technology. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, for the average user, end-to-end encryption offers a robust defense against most forms of digital eavesdropping and cyberthreats. As you navigate the evolving landscape of digital privacy, the question remains: What steps should you take next to ensure the continued protection of your private conversations in an increasingly interconnected world?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224477/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robin Chataut does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>End-to-end encryption provides strong protection for keeping your communications private, but not every messaging app uses it, and even some of the ones that do don’t have it turned on by default.Robin Chataut, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Science, Quinnipiac UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218562024-03-07T23:42:24Z2024-03-07T23:42:24ZOur family is always glued to separate devices. How can we connect again?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580349/original/file-20240307-26-3uw5xe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=158%2C186%2C6043%2C3876&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/irresponsible-parents-ignoring-lonely-daughter-bored-1643131846">Space_Cat/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s Saturday afternoon and the kids are all connected to separate devices. So are the parents. Sounds familiar?</p>
<p>Many families want to set ground rules to help them reduce their screen time – and have time to connect with each other, without devices. </p>
<p>But it can be difficult to know where to start and how to make a plan that suits your family. </p>
<h2>First, look at your own screen time</h2>
<p>Before telling children to “hop off the tech”, it’s important parents understand how much they are using screens themselves. </p>
<p>Globally, the average person <a href="https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-stats">spends</a> an average of six hours and 58 minutes on screens each day. This has increased by 13%, or 49 minutes, since 2013. </p>
<p>Parents who report high screen time use <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf">tend to see this</a> filtering down to the children in their family too. <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf">Two-thirds</a> of primary school-aged children in Australia have their own mobile screen-based device. </p>
<p>Australia’s screen time guidelines <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">recommended</a> children aged five to 17 years have no more than two hours of sedentary screen time (excluding homework) each day. For those aged two to five years, it’s no more than one hour a day. And the guidelines recommend no screen time at all for children under two. </p>
<p>Yet the majority of children, across age groups, exceed these maximums. A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/04/does-children-toddlers-kids-watching-tv-impact-development-learning">new Australian study released this week</a> found the average three-year-old is exposed to two hours and 52 minutes of screen time a day. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/development-of-vision-in-early-childhood-no-screens-before-age-two-193192">Development of vision in early childhood: No screens before age two</a>
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<h2>Some screen time is OK, too much increases risks</h2>
<p>Technology has profoundly impacted children’s lives, offering both opportunities and challenges. </p>
<p>On one hand, it provides access to <a href="https://www.twinscience.com/en/parent-advice/benefits-of-technology-to-children/">educational resources</a>, can develop creativity, facilitates communication with peers and family members, and allows students to seek out new information.</p>
<p>On the other hand, excessive screen use <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">can result in</a> too much time being sedentary, delays in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2815514?guestAccessKey=af1b82f5-2ff4-4cc9-a88c-2720ef541470&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=030424">developmental milestones</a>, disrupted <a href="https://parentingscience.com/electronic-media-and-sleep-problems-in-children/#:%7E:text=Does%20this%20put%20kids%20at,(Lund%20et%20al%202021">sleep</a> and daytime drowsiness.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Tired boy looks out the window" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disrupted sleep can leave children tired the next day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-bored-caucasian-boy-travelling-by-2168424981">Yulia Raneva/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Too much screen time can <a href="https://www.qustodio.com/en/blog/technology-child-social-development/">affect</a> social skills, as it replaces time spent in face-to-face social interactions. This is where children learn verbal and non-verbal communication, develop empathy, learn patience and how to take turns.</p>
<p>Many families also <a href="https://doi.org/10.23965/AJEC.43.2.02">worry about</a> how to maintain a positive relationship with their children when so much of their time is spent glued to screens.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded 'tech tantrums'</a>
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<h2>What about when we’re all on devices?</h2>
<p>When families are all using devices simultaneously, it results in less face-to-face interactions, reducing communication and resulting in a shift in family dynamics. </p>
<p>The increased use of wireless technology enables families to easily tune out from each other by putting in earphones, reducing the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611670">opportunity for conversation</a>. Family members wearing earphones during shared activities or meals creates a physical barrier and encourages people to retreat into their own digital worlds.</p>
<p>Wearing earphones for long periods may also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.07.015">reduce</a> connection to, and closeness with, family members. Research from video gaming, for instance, found excessing gaming increases feelings of isolation, loneliness and the displacement of real-world social interactions, alongside weakened relationships with peers and family members.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mum-dad-im-bored-how-to-teach-children-to-manage-their-own-boredom-these-holidays-217680">'Mum, Dad, I'm bored!' How to teach children to manage their own boredom these holidays</a>
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<h2>How can I set screen time limits?</h2>
<p>Start by sitting down as a family and <a href="https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/technology-and-teenagers">discussing what limits</a> you all feel would be appropriate when using TVs, phones and gaming – and when is an appropriate time to use them.</p>
<p>Have <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">set rules</a> around family time – for example, no devices at the dinner table – so you can connect through face-to-face interactions. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mother talks to her family at the dinner table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One rule might be no devices at the dinner table.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/multigeneration-mixed-race-family-eating-meal-1564283620">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Consider locking your phone or devices away at certain periods throughout the week, such as after 9pm (or within an hour of bedtime for younger children) and seek out opportunities to balance your days with physical activities, such kicking a footy at the park or going on a family bush walk. </p>
<p>Parents can model healthy behaviour by regulating and setting limits on their own screen time. This might mean limiting your social media scrolling to 15 or 30 minutes a day and keeping your phone in the next room when you’re not using it. </p>
<p>When establishing appropriate boundaries and ensuring children’s safety, it is crucial for parents and guardians to engage in open communication about technology use. This <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003169390/children-technology-healthy-development-catherine-knibbs">includes</a> teaching critical thinking skills to navigate online content safely and employing parental control tools and privacy settings.</p>
<p>Parents can foster a supportive and trusting relationship with children from an early age so children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences and sharing their fears or concerns.</p>
<p><em>For resources to help you develop your own family’s screen time plan, visit the <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/media-technology/screen-time">Raising Children Network</a>.</em></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/help-ive-just-discovered-my-teen-has-watched-porn-what-should-i-do-215892">Help, I've just discovered my teen has watched porn! What should I do?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221856/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Waghorn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many families want to set ground rules to reduce their screen time – and have time to connect with each other, without devices. Here’s where to start.Elise Waghorn, Lecturer, School of Education, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2250712024-03-07T13:30:59Z2024-03-07T13:30:59ZHigh-energy laser weapons: A defense expert explains how they work and what they are used for<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580234/original/file-20240306-28-1as25z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3228%2C2150&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The USS Portland test-fires a laser weapon. The photo captured infrared light to make the beam visible.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/NavyLaserWeaponTest/332a2dbd194b402d941eb52ff8f89409/photo">Staff Sgt. Donald Holbert/Marine Corps via AP</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nations around the world are <a href="https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/directed-energy-weapon-market-19132295.html">rapidly developing high-energy laser weapons</a> for military missions on land and sea, and in the air and space. Visions of swarms of small, inexpensive drones filling the skies or skimming across the waves are motivating militaries to develop and deploy laser weapons as an alternative to costly and potentially overwhelmed missile-based defenses.</p>
<p>Laser weapons have been a staple of science fiction since long before lasers were even invented. More recently, they have also featured prominently in some conspiracy theories. Both types of fiction highlight the need to understand how laser weapons actually work and what they are used for.</p>
<h2>How lasers work</h2>
<p>A laser uses electricity to generate photons, or light particles. The photons pass through a gain medium, a material that creates a cascade of additional photons, which rapidly increases the number of photons. All these photons are then focused into a narrow beam by a beam director.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a diagram showing two small vertical rectangles on either end of a large horizontal rectangle that contains a two-headed horizontal arrow" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=272&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=272&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=272&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580232/original/file-20240306-24-9k488g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lasers work by turning electricity into photons and bouncing them back and forth between two mirrors through a special gain material that creates a cascade of many more photons.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CO2_Laser_model_%28simple_side_view%29.PNG">Shigeru23/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the decades since the <a href="https://www.cambridgeblog.org/2020/04/a-brief-history-of-lasers-60th-anniversary-of-the-laser/">first laser was unveiled in 1960</a>, engineers have developed a variety of lasers that generate photons <a href="https://ehs.princeton.edu/book/export/html/348">at different wavelengths</a> in the electromagnetic spectrum, from infrared to ultraviolet. The high-energy laser systems that are finding military applications are based on solid-state lasers that use special crystals to convert the input electrical energy into photons. A key aspect of high-power solid-state lasers is that the photons are created in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and so cannot be seen by the human eye.</p>
<p>When it interacts with a surface, a laser beam generates different effects based on its photon wavelength, the power in the beam and the material of the surface. Low-power lasers that generate photons in the visible part of the spectrum are useful as light sources for pointers and light shows at public events. These beams are of such low power that they simply reflect off a surface without damaging it. </p>
<p>Higher-power laser systems are used to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/surgical-and-therapeutic-products/medical-lasers">cut through biological tissue</a> in medical procedures. The highest-power lasers can heat, vaporize, melt and burn through many different materials and are <a href="https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/7-top-applications-of-lasers-in-manufacturing">used in industrial processes</a> for welding and cutting. </p>
<p>In addition to the power level of the laser, the ability to deliver these various effects is determined by the distance between the laser and its target.</p>
<h2>Laser weapons</h2>
<p>Based in part on the progress made in high-power industrial lasers, militaries are finding an increasing number of uses for high-energy lasers. One key advantage for high-energy laser weapons is that they provide an “infinite magazine.” Unlike traditional weapons such as guns and cannons that have a finite amount of ammunition, a high-energy laser can keep firing as long as it has electrical power.</p>
<p>The U.S. Army is deploying a truck-based high-energy laser to shoot down a range of targets, including drones, helicopters, mortar shells and rockets. The 50-kilowatt laser is mounted on the Stryker infantry fighting vehicle, and the Army <a href="https://thedebrief.org/u-s-army-unleashes-sci-fi-weaponry-in-the-middle-east-the-de-m-shorad-lasers-ultimate-test-begins/">deployed four of the systems for battlefield testing</a> in the Middle East in February 2024.</p>
<p>The U.S. Navy has deployed a ship-based high-energy laser to defend against small and fast-moving ocean surface vessels as well as missiles and drones. The Navy <a href="https://www.twz.com/heres-our-first-look-at-a-helios-laser-armed-navy-destroyer">installed a 60-kilowatt laser weapon</a> on the destroyer the USS Preble in August 2022. </p>
<p>The Air Force is developing high-energy lasers on aircraft for defensive and offensive missions. In 2010, the Air Force <a href="https://simpleflying.com/boeing-747-yal-1-guide/">tested a megawatt laser mounted on a modified Boeing 747</a>, hitting a ballistic missile as it was being launched. The Air Force is currently working on a <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2021/02/afrl-pushes-laser-shield-flight-test-back-again/">smaller weapon system for fighter aircraft</a>.</p>
<p>Russia appears to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/russians-reportedly-building-a-satellite-blinding-laser-an-expert-explains-the-technology-186890">developing a ground-based high-energy laser</a> to “blind” their adversaries’ satellites. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="an eight-wheeled military vehicle with a spherical device mounted on top" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580016/original/file-20240305-30-vwalj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A U.S. Army Stryker armored fighting vehicle configured with a high-energy laser weapon, the extensions at the top rear of the vehicle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Aug/24/2002838404/-1/-1/0/210721-A-ZZ009-021.JPG">Jim Kendall, U.S. Army</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Limitations of laser weapons</h2>
<p>One key challenge for militaries using high-energy lasers is the high levels of power needed to create useful effects from afar. Unlike an industrial laser that may be just a few inches from its target, military operations involve significantly larger distances. To defend against an incoming threat, such as a mortar shell or a small boat, laser weapons need to engage their targets before they can inflict any damage. </p>
<p>However, to burn through materials at safe distances requires tens to hundreds of kilowatts of power in the laser beam. The smallest prototype laser weapon <a href="https://www.rtx.com/news/news-center/2023/06/12/raytheon-technologies-delivers-fourth-combat-ready-laser-weapon-to-u-s-air-force">draws 10 kilowatts of power</a>, roughly equivalent to an electric car. The latest high-power laser weapon under development <a href="https://newatlas.com/military/lockheed-martin-delivers-record-300-kw-laser-weapon-to-us-military">draws 300 kilowatts of power</a>, enough to power 30 households. And because high-energy lasers are only 50% efficient at best, they generate a tremendous amount of waste heat that has to be managed. </p>
<p>This means high-energy lasers require extensive power generation and cooling infrastructure that places limits on the types of effects that can be generated from different military platforms. Army trucks and Air Force fighter jets have the least amount of space for high-energy laser weapons, and so these systems are limited to targets that require relatively low power, such as downing drones or disabling missiles. Ships and larger aircraft can accommodate larger high-energy lasers with the potential to burn holes in boats and ground vehicles. Permanent ground-based systems have the least constraints and therefore the highest power, making it potentially feasible to dazzle a distant satellite.</p>
<p>Another important limitation for platform-based high-energy laser weapons relates to the infinite magazine concept. Since the truck, ship or airplane must carry the power source for the laser, and that will limit the power source’s capacity, the lasers can only be used for a limited amount of time before they need to recharge their batteries.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pc_iLCI5RVk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The U.S. military is field-testing several high-energy laser weapon systems.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are also fundamental limits to high-energy laser weapons, including diminished effectiveness in rain, fog and smoke, which scatter laser beams. The laser beams also need to <a href="https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2024/01/why-navy-isnt-shooting-down-houthi-drones-lasers-yet/393067/">remain locked onto their targets</a> for several seconds in order to inflict damage. Current prototype laser weapons are also proving a <a href="https://www.thedefensepost.com/2023/08/10/us-army-obstacle-laser/">challenge to maintain in combat zones</a>.</p>
<h2>No fire from the skies</h2>
<p>A new type of conspiracy theory has emerged in recent years claiming that nefarious entities have used airborne high-energy lasers to start wildfires in <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/conspiracists-blame-california-fires-on-airborne-laser-guns">California</a>, <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2023/08/22/politifact-no-evidence-direct-energy-weapons-caused-maui-wildfires/70644145007/">Hawaii</a> and <a href="https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.34KT3KK">Texas</a>. This is highly unlikely for several reasons. </p>
<p>First, the power level needed to ignite vegetation with a high-energy laser from the sky would require a large power source installed on a large aircraft. A plane that size would have been highly visible right before any fires were ignited. Second, in some images that claim to show the fires being started, the laser beams are green. Beams from high-energy lasers are invisible.</p>
<h2>What comes next</h2>
<p>In the future, high-energy laser weapons are likely to continue to evolve with increased power levels that will expand the range of targets they can be used against. </p>
<p>Emerging threats posed by low-cost, weaponized drones like those in use in conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine make it more likely that high-energy lasers will also find nonmilitary applications such as defending the public against terrorist attacks.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225071/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iain Boyd receives funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed-Martin Corporation. </span></em></p>Militaries around the world are rapidly developing science fiction-like laser weapons, motivated in part by the growing threat from swarms of drones.Iain Boyd, Director, Center for National Security Initiatives, and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2243872024-03-06T17:45:13Z2024-03-06T17:45:13ZSpacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579865/original/file-20240305-18-mik4ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C0%2C3822%2C2160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-taps-axiom-space-for-first-artemis-moonwalking-spacesuits/">NASA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the Moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travellers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the unknown.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://spacenews.com/polaris-dawn-private-astronaut-mission-slips-to-mid-2024/">the Polaris Dawn mission</a>, which is to include the first spacewalk organised by a private company, has been delayed. This is due to complications with the design and development of a suitable spacesuit. </p>
<p>Moon suits are also one of the key elements of Nasa’s Artemis lunar programme that have yet to be delivered. A report released in November 2023 said that the contractor making the suits is having <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106256#:%7E:text=To%20develop%20Artemis%20space%20suits,report%20examining%20the%20Artemis%20enterprise.">to revisit aspects of the design provided by Nasa</a>, which could introduce delays.</p>
<p>Yet <a href="https://time.com/5802128/alexei-leonov-spacewalk-obstacles/">the first spacewalk</a>, by the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, took place in 1965. Later, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/">12 Nasa astronauts would walk on the lunar surface</a>, between 1969 and 1972, using technology that would be eclipsed by today’s smartphones. So it’s not unreasonable to ask why it can still be difficult to design and build spacesuits to do the same thing.</p>
<p>Much has changed since the Apollo missions planted flags on the Moon. The <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/01/20/us-china-india-japan-and-others-are-rushing-back-to-the-moon.html">geopolitics driving space travel have shifted</a>, and spacesuits are no longer expected to be just a form of protection. Instead, they are a critical way to improve the productivity of astronauts. This involves a rethink of not just the suits themselves, but the technology that supports them.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Crew Dragon approaching the ISS" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579872/original/file-20240305-30-sdnkjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Polaris Dawn mission uses modified version of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to perform the first commercial spacewalk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/view-of-spacex-crew-dragon-endeavour-approaching-station/">Nasa</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>An array of powerful telecommunications technologies to connect astronauts with space stations and ground control sits alongside multisensory cameras, temperature readers and proximity sensors in present-day spacesuits.</p>
<p>Situational awareness – understanding key elements in the environment, such as the health of an astronaut – is a core tenet for modern spacesuit design and critical for the operator’s safety. The ability of a suit to track heart rate and other vital signs is important in a vacuum, where levels of oxygen need constant monitoring. </p>
<p>Expectations around the risks astronauts take have changed for the better. And the level of investment it takes to produce a spacesuit necessitates that it can be used for future tasks that may include lunar settlement in the next few decades.</p>
<p>The trade off that engineers must make when incorporating wearable technology like those already mentioned is weight. Will greater situational awareness result in a spacesuit that is too heavy to move in effectively? </p>
<p>When Elon Musk first hinted at challenges with the extravehicular activity spacesuit for Polaris Dawn <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1745941814165815717">in a presentation to SpaceX employees in January</a>, it was not difficulties with connected technology that he discussed, but of redesigning “the suit so that you actually move around in it”.</p>
<h2>Situational awareness</h2>
<p>However, when talking about mobility in a spacesuit, you need to consider the tasks that you want that mobility to support. </p>
<p>Before the advent of modern spacesuits, Apollo astronauts struggled to carry out missions. When drilling into the surface of the Moon with a hand drill to collect samples, astronauts found it difficult to provide enough downwards force to counteract the Moon’s weaker gravity. It was not until the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576522002879">invention of a zero-gravity drill</a>, decades later, that this problem would be addressed.</p>
<p>The current exploration of <a href="https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/books/ce/pbce131e">pneumatic exoskeletons</a>, providing the support necessary for movement in low gravity could be part of a solution. However, newer spacesuits may also need to interface with hardware, like robotic drills that exist outside the suit. This will also necessitate more mobility in spacesuits. </p>
<h2>Working with robots</h2>
<p>Offloading tasks, previously carried out by humans, to robots will be part of the future of space exploration. It’s a primary way that engineers will also be able to enhance the mobility of astronauts in spacesuits.</p>
<p>For example, when an astronaut goes on a spacewalk to inspect the condition of part of a space station and make any possible repairs, they are supported by a robotic arm that ensures they don’t float off into space. While jointed, this arm is rigid and can limit an astronaut’s movement.</p>
<p>An approach currently being explored to extend this range of movement is a climbing robot, that is attached to both the astronaut and the space station, that an individual can control through their spacesuit. This would allow the astronaut to move around the space station faster and with a greater range of movement than before, allowing them to reach and repair hard-to-access areas like corners.</p>
<p>While the eventual hope is that robots themselves can assess any damage to the space station and repair it, due to possible disruptions in normal operations, humans must be ready to step in. Possible disruptions could be natural, like a small meteor shower damaging the robot, or human-made, like hacking carried by a hostile group or state.</p>
<p>For the types of activities we want to accomplish in the future, this human-robot collaboration will be instrumental. Building a base on the Moon, as both <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-things-weve-learned-about-nasas-planned-base-camp-on-the-moon-180980589/">the US</a> and <a href="https://spacenews.com/china-attracts-moon-base-partners-outlines-project-timelines/">China</a> plan to do, will involve construction work and drilling, which humans will not be able to accomplish alone. Modern spacesuits will need to provide an interface to work with this new technology, and we can expect the suits to evolve in step with robotics.</p>
<p>The relationship between humans and robots is changing. It will go beyond spacewalks and robots’ previous uses as limited tools, to a situation where they are cooperative partners in space. The objectives of ten or 20 years from now, like building lunar settlements, exploring mineral deposits on the Moon and efficiently repairing space station modules can only be achieved using robotics. </p>
<p>Modern spacesuits will be a key foundation of this collaborative relationship, forming the interface where astronauts and robots can work together to achieve shared goals. So when we do once again leave our footprints on other worlds, we will no longer be alone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224387/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yang Gao has received funding from UKRI, UKSA and ESA on conducting space related research. </span></em></p>The next generation of spacesuit needs to do more than simply protect an astronaut from the vacuum of space.Yang Gao, Professor of Robotics, Head of Centre for Robotics Research, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225922024-03-06T13:35:06Z2024-03-06T13:35:06ZEmotion-tracking AI on the job: Workers fear being watched – and misunderstood<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579064/original/file-20240229-20-1y9mr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8333%2C8308&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How would you feel if your workplace was tracking how you feel?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/surveillance-young-female-character-royalty-free-illustration/1200880011">nadia_bormotova/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/emotional-ai/book251642">Emotion artificial intelligence</a> uses <a href="https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/emotional-ai/book251642">biological signals</a> such as vocal tone, facial expressions and data from wearable devices as well as text and how people use their computers, promising to detect and predict how someone is feeling. It is used in contexts both mundane, like entertainment, and high stakes, like the workplace, hiring and health care.</p>
<p>A wide range of industries <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/nemesysco-reports-increased-interest-for-its-voice-analytics-technology-for-remote-employee-wellness-monitoring-301036444.html">already use emotion AI</a>, including call centers, finance, banking, nursing and caregiving. <a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/the-future-of-employee-monitoring">Over 50% of large employers in the U.S. use emotion AI</a> aiming to infer employees’ internal states, a practice that <a href="https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/emotion-detection-and-recognition-edr-market">grew during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>. For example, call centers monitor what their operators say and their tone of voice.</p>
<p>Scholars have raised concerns about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100619832930">emotion AI’s scientific validity</a> and its <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445939">reliance on contested theories about emotion</a>. They have also highlighted emotion AI’s potential for <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300264630/atlas-of-ai/">invading privacy</a> and exhibiting <a href="https://theconversation.com/emotion-reading-tech-fails-the-racial-bias-test-108404">racial</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2103.11436">gender</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221109550">disability</a> bias. </p>
<p>Some employers use the technology <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3579543">as though it were flawless</a>, while some scholars seek to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/ARSO.2017.8025197">reduce its bias and improve its validity</a>, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3927300">discredit it altogether</a> or suggest <a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/201912/ai-now-calls-for-ban-on-affect-recognition-as-market-expected-to-surge-to-90b-by-2024">banning emotion AI</a>, at least until more is known about its implications.</p>
<p>I study the <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=ju-VqbUAAAAJ">social implications of technology</a>. I believe that it is crucial to examine emotion AI’s implications for people subjected to it, such as workers – especially those marginalized by their race, gender or disability status.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXvYC9_ktVw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Can AI actually read your emotions? Not exactly.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Workers’ concerns</h2>
<p>To understand where emotion AI use in the workplace is going, my colleague <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Karen-L-Boyd-2198141312">Karen Boyd</a> and I set out to examine <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3579528">inventors’ conceptions</a> of emotion AI in the workplace. We analyzed patent applications that proposed emotion AI technologies for the workplace. Purported benefits claimed by patent applicants included assessing and supporting employee well-being, ensuring workplace safety, increasing productivity and aiding in decision-making, such as making promotions, firing employees and assigning tasks. </p>
<p>We wondered what workers think about these technologies. Would they also perceive these benefits? For example, would workers find it beneficial for employers to provide well-being support to them?</p>
<p>My collaborators <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=8XW-v0AAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Shanley Corvite</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=B28WGTsAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Kat Roemmich</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Tillie-Ilana-Rosenberg-2249183666">Tillie Ilana Rosenberg</a> and I conducted a survey partly representative of the U.S. population and partly oversampled for people of color, trans and nonbinary people and people living with mental illness. These groups may be more likely to experience harm from emotion AI. Our study had 289 participants from the representative sample and 106 participants from the oversample. We found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3579600">32% of respondents reported experiencing or expecting no benefit to them</a> from emotion AI use, whether current or anticipated, in their workplace. </p>
<p>While some workers noted potential benefits of emotion AI use in the workplace like increased well-being support and workplace safety, mirroring benefits claimed in patent applications, all also expressed concerns. They were concerned about harm to their well-being and privacy, harm to their work performance and employment status, and bias and mental health stigma against them.</p>
<p>For example, 51% of participants expressed concerns about privacy, 36% noted the potential for incorrect inferences employers would accept at face value, and 33% expressed concern that emotion AI-generated inferences could be used to make unjust employment decisions.</p>
<h2>Participants’ voices</h2>
<p>One participant who had multiple health conditions said: “The awareness that I am being analyzed would ironically have a negative effect on my mental health.” This means that despite emotion AI’s claimed goals to infer and improve workers’ well-being in the workplace, its use can lead to the opposite effect: well-being diminished due to a loss of privacy. Indeed, other work by my colleagues Roemmich, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=zg29qGEAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Florian Schaub</a> and I suggests that emotion AI-induced privacy loss can span a range of <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3782222">privacy harms</a>, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580950">psychological, autonomy, economic, relationship, physical and discrimination</a>. </p>
<p>On concerns that emotional surveillance could jeopardize their job, a participant with a diagnosed mental health condition said: “They could decide that I am no longer a good fit at work and fire me. Decide I’m not capable enough and not give a raise, or think I’m not working enough.”</p>
<p>Participants in the study also mentioned the potential for exacerbated power imbalances and said they were afraid of the dynamic they would have with employers if emotion AI were integrated into their workplace, pointing to how emotion AI use could potentially intensify already existing tensions in the employer-worker relationship. For instance, a respondent said: “The amount of control that employers already have over employees suggests there would be few checks on how this information would be used. Any ‘consent’ [by] employees is largely illusory in this context.” </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mzLrtld_oek?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Emotion AI is just one way companies monitor employees.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Lastly, participants noted potential harms, such as emotion AI’s technical inaccuracies potentially creating false impressions about workers, and emotion AI creating and perpetuating bias and stigma against workers. In describing these concerns, participants highlighted their fear of employers relying on inaccurate and biased emotion AI systems, particularly against people of color, women and trans individuals. </p>
<p>For example, one participant said: “Who is deciding what expressions ‘look violent,’ and how can one determine people as a threat just from the look on their face? A system can read faces, sure, but not minds. I just cannot see how this could actually be anything but destructive to minorities in the workplace.”</p>
<p>Participants noted that they would either refuse to work at a place that uses emotion AI – an option not available to many – or engage in behaviors to make emotion AI read them favorably to protect their privacy. One participant said: “I would exert a massive amount of energy masking even when alone in my office, which would make me very distracted and unproductive,” pointing to how emotion AI use would impose additional emotional labor on workers.</p>
<h2>Worth the harm?</h2>
<p>These findings indicate that emotion AI exacerbates existing challenges experienced by workers in the workplace, despite proponents claiming emotion AI helps solve these problems.</p>
<p>If emotion AI does work as claimed and measures what it claims to measure, and even if issues with bias are addressed in the future, there are still harms experienced by workers, such as the additional emotional labor and loss of privacy. </p>
<p>If these technologies do not measure what they claim or they are biased, then people are at the mercy of algorithms deemed to be valid and reliable when they are not. Workers would still need to expend the effort to try to reduce the chances of being misread by the algorithm, or to engage in emotional displays that would read favorably to the algorithm. </p>
<p>Either way, these systems function as <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/panopticon">panopticon</a>-like technologies, creating privacy harms and feelings of being watched.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222592/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Work reported here was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) award 2020872 and CAREER award 2236674. </span></em></p>Loss of privacy is just the beginning. Workers are worried about biased AI and the need to perform the ‘right’ expressions and body language for the algorithms.Nazanin Andalibi, Assistant Professor of Information, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2248032024-03-05T16:21:01Z2024-03-05T16:21:01ZIf you follow the degrowth agenda, it leads to an economy that looks a lot like the sickly UK<p>The degrowth movement has become <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/12/17/degrowth-economics-europe-climate-policy/">very popular</a> in recent years, particularly among younger people who appreciate <a href="https://grist.org/looking-forward/the-growing-popularity-of-degrowth/">its critique</a> of the endless pursuit of economic expansion. The problem with growth, advocates argue, is that it implies the use of more and more resources and energy, as well as ever larger quantities of waste. </p>
<p>Well, the good news for the movement is that one of the world’s leading economies has offered itself up as a case study. If you look past the debate about whether the UK’s recent <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/gdpfirstquarterlyestimateuk/octobertodecember2023">technical recession</a> is going to deepen or <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/assets/pdfs/media/press-releases/2024-press-releases/lloyds-bank/2024.02.29-business-barometer-february-2024.pdf">peter out</a>, the economic situation is pretty dire. </p>
<p>The UK’s GDP per person (or per capita), which economists view as the best measure of the wealth of a country, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/785543/quarterly-gdp-per-capita-uk/">has declined</a> in seven out of the most recent eight quarters. At the end of 2023, GDP per person was still lower than before the COVID pandemic. In contrast, <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=66948#">the US equivalent</a> is up 7%. </p>
<p><strong>UK GDP per capita 2005-23</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph showing GDP per capita in the UK over time" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579137/original/file-20240301-20-fcuz60.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">GDP per capita is by chained volume measures, which is a way of adjusting the statistics to account for inflation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/timeseries/ihxw/pn2">ONS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One main reason for the UK stagnation is a lack of investment in productivity, which advocates of degrowth would argue is an essential part of moving away from a resource-hungry economy. So what can we learn from the UK’s experiences so far?</p>
<h2>The degrowth perspective</h2>
<p>Degrowth has become the latest element in a <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo3639845.html">long line</a> of critiques of economic growth. One leading proponent, the Spanish ecological economist <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800910005021">Giorgos Kallis</a>, defines it as the “socially sustainable reduction of society’s throughput”, which is “incompatible with further economic growth, and will entail in all likelihood economic (GDP) degrowth”. </p>
<p>Pursuing GDP growth is criticised, both because of its increased use of resources and for “<a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/441772/less-is-more-by-jason-hickel/9781786091215">unrealistic expectations</a>” that technological improvement and productivity growth would allow us to stay within so-called “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/461472a">planetary boundaries</a>” (meaning the limits beyond which humanity will be unable to continue to flourish). </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800910005021">Kallis</a> argues that degrowth implies reduced spending on goods and new technology, while distinguishing “good” and “bad” investments:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We will have to do with less high-speed transport infrastructures, space missions for tourists, new airports or factories producing unnecessary gadgets, faster cars or better televisions. We may still need more renewable energy infrastructures, better social (education, and health) services, more public squares or theatres, and localised organic food production and retailing centres.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yet this fails to appreciate that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800910004209">a reduction in GDP</a> implies lower investment in technologies across the board, including those underpinning renewable energy. It also misunderstands that modern economic growth is not driven by accumulating and using more resources, but by innovation through investment. Witness what has happened in the UK. </p>
<h2>The UK situation</h2>
<p>The chart below shows the continual decline of investment in the UK relative to other major economies:</p>
<p><strong>Total investment as a % of GDP</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing investment levels in different economies" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579211/original/file-20240301-22-fhjn8o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ippr.org/articles/now-is-the-time-to-confront-uk-s-investment-phobia">IPPR</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.productivity.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WP030-Macroeconomic-Perspectives-FINAL-131222.pdf">This reflects</a> both a decline in UK private investment and a decision to poleaxe public investment since the beginning of the 1980s (spending has improved a little since the global financial crisis of 2007-09). </p>
<p>This has meant that the UK’s rate of productivity growth has lagged the competition, not yet even returning to its level before the global financial crisis: </p>
<p><strong>Growth in productivity, 1950-2023</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579199/original/file-20240301-20-upis86.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Productivity is measured as GDP per hour, adjusted for purchasing power parity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.economicsobservatory.com/what-explains-the-uks-productivity-problem#:~:text=It%20is%20in%20the%20bottom,of%20improvement%20in%20recent%20years.">The Economics Observatory</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This goes a long way to explaining the UK’s weak GDP per capita, along with the <a href="https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/117419/1/WRAP-fall-potential-output-financial-crisis-bigger-UK-Crafts-2019.pdf">effects of Brexit</a>, which the underperforming economy <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20181164">had encouraged voters</a> to support in the first place. </p>
<p><strong>GDP per capita, G7 nations</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart comparing GDP per capita in the G7" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579213/original/file-20240301-30-7rnpm2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figures are adjusted for purchasing power parity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=66948#">OECD</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The UK hasn’t been the worst G7 performer since the pandemic – Canada and Germany have fared even worse – but it fits the degrowthers’ model particularly neatly in some respects (they do also call for various pro-equality measures, so the comparison only works up to a point). </p>
<p>Degrowthers are clear to distinguish their proposals from a recession, portraying it more as a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14747731.2020.1812222">planned “coherent policy”</a>. The planned disinvestment in the UK has helped to bring about some developments that they would presumably welcome. Carbon emissions have <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-first-major-economy-to-halve-emissions#:%7E:text=New%20official%20statistics%20confirm%20UK,50%25%20between%201990%20and%202022.&text=The%20UK%20is%20the%20first,official%20statistics%20released%20today%20confirm.">fallen substantially</a>, while <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/employmentintheuk/february2024">unemployment</a> has not risen and inequality has <a href="https://equalitytrust.org.uk/scale-economic-inequality-uk">only increased slightly</a>. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the weakness in GDP per capita shows it hasn’t been great for living standards. Also, when GDP growth is lower than the interest rate that the state pays on outstanding debt, the state has less money to spend. This is why tough choices have had to be made in the UK about public services including the NHS and education – and the situation is likely to only get worse. </p>
<p>This goes some way to explaining the <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/eight-ten-britons-are-dissatisfied-how-government-running-country">high dissatisfaction rates</a> among people in the UK, though of course the long period of Conservative rule and the government’s perceived mishandling of things such as the pandemic and the economy are also major factors.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, it does suggest that people don’t like the effects of degrowth as much as the concept. Degrowth advocates might well counter that this is the price we have to pay for a better environment. They would also argue that the UK has not adopted their pro-equality agenda. Equally, however, their failure to recognise that investment in technology can drive both growth and climate change solutions is a major weakness in their arguments. </p>
<p>That doesn’t mean there’s a simple “off-the-shelf” solution to fixing the UK’s investment problems – the Truss premiership found this out the hard way. Replicating Thatcherite reforms without the support of oil funds to finance government spending will not work: North Sea oil was about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095069613001083">5% of GDP</a> at its peak, and was a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421520300331">significant contributor</a> to government spending. </p>
<p>Any step change will therefore need to rely mainly on private investment. <a href="https://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/articles/manufacturing-output-falls-while-selling-price-expectations-accelerate-cbi-industrial-trends-survey-3/">Business confidence</a> will be key to <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/623727/business-confidence-in-the-united-kingdom/">spurring this</a>, and has not been helped by chops and changes to public policy in recent years – <a href="https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/10/04/its-official-rest-of-hs2-is-cancelled/">HS2 being</a> an obvious example. </p>
<p>Degrowth advocates will not welcome this kind of approach, but technological improvement is ultimately likely to be a better way of achieving their goals than impoverishing people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224803/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eoin McLaughlin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Degrowthers advocate cutting investment as a way to reduce use of precious resources, which is exactly what the UK government has been doing for the last 40 years.Eoin McLaughlin, Professor in Economics, University College CorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225712024-03-05T14:00:28Z2024-03-05T14:00:28ZLithium-ion batteries don’t work well in the cold − a battery researcher explains the chemistry at low temperatures<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579001/original/file-20240229-20-z7oy0y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2120%2C1414&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why do batteries lose charge more quickly when it's cold? </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-charging-electric-car-in-front-his-cabin-in-royalty-free-image/1977511649?phrase=battery+cold&adppopup=true">Halfpoint Images/Moment</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rechargeable batteries are great for storing energy and powering electronics from smartphones to electric vehicles. In cold environments, however, they can be more difficult to charge and may even catch on fire. </p>
<p>I’m a mechanical engineering professor who’s been interested in batteries since college. I now lead a <a href="https://research.drexel.edu/mem/changlab">battery research group</a> at Drexel University. </p>
<p>In just this past decade, I have watched the <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-hit-record-low-of-139-kwh/">price of lithium-ion batteries drop</a> as the production market <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2023/trends-in-batteries">has grown much larger</a>. Future projections predict the market could reach <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/battery-2030-resilient-sustainable-and-circular">thousands of GWh per year by 2030</a>, a significant increase. </p>
<p>But, lithium-ion batteries aren’t perfect – this rise comes with risks, such as their tendency to slow down during cold weather and even catch on fire.</p>
<h2>Behind the Li-ion battery</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/electrochemical-energy-storage">electrochemical energy storage</a> within batteries works by storing electricity <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/ion-physics">in the form of ions</a>. Ions are atoms that have a nonzero charge because they have either too many or not enough electrons. </p>
<p>When you plug in your electric car or phone, the electricity provided by the outlet <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-1psMHSpKs&ab_channel=TheLimitingFactor">drives these ions</a> from the battery’s positive electrode into its negative electrode. The electrodes are solid materials in a battery that can store ions, and all batteries have both a positive and a negative electrode. </p>
<p>Electrons pass through the battery as electricity. With each electron that passes to one electrode, a lithium ion also passes into the same electrode. This ensures the balance of charges in the battery. As you drive your car, the stored ions in the negative electrode move back to the positive electrode, and the resulting flow of electricity powers the motor. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram showing three boxes, one labeled cathode, one labeled electrolyte, and one labeled anode. Small circles representing lithium ions move to the anode to charge and the cathode to discharge." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When a lithium-ion battery delivers energy to a device, lithium ions – atoms that carry an electrical charge – move from the negative electrode, the anode, to the positive electrode, the cathode. The ions move in reverse when recharging.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/5029455937">Argonne National Laboratory</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While AA or AAA batteries can power small electronics, they can be used only once and cannot be charged. Rechargeable Li-ion batteries can operate for thousands of cycles of full charge and discharge. For each cycle, they can also store a much higher amount of charge than an AA or AAA battery.</p>
<p>Since lithium is the lightest metal, it has a high <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C3EE40795K">specific capacity</a>, meaning it can store a <a href="https://chang-lab.notion.site/How-To-Become-a-Battery-Expert-20a8edebe395403c9a158d7caca06ef4?pvs=4">huge amount of charge per weight</a>. This is why lithium-ion batteries are useful not just for portable electronics but for powering modes of transportation with limited weight or volume, such as electric cars. </p>
<h2>Battery fires</h2>
<p>However, lithium-ion batteries have risks that AA or AAA batteries don’t. For one, they’re more likely to catch on fire. For example, the number of <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/e-bike-battery-fires-keep-climbing-in-nyc">electric bike battery fires</a> reported in New York City has increased from 30 to nearly 300 in the past five years. </p>
<p>Lots of different issues can cause a battery fire. Poorly manufactured cells could contain defects, such as trace impurities or particles left behind from the manufacturing process, that increase the risk of an internal failure. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A car in a garage is on fire with the door cracked open, a firefighter carrying a hose runs towards it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles have a higher risk of catching on fire when it’s cold out.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ElectricCarsBatteryFires/0624a4c4cadb4ee0be42d58b8aab0161/photo?Query=ev%20battery%20fire&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=300&digitizationType=Digitized&currentItemNo=0&vs=true&vs=true">Orange County Sheriff’s Department/National Transportation Safety Board via AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Climate can also affect battery operation. <a href="https://about.bnef.com/electric-vehicle-outlook/">Electric vehicle sales</a> have increased across the U.S., particularly in cold regions such as the Northeast and Midwest, where the frigid temperatures can hinder battery performance. </p>
<p>Batteries contain fluids called electrolytes, and cold temperatures cause fluids to flow more slowly. So, the electrolytes in batteries slow and thicken in the cold, causing the lithium ions inside to move slower. This slowdown can prevent the lithium ions from properly inserting into the electrodes. Instead, they may deposit on the electrode surface and form <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2020.100035">lithium metal</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G_TCFgEdEGc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The molecules in fluids move slower at colder temperatures – the same thing happens inside batteries.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If too much lithium deposits on the electrode’s surface during charging, it may cause an internal short circuit. This process can <a href="https://theconversation.com/lithium-ion-battery-fires-are-a-growing-public-safety-concern-heres-how-to-reduce-the-risk-209359">start a battery fire</a>.</p>
<h2>Making safer batteries</h2>
<p><a href="https://research.coe.drexel.edu/mem/changlab">My research group</a>, along with many others, is studying how to make batteries that operate more efficiently in the cold. </p>
<p>For example, researchers are exploring swapping out the usual battery electrolyte and replacing it with an alternative electrolyte that doesn’t thicken at cold temperatures. Another potential option is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/01/19/electric-vehicle-battery-cold/">heating up the battery pack</a> before charging so that the charging process occurs at a warmer temperature. </p>
<p>My group is also investigating new types of batteries beyond lithium ion. These could be battery types that are more stable at wider temperature ranges, types that don’t even use liquid electrolytes at all, or batteries that use sodium instead of lithium. <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/11/1072865/how-sodium-could-change-the-game-for-batteries/">Sodium-ion batteries</a> could work well and cost less, as sodium is a very abundant resource.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-023-01208-9">Solid-state batteries</a> use solid electrolytes that aren’t flammable, which reduces the risk of fire. But these batteries don’t work quite as well as Li-ion batteries, so it’ll take more research to tell whether these are a good option.</p>
<p>Lithium-ion batteries power technologies that people across the country use every day, and research in these areas aims to find solutions that will make this technology even safer for the consumer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222571/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wesley Chang receives funding from Solid Energy Systems, Inc., Electric Power Research Institute, Drexel University. Wesley Chang consults for The Electrochemical Society. </span></em></p>Electric vehicles are catching on across the US, but they’re also catching on fire in colder regions like the Northeast and Midwest.Wesley Chang, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246652024-03-05T12:46:21Z2024-03-05T12:46:21ZEurope’s tech industry is lagging behind the US – but it gives the continent a chance to write the rules of the game<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579147/original/file-20240301-16-17taok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C24%2C8192%2C5432&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The US largely dominates the technology landscape.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kazan-russia-oct-31-2021-facebook-2066815178">Sergei Elagin/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Europe invests a lot in research, and publishes and patents many ideas. But it <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/european-rd-review-finds-lagging-high-tech-performance-despite-major-science-investment">fails to compete</a> with the US and China when it comes to translating its innovation effort into large, global technology firms. The seven largest US tech companies, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla, are <a href="https://www.euronews.com/business/2023/12/21/why-cant-european-tech-firms-compete-with-their-us-counterparts">20 times bigger</a> than the EU’s seven largest, and generate more than ten times more revenue.</p>
<p>That isn’t to say Europe has no tech <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/craigsmith/2023/02/14/europes-venture-capital-scene-is-narrowing-the-gap-with-the-us-despite-global-investment-slowdown/">success stories</a>. The world leader in music streaming is Spotify, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/eamonnforde/2022/01/19/spotify-comfortably-remains-the-biggest-streaming-service-despite-its-market-share-being-eaten-into/">Swedish company</a>. Dutch company ASML produces the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/23578430/chip-war-chris-miller-asml-intel-apple-samsung-us-china-decoder">world’s most advanced</a> computer chips, and Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/184617f3-9a88-4d23-8e23-d1a08d5577dd">leading</a> the extremely profitable market for weight-loss drugs.</p>
<p>European start-ups are also actually a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/europe-leads-us-startup-vc-gray-equidam/">better deal</a> for venture capitalists on average than US ones. But they rarely develop into major global players. The main reason for this is that Europe regulates more.</p>
<p>Research has found that Europeans are <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20162015">less optimistic</a> than Americans about social mobility, want to <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/705551">redistribute income</a> more than they do in the US, and have a more cautious relationship to <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecb.wp2270%7E9c72a27c18.en.pdf">owning risky assets</a>. This leads to some <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/securing-europes-competitiveness-addressing-its-technology-gap#/">very predictable outcomes</a>. Environmental, inequality and life expectancy metrics perform better in Europe, while the US does better on purely economic indicators.</p>
<p>This is not necessarily bad news. In the competition to define the rules of the technological game, combining the huge US tech ecosystem and the European obsession for regulation may be the best chance to protect consumers, freedom of expression, accountability and transparency around the world.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="EU flags in front of European Commission in Brussels on a sunny day." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578982/original/file-20240229-28-6si2fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Europe has the chance to write the global rules for the tech industry according to its own values.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/eu-flags-front-european-commission-brussels-162128453">symbiot/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The world leader in regulation</h2>
<p>The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6983504/">faster to expedite</a> its approval of new drugs than the European Medicine Agency. Pharmaceutical firms are also allowed a larger profit: drugs in the US are on average more than <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2956.html">three times more expensive</a> than in the rest of the OECD. </p>
<p>So it makes sense for pharmaceutical companies to develop their products in the US first. The same is true if you want to develop a new synthetic meat, a modified crop, or a product linked to Artificial Intelligence (AI). </p>
<p>Europe could grow faster by changing its model. But ask European leaders which precise regulation they are happy to relax, and you will hear a deafening silence. </p>
<p>Britain is perhaps the best illustration. A large part of the Brexit project was to simplify European rules that were perceived as excessive. However, the UK is yet to make any major regulatory change eight years after the referendum, and the government <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/07c98087-3914-4107-a6ee-56cc4086459e">shows no interest</a> in changing tack.</p>
<p>In the US, innovation has gone hand in hand with <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv24w62m5">market concentration and market power</a>. When companies have high market power, they may have fewer incentives to innovate. They also start to gain <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4390776">political power</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Assorted app icons representing some of the major big tech companies in the US, including Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Twitter, as seen on an iPhone screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578985/original/file-20240229-30-iujk0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The US is home to tech giants including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Meta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portland-usa-apr-21-2022-assorted-2148379161">Tada Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is where the role of Europe as an independent regulator is very important. The largest companies <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-eu/tiktoks-compliance-with-the-dma">tend to abide by EU law </a>because they want to keep access to the EU. They also have a tendency to offer the same products all over the world, which means European rules <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-usb-c-charger-rule-shows-how-eu-regulators-make-decisions-for-the-world-184763">apply to everyone</a>.</p>
<p>European rules have clear objectives. The EU’s <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3783436">Digital Markets Act</a>, which <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_6423">comes into force</a> in March 2024, establishes rights and rules for large online platforms – so-called <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_4328">“gatekeepers”</a> such as Google, Amazon or Meta – to prevent them from abusing their market power.</p>
<p>Europe is also credible when it comes to protecting consumers, citizens and transparency. It cannot be suspected of favouring European tech champions, because there are none. Europe can, for instance, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-opens-formal-proceedings-against-tiktok-under-digital-services-act-2024-02-19/">judge Tiktok</a> based on whether it breaches child protection rules, and not based on fears that a Chinese company is taking market share away from a European one. </p>
<h2>Technology and democracy</h2>
<p>Perhaps the best example of the benefits of old regulating Europe and unleashed America is the current race for AI. The US is positioned as the market leader in AI technology, which can power products and applications such as image generators, voice assistants and search engines. <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/ai-investment-forecast-to-approach-200-billion-globally-by-2025.html">Roughly half</a> of the world’s investment in AI currently happens in the US. </p>
<p>At the same time, Europe has already taken several steps to regulate. The EU’s <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-countries-strike-deal-ai-law-act-technology/">Artificial Intelligence Act</a>, for example, defines <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai">different levels</a> of transparency and the auditing of algorithms depending on how dangerous they could become.</p>
<p>Europe will certainly not win the global innovation race for AI. But it has the chance to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/59b9ef36-771f-4f91-89d1-ef89f4a2ec4e">write the global rules</a> according to its own values. This means it can make companies liable for the actions of their AI tools and transparent on the data used for training them. It also means it can require a company’s AI algorithms to be audited.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="TikTok app logo on a smartphone screen and flags of China and United States." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578988/original/file-20240229-22-cklp59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Short-form video hosting service TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stone-uk-october-25-2019-tiktok-1541597285">Ascannio/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>But for the EU to write the new rules of AI, western companies must win the innovation race. The main competitor is China, where companies are given massive access to government data, including facial recognition. The Chinese government can largely <a href="https://academic.oup.com/restud/article/90/4/1701/6665906">choose its champions</a> by deciding who gets access to data. </p>
<p>China’s concerns about regulation could not be further away from those in Europe. China is not interested in improving transparency and fair political competition – it wants to use data to promote the policies of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/04/18/can-xi-jinping-control-ai-without-crushing-it">Chinese Communist Party</a>, and discipline and foster the national economy.</p>
<p>Far from a competition between Europe and the US for tech dominance, western democracies should see their different approaches as a unique opportunity to promote their shared values. In that context, the lack of large, global European tech leaders might actually be a blessing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224665/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Renaud Foucart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The lack of large, global European tech leaders might actually be a blessing.Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244382024-03-04T13:41:42Z2024-03-04T13:41:42ZDemand for computer chips fuelled by AI could reshape global politics and security<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578585/original/file-20240228-18-rudxyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=28%2C0%2C6361%2C3592&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-silicon-die-being-extracted-semiconductor-2262331365">IM Imagery / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A global race to build powerful computer chips that are essential for the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools could have a major impact on global politics and security. </p>
<p>The US is currently leading the race in the design of these chips, also known as semiconductors. But most of the manufacturing is carried out in Taiwan. The debate has been fuelled by the call by Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT’s developer OpenAI, for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/sam-altman-seeks-trillions-of-dollars-to-reshape-business-of-chips-and-ai-89ab3db0">a US$5 trillion to US$7 trillion</a> (£3.9 trillion to £5.5 trillion) global investment to <a href="https://venturebeat.com/ai/sam-altman-wants-up-to-7-trillion-for-ai-chips-the-natural-resources-required-would-be-mind-boggling/">produce more powerful chips</a> for the next generation of AI platforms. </p>
<p>The amount of money Altman called for is more than the chip industry has spent in total since it began. Whatever the facts about those numbers, overall projections for the AI market are mind blowing. The data analytics company GlobalData <a href="https://www.globaldata.com/media/technology/generative-ai-will-go-mainstream-2024-driven-adoption-specialized-custom-models-multimodal-tool-experimentation-says-globaldata/">forecasts that the market will be worth US$909 billion</a> by 2030.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, over the past two years, the US, China, Japan and several European countries have increased their budget allocations and put in place measures to secure or maintain a share of the chip industry for themselves. China is catching up fast and is <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2023/09/china-boosts-semiconductor-subsidies-as-us-tightens-restrictions/">subsidising chips, including next-generation ones for AI</a>, by hundreds of billions over the next decade to build a manufacturing supply chain. </p>
<p>Subsidies seem to be the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/germany-earmarks-20-bln-eur-chip-industry-coming-years-2023-07-25/">preferred strategy for Germany too</a>. The UK government has announced its <a href="https://www.ukri.org/news/100m-boost-in-ai-research-will-propel-transformative-innovations/#:%7E:text=%C2%A3100m%20boost%20in%20AI%20research%20will%20propel%20transformative%20innovations,-6%20February%202024&text=Nine%20new%20research%20hubs%20located,help%20to%20define%20responsible%20AI.">plans to invest £100 million</a> to support regulators and universities in addressing challenges around artificial intelligence. </p>
<p>The economic historian Chris Miller, the author of the book Chip War, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/ai-chip-race-fears-grow-of-huge-financial-bubble/a-68272265">has talked about how powerful chips have become a “strategic commodity”</a> on the global geopolitical stage.</p>
<p>Despite the efforts by several countries to invest in the future of chips, there is currently a shortage of the types currently needed for AI systems. Miller recently explained that 90% of the chips used to train, or improve, AI systems are <a href="https://www.siliconrepublic.com/future-human/chip-war-semiconductors-supply-tech-geopolitics-chris-miller">produced by just one company</a>.</p>
<p>That company is the <a href="https://www.tsmc.com/english">Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)</a>. Taiwan’s dominance in the chip manufacturing industry is notable because the island is also the focus for tensions between China and the US. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-microchip-industry-would-implode-if-china-invaded-taiwan-and-it-would-affect-everyone-206335">The microchip industry would implode if China invaded Taiwan, and it would affect everyone</a>
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<p>Taiwan has, for the most part, <a href="https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/content_3.php#:%7E:text=The%20ROC%20government%20relocated%20to,rule%20of%20a%20different%20government.">been independent since the middle of the 20th century</a>. However, Beijing believes it should be <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-calls-taiwan-president-frontrunner-destroyer-peace-2023-12-31/">reunited with the rest of China</a> and US legislation requires Washington to <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/house-bill/2479#:%7E:text=Declares%20that%20in%20furtherance%20of,defense%20capacity%20as%20determined%20by">help defend Taiwan if it is invaded</a>. What would happen to the chip industry under such a scenario is unclear, but it is obviously a focus for global concern.</p>
<p>The disruption of supply chains in chip manufacturing have the potential to bring entire industries to a halt. Access to the raw materials, such as rare earth metals, used in computer chips has also proven to be an important bottleneck. For example, China <a href="https://securityconference.org/en/publications/munich-security-report-2024/technology/">controls 60% of the production of gallium metal</a> and 80% of the global production of germanium. These are both critical raw products used in chip manufacturing.</p>
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<img alt="Sam Altman" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578592/original/file-20240228-30-178em0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has called for a US$5 trillion to $7 trillion investment in chips to support the growth in AI.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/openai-ceo-sam-altman-attends-artificial-2412159621">Photosince / Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>And there are other, lesser known bottlenecks. A process called <a href="https://research.ibm.com/blog/what-is-euv-lithography">extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography</a> is vital for the ability to continue making computer chips smaller and smaller – and therefore more powerful. <a href="https://www.asml.com/en">A single company in the Netherlands, ASML</a>, is the only manufacturer of EUV systems for chip production.</p>
<p>However, chip factories are increasingly being built outside Asia again – something that has the potential to reduce over-reliance on a few supply chains. Plants in the US are being subsidised to the tune of <a href="https://securityconference.org/en/publications/munich-security-report-2024/technology/">US$43 billion and in Europe, US$53 billion</a>. </p>
<p>For example, the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC is planning to build a multibillion dollar facility in Arizona. When it opens, that factory <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-microchip-industry-would-implode-if-china-invaded-taiwan-and-it-would-affect-everyone-206335">will not be producing the most advanced chips</a> that it’s possible to currently make, many of which are still produced by Taiwan.</p>
<p>Moving chip production outside Taiwan could reduce the risk to global supplies in the event that manufacturing were somehow disrupted. But this process could take years to have a meaningful impact. It’s perhaps not surprising that, for the first time, this year’s Munich Security Conference <a href="https://securityconference.org/en/publications/munich-security-report-2024/technology/">created a chapter devoted to technology</a> as a global security issue, with discussion of the role of computer chips. </p>
<h2>Wider issues</h2>
<p>Of course, the demand for chips to fuel AI’s growth is not the only way that artificial intelligence will make major impact on geopolitics and global security. The growth of disinformation and misinformation online has transformed politics in recent years by inflating prejudices on both sides of debates. </p>
<p>We have seen it <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26675075">during the Brexit campaign</a>, during <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051231177943">US presidential elections</a> and, more recently, during the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-misinformation-fact-check-e58f9ab8696309305c3ea2bfb269258e">conflict in Gaza</a>. AI could be the ultimate amplifier of disinformation. Take, for example, deepfakes – AI-manipulated videos, audio or images of public figures. These could easily fool people into thinking a major <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/26/ai-deepfakes-disinformation-election">political candidate had said something they didn’t</a>.</p>
<p>As a sign of this technology’s growing importance, at the 2024 Munich Security Conference, 20 of the world’s largest tech companies <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/2024/02/16/technology-industry-to-combat-deceptive-use-of-ai-in-2024-elections/">launched something called the “Tech Accord”</a>. In it, they pledged to cooperate to create tools to spot, label and debunk deepfakes. </p>
<p>But should such important issues be left to tech companies to police? Mechanisms such as the EU’s Digital Service Act, the UK’s Online Safety Bill as well as frameworks to regulate AI itself should help. But it remains to be seen what impact they can have on the issue.</p>
<p>The issues raised by the chip industry and the growing demand driven by AI’s growth are just one way that AI is driving change on the global stage. But it remains a vitally important one. National leaders and authorities must not underestimate the influence of AI. Its potential to redefine geopolitics and global security could exceed our ability to both predict and plan for the changes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224438/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alina Vaduva is affiliated with the Labour Party, as a member and elected councillor in Dartford, Kent. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirk Chang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The effects of AI’s growth on global security could be difficult to predict.Kirk Chang, Professor of Management and Technology, University of East LondonAlina Vaduva, Director of the Business Advice Centre for Post Graduate Students at UEL, Ambassador of the Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise, University of East LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.