Category «Legal Research»

After Hurricane Helene, survivors have been in a race against time to protect family heirlooms, photographs and keepsakes

The total damage from Hurricane Helene to North Carolina – be it physical, psychological or economic – is difficult to quantify. But the numbers reported by the Office of State Budget and Management are harrowing: over 100 deaths, $59.6 billion in damages and thousands of homes destroyed, as of Dec. 13, 2024. This interview with disaster experts Leah Bright and Brian Michael Lione identifies resources for survivors and explains how to salvage damaged belongings. Bright is an objects conservator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where she’s responsible for the long-term preservation of the collection, including preventive care and repairs. Lione manages the International Cultural Heritage Protection Program at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute, supporting disaster response globally, including in Iraq and the U.S.

Subjects: Climate Change, Education, Environmental Law, Training

Yes, I am a human’: bot detection is no longer working – and just wait until AI agents come along

Welcome to the strange battle between bot detection and AI, which is set to get even more complicated in the coming years as technology continues to improve. Professors Irfan Mehmood and Kamran Mahroof describe what the future after Captcha may look like.

Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Search Engines, Search Strategies, Technology Trends

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 28, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Five highlights from this week: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the operator of Zelle, as well as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo “for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud” at the payment provider; You Need to Create a Secret Password With Your Family; North Korean Hackers Deploy OtterCookie Malware in Contagious Interview Campaign; How to block Chrome from signing you into a Google account automatically; and Mobile Phishing Attacks Use New Tactic to Bypass Security Measures.

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Financial System, Legal Research, Privacy, Search Engines

1 in 6 Congresswomen Targeted by AI-Generated Sexually Explicit Deepfakes

A first-of-its-kind study highlights the stark gender disparity in AI-generated nonconsensual intimate images and puts into focus the evolving risks for women in politics and public life. By Barbara Rodriguez and Jasmine Mithan.

Subjects: AI, Communications, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Legal Research, Pornography, Privacy, Social Media, Technology Trends, United States Law

No flood gauges, no warning: 99% of US streams are off the radar amid rising flash flood risks – we saw the harm in 2024

Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U.S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In 2024 alone, floods destroyed homes in over a dozen states and claimed more than 165 lives. Julie Arbit, Brad Bottoms and Branko Kerkez identify how thesedisasters underscore the importance of fast, accurate flood warnings. They’re also a reminder that extensive gaps still exist in the systems that monitor U.S. stream levels.

Subjects: Disaster Planning, Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Financial System

Consider The Turkey: philosopher’s new book might put you off your festive bird – and that’s exactly what he would want

This article by Benjamin Curtis is an overview of Australian philosopher Peter Singer who has been a champion of animal rights for more than 50 years. His basic philosophical position has remained the same: the suffering of animals is just as important as the suffering of human beings. Pain is pain, whether it is in animals or humans. So, just as we think it is wrong to cause unnecessary pain and suffering in humans, it is wrong to cause the same in animals. To think otherwise is “speciesist”.

Subjects: Ethics, Food & Drug Law, Legal Ethics, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 21, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: The Breachies 2024: The Worst, Weirdest, Most Impactful Data Breaches of the Year; Lawmakers tell Apple, Google to prepare for TikTok ban; CISA lays out how agencies, industry should respond to major cyber incidents; and Warning: A New Scam Targets Consumers with Unsolicited Gifts and Malicious QR Codes.

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Financial System, Social Media

AI in Finance and Banking – December 16, 2024

This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, conferences, industry white papers and reports, academic papers and speeches, and central bank actions on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to the primary sources, and as available, indicate links to alternate free versions. Five highlights from this post: Generative artificial intelligence and cyber security in central banking; Research: How Gen AI Is Already Impacting the Labor Market; Wall Street’s AI-powered rally risks ‘correction’, Vanguard warns; Regulating AI in the financial sector: recent developments and main challenges; Large language models: a primer for economists; and AI and the Labor Market: Will Firms Hire, Fire, or Retrain?

Subjects: AI in Banking and Finance, Cybersecurity, Economy, Education, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 14, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Five highlights from this week: How Much Do I Need to Change My Face to Avoid Facial Recognition?; FCC Prepares to Block Companies That Don’t Block Robocalls; Your Bluesky posts could be training AI models right now; AI chatbot provider exposes 346,000 customer files, including ID documents, resumes, and medical records; and Google uses your personal info to tailor search results. Here’s how to stop it

Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Search Engines, Social Media

Election misinformation & AI disclaimer wording

In this essay, James Jordan and Joy Ruiz, second year law students at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, explore the growing influence of generative AI in politics, particularly focusing on deepfakes and their potential impact on elections. As AI technology becomes more advanced, it is increasingly used to create misleading content that can shape public perception. They examine both the dangers of this misuse and the role of disclaimers, which vary by state and AI platforms, in influencing how much trust or skepticism people place in AI-generated content. Through their analysis, they highlight the importance of transparency and neutrality in the wording of these disclaimers.

Subjects: AI, Legal Education, Legal Profession, Legal Research, Social Media