The Trump Administration’s Continued War Against Science, Research and Public Health – Sabrina I. Pacifici’s overview of selected articles highlights the devastating impact of the Trump administration’s dismantling of agencies across the federal government, with a focus on cancelling critical scientific and health related research grants, as reported in July, 2025. The total cancellation of …
Jerry Lawson reviews Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna’s new book, The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want (Harper 2025).
John R. Platt, Editor of the The Revelator, a news and ideas initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity, reports on how three simple keystrokes will deliver search results that consume less energy and water — and probably contain better information.
Kyle K. Courtney, both lawyer and librarian, is the Director of Copyright and Information Policy for Harvard Library. He guides us through the rapidly evolving legal landscape around artificial intelligence and copyright where two district court opinions now serve as early landmarks. As a result of these recent decisions, he concludes that the case is even stronger, and far more compelling, for libraries doing the same work in service of research, education, and public access.
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. Six highlights from this post: Artificial Intelligence in Finance; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Corporate Finance; AI and the Fed; Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurial Finance: A Guide for Research; AI Won’t Be Held Accountable for Regulatory Failings, But Your Firm Will Be; and Anthropic’s Claude dives into financial analysis.
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: Employees are quietly bringing AI to work and leaving security behind; AI could harm your critical thinking skills. Should that change how you use it?; Device disregard is multiplying digital ghosts across federal agencies; Fake online stores look real, rank high, and trap unsuspecting buyers; and Appeals court strikes down ‘click-to-cancel’ rule.
Changing the Game – Algorithmic Game Theory in Ransomware Negotiations – Ransomware attacks are a growing threat, inflicting significant operational, financial, and reputational damage on organizations worldwide. With attackers exploiting information asymmetry, traditional game theory negotiation strategies are inadequate in minimizing these risks. This paper by Jawad Ramal explores how Algorithmic Game Theory (AGT) can strengthen …
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: Scale AI’s Public Google Docs Reveal Security Holes in AI Projects; Judge rules Anthropic’s use of books to train AI model is fair use; US Official Claims DeepSeek Aids China’s Military, Evaded Controls; Who’s guarding the AI? Even security teams are bypassing oversight; and Financial deepfake scams targeted in bipartisan Senate bill.
State-run health care websites around the country, meant to provide a simple way to shop for insurance, have been quietly sending visitors’ sensitive health information to Google and social media companies, Colin Lecher and Tomas Apodaca of The Markup and CalMatters found. The data, including prescription drug names and dosages, was sent by web trackers on state exchanges set up under the Affordable Care Act to help Americans purchase health coverage. The exchange websites ask users to answer a series of questions, including about their health histories, to find them the most relevant information on plans. But in some cases, when visitors responded to sensitive questions, the invisible trackers sent that information to platforms like Google, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. The Markup and CalMatters audited the websites of all 19 states that independently operate their own online health exchange. While most of the sites contained advertising trackers of some kind, The Markup and CalMatters found that four states exposed visitors’ sensitive health information.
Law department innovation leaders operate at a demanding intersection. They must innovate in measurable ways. Yet, particularly in the current economic climate, this mandate collides head-on with intense budget scrutiny, hiring freezes, and an unrelenting demand for immediate, tangible returns. Big tech visions often yield to the urgent need for pragmatic cost control. So, how do we advance an innovation agenda in a way that is both impactful and financially defensible right now? Dennis Kennedy, Director, Center for Law, Technology & Innovation Michigan State University College of Law, advises that the most pragmatic, resilient, and successful innovation strategy for law departments today involves strategically targeting the vast, resource-intensive “middle ground” of legal work with AI.