[Newsletter] AI in Politics, Maui Fires, Youth Climate case, Covid-19 and more...
A roundup of the news we've been watching in politics and social issues...
Just a quick note from our team to say we are still taking a much-needed summer break. We’ll be back as usual for the next college term with more scholarship opportunities. In the meantime, here is a look at the news we’ve been watching lately.
From the BattlePACs News Desk
Deepfakes in Politics
This article claims “The 2024 election is going to be the deepfake election. It’s going to test our ability as a society to detect deepfakes." DeepMedia has rolled out a public deepfake detection platform ahead of the 2024 US presidential election. What do you think? Should the Government and a company be the ones deciding what is real or fake? Or is this a dangerous precedent?
Global AI Regulation
We shared this detailed article about how to achieve a global AI regulation. We asked whether (much like with Nuclear war in the Cold War era), the only way to achieve a global accord on AI is to de-escalate economic and military wars and great power blocs and move towards true collaboration and significant treaties to support international interest? Food for thought... What do you think?
Tragic Maui Fires
President Biden visited Maui to assess the recovery efforts following the devastating wildfires that have caused significant damage and claimed more than 100 lives. Did the authorities do enough to provide support to ordinary people in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, or are they potentially using this situation as an opportunity to expand corporate ownership of land, as some locals claim?
Sue the Boomers!
A Montana judge has ruled that the state’s continued development of fossil fuels violates a constitutional clause guaranteeing citizens the right to a clean and healthful environment. While this ruling won’t outright prevent fossil fuel activities, it will overturn a law prohibiting state agencies from considering pollution when permitting such projects. The decision marks a significant victory for young climate advocates and sets a potential legal precedent for climate litigation.
Is Covid Back?
As the “Eris” variant of the Omicron coronavirus rises, a new COVID vaccine is set to be released. However, experts predict a lukewarm reception due to declining vaccination demand since 2021. Health officials emphasize the importance of annual shots, particularly for vulnerable groups. What do you think? Are we really going to do this whole thing again?
FEC AI Rules
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is considering rules regulating AI-generated content in political ads. A petition filed by advocacy group Public Citizen urges the FEC to ban candidates from using AI to misrepresent opponents. The FEC’s decision to open up the petition for public comment indicates growing concern about the deceptive use of AI in elections:
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