The News You Need This Week
#NEWSLETTER | From time-to-time a good recap of the issues and news swirling about seems as important to dive into as a heaping dose of veggies...
I’ll be the first to admit that I regularly over-indulge in nonsense, mind-numbing content. But fittingly, just as I was doing that very thing, I fell upon a brilliant piece arguing for putting the urge to *information splurge* on a diet. “The Intellectual Obesity Crisis” could not be a more genius take and is definitely worth your time.
That said, approaching information consumption the *right way* doesn’t mean spending hours glued to text. It’s instead about organizing what you want to want or need to reach into categories and being disciplined with the time spent on each.
To nudge us along today, a recap of a few issues in the news recently (… and where incidentally I’ve also covered the issue before), and a list of sources to try to get your news on a regular basis.
What’s Happening Now
1» Risk of Deep-Fake Porn Continues to Grow
Nearly half of the girls in a Pennsylvania public school were the victims of AI porn recently. The experience was distressing, the boys responsible have been indicted, and the administration is accused of not taking the incident seriously. What can parents do? Educate kids about the need to monitor and control image sharing, steer clear of AI tools misuse, and the being open if the worst happens.
2» AI Chatbot Goes off the Rails and Encourages Teen ‘to Kill Parents’
While undoubtedly at the extreme end of the issue, the potentially coercive impact of chatbots on our kids is also a very important issue to keep ahead of. Two families are suing Character.AI “…accusing it of providing sexual content to their children and encouraging self-harm and violence.” I’ve written about my concerns about chatbots here before:
3» Ready or Not Here Comes More iPhone AI
Maybe you are excited, perhaps horrified, or probably just indifferent, but with every update of your iPhone comes more AI tools automatically baked in. Regardless of what that *means* to you, from now into the future you should review all privacy settings every time your phone’s operating system is updated (iOS and Android). Most of these new features are ‘opt out’ and not ‘opt in’. That’s also a reminder of my favorite mantra on the topic…
If in Doubt Opt Out
4» The Literal and Symbolic Meaning of the Drones Flying Around
Last night, I saw a sizable, slow-moving drone in the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. I also had just talked to a friend whose family spotted them all around New Jersey. So my literal question is: What is happening, and why don’t we know? The story also seems symbolic of the place we find ourselves in. That is to say: the things that once seemed insane and would consume media coverage, seem now simply curious at best. We don’t believe the government doesn’t know, right? And yet, we kind of don’t care. We are so unfazed by the bizarre, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. A few articles from the past 24 hours.
Drones spotted over New York City compel U.S. senators to demand federal briefing
Drones spotted, vanish over NYC as mystery swirls over lights in the sky
NJ drone mystery: Lawmaker pushes for 'military intervention'
5» Celebrating All Abilities and Impact of Innovation
A site that has been a long-time labor of love and has had at least nine lives, is breathing new life yet again. FromAtoSHE is my effort to celebrate what it means to be human and the ways technology, innovation, human spirit and self-belief can bring everyone along. Covering inclusive and adaptive products and services for women, I cover how women of all abilities are inspiring and helping others. With at least 25% of us experiencing some sort of long-term disability by the time we are retirement age, the fluidity of the human experience means we all should be invested in the space.
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Suggested Resources For Following News
Looking for info management or just some great reads?
Consider setting up Google alerts. You can pick your topic and have the news delivered on a number of different timetables.
Consider subscribing to Apple News. Pick your news and outlets and read in a nice format.
Finally, Substack notes is a pleasant alternative to social media. You can curate what you want to see by topic and receive a bit more of thoughtful analysis of the news (among other things).
Have a great weekend.