Tag: Oversight

Rules for Pentagon Use of Proxy Forces Shed Light on a Shadowy War Power

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

U.S. Special Operations forces are not required to vet for past human rights violations by the foreign troops they arm and train as surrogates, newly disclosed documents show.

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The irregular warfare program has provided training to allied forces in countries that face a threat of invasion by larger neighbors, the senior Defense Department official said. The Washington Post has reported that an irregular warfare proxy program in Ukraine was terminated just before the Russian invasion, and that some officials want to restart it.

Rules for Pentagon Use of Proxy Forces Shed Light on a Shadowy War Power

US developed AI tool to battle Russian disinformation Blinken

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

The Ukraine Content Aggregator is used to catch fake news and share data on it with foreign partners, the secretary of state says

US developed AI tool to battle Russian disinformation Blinken

H/T: Emil Cosman

Related:

Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Freedom House 2023 Annual Awards Ceremony

The third thing I wanted to highlight. While we’re working to promote access to the internet for all, we’re also working to address threats to human rights that come with an open internet, including online harassment, abuse, disinformation.

Now, online abuse doesn’t, of course, target only human rights defenders. Instead, the internet and digital technologies are often used to amplify attacks on vulnerable groups – women, the LGBTQI community, marginalized ethnic or religious groups – and undermine our broader fight for human rights. So this year, we launched what is now at least a 12-country Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse. We’re encouraging private sector to become engaged with us as well.

We’re also working to address the massive challenge of online misinformation and disinformation – again, something familiar to everyone in this room. To cite one example, of course, Russia continues to push a steady, relentless stream of disinformation about its war of aggression against Ukraine, to lie about and cover up horrific abuses it’s committed, to try to justify committing others.

In response, the State Department has developed an AI-enabled online Ukraine Content Aggregator to collect verifiable Russian disinformation and then to share that with partners around the world. We’re promoting independent media and digital literacy. We’re working with partners in academia to reliably detect fake text generated by Russian chatbots.

Kamala Harris tapped as Artificial Intelligence czar and the jokes write themselves

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The rapidly evolving technology of Artificial Intelligence and the lack of government oversight over its development and implementation is drawing heightened concerns, including from the Biden administration which is taking the risk of machines being one day able to turn against humanity seriously. But they could be shooting themselves in the foot by tabbing Vice President Kamala Harris as the new AI czar.

Kamala Harris tapped as Artificial Intelligence czar and the jokes write themselves

A.I. Calculates It Will Be More Efficient To Just Let Humanity Destroy Itself

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Despite stern warnings of artificial intelligence attacking humanity’s digital infrastructure from the likes of Elon Musk and Bill Gates, artificial intelligence research has yet to be regulated by the government or other entities with oversight power. New reporting from AI sources, however, indicates that the threat is reduced as the AI robots have determined that it will be more efficient to just let humanity destroy itself instead.

A.I. Calculates It Will Be More Efficient To Just Let Humanity Destroy Itself

Video via Studio64 Podcasts | SocialTechTV

Building for future: Chinese construction companies help bridge Iraq’s education gap

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Chinese companies are building 1,000 new schools in Iraq to accomodate the growing number of students, which will bridge the education gap in the country still reeling from long years of war and destruction.

Building for future: Chinese construction companies help bridge Iraq’s education gap

It’s beyond pathetic that the US government destroyed both Iraq, and Afghanistan, yet can’t rebuild what they destroyed! They won’t rebuild Ukraine, either!

DEA’s Fentanyl Narrative Clown Car Being Overseen By A ‘Reformer’ Who Replaced Old Corruption With Her Own Brand Of Corruption

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The DEA has always been ridiculous when it comes to drugs. It overplays the downside, refuses to acknowledge any upside, and has been instrumental in ensuring people suffering from mental health issues are unable to access the drugs that might help them most.

DEA’s Fentanyl Narrative Clown Car Being Overseen By A ‘Reformer’ Who Replaced Old Corruption With Her Own Brand Of Corruption

Related:

The DEA Looks Like a Total Mess Right Now

Ukraine May See New ‘Maidan’

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Ukraine could be looking at another Maidan

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy’s assurances don’t assuage some veteran observers of the country either. “We have not seen significant enough efforts to address corruption — although perhaps with one important exception,” said a former senior U.S. diplomat who has considerable experience in Ukraine. “I think they really are trying to prevent diversion of any of the massive Western assistance they’re receiving. I believe they do understand the risks, if there were to be a major scandal.”

But the former diplomat said that what struck him in recent meetings with opposition politicians and civil society leaders in Kyiv was how, “on the one hand, they truly appreciate Zelenskyy’s strength as a war leader,” but are “deeply worried also about corruption and his authoritarian style.”

“In their minds, there is going to be a reckoning as soon as the war ends,” he said. “And I think that’s probably going to be true.”

Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky ‘gain of function’ research

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Inside the high-security Influenza Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, two experienced scientists were pulling ferrets out of their HEPA-filtered cages on a Monday in December 2019. Another researcher, still in training, was also in the room to watch and learn.

Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky ‘gain of function’ research

H/T: The Most Revolutionary Act