Is Australia a nation of tech sceptics? Inside Meta's AI plans, social ...
Hello and welcome to Screenshot, your weekly tech update featuring the best, worst, and strangest in tech and online news. Apparently, Australians are sceptical when it comes to AI. According to a global survey by the Reuters Institute, Australians are less comfortable with AI-generated news compared to the global average. 59% of Australian respondents expressed discomfort about news produced by AI, with only the UK ranking lower in trust. Interestingly, 56% of Australians admitted knowing little about AI, and this lack of knowledge correlated with lower trust levels.
Slow Adoption of New Technology
Professor Sora Park from the University of Canberra highlighted the trend of Australians being slow to adopt new technology, citing the stable use of Facebook for news consumption while other countries transition to platforms like TikTok. This hesitation towards new tech is not unique to AI, as Australians have shown scepticism in various tech innovations.
Social Media and Mental Health Debate
In a recent opinion article in The New York Times, US Surgeon-General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media due to concerns about its impact on mental health, especially among teenagers. While research shows a correlation between social media use and poor mental health, the direct causation is still debated. Despite the lack of conclusive evidence, there is growing urgency to address this issue to safeguard children's well-being.
Concerns Over Meta's AI Plans
The recent backlash against Meta, particularly on Instagram and Facebook, stems from users' concerns about the use of their content to train generative AI platforms. While attempts to block these changes have been made, Meta has agreed to pause the implementation in Europe and the UK. Meta's privacy policies indicate that Australian user data has already been used for training Meta AI, similar to practices by other tech giants.
AI Decoding Sperm Whale Language
Researchers have utilized AI to analyze and decode the communication patterns of sperm whales, challenging the notion of complex communication as solely human. By studying whale codas with AI technology, scientists have mapped the intricacies of whale conversations, revealing the depth and context-specific nature of their communication.
Join the BreadStapledToTrees Community
If you seek a lighter form of communication, consider exploring r/BreadStapledToTrees, a platform dedicated to the art of stapling bread to trees. While whales engage in sophisticated conversations, this quirky online community embraces a simpler yet amusing form of expression.
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SOURCE: ABCNEWS
