Notices by DW Innovation (dw_innovation@mastodon.social)

Hot off the #OSINT blog press:

A comparison of digital, partly AI-driven #tools for #geolocation.

Our Ruben Bouwmeester and @twone2 have taken a closer look at Overpass Turbo, GeoGuessr GPT, GeoSpy, Earthkit – and DW's own SPOT application.

A key insight: geolocation tools aren't perfect yet, but they're becoming more efficient and powerful every day.

https://innovation.dw.com/articles/geolocation-verification-tools-comparison

Hi everyone!

Time for a quick meta update:

We've hit 6k followers – which is amazing. More importantly, we still see a substantial number of interactions, and we'd like to say thank you for that! Please understand that we can't always read everything or even address all comments.

As for technical news, you should also have access to DW Innovation via Bluesky now. That's courtesy of @bsky.brid.gy (and @newsmast who pointed out this option).

Ok. Back to R&D work. See you later.

Generative AI not only consumes a lot of energy, it's also likely to produce a lot of electronic trash.

According to researchers, the total amount of global e-waste could grow by the alarming factor of 1.000 in only 5 years.

There are solutions to reducing e-waste – e.g. by prolonging, reusing, and recycling hardware. Their implementation needs global strategies, of course.

An article by DW's Fred Schwaller explains the issue in more detail:

https://www.dw.com/en/e-waste-from-ai-computers-could-escalate-beyond-control/a-70619724

#AI #eWaste #environment

#Russia is putting a significant amount of money and effort into boosting content that pushes its agenda. Main strategies include: enlisting influencers, setting up fake websites and fake accounts, and using an army of bots. Poorly designed algorithms and poorly monitored platforms make sure the Kremlin #disinfo and #propaganda is rather effective.

DW's Roger Ditter explains how things work in detail.

https://www.dw.com/en/why-you-dont-notice-russias-media-manipulation/video-70271490

Fun and fascinating: A @niemanlab post documenting how big news reaches people these days.

"How did you learn that Biden is dropping out of the race?"

> "Via an Instagram meme account."
> "In a bar-exam-prep Discord channel."
> "A lifeguard at a pool announced it."

https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/07/breaking-the-ways-people-hear-about-big-news-these-days-into-a-million-pieces-says-source/

"The first version of #ProtonDocs seems to have most of what you’d expect in a #document #editor: rich text options, real-time collaborative editing, and multimedia support."

https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/3/24190732/proton-docs-document-editor-privacy-google

#privacy

"#FactChecking requires the right and ability to find #sources, read widely and interview experts who are free to speak candidly — all as part of a rigorous #methodology and process. (...) Fact-checking is part of a free press and high-quality #journalism, and it contributes to public #information and #knowledge."

From the #IFCN 's "Sarajevo Statement" – which comes at a time when free speech, transparency, and the preservation of information are under massive pressure.

https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/2024/global-fact-statement-sarajevo/

At the beginning of 2024, TechCrunch started publishing a series of #interviews with notable #women in #AI – to give them their "well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight."

So far, 20+ interviews have been published, and this overview page is certainly worth a bookmark:

https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/29/the-women-in-ai-making-a-difference

Worth your time: A new #EDJNet piece on voter fatigue, Euroscepticism vs. pro-Europeanism and the upcoming #elections in the #EU:

https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/cp_data_news/eurosceptics-vs-europhiles-in-8-eu-countries-not-even-half-of-citizens-will-vote-in-the-next-european-elections/

#DDJ #DataViz

Many thanks for all the feedback on the Mastodon / Fediverse / EBU post. That one's really going through the roof! 🚀

Also: Welcome new followers. 👋

We'll be back shortly with more news/updates re: technology for journalism. 👩💻

In the meantime, maybe check out our blog again?

👇
https://innovation.dw.com/en/articles

We started this account less than 6 months ago. It's going pretty well – thanks to you: 4.2k followers, lots of interactions, questions, and comments. 🎉

A couple of weeks ago, the European Broadcasting Union (#EBU) asked us to write a guest article about our experience with #Mastodon / the #Fediverse, explain the basics, and point out the advantages. :mastodon:

Challenge accepted. 👍

So here's the finished post by @lxplm, hot off the #blog press. ⌨️

🔽
https://www.ebu.ch/news/2024/03/public-broadcasters-of-europe-lets-all-join-mastodon

The Open Society Foundations are launching a project that wants to "kick-start a global public conversation (...) on the long-term, structural implications of AI on the information ecosystem."

Applicants are to submit their specific scenarios – which may later be fleshed out in a workshop in Italy.

It's easy to apply and eligibility criteria are broad. However, the deadline is approaching fast (23/02/24). 🕛

More info: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/focus/open-society-ai-in-journalism-futures

#AI #media #news #journalism #future #workshop

(2/2) The following two articles may help you get a better understanding of Open AI's new models and their output:

Sora’s Surreal Physics (by Gary Marcus):
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/soras-surreal-physics

Seeing Isn't Always Believing: Video Edition (by Conspirador Norteno)
https://conspirator0.substack.com/p/seeing-isnt-always-believing-video

#GenerativeAI #Verification #Disinformation

(1/2) By now you've probably heard about #Sora and the latest wave of #AI-driven text-to-#video tools. It's all quite spectacular, but far from perfect. If you take a closer look, it's still possible to detect synthetic content. Essential pro tips: Play everything in slow motion. Consider real world physics – and logic.

#Stract is a new, #opensource, #nonprofit #search engine. It has a lot of interesting functions. For example, users can exclude known copycat sites from search queries, focus on indie blogs, or do fediverse search only.

You can test Stract over here:
https://stract.com

And check out the repo on #GitHub:
https://github.com/StractOrg/stract

There's also an interesting article on Stract by @404mediaco:
https://www.404media.co/this-guy-is-building-an-open-source-search-engine-in-real-time

Still relevant: DWA's publication on the #safety and #security of #journalists.

▶️ What are the most promising strategies to support courageous journalists?
▶️ Where are the gaps in existing support mechanisms?
▶️ Who needs special attention, who has not been sufficiently taken into account so far?

Details and downloads (free PDF):
https://akademie.dw.com/en/safety-and-security-of-journalists-results-of-a-global-analysis/a-66850538

(1/2)

"We want the platforms to remove illegal content from the internet. That's important. But if a state abuses this, for example, by declaring any criticism of the government illegal, that is a law violation. Then you can use the same tools to make legitimate criticism disappear on the internet."

Journalists, activists, and media experts have been calling on search giant Google to do something about its technical framework, which frequently...

Did you know that IT/tech-related #risks rank *really high* in the new #WEF Global Risks report?

AI-generated #disinfo is considered to be the 2nd biggest risk (right after extreme weather events). And it's of course connected to the 3rd biggest risk: social/political polarization.

#Cyberattacks are ranked 5th – and can in turn be connected to the disruption of supply chains and critical infrastructure (a topic that also features prominently).

Food for thought.

https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/in-full/global-risks-2024-at-a-turning-point/

"Maybe we’ll get the interoperable shared, open social web that many of us have wanted for the last twenty plus years? Wilder things have happened."

Here's a *very* long post (by Tom Coates) on how #Threads / #Meta wants to be a part of the #fediverse:

http://plasticbag.org/archives/2024/01/how-threads-will-integrate-with-the-fediverse/

(You don't have to be a fan of the platform or the company, but one thing's for sure: They're way too big to ignore.)

Re: #AI #policy
(via @techreview)

1) "The US isn’t planning on putting the screws to Big Tech."

2) "It’s not going to be easy to grapple with the harms and risks posed by AI."

3) "AI is the next frontier for techno-nationalism and global competition."

4) "Watch closely what happens in the US election and those around the world."

More: https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/01/08/1086294/four-lessons-from-2023-that-tell-us-where-ai-regulation-is-going/