The AI ​​Alarm Cycle: Much Talk, Little Action | Science and technology

A series of warnings from artificial intelligence (AI) industry insiders shows how the debate around AI is driving extreme news cycles, oscillating between hype and alarm.

The result is media coverage that overlooks the intricacies of this technology and its impact on daily life. We look at what the risks are real, what’s being exaggerated, and what big tech companies stand to gain from all the scaremongering.

Contributors:
Rumman Chowdhury – Founder, Humane Intelligence
Mutale Nkonde – Founder, AI for the People
Chris Stokel-Walker – Author of the book How AI Ate the World

On our radar

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, has found herself in the middle of a political storm, all because of comments she never actually made.

After a manipulated video of Albanese calling Israel an “enemy of humanity” went viral, there were calls for his resignation across Europe. The UN called the allegations part of a broader smear campaign aimed at discrediting Albanese and the UN itself.

A careful vision of Israel for African journalists

For decades, the Israeli government and pro-Israel organizations have sponsored trips for politicians, celebrities and journalists, inviting them to visit and, as they say, tell the “real story” of Israel. In the past, these invitations largely targeted personalities from Western countries. But since October 7, we have seen a notable shift towards African journalists and social media influencers.

The goal is clear: to shape African media coverage and influence audiences across the continent.

Nic Muirhead of the Listening Post reports on the African journalists who participated in these fully funded and tightly managed visits to Israel.

Understand :
Hassen Lorgat – media critic and activist
Makhudu Sefara – Editor, Sunday Times
Timnit Gebru – Founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)
Njahira Gitahi – Journalist, The Standard