March 2024
Library-related news is all around us and Erin, a NOPL Brewerton librarian, will spring into some of the top stories!
On March 14 the Associated Press published this article about AI being used to sway people’s opinions on elections. The article contends that as AI technology rockets forward, it is much simpler to use (and misuse) than in the recent past. Its authors, Ali Swenson and Kelvin Chan, present several cases of AI being used to convincingly manipulate candidates’ features into deepfake video, audio, and photos to influence potential voters and supporters. They include a chilling perspective from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who “recently warned about the growing threat”, saying generative AI makes it easy for “foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence.”
While this article largely describes fake images, the world of AI just took a giant step forward in accessible media creation with the text/image to video generator Sora, OpenAI’s newest darling. Sora seems toothless when seen on Instagram, it is all snow-drenched puppies, cowboy kittens, leafy elephants, and red sportscars. However, it is products like Sora that make extremely convincing misinformation so easy to make, and so prevalent. Since a team of computer visual effects experts is no longer required, the entry cost is much, much lower – an internet-enabled device and the time it takes to craft a workable prompt. Time to dust off your eyeballs and read this article that AP published on March 21 describing some tell-tale signs that an image is fake. I anticipate a similar article about fake video is forthcoming. You may also want to dig into this piece from the New York Times about identifying health misinformation on social media, which is a great reminder to keep your friends close but be skeptical about what they post.
This article from Bloomberg chronicles Amazon’s recent test-drive to deploy humanoid robots in their warehouses. Naturally, I got curious about when robots would be coming to libraries. Then I remembered, some libraries already have automated small parcel handling technology called Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems. The University of Chicago’s Mansueto Library is a prime example. In an inhospitable, closely packed pit under a dystopian dome, people’s requests for items prompt the automatic retrieval system, with humans not involved until a late stage in the delivery process. You may be asking, Erin, that doesn’t resemble Amazon’s robot at all, with its various limbs and such? You would be correct, but you may also need to expand your definition of Robot. If a more friendly entity is what you are after, consider this throwback to 2016 called AuRoSS that was demonstrated at Singapore’s Pasir Ris Public Library in order to find mis-shelved books.
In other news, Nature published a deep-dive into a scandal in scientific research where a scholar claimed to have discovered room-temperature semiconductors (rarer than a real-life leprechaun), and later retracted those claims. This article has implications for data handling, science literacy, and institutional oversight of scientific publishing.
Finally, this blog that is relevant to maybe just me as the staunchest Audible detractor (mostly I find their pricing structure convoluted and I can find enough content through NOPL’s digital collections to satisfy my interests). The prominent and popular fantasy author Brandon Sanderson (Cosmere universe) has put some pressure on Audible and even if terms of service are not improving for users, it seems as though they might for authors. I will revel in this small victory from afar.
