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Daily Archives: March 2, 2024
Champion of Free Speech and Journalism Margaret Talev Leads Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship … – Syracuse University News
Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:26 pm
Margaret Talev discusses the mission and vision for the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, how distrust in election results and politicians is at an all-time high and the challenges artificial intelligence poses.
Margaret Talev can vividly recall the specific moment she knew journalism had failed to properly inform and educate a large portion of the American voting electorate.
It was Jan. 6, 2021. More than 1,000 citizens were protesting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Talev was working as managing editor at Axios, overseeing the outlets political coverage. During the events, one of her reporters became trapped in the chambers of the House of Representatives, while another was trapped in the Senates chambers.
A decorated and accomplished national political journalist, Talev prided herself on helping people understand the news, both in the short-term and big picture. Talev covered American politics and the White House for 30 years, including working the campaign trail for presidential elections in 2008, 2012 and 2016 as a White House correspondent for Bloomberg News and McClatchy Newspapers.
Talev watched the events unfold and was left wondering how thousands of her fellow citizens could stage a protest based on misinformation.
Unsure of her future in journalism, Talev wanted to focus her career efforts on the relationship between the news that was being produced and consumed by voters and how that was impacting their views on democracy and governance.
Margaret Talev
She was immediately interested in serving as the Kramer Director of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship (IDJC), a joint effort of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Based in Washington, the institute promotes nonpartisan, evidence-based research and dialogue in the public interest, striving to create new knowledge, foster a more informed and engaged citizenry and better equip students for success.
I cared about focusing on the governance and the information piece of this, which is, how is democracy working for people? What do people believe democracy is? And why are a segment of Americans so upset with the process that theyre willing to resort to violence or willing to believe conspiracy theories? That became the central question that I was interested in reporting on, and the chance to build an institute that would really be dedicated to looking at the connection between news and government, between journalism and politics, between how people perceive the way their country is working and the news theyre ingesting, Talev says of the IDJC, which will formally open its headquarters in Washington later this spring.
On this Cuse Conversation, Talev discusses the mission and vision for the IDJC, how distrust in election results and politicians is at an all-time high, the role citizens can play to address issues facing our democracy and the challenges artificial intelligence poses.
Check out episode 158 of the Cuse Conversations podcast featuring Talev. A transcript [PDF] is also available.
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Champion of Free Speech and Journalism Margaret Talev Leads Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship ... - Syracuse University News
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Kinsey student says IU administrator infringed on free speech rights at demonstration – Indiana Daily Student
Posted: at 2:25 pm
A Friends of Kinsey member said an IU administrator infringed on free speech rights by demanding the group move their table from Sample Gates.
Following the IU Board of Trustees decision to table discussions Nov. 10 to form a separate nonprofit to manage some of the institutes functions, Kinsey students formed Friends of Kinsey, an organization advocating against the proposed separation of the institute from the university. Over the past two weeks, as the fate of the institute remains uncertain, members have demonstrated in front of Sample Gates handing out flyers, candy and condoms.
On Feb. 13, Zoe Moscovici, a doctoral student and member of Friends of Kinsey, demonstrated in front of Sample Gates, when she was approached by Mary Waggoner, who identified herself as a member of IU administration. Waggoner told Moscovici she was not permitted to demonstrate at that location.
Moscovici drafted a written statement detailing the interaction with Waggoner, which was sent to Kinsey Institute Executive Director Justin Garcia.
According to the statement, Waggoner, who is the IU Office of Student Life Services Assistant for Space Reservations, told Moscovici she was not allowed to be at Sample Gates without IU approval. Moscovici responded that she was not in charge of the demonstration, but she believed Friends of Kinsey had the proper permission. Waggoner replied that she oversaw space reservation, and she had not approved a demonstration at Sample Gates.
Waggoner also said, according to the statement, that Friends of Kinsey needed to be an approved student organization with permission to demonstrate there and that tabling is never permitted for Sample Gates. Waggoner did not say where these rules were posted.
Moscovici said Waggoner demanded she move the table immediately. However, Moscovici had not set up the table, and she said she was watching other peoples possessions, so she told Waggoner that she did not want to move it. At this point, Waggoner grabbed materials from the table and began packing them up herself.
The main tone I was getting was condescending, Moscovici said.
The boards next meeting is Feb. 29-March 1.
Meanwhile, a man accompanying Waggoner began filming the incident on his phone, according to Moscovicis statement. He did not identify himself to Moscovici.
Moscovici said she called Melissa Blundell, a Kinsey Institute doctoral student and Friends of Kinsey member, who had coordinated the tabling effort and was at the demonstration but left prior to Waggoners arrival. According to the statement, Waggoner asked to speak to Blundell on the phone, but Moscovici refused. Blundell said she could return to campus in 20 minutes to speak to Waggoner, but Waggoner said she had a meeting in 20 minutes and Moscovici would have to move immediately.
Through the phone, I could hear Mary Waggoner being very aggressive and very angry, Blundell said.
Moscovici said she offered to compromise by temporarily stopping the demonstration, but Waggoner called IUPD to report that Moscovici had resisted her demands and would likely return to Sample Gates even if she moved.
Moscovici agreed to move the table across Indiana Avenue in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, according to the statement. Waggoner and the man helped her carry the materials across the street.
After moving the table across the street, Moscovici said Waggoners attitude changed, and she stopped yelling. She said Waggoner told her it was just the rules and had nothing to do with the topic of the demonstration.
Waggoner and the man then left together, Moscovici said. Blundell and Moscovici said there have been no further incidents with Waggoner or IU administration, and Friends of Kinsey have continued to table at that location.
Jessica Hille, assistant director for education at the Kinsey Institute, learned about the incident from Cynthia Graham, Moscovicis direct supervisor.
After reviewing the IU Office of Student Lifes page about planning an event, Blundell, Moscovici and Hille do not believe the demonstration violated the rules. Hille said that the regulations are somewhat unclear.
The page states that registered student organizations may request indoor and outdoor campus spaces, and that student groups must be registered on beINvolved. Friends of Kinsey is not registered on beINvolved.
The Office of Student Life requires all events to submit the Space Reservation Request Form. Small events and meetings, which are events with 1-49 attendees, are supposed to request a space 10 business days in advance. They are not, however, required to submit a request to the University Event Registration committee.
Blundell said Friends of Kinsey did not fill out the Space Reservation Request Form. However, Blundell, Moscovici and Hille point to a different section titled Demonstrations and counterdemonstrations, which they say implies a reservation is not necessary.
While not required, students are encouraged to reserve appropriate space and seek event approval through the UERC process to help ensure public health, and to gain access to helpful infrastructure such as stages and sound equipment, the page reads.
The page does not outline procedures for unofficial student organizations.
The page also specifically mentions Sample Gates as a location available for expressive activity. There is no mention of tabling being prohibited at Sample Gates tabling is referenced as an example of a small event.
Moscovici said Waggoners behavior was unacceptable, regardless of the policies.
I was maybe expecting some locals or students who had heard misinformation arguing with me or something, but I was not expecting a professional at IU to do that, Moscovici said.
In her statement, Moscovici also said she believes Waggoner infringed on her free speech rights as a student at IU.
It is my hope that, in the future, I and other students at IU will be able to voice our opinions and advocate for important causes on campus without fear of retaliation, the statement read.
The rally comes after several controversies on campus.
Hille said although Kinsey Institute students have been brave acting on behalf of the institute, they shouldnt have to face this kind of opposition.
Our grad students have been wonderful and incredibly brave in light of whats been going on and the sort of opposition that Kinseys been facing, Hille said. And from a policy standpoint, Im concerned that something like this would have a chilling effect on students ability to exercise their rights to free speech on campus.
Waggoner did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
The encounter on February 13 was the result of a miscommunication regarding tabling policies in certain areas on campus, an IU spokesperson said in an email. IU encourages the civil and free exchange of ideas. Our freedom of speech policy is available at freespeech.iu.edu.
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Should Honking Your Horn Be Considered Free Speech? – The Autopian
Posted: at 2:25 pm
wpDiscuz Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
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Should Honking Your Horn Be Considered Free Speech? - The Autopian
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Event: Free speech implications of the ICJ South Africa v. Israel case – ARTICLE 19 – Article 19
Posted: at 2:25 pm
Join us for a webinar exploring the free expression implications of the case initiated by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention).
In December last year, South Africa instituted proceedings against Israel before the ICJ under the Genocide Convention. On 26 January 2024, the ICJ issued a legally-binding order for Israel to implement a number of provisional measures, including to take all measures within its power to prevent breaches of the Genocide Convention and to take immediate and effective measures to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
While experts around the world have extensively debated various aspects of the case and the provisional measures order such as whether the ICJ should have issued a ceasefire order or what the implications of the order on third-party States with a duty to prevent breaches of the Genocide Convention are the freedom of expression issues raised in South Africa v. Israel have received less attention. Yet, South Africas application did highlight many of Israels freedom of expression violations since Hamass attack on 7 October 2023, such as the killings of journalists, stringent censorship measures, and communication blackouts enforced by Israel. The ICJ also ordered Israel to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide and to take effective measures to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence.
Join us for the event where the panellists will delve into the various freedom of expression issues of the case; in particular
When: Wednesday 6 March 2024, 2pm GMT (check your local time here)
Where: Online
Panellists:
Moderator: Chantal Joris, Legal Officer, ARTICLE 19
Please confirm your participation by registering here.
Information about the speakers
Mai El-Sadany is the Executive Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, which brings the insights and expertise of advocates from and in the MENA region in the policy discourse to foster transparent, accountable, and just societies. She has previously worked at organisations such as the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, or the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mai writes about legal and constitutional issues in Egypt, human rights issues in Syria, transitional justice in the Middle East, and the split between Sudan and South Sudan.
David Kaye is a professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, and the former UN Special Rapporteur on freedom expression. He is the 2023-2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Public International Law at Lund University, Sweden, and the U.S. Independent Expert to the Venice Commission. He regularly lectures and has published widely in academic and non-speciali st journals on issues related to human rights at domestic and international levels, accountability for serious human rights abuses, international humanitarian law, and the international law governing use of force. For Davids commentary on the ICJ ruling, see for example his articles in The Atlantic or Foreign Affairs.
Yuval Shany is the Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in International Law and former Dean of the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2013-2020, he was a member of the UN Human Rights Committee, where he served as a Chair for one year. Currently, he is a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, co-director of the Facultys International Law Forum and transitional justice program, the head of the CyberLaw program of the Hebrew University CyberSecurity Research Center and the Chair of the Hebrew Universitys Minerva Center for Human Rights academic committee. His research focuses on international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international courts and tribunals and international law in cyberspace. For Yuvals commentary on the ICJ ruling, see for example his article in Just Security.
Jiries Saadeh is an English-qualified lawyer and solicitor-advocate (higher courts civil proceedings). He also sits as a Deputy District Judge. Both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 have recognised Jiries as a leading public international law practitioner. Alongside his experience in private practice, Jiries has worked as a Legal Officer at the United Nations in New York, where he litigated before the United Nations Dispute and Appeals Tribunals.
Chantal Joris is a Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19 where she focuses on platform regulation, freedom of expression in armed conflicts, and freedom of expression issues relating to national security and privacy.
Register for the event
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Takeaways From the Supreme Court Arguments on Social Media Laws – The New York Times
Posted: at 2:25 pm
The Supreme Court heard arguments for nearly four hours on Monday on a pair of First Amendment cases challenging laws in Florida and Texas that seek to limit the ability of internet companies to moderate content on their platforms. Here are some takeaways:
As the public square has moved online in the 21st century and technology companies like Facebook, YouTube and X have grappled with objectionable content, new dilemmas have arisen over the scope and meaning of free speech.
Florida and Texas enacted laws limiting the ability of large internet companies to curate what appears on their platforms, in part in response to what some conservatives considered censorship of right-wing views by Silicon Valley in the name of combating hate speech and misinformation. One of the most notable examples: The decisions of some platforms to bar President Donald J. Trump after he repeatedly posted on social media to falsely claim that his loss in the 2020 election was the result of fraud, leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
An association of technology companies called NetChoice sued, arguing that platforms have a right to moderate content on their sites a practice that it said was crucial to keeping them attractive to users and advertisers. The coalition won preliminary injunctions blocking both states from enforcing the laws while broader First Amendment issues are litigated.
Both liberal and conservative justices signaled that they would prefer to have a more developed record about how the law would operate, raising the possibility that the Supreme Court could return the case to lower courts for more fact finding.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., a conservative, pointed out that there were no lists of which platforms were covered by the Florida statute or of all the functions those services perform. He raised the possibility of sending the case back down for more discussion at lower-court levels on issues like whether and how the law applies to other tech services, such as direct messages and email. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal, indicated that she was inclined to do the same.
Solicitors general for Florida and Texas defended their states laws and argued that big internet companies operating social media platforms that are essentially public forums should not be allowed to discriminate based on political views. They portrayed content moderation as censorship.
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Takeaways From the Supreme Court Arguments on Social Media Laws - The New York Times
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Florida anti-free speech bill targets ‘liberal media’ but guess who’s really mad at it? – KeysNews.com
Posted: at 2:25 pm
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Florida anti-free speech bill targets 'liberal media' but guess who's really mad at it? - KeysNews.com
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Supreme Court arguments over social media laws and free speech are defining social media itself – Quartz
Posted: at 2:25 pm
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday for two lawsuits about how social media giants should or should not be able to regulate speech on their platforms. Justices went back and forth with state solicitors general and their opposing party, making what may seem like far-fetched comparisons between social media and everything from bookstores to parade organizers and wedding planners.
Facebook's 2016 election problems will be the same in 2024 | What's Next for Meta?
The two cases in question one from Florida, one from Texas were brought by NetChoice, a trade association that represents social media sites like Metas Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and more. NetChoice said two state laws in Florida and Texas that ban companies from censoring content on their platforms are actually forms of censorship themselves. Paul Clement, the attorney for NetChoice, argued that the laws violate the First Amendment because they compel speech, forcing platforms to host posts that violate their policies.
At the heart of NetChoices argument is that social media platforms are like newspapers, so editorializing content is their First Amendment right.
But Florida solicitor general Henry Whitaker said social media is more like a telephone company (pdf): If Verizon asserted a First Amendment right to cancel disfavored subscribers at a whim, that claim would fail.
The design of the First Amendment is to prevent the suppression of speech not to enable it. That is why the telephone company and the delivery service have no First Amendment right to use their services as a chokepoint to silence those they disfavor, he said.
Texas solicitor general Aaron Nielson had a similar argument (pdf), but likened social media to a public square. [I]f platforms that passively host the speech of billions of people are themselves the speakers and can discriminate, there will be no public square to speak of.
One concern of justice Amy Coney Barrett is that the state laws would consider algorithms to be editors, meaning that states could ban how algorithms are applied by online sites or other businesses that sell content. Florida solicitor general Whitaker said algorithms are just a means of sites organizing content, not editorializing it.
That led to more concern, though. Could Florida enact a law telling bookstores that they have to put everything out by alphabetical order? Coney Barrett asked.
Whitaker said, no, the state laws prevent social media sites from censorship, not how they organize their content.
But NetChoices Clement argued that algorithms are editors: These algorithms dont spring from the ether. They are essentially computer programs designed by humans to try to do some of this editorial function. That means that a Supreme Court ruling allowing the state laws to remain would open the door for lawsuits against how algorithms function.
Were not quite sure who it covers,justice Ketanji Brown told Whitaker about the Florida law.
So Whitaker said the Florida law would apply to sites like Etsy and Uber, meaning those sites couldnt ban user-generated content unless they provide thorough rationale. Meanwhile, Nielson said the Texas state law, which is narrower than Floridas in scope, wouldnt apply to platforms outside of classic social media sites.
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Supreme Court arguments over social media laws and free speech are defining social media itself - Quartz
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Canadian measure would remove free speech protection for quoting Bible, sacred texts – Washington Times
Posted: at 2:25 pm
Legislation introduced in Canadas Parliament would eliminate the use of belief in a religious text as a defense against hate crime charges.
Repealing the exemption in Canadas criminal code could criminalize sermons and messages using the Bible or other religious texts as the basis for critiquing other religions or addressing issues such as transgender rights, critics warn.
Yves-Francois Blanchet, leader of the minority Bloc Quebecois party, submitted the private members bill defined as a measure not sponsored by a Cabinet minister or parliamentary secretary in November and again last month. The measure received an initial reading in the lower chamber, but no action has followed.
Mr. Blanchet said when he introduced the bill that its purpose is to allow authorities to prosecute antisemitic speech. The measure is needed to refrain from giving inappropriate and undue privileges to people within a society who use them to disturb the peace and harmony, especially if those privileges enable people to sow hatred or wish death upon others based on a belief in some divine power, he told Parliament.
Two-thirds of Canadians surveyed Feb. 16-18 by the polling firm Leger said they support the measure.
But Jeff King, president of the Washington-based International Christian Concern, said Thursday the proposal is designed to silence people whose opinions differ from prevailing thought.
We cannot urge direct violence against somebody, he said, but free speech means we all have very different opinions in a democracy [and] were supposed to have vigorous debates.
He said the legislation could open the door to prosecuting anybody expressing sincere beliefs based on their religions sacred texts.
Under the proposal, he said, you cant say the Bible says so-and-so, or you could be arrested to be charged, you can be fined. Despite labels, Mr. King said, this [measure] has nothing to do with combating antisemitism.
Mr. Blanchet did not respond to a request for comment made through his spokesperson.
Freedom of religious expression has been under attack in recent years.
In Britain, several people have faced repeated criminal charges, with no convictions, for standing outside abortion clinics after business hours and silently praying. In Finland, a prosecutor is appealing the second acquittal of Parliament member Paivi Rasanen and a Lutheran bishop who were accused of hate speech for stating biblical beliefs on homosexuality.
In August 2022, a regional court in Germany said 40 Days for Life, a pro-life group that held silent prayer vigils near an abortion counseling center in Pforzheim could not be barred from holding such demonstrations. The ruling overturned a city ban on such demonstrations that the Pro Familia abortion counseling center had requested.
David Cooke, campaign manager at the pro-life Campaign Life Coalition, said the Canadian bill is really just a pretext to eliminate religious speech rights in Canada and that Mr. Blanchet told Parliament that Canada is a secular country.
Mr. Cooke said laws already exist under which genocidal speech can be prosecuted.
If, indeed, the government wants to crack down on that type of genocidal expression, there is already a provision in our Criminal Code, Section 318, which can be used, but theyre not calling for [that] to be implemented, Mr. Cooke said.
Instead, he said, Theyre using this [bill] as a pretext to clamp down on religious speech and to eliminate the protection we have in Section 319, which would allow people to share their beliefs and their values and biblical texts that relate to issues of the day, whether issues of faith or family or life, any number of issues. Its going to basically take away our ability to do that.
While the measure hasnt advanced in parliament, Mr. Cooke said Canadas lawmakers are moving ahead with an internet censorship bill that would create a bureaucracy to monitor online speech.
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Suffield scraps plan to restrict the use of the town green following pushback from free speech advocates – FOX61 Hartford
Posted: at 2:25 pm
The town green in this rural farm community has served as a gathering place for the free exchange of ideas for centuries.
SUFFIELD, Conn. A rural Connecticut town decided to table a proposed controversial policy after receiving pushback from residents and First Amendment advocates. Still, residents from the town of Suffieldsaid the fact that it was proposed in the first place speaks to a bigger issue.
The Board of Selectmen hit the pause button Thursday on a controversial proposal that some say would have put limits on free speech on the town green.
Suffield was settled in 1670. The town green in this rural farm community has served as a gathering place for the free exchange of ideas for centuries.
These types of places represent the best of American Democracy, said Aaron Terr of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
So last month, when the Board of Selectman issued a draft policy restricting its use, it raised eyebrows and ruffled feathers.
The Suffield Board of Selectman is trying to stifle expression from groups or individuals who would promote diversity and inclusivity. And anyone whos been paying attention to what's been going on in town can see that, stated Suffield resident Annie Hornish.
The policy stated that for any use of the town green, a person would first need to check with the first selectman and obtain $1 million in liability insurance coverage. Then the person would have to apply for a permit, which could be denied for a number of reasons. And depending on what event was planned, it may even be required to pay for a private police detail.
Thats absurd. Its overly broad and it invites an abuse of power, said Hornish.
The controversy caught the attention of FIRE - the nonpartisan nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. It sent a letter to the first selectman expressing concern that the draft policy trampled on peoples constitutional rights.
They are the type of spaces that Americans have historically used to protest, debate, discuss issues and engage in artistic expression and so the government really has very little authority to limit expressive activity within these places, explained Terr.
First Selectman Colin Moll agreed to sit down with FOX61.
I would argue that its only controversial because some people made it controversial, said Moll.
When asked if he is a supporter of free speech Moll replied, Absolutely. 100%.
Moll told FOX61 the policy was simply a draft for which they welcomed public input and were open to amending the language.
The goal was just simply to ensure we had a liability policy and I think we lacked one, he said.
Moll said the concept was taken from the neighboring town of Enfield.
We have off-duty contracts with the police all the time when police are working on the sides of the road so why should we pay for the police when they need to control traffic for a large event, he added.
And though the town has decided not to move forward with the idea for now, Moll disagrees with those who say it would have trampled on the First Amendment.
It limits none of that and I would ask them what examples specifically it limits, said Moll.
This isnt the first time Suffield has been the subject of a censorship controversy. Last year the library director resigned saying that she was under pressure from town leaders to remove and put warning labels on certain books discussing the LGBTQ+ community.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him onFacebook,XandInstagram.
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Suffield scraps plan to restrict the use of the town green following pushback from free speech advocates - FOX61 Hartford
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Menard Center and pre-law club host discussion regarding AI and Free Speech – UWEC Spectator
Posted: at 2:25 pm
The Menard Center for Constitutional Studies hosted an event exploring free speech and artificial intelligence. The event occurred on Monday, Feb. 26 and involved three panelists, all leading experts in their respective careers.
The event was discussion-based and dove into topics regarding AI and free speech, the implications of AI within the workforce and academic and political settings. The event also went into detail about some of the history of AI and how it has and continues to develop.
The three panelists included Dominique Lazanski, Jacob Mchanagma and Rahul Gomes. These three members are leading experts in technology, free speech, AI and its societal impact.
Lazanski works at the University of Pittsburgh and is the owner and director of Last Press Label. Lazanski is an expert in internet policy, telecommunications standards and cyber security policy. She has worked with companies such as Apple, Yahoo! and eBay.
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Mchanagma is a Danish lawyer and Vanderbilt University professor, human rights advocate, global expert in free speech and social commentator. He is the founder and director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights, the freedom of speech and the rule of law.
Ghomes is a UW-Eau Claire computer science professor who advocates for artificial intelligence and its potential advancement in technology and healthcare fields.
The three were very open to the idea and use of artificial intelligence within the workforce, academic world and even everyday life. Techno optimists was the term Lazanski used to describe this view.
The panel was also very open to the idea of generative AI having free speech under the correct pretenses and in the future.
I think theres no bigger issue confronting free speech than generative AI, Mchanagma said.
The relationship between AI and free speech remains hazy within the world. Its a gray space with no laws stating what rights or how the two are related within America.
In the European Union, however, laws and regulations regarding AI have already been put in place. The largest is the AI Act, approved on Dec. 8, 2023.
Its also a way to be geopolitically relevant even though your own companies cannot innovate to the same degree that American companies can, and that will have downstream effects on the practical exercise of free speech for Americans, Mchanagma said.
Mchanagma also highlighted that Americans should potentially push back against these types of free speech norms.
On Feb. 6, the United Kingdom released its approach to AI and its implications within society and free speech.
They are in this middle ground between over-regulation and not enough leeway for innovation as well, Lazanski said. Theyre looking to come up with parameters in terms of when they would act and when they wouldnt act, which to me seems technocratic and potentially cooling for free speech.
The panel also dove into topics such as deep fakes and their relationship to the situation, the future state of the workforce and job security. Also highlighted by the panel was the use of AI within the classroom.
We cannot stop our students from using ChatGPT, Ghomes said. What we can tell our students is to think critically about what they are analyzing and reading.
Ghomes also uses ChatGPT as a way to generate discussions regarding information within the class. It helps Ghomes gauge what materials might be useful to discuss for his students.
We [teachers] have become facilitators. We want to make sure students get the knowledge, Ghomes said. Theres a GPT or a language model giving students the knowledge now so how can we as teachers make your experience better.
As we continue to develop and grow within the AI field, free speech and other topics remain to be a gray space.
Voelker can be reached at [emailprotected].
Correction: A previous version of this story did not specify the discussion in the headline. Changed for further explanation.
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Menard Center and pre-law club host discussion regarding AI and Free Speech - UWEC Spectator
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