blog post 11 in the Age of AI

 

 

 

 

 

Towards the end of the semester, we watched a video about AI. In this documentary the video talked about the development of AI (artificial intelligence), the importance of it and how it can potentially help us but also, be used against us in the future. Towards the end of the semester, we watched a documentary explaining the age of AI. While watching the documentary, there were several things that I found very interesting. I learned that China is the first to emerge facial recognition. China is the best place for AI because there is ten times more data in China than in the US. Another interesting thing I learned from the documentary was that the US will be the first to establish AI; however, China will be the first to build the infrastructure of AI. Another thing that I also learned was that as AI progresses, AI will possibly help us see things that humans were never able to see before. This also means that AI machines may help us become more creative and innovative. Although there were some positive effects that AI could have on the future, there were also some possible negatives as well. I learned that throughout history there has always been a complicated relationship between humans and machines, causing machines to take away an enormous amount of jobs. I also learned that AI( artificial intelligence ), could potentially be beneficial to healthcare such as remote patient monitoring, allowing healthcare providers to perform clinical diagnosis. Not only can AI help with healthcare, but it can also help along with machine learning technology that can be used to analyze data more efficiently. Although most of us fear for the future of AI, we should think more positive about the ways AI can continue to help us in the medical world, such as providing a great mechanical prosthetic for someone with missing limbs. In the Age of AI, who knows what the outcome will be either good or bad.

FINAL POST AND BLOG POST 11

Based on the topics that we covered specifically about technology throughout the semester, there are certain factors that caused the World Wide Web to change the world of mass communication by moving around governmental barriers to trade, and most importantly, the world wide web overtime, has fueled economic globalization. Throughout this course we have also learned about how blogging and social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and especially Facebook become disruptive, and empowering at the same time .

Ways that blogging and social media platforms act as disruptive technologies, specifically social media has disrupted what we do and how we interact with the world. Social media is so embedded into every aspect of modern society that in a way, makes it difficult for us to imagine what we’d do without it. Sadly the 21st century of younger generations have never lived in a social media free world, compared to generations before us. The power of social media has not only changed the way we live but it has also changed the things we do. What I find really scary is now we are living in an era of hashtagging, trolling and live streaming. However, like social media, blogging has also become very disruptive. Blogging can have some negative effects. Bloggers can encounter disagreements which further explains why bloggers who put certain content that allows people to have discussions, sometimes will encounter comments that are mean and vicious. Sometimes bloggers who post daily, usually reiterate information that is already there, which can result in low quality. However, there are ways that blogging and social media act as tools for empowerment. When it comes to social media. Social media is used as  a powerful tool to communicate to the outside world about struggles  faced by a certain group of people in certain communities. Like blogging, social media has also become a free and open setting to debates, exchanging ideas, and sharing opinions. Social media also allows us to build relationships and we can also educate ourselves on certain things that can catch our attention. Social media  also allows us to think about what we really care about and what we really want to read about. 

Not only have we talked about social media and the dangers of social media, but also towards the end of semester, we talked about the development of AI (artificial intelligence), the importance of it and how it can be used against us in the future. Towards the end of the semester, we watched a documentary explaining the age of AI. While watching the documentary, there were several things that I found very interesting. I learned that China is the first to emerge facial recognition. China is the best place for AI because there is ten times more data in China than in the US. Another interesting thing I learned from the documentary  was that the US  will be the first to establish AI; however, China will be the first to build the infrastructure of AI. Another thing that I also learned was that as AI progresses, AI will possibly help us see things that humans were never able to see before. This also means that AI machines may help us become more creative and innovative. Although there were some positive effects that AI could have on the future, there were also some possible negatives as well. I learned that throughout history there has always been a complicated relationship between humans and machines, causing machines to  take away an enormous amount of jobs. Overall I think that I thoroughly enjoyed all topics that we have covered. Participating in discussions and writing blog posts about certain topics has allowed me to put things into a wider perspective as a journalist.

blog post 9

The internet 

 

           Today many people use the internet for so many reasons such as, communication with family and friends, research and so much more. The internet has transformed the digital and communications world. The internet also helped set the stage for new inventions such as the telephone, radio, and computers.

 

          People become early adaptors to the internet because the internet overtime has changed the way people see the world. The internet allows people to have access to new and innovative ideas. Not only that, but the internet has a big influence on the way we communicate with one another. However, some people become late adaptors to the internet which in most cases are connected to age. Some people who grew up in a time where social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, did not exist, may not fully understand the uses of the internet and its popularity, which causes them to express concern or strongly dislike the internet. However, there are some consequences of the internet. When it comes to the internet, it can be very addictive causing people to do less communicating and more texting and keeping up with social media, which further explains why there is an increase of mental health issues. Other consequences of the internet include lack of sleep, which can affect productivity, mood, energy levels, and focus. Spending most of your time on the internet can also lower your self-esteem. When we spend too much time on social media, we often compare ourselves to other people. Positive advantages of the internet is that there is an enormous amount of information that is easily accessible to us in a matter of minutes. The internet is also used as a tool to connect almost the entire world together. The internet is also convenient and most importantly the internet offers many different platforms that allows you to share with the world.

blog post 8 EOTO 2

Total Information Awareness (TIA) 

 

         In 2002, after the 9\11 attacks which took place on September 11th, 200, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, (DARPA) of the U.S department of defense launched a research and development effort known as the Total Information Awareness program, that was later renamed as the Terroism Information Awareness program. According to Google Scholar, TIA was a research and development program that was intended to prevent terrioism by developing and integrating information analysis. The program also included the development of a system/ network to provide an environment for conducting human experiments .

 google scholar

         TIA was focused on transactions and data that were already being connected and resided in various databases, privacy implications, and databases  that might have contained the digital signatures of most Americans as they conducted their daily lives. The program also included  high power search engines using secret matching criteria to analyze personal information. This technology was established as early as 2004. The Bush administration had been secretly monitoring emails, internet searches , and phone conversations of millions of Americans without their knowledge , the approval of congress or warrant issued by a judge . However, according to Google scholar, in 2008, congress passed the 1978, Foregin Intelligence Surveillance Amendments act, which required a search warrant for any electronic communication passing through the US. This new legislation, demolished the 1978 act and gave the green light to continue warrantless surveillance of millions of Americans. However, the IAO initially budgeted for the development of software that was intended to build into the TIA program, privacy and security protection. Unfortunately, when the project was transferred to the NSA, the technology came to a halt. It is clear  that this  software has the potential for horrifying violations of the right to privacy. As it was mentioned before, it is also clear that the Bush administration also violated the 1978 act. Ultimately, the goal of TIA program is to create information technology that America’s national security community can use to detect and defeat terrorist networks before they attack. However, according to springerlink.com, the TIA program is now designed as an experimental, multi- agency prototype network that participating  agencies can use to better understand , analyze, and make decisions based on whatever data they currently have legal access to. The TIA program was designed to incorporate multiple things such as providing focus warnings within an hour after a triggering event  that occurred such as 9/11. TIA is also able to automatically queue analysis based on parietal patterns that cover 90% of all previously known forigen attacks. TIA also supports collaboration, analytical reasoning, and information sharing  so that analysts can predict and propose theories and strategies , so that decision  makers can effectively evaluate the impact of policies and the course of action. Overall, we think that TIA will do us some good in the future, still seems a bit questionable to me. However no one really knows how the TIA program will affect us and the government. Today no one really knows the social and political impact that the TIA program will have on the society as a whole . 

blog post 7 privcay

privacy

Based on the TED talk videos we watched, I noticed that the main issue of privacy is deeply connected to surveillance by our government.This deeply affects our generation considering that the 21st century is surrounded by technology, mainly our telephones. In one of the videos, there were several points made about telephones which seems very scary but sadly true. The third TEDtalk video with Christopher Soghoian, he states that “our telephones and the networks that carry our phone calls were wired for surveillance. Throughout the video, he also states that “ apps that are used by hundreds and millions of people around the world, such as WhatsApp which is owned by Facebook, have built strong encryption technologies into its product which means that people in the global south can easily communicate with family and friends without their governments wiretapping their text messages. Another interesting thing that Soghoian points out is “what upsets  the government the most, is that tech companies built these encryption features into their products by default’.Therefore some government officials believe that all of these communications should be available to them. As a daily telephone user, sometimes I fear whether or not our American government or other governments , even hackers, could be listening to every phone call, or tracking every email, or text message that I send to my family and friends. My friends and family are also frequent telephones users and some of them have the same concerns as I do.I think that the government should put certain laws in action that address data security, and most importantly, the government should consider how some agencies handle and protect personal information.

Based on what was mentioned in the TED talk videos, ways that we can protect ourselves from invasions of our privacy include, limiting personal information we share on social media. When we provide too much information on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter ect, can become easier for cybercriminals to obtain identification which also allows them to steal identity or access financial information. Another way that we can protect ourselves from invasions of privacy is to use more virtual private network (VPN) which is a network that gives you privacy by creating a private network on a public network.

blog #6 what I learned EOTO1

Motion pictures

(what I learned ) 

Based on our EOTO technology presentations, the most interesting technology that really stood out to me was motion pictures. When I watched the presentation, there were several interesting facts about motion pictures that I found very intriguing. What makes motion pictures so important is when motion pictures were invented, audiences loved the way motion pictures told stories. According to this presentation, I learned that the first motion picture was taken in 1826. I also learned that the quick spread of movies  allowed motion pictures to become one of the most accessible and beloved forms of entertainment in the world. It seems as though motion pictures document all historical events,  and capture visual meaning.

What also makes motion pictures so fascinating, is that filmmakers around the world started experimenting with new technologies, and also the Lumiere brothers created the first film, motion pictures also allowed technology to advance overtime. There are some negative things that I learned about motion pictures. I learned that  filmmakers oftentimes have to rely on blockbuster films and also the majority of films are produced by a powerful corporation. Filmmakers have relied on streaming services in hopes to get their films made . I also learned that there is a great deal of censorship when it comes to motion pictures. Some positive things that I learned about motion pictures are,  Some of the best films come from overseas, which further explains why movies make more profit abroad and also releasing films abroad first also ensures that film studios won’t have to worry about English privacy, and this allows them to make more money in the Box Office.

blog post #5 ANTIWAR

 

Exploring these two websites, lead me to believe that in most cases when it comes to mainstream news, there is a certain agenda that is pushed that oftentimes comes across as biased.This further explains why certain news websites such as Google News, along with other news websites, pushes certain topics that then become available to us as viewers. Looking at ANTIWAR.com and the American Conservative website, there were several things I noticed about the writers.

On one of the websites was an article called. “Remember Pearl Harbor, Mr President”? Written by Douglas Macgregor, former advisor to the secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration, carefully breaks down the history of Pearl Harbor which includes dates of certain events that occurred. Throughout this article, Macgregor questions president Biden’s policy positions on Eastern Ukraine and Taiwan. However underneath this article I noticed that there were some interesting comments that were made about this particular subject. One viewer pointed out how European allies see Russian troop concentration in Eastern Ukraine as a confirmation for approaching Russian invasion. The reason why we did not hear about these issues is because the media, along with the government, chooses what we should and should not know in regards to the way our government operates based on news that we see on television everyday. The reason why we seek obscure websites in order to hear strong antiwar voices, is because the writers have views that need to address some of the questionable motives behind the American government.