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BNMK 0819/Shutterstock In 2017, the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) system to determine how likely welfare recipients were to commit fraud. After analysing the data, the system developed biases: it flagged as “high risk” people who identified as female, young, with kids, and of low proficiency in the Dutch language. The Rotterdam system was suspended in 2021 after an external ethics review, but it demonstrates what can go wrong when governments adopt AI systems without proper oversight. As more local governments turn to AI in an effort to provide real-time and personalised services for residents, a “smarter” environment and better, safer systems, the risks are rising. As part of our ongoing research, we studied 170 local governments around the world that use various AI systems. We found AI is already touching nearly every aspect of public service delivery, and most of the governments didn’t even have a published policy about it. AI in everyday governance AI applications are affecting local governance in profound ways. Our international investigation uncovered 262 cases of AI adoption across 170 local councils, spanning a wide array of technologies and services. We found these technologies are being deployed across five key domains. 1. Administrative services. For example, the VisitMadridGPT tourism chatbot in Madrid, Spain delivers personalised recommendations, real-time support, and cultural insights for visitors. 2. Health care and wellbeing. For example, during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2021, Boston mayor’s office in the United States launched an AI-driven chatbot for contactless food delivery, simultaneously addressing hunger and safety concerns. 3. Transportation and urban planning. Logan City in Australia has implemented a real-time AI system that keeps drivers informed where parking is available, reducing congestion and frustration. Meanwhile, AI-driven route optimisation for public transport is being widely adopted to save time and emissions. 4. Environmental management. In Hangzhou, China, an AI system is being used to classify waste more efficiently, boosting recycling rates. 5. Public safety and law enforcement. Chicago in the US has used sensors and AI automation to shape law enforcement strategies. By pinpointing crime hotspots, the city reportedly reduced gun violence by 25% in 2018. However, this technology has also raised ethical concerns about racial profiling. The double-edged sword of AI Our study using AI found only 26 had published AI policies as of May 2023 – less than 16%. Most are deploying powerful AI systems with no publicly available framework for public oversight or accountability. This raises serious concerns about ethical violations, systemic biases and unregulated data use. Without robust policy, local governments risk deploying powerful AI systems without critical checks or external supervision. Algorithms could unintentionally discriminate against certain populations when allocating resources such as public housing or health services. The stakes may be incredibly high, as in Rotterdam’s welfare fraud risk scores. Unlike many local governments, Barcelona City Council has a public AI policy setting out clear principles. Iryna Kalamurza/Shutterstock Among the councils with AI policies, there was a clear emphasis on collaboration with stakeholders, raising awareness among employees and citizens, and ensuring transparency and regulation. Among these, Barcelona City Council’s AI policy stands out. Its policy includes principles such as being transparent about AI, making sure AI decisions can be explained, and fair, and sets a benchmark for other municipalities. Public in the dark A recent survey our team conducted in Australia, Spain and the US shows a significant gap between public awareness and local government action about AI. More than 75% of respondents were aware of AI technologies and their growing presence in everyday life, but not when it came to local government initiatives. On average, half of the respondents were unaware their local governments are actively using AI in public services. Even more concerning, 68% said they had no idea local governments have – or could have – policies governing AI use. This striking lack of awareness raises pressing questions about the transparency and communication of local councils. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in urban management – from traffic monitoring to public safety and environmental sustainability – better informing the public is essential. Without public understanding and engagement, efforts to build trust, accountability, and ethical oversight for AI in governance may face significant hurdles. The future we face There is no doubt AI systems have great potential to improve urban governance. But without policies that prioritise transparency, accountability and ethical use, cities risk unleashing a system that could harm more than it helps. However, it’s not too late for local governments – and citizens – to avoid this grim future. Local governments can create robust AI policies that ensure fairness, transparency, and the ethical use of data. Citizens can be educated about AI’s role in local governance. AI applications are reshaping and transforming our world. But how we choose to guide their integration into our communities will determine whether they’re a force for good or will simply implement biases and hidden agendas. Our project is working with local governments in Australia, the US, Spain, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia to create guiding AI principles that we aim to finalise by the end of 2025. The authors acknowledge the contribution of Kevin Desouza, Rashid Mehmood, Anne David, Sajani Senadheera and Raveena Marasinghe to the research described in this article. Tan Yigitcanlar receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Karen Mossberger has received funding support from the Australian Research Council as Co-Principal Investigator. Pauline Hope Cheong has received funding support from the Australian Research Council as Co-Principal Investigator. Rita Yi Man Li has received funding support from the Australian Research Council as Co-Principal Investigator. Juan Manuel Corchado Rodriguez does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Các quốc đảo Thái Bình Dương trung tâm của cuộc cạnh tranh chiến lược Mỹ-Trung hy vọng Tổng thống đắc cử Donald Trump sẽ tiếp tục giao tiếp với khu vực nhưng cũng lo rằng sự cạnh tranh có thể leo thang thành đối đầu, theo các nhà ngoại giao.

ចិន​មិន​បាន​ធ្វើ​អត្ថាធិប្បាយ​ស្តីពី​ចលនា​របស់​នាវា​ឬ​បញ្ជាក់​ថា​ខ្លួន​កំពុង​ធ្វើ​សមយុទ្ធ​នោះ​ទេ។

Jatuhnya Damaskus ke pemberontak menimbulkan kekhawatiran akan langkah lanjutan pasukan AS di Suriah. Salah satu peran utama mereka beserta sekutu adalah untuk memastikan ISIS tak kembali muncul di wilayah tersebut.

Tiempo de lectura: 3 minutos  Cuatro de ellos fueron capturados en Guatemala y uno en Cleveland, Texas, todos señalados de integrar la red de coyotes que intentó llevar migrantes a Estados Unidos, pero que fallecieron en un tráiler en Chiapa de Corzo, en el estado de Chiapas, México, en el año 2021. Por Prensa Comunitaria Las autoridades estadounidenses anunciaron ... Read more

This story mentions suicide. If you or a loved one are suffering from thoughts of self-harm, dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to live chat with a mental health professional. WASHINGTON — House Democrats will face a tough vote this week on the final compromise annual defense bill that includes pay raises for troops but also […]

លោក Bashir បាន​និយាយ​ថា«ជំនួប​នេះ​បាន​ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្រោម​ប្រធានបទ​នៃ​ការផ្ទេរ​ឯកសារ​និង​ស្ថាប័ន​ដល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ចាំផ្ទះ»។

Американские войска останутся в Сирии в рамках миссии по борьбе с терроризмом, направленной на уничтожение боевиков «Исламского государства»

美國週二(12月10日)宣佈制裁一家中國網絡安全公司及其一名員工，稱其在2020年的一次網絡攻擊中破壞了8萬多個防火牆設備。這名員工同時面臨美國的起訴和最高可達1千萬美元的懸賞通緝。

En el día de la democracia y a un año de la asunción de Javier Milei, el gobierno derogó el decreto 805/2021 que prórroga la Ley 26160 de Emergencia Territorial Indígena, declara la emergencia y frena los desalojos territoriales. La derogación de la Ley 26160 ocurre en un contexto de vaciamiento del INAI con la […]

(The Center Square) - The Spokane City Council adopted its 2025 Rules of Procedure on Monday, amending several changes that the conservative minority believed would silence their downtown constituents. Councilmember Michael Cathcart, who sits among the minority with Councilmember Jonathan Bingle, said he anticipated voting against the rules when he walked into city hall; however, after a long, diplomatic conversation with his peers, all seven voted unanimously in support. While initially drafted by the progressive majority, which routinely rules against the minority, the council proposed 14 amendments, 12 of which came from the conservatives. Ultimately, the governing body set aside policy and ideological differences for the sake of their constituency. “I just want to say it’s an honor to be on this side of the 5-2,” Bingle said after some of the majority joined him and Cathcart to approve one of the eight amendments passed. Tensions grew leading up to Monday as the community caught word of the initial proposal that would limit public testimony to two minutes, require three sponsors to move legislation out of committee for a vote and move council meetings to Tuesday instead of Monday. Cathcart and Bingle argued last week that the changes, among others regarding decorum, council commentary and more, would silence their dissent. Both represent District 1, which encompasses downtown and some of the most impoverished areas in Spokane. District 1 often faces the brunt of the homelessness crisis and related crime. The conservatives have attempted to push legislation emphasizing enforcement and other reforms, but the measures usually fail, with Bingle and Cathcart dissenting from the progressive majority. “You can make arguments that these procedural changes are different than what you experienced at STA,” resident Erik Lowe wrote in testimony, “but to outside observers, it is the same: trickery to prevent dissenting voices on the council from being heard.” Lowe said he initially got involved with the Spokane Transit Authority because of attempts from conservatives to silence the progressives from the council who sit on the STA board; now the tables have flipped, and he said the majority has a duty to protect the right to fair representation. Requiring three sponsors would prevent District 1 from pushing legislation that affects their constituents without the support of another. Bingle has also never been able to attend Tuesday meetings due to a scheduling conflict, limiting the ability to represent his constituency. “I cannot tell you the amount of emails I got that were like, ‘Listen, we will never vote for you, but we think it’s important that your voice is heard,’” Bingle said. While the council ultimately passed the amendments to preserve public testimony, Monday meetings and the requirement for two sponsors instead of three, the public came prepared. Community members filled the council chambers on Monday, even late into the evening, before adjourning close to midnight. One group that goes by Save Our Spokane, or SOS, put together a rally and protest leading up to the vote, even gaining support from residents who often disagree with conservatives. The message from each was clear: protect the right to dissent. Resident H.T. Higgins, who donated to Mayor Lisa Brown’s 2023 campaign but then paid for billboards criticizing her, was among those in attendance. While an advocate for the homeless, who are often at odds with District 1, he noted the importance of a fair playing field. He said the initial changes seemed like actions to fortify what he called a “blue silo.” Higgins also referenced the Board of County Commissioners’ conservative majority standing as the opposing red silo, adding that neither should stand for silencing the voice of the minority. “After watching briefing sessions and legislative meetings for the last eight months, it’s very clear to me that the public input has no value,” Higgins told the council. “We all know the decisions to bring legislation forward come from the connected and usually political donors of both parties. In the city of Spokane, that means you better have enough money or connection to get into the mayor’s office; the leader of the blue silo is what I would say."

Технические характеристики нового оружия не сообщаются

BlueTriton — North America’s biggest bottled water firm — recently announced it will close Canada’s largest water bottling plant and its entire operations in Ontario. While the company gave no reasons for the move, its retreat is a strong indication of the changing fortunes of the bottled water industry, both domestically and globally. It also illustrates the growing effectiveness of social movements that have challenged bottled water, weakening the industry’s sales. As an environmental sociologist, my research explores social conflicts over water commodification. My current work focuses on bottled water and asks what its rapid growth means for the human right to water. Bottled water is the world’s most-consumed packaged beverage. It has grown rapidly into a USD$340 billion global market led by major food and beverage corporations. However, bottled water also has a host of negative environmental and social impacts. When communities face drinking-water crises, bottled water is a 'temporary' solution that often lasts years − and worsens inequality I am particularly interested in how the growth of the bottled water industry has generated diverse and surprisingly effective opposition movements. These movements fall into two broad categories. On one hand are campaigns challenging the industry’s groundwater extraction in specific places. On the other are efforts to reduce the consumption of single-use bottled water and increase access to public tap water. The exit from Ontario by BlueTriton — a private equity consortium that purchased Nestlé’s North American bottled water business in 2021 — is a clear victory for opponents that reflects the impact of both of these strands of opposition. Opposing bottling In 2000, the Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé acquired a bottling plant in Aberfoyle, Ont. Included in the sale were two water wells and permits to extract 4.7 million litres of groundwater daily — the highest volume of water extraction rights of any bottler in the province. In 2016, the firm bought another well that would have allowed it to expand to 6.2 million litres per day. Ontario is dependent on sub-surface groundwater for nearly all its water uses, including municipal water supply. Opposition to Nestlé’s water extraction operations emerged when the grassroots advocacy group Water Watchers was established in 2007 and expanded when Save Our Water was founded in 2015. Their efforts were supported by national organizations including the Council of Canadians. Droughts in 2012 and 2016 highlighted tensions over the region’s finite groundwater. While residential water use was curtailed, Nestlé continued to pump largely unrestricted. This contrast enabled Nestlé’s opponents to effectively leverage the issue of water scarcity — and the prospect of future drinking water shortages — in their efforts. Nestlé countered that its water-taking volume was insignificant relative to total groundwater use. More recently, water advocates have collaborated with Indigenous activists and the traditional leadership of Six Nations of the Grand River Haudenosaunee First Nation. Only 17 per cent of residents on the Six Nations reserve are connected to safe drinking water, and two-thirds need to rely on packaged water. In this case, activists have framed Nestlé’s and BlueTriton’s water extraction as an issue of human rights, water injustice and land sovereignty. These campaigns attracted significant media attention, which — against the backdrop of the 2016 drought — made water bottling into a volatile political issue at the provincial level. An opinion poll (sponsored by opponents) found that 64 per cent of Ontario residents across party lines favoured ending groundwater extraction for commercial bottling entirely. Even Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne criticized the industry in 2016. The result was substantial policy change. Ontario’s government imposed a moratorium on new water-taking permits for commercial water bottlers and raised their extraction fees dramatically. These moves drew strong industry protest. How the bottled water industry is masking the global water crisis Even so, Doug Ford’s Conservative government extended the moratorium until 2021, when it announced a major groundwater policy revision. Among the reforms was a local veto over new large water-bottling operations, which doomed BlueTriton’s expansion to a third site. Similar campaigns have also helped to stop water bottling by these companies elsewhere, including California and Oregon. Reclaiming the tap Meanwhile, another set of movements has challenged bottled water from the consumer end. Initiatives to “reclaim the tap” involve municipalities, universities and other institutions banning bottled water sales on their premises. At the same time, activists have pressured local authorities to expand access to tap water by installing new filtered drinking fountains in public spaces, including airports. This has taken place alongside efforts to educate the public about tap water quality. These end-user strategies have also been energized by a growing awareness of the crisis of single-use plastic pollution. Roughly 600 billion single-use plastic beverage bottles are consumed and disposed of annually, of which packaged water represents the largest share. Canada is the epicentre of this phenomenon. Since 2008, Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and dozens of smaller communities have banned government purchases of bottled water and its sale on public property. Most have also installed refilling stations and promoted tap water consumption. Hundreds of cities worldwide have followed suit. Similar policies have been passed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Munich and South Delhi, India. Some of these efforts are co-ordinated internationally. For example, the Blue Communities Project links more than 80 municipalities in eight countries that have enacted such policies. These initiatives have substantial reach. I estimate that nearly 14 million Canadians, and more than 200 million people worldwide, live in jurisdictions that have banned or restricted bottled water and expanded tap water access. Moreover, fewer Canadians are buying single-use bottled water and 85 per cent of households now frequently use refillable bottles. These shifting patterns are stoking demand for convenient places to fill those bottles, and initiatives including Refill and Blue W help users find the nearest free refill points. Stalling growth The cumulative impact of these governmental policies and the refilling movement is becoming apparent. After more than four decades of steady growth, the volume of bottled water consumed per person is now stagnant or falling across the Global North, including Canada, the United States, Germany, France and the European Union. Worldwide, per-capita consumption of packaged water is projected to flatline in coming years. Industry market analyses have expressed deep concern about this sea change. A Nestlé sustainability manager recently stated that: “The water bottle has in some ways become the mink coat or the pack of cigarettes. It’s socially not very acceptable to the young folks, and that scares me.” These factors influenced Nestlé’s 2021 decision to sell its North American bottled water business to BlueTriton. Its CEO attributed the move to falling sales and environmental opposition. Now, BlueTriton too appears to have scaled back in closing its Ontario operations, as it faces increased costs, heightened regulation, falling demand and an inability to expand. All of these adverse conditions are due at least in part to the efforts of opposition movements. This move, and the industry’s flagging fortunes, provide strong evidence that organized opposition and the public backlash against single-use plastic bottled water are having a major impact. Daniel Jaffee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

(The Center Square) – An Arizona lawmaker introduced legislation for the upcoming session intended to regulate the release of balloons. State Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, is putting forth the bill to make it a “petty offense” to take part in releasing “ten or more balloons inflated with gas” on purpose as an adult. However, there are a few exceptions to the proposed Senate Bill 1004. First, “balloons that are released by a person on behalf of a governmental agency or pursuant to a governmental contract for scientific or meteorological purposes” are allowable. In addition, “hot air balloons that are recovered after launching” or balloons let go inside of a building are acceptable. According to CBS News, multiple states have similar regulations over the potential environmental hazard that letting go of too many balloons at once into the atmosphere can cause, including California. Earlier this year, Florida passed a similar law that would outlaw letting go of balloons altogether. Critics of balloon releases have cited plastic falling apart posing a risk to animals and the climate. The legislative session starts on Jan. 13.

Tiempo de lectura: 3 minutosVarias de las personas homenajeadas no pudieron asistir al acto de premiación por estar en el exilio, enfrentando la criminalización y persecución del Ministerio Público (MP), como los casos de Virginia Lapara y Camilo García. Por Simón Antonio Ramón La Red por la Paz y el Desarrollo entregó el premio Gisella Paz y Paz y ... Read more

Українське командування наразі не коментувало ці повідомлення

Texto cria níveis de risco para cada tipo de sistema e regras para temas como trabalho, direitos autorais e segurança

ក្រុមហ៊ុន​នេះ ផ្តល់​កម្មវិធី​នៅ​លើ​ទូរសព្ទ​ទំនើប​ដែល​អនុញ្ញាត​ឱ្យ​អតិថិជន​ស្នើ​ការ​ធ្វើដំណើរ ការ​ដឹកជញ្ជូន​អាហារ និង​សេវាកម្ម​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត។ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ ម្ចាស់​ទូក​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​បារម្ភ​ថា សេវាកម្ម​ថ្មី​នេះ​នឹង​ប៉ះពាល់​ដល់​អាជីវកម្ម​របស់​ពួកគេ។

- องค์กรตรวจสอบเผยอิสราเอลโจมตีทั่วซีเรีย - เซเลนสกีย้ำ ‘ต้องเด็ดขาด’ ในการยุติสงครามกับรัสเซีย - ไต้หวันเตือนภัย ทัพเรือจีนใหญ่สุดรอบหลายทศวรรษ - จีนส่งสัญญาณพร้อมรับศึกการค้า-ภาษี รบ.ทรัมป์ - เปิดประวัติ ผู้ต้องสงสัยยิงดับซีอีโอบริษัทใหญ่กลางนิวยอร์ก - ‘วิลโลว์’ ชิปควอนตัมทรงอานุภาพของ ‘กูเกิล’

ဗွီအိုအေမြန်မာနံနက်ခင်း(ဒီဇင်ဘာ ၁၁၊ ၂၀၂၄) ကန်နိုင်ငံခြားရေးဝန်ကြီး နိုင်ငံတကာလူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆုများချီးမြှင့်၊ ချင်းလူ့အခွင့်အရေးလှုပ်ရှားသူ ကန်လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆုရရှိ၊ အသွင်ကူးပြောင်းရေးအစိုးရခေါင်းဆောင် ဆီးရီယားသူပုန်တွေရွေးချယ် စတဲ့သတင်းတွေနဲ့ အပတ်စဉ်အစီအစဉ်တွေ ထုတ်လွှင့်ပေးပါမယ်။