Weekly Roundup 6/15/18
Welcome back to our weekly roundup!
Artificial intelligence may play a role countering false news in Brazil’s general elections this October. Although automated bots have contributed to the spread of viral misinformation in Brazil, some are designed to promote political transparency. Social bot Stilingue will help politicians communicate with citizens while Rosie will keep candidates accountable. (Last year alone, Rosie analyzed public expenditures and flagged 8,000 suspicious reimbursements for additional scrutiny!) Aos Fatos, a fact-checking organization, has been working on Fatima, a Facebook Messenger bot that provides users with media literacy tips.
As Brazil’s bot battlefield confirms, AI can be used for good so long as it follows ethical design principles.
Open Internet
- Vietnam approves cybersecurity law with strict data provisions
- Zambia drafts new rule requiring WhatsApp admins register with the government
- Tanzania orders bloggers to remove unregistered content
Blockchain
- Civil, a blockchain-based newsroom, launched its first batch of publications
- Adblock uses blockchain to identify fake news
- Georgia considers using blockchain to reduce administrative costs
Cybersecurity
- Mistake means cybersecurity software could have missed malicious files
- “Malicious party” hacked Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality website
Artificial intelligence