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Feb 18 2024

AI Checkup. Fake lawyers. Gen Z crisis: The Roundup

Feb 18, 2024
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
Canada
Canadian authorities cautious, nervous about AI in political campaigns
Artificial intelligence tools are being increasingly used and, some fear, abused in the U.S. But in Canada, political actors are just starting take up AI tools. [Global]
As experts urge Canada to ease the strain after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of helping kill a Canadian, Ottawa is turning to the world of slideshows and flow charts. [CP]

The parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has apologized to two Liberal Muslim MPs after he was seen referring to his colleagues as “arrogant.” [National Post]
Officials say the share of complaints it receives about fraudulent immigration law practitioners has tripled in recent years. [Global]
You'll find spreadsheets at the link in the headline for those who wish to analyse the final estimates of the government's fiscal year -- known on the Hill as the "Supp Cs". These estimates were placed before Parliament on Feb 15 and include the government's request for an additional $8.9 billion in spending initiatives. The single largest adjustment the government is seeking is an additional for $3.2 billion for interest on the country's debt. - DA
From the Provinces
Murray Mandryk: It's a very effective distraction from the reality that Moe's own provincial government is doing everything within its power to defeat itself. [Regina Leader Post]
Elsewhere
Student debt, climate change, AI drive Gen Z anxiety crisis
They dodged familiar teen pitfalls — with lower teen pregnancy rates and lower rates of alcohol use. Instead, Gen Z is grappling with alarming rates of loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts. [Axios]

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Kremlin that Russian forces were now working to clear the final pockets of resistance at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant. [Global]
"I am proud to say that this year we will spend over 2% percent of our GDP on defence. I am also realistic enough to see that this might not be enough in the years to come," he said at the annual Munich Security Conference, according to a prepared speech text. [Reuters]

A decommissioned airport in Berlin was supposed to house Ukrainian refugees for one or two days. Now, thousands have been living there for months with nowhere else to go. [Global]

74% of Americans view the war between Russia and Ukraine as important to U.S. national interests – with 43% describing it as very important. [Pew Research Center]
Media
In this dangerous environment, delivering safety training for journalists, many of whom have no conflict experience, is an ongoing challenge and one that the support and training non-profit 2402 Foundation is trying to meet with the help of cutting-edge, virtual reality scenarios. [Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism]
New CNN boss Mark Thompson is ready to slash budgets and star salaries to overhaul the network, experts and former CNN staffers say. [CNN]
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Sci/Tech
If you're an ‌‌iPhone‌‌ user you know how the Messages app works. But when Apple released iOS 17 last year, it introduced an overhauled interface for the Messages app that includes several useful hidden functions and customization options that might not be obvious to the average user. I'm still trying to figure out Stickers [MacRumors]
OpenAI's newest AI model renders videos from prompts which they say "accurately interpret props and generate compelling characters that express vibrant emotions". But the tool has been met with scepticism and concern it could be misused. [Sky News]
Issued this day ...
… in 1970: Scott #507: United Nations Biological Programme. Design: Israel Charney.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is one ugly stamp.

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