The challenge of regulating AI

+ why snails are so sluggish US Edition - Today's top story: Regulating AI: 3 experts explain why it's difficult to do and important to get right [View in browser]( US Edition | 3 April 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [How Trump indictment is stretching limits of legal system]( - [AI-human love may be right around the corner]( - [Fracking data shows widespread use of toxic chemicals]( Lead story Did you see that photo of Pope Francis rocking a puffy white designer coat? Maybe you also saw headlines informing you that the pontiff’s styling was entirely the creation of an artificial intelligence image generator. The problem is, the image went viral and many people took it at face value, and not everyone who saw the image subsequently read the headlines. Fake images of celebrities might not seem very consequential, but the potential of generative AI for deeply harmful fraud and misinformation is readily apparent. These AI models are so powerful in part because they are trained on vast amounts of text and images on the internet, which also raises issues of intellectual property protections and data privacy. People will soon be interacting with these AI systems in myriad ways, from using them to search the web and write emails to [developing relationships with them](. Not surprisingly, there’s a growing movement for government to regulate the technology. It’s not at all clear, however, how to do so. Three experts on technology policy, Penn State’s S. Shyam Sundar, Texas A&M’s Cason Schmit and UCLA’s John Villasenor, [provide different perspectives]( on the challenges to building guardrails along the road to our brave new AI future. [[Sign up here to our topic-specific weekly emails.](] Eric Smalley Science + Technology Editor Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( The new generation of AI tools makes it a lot easier to produce convincing misinformation. Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images [Regulating AI: 3 experts explain why it’s difficult to do and important to get right]( S. Shyam Sundar, Penn State; Cason Schmit, Texas A&M University; John Villasenor, University of California, Los Angeles Powerful new AI systems could amplify fraud and misinformation, leading to widespread calls for government regulation. But doing so is easier said than done and could have unintended consequences. Politics + Society - [Migrant deaths in Mexico put spotlight on US policy that shifted immigration enforcement south]( Raquel Aldana, University of California, Davis ‘Extensive use’ of detention led to tragic fire, according to the UN special rapporteur for migrant rights. US-Mexico policy has fueled the growth. - [Trump’s indictment stretches US legal system in new ways – a former prosecutor explains 4 key points to understand]( Jeffrey Bellin, William & Mary Law School The Manhattan District Attorney will need to prove several different points in its prosecution of Trump. But securing an unbiased jury will also challenge the execution of this unprecedented case. - [Prosecuting Trump would inevitably be political – and other countries have had mixed success in holding ex-presidents accountable]( James D. Long, University of Washington; Morgan Wack, University of Washington; Victor Menaldo, University of Washington Criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot could spark political consequences – not only for Trump, but for US democracy. Science + Technology - [Sabertooth cat skull newly discovered in Iowa reveals details about this Ice Age predator]( Matthew G. Hill, Iowa State University Researchers are analyzing the fossil cranium of a Smilodon fatalis that lived more than 13,000 years ago to learn more about the lifestyle of this iconic big cat. - [Why are snails and slugs so slow?]( John F. Tooker, Penn State; Daniel Bliss, Penn State; Jared Adam, Penn State These members of the mollusk family may be slow, small and slimy, but they are an indispensable part of the ecosystem. Arts + Culture - [Sex, love and companionship … with AI? Why human-machine relationships could go mainstream]( Marco Dehnert, Arizona State University; Joris Van Ouytsel, Arizona State University Early research finds that people get just about the same gratification from sexting with a chatbot as they do with another human. Environment + Energy - [Companies that frack for oil and gas can keep a lot of information secret – but what they disclose shows widespread use of hazardous chemicals]( Vivian R. Underhill, Northeastern University; Lourdes Vera, University at Buffalo Fracking for oil and gas uses millions of pounds of chemicals, some of which are toxic or carcinogenic. Two researchers summarize what companies have disclosed and call for more transparency. Education - [Declines in math readiness underscore the urgency of math awareness]( Manil Suri, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Nearly four decades after President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Math Awareness Week, math readiness and enrollment in college math programs continue to decline. Health + Medicine - [Heteronormativity in health care is harmful for LGBTQ+ patients – and a source of tension for queer and trans doctors]( William Robertson, University of Memphis Though some LGBTQ+ health care providers may try to separate their personal and professional identities, the prejudice they experience highlights their queerness in the clinic. Trending on site - [Trump indictment won’t keep him from presidential race, but will make his reelection bid much harder]( - [3D printing promises to transform architecture forever – and create forms that blow today’s buildings out of the water]( - [Archaeology and genomics together with Indigenous knowledge revise the human-horse story in the American West]( Reader Comments 💬 “For domestic architecture, an unexplored property of free form curved walls and ceilings is acoustic reflections. Compared to the acoustic environment of flat wall rectangular rooms, sound within spaces bound by complex concave and convex curved walls will focus and disperse differently, maybe step by step as you walk through a room or passageway. ” – Reader Stewart Kaplan on the story [3D printing promises to transform architecture forever – and create forms that blow today’s buildings out of the water]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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