Can you trust AI? | Top 10

+ China's real estate crisis; flaws in Oslo Accords US Edition - Today's top story: Why humans can't trust AI: You don't know how it works, what it's going to do or whether it'll serve your interests [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 September 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [NASA report finds no evidence that UFOs are extraterrestrial]( - [US autoworkers launch historic strike: 3 questions answered]( Journalism organizations across the world, including ours, are urgently wrestling with what kind of policy approach to take to artificial intelligence. Generative AI programs like ChatGPT are increasingly being used by students, lawyers, real estate brokers and countless others to help them write essays, prepare briefs and entice homebuyers, among other things. News organizations are also beginning to experiment with AI in the creation of stories, sometimes with amusing or even alarming results. High-profile generative AI programs are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, though. The core concepts of artificial intelligence are spreading widely in everything from self-driving cars to apps that determine your creditworthiness. But, writes cyber intelligence expert Mark Bailey, there’s a problem that undermines them all: trust. “Many of their inner workings are impenetrable, making them fundamentally unexplainable and unpredictable,” Bailey [writes in a piece]( edited by tech editor Eric Smalley. That’s one reason the Department of Defense requires that a human be “in the loop” for all AI-based decision making. His story is worth a read as we as a society ponder how best to handle the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks Do you trust AI systems, like this driverless taxi, to behave the way you expect them to? AP Photo/Terry Chea [Why humans can’t trust AI: You don’t know how it works, what it’s going to do or whether it’ll serve your interests]( Mark Bailey, National Intelligence University People can trust each other because they understand how the human mind works, can predict people’s behavior, and assume that most people have a moral sense. None of these things are true of AI. - [Why China’s real estate crisis should make the global travel industry nervous]( Zhiyong Yang, Miami University Big-spending Chinese tourists once buoyed the global travel industry. But with Chinese economy looking a little shaky, more are staying at home. - [Republicans call for impeachment inquiry into Biden – a process the founders intended to deter abuse of power as well as remove from office]( Clark D. Cunningham, Georgia State University The founders of the United States viewed impeachment as a way to remind the country and president that he is not above the law and to deter abuses of power. - [Can animals give birth to twins?]( Michael Jaffe, Mississippi State University; Tracy Jaffe, Mississippi State University Animals often give birth to litters of more than one offspring at a time. But are those babies twins? - [Why the earth quakes – a closer look at what’s going on under the ground]( Jaime Toro, West Virginia University A geologist explains where earthquakes are most common and why. Editors' picks Activists in Newark, N.J., offer tours that teach visitors about the city’s legacy of industrial pollution and environmental racism. Charles Rotkin/Corbis via Getty Images [The importance of shining a light on hidden toxic histories]( Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, Indiana University Societies celebrate heroes and commemorate tragedies. But why is there so little public acknowledgment of environmental disasters? - [Hunter Biden is the latest presidential child to stain a White House reputation − but others have shined it up]( Peter Kastor, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis Politics, age and gender combine to shape the understanding of presidents’ families – and the presidents themselves. - [Marrakech artisans – who have helped rebuild the Moroccan city before – are among those hit hard in the earthquake’s devastation]( Abbey Stockstill, Southern Methodist University A scholar who has been working in Marrakech writes about the artisan communities, which have maintained the city’s architectural rich heritage for generations and have been hit hard by the earthquake. - [What Arizona and other drought-ridden states can learn from Israel’s pioneering water strategy]( Gabriel Eckstein, Texas A&M University; Clive Lipchin, Tel Aviv University; Sharon B. Megdal, University of Arizona Arizona is considering a multibillion-dollar desalination project to address its urgent water needs. Three water experts call for a go-slow approach and point to Israel as a role model. - [30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failure]( Maha Nassar, University of Arizona A famous gesture kick-started hopes of peace in the Middle East. But today, the idea of a two-state solution seems further away than ever before. The Conversation Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation The CDC and the GOP, earthquakes and handshakes, lionfish and suncreen and bourbon, oh my. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? 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