The ethics of viewing images of war

+ teaching AI to obey the law US Edition - Today's top story: How to deal with visual misinformation circulating in the Israel-Hamas war and other conflicts [View in browser]( US Edition | 27 October 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Why social media companies care about authenticity]( - [A former national security leader explains the Gaza hostage situation]( - [How well do you know this week’s news?]( Lead story Misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war is flooding social media, making it hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Some of the early reporting about an explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip, for example, included unverified claims about responsibility. Newsrooms are having a difficult time trying to sift through all the information. In general, during times of conflict, false information can be put out by different actors such as government or military officials, separatist groups or private citizens. However, consumers bear some ethical responsibility for what they consume. University of Dayton’s Paul Morrow, who studies the ethics of viewing photos and videos of atrocities, writes about techniques [that people can use to influence the images they receive](. [ [Get our Understanding AI series – four emails delivered over the course of a week, with experts explaining this confusing topic.]( ] Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor/ Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative Social media is often used during times of conflict to spread fake news. Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images [How to deal with visual misinformation circulating in the Israel-Hamas war and other conflicts]( Paul Morrow, University of Dayton A human rights scholar explains how social media users can take charge of what content comes into their feed and reduce the risk of receiving misinformation. Health + Medicine - [White patients are more likely than Black patients to be given opioid medication for pain in US emergency departments]( Trevor Thompson, University of Greenwich; Sofia Stathi, University of Greenwich Undertreated pain can result in unnecessary suffering and a greater likelihood of long-term chronic pain. Education - [Louisiana’s ‘In God We Trust’ law tests limits of religion in public schools]( Frank S. Ravitch, Michigan State University Does Louisiana’s requirement for public schools to post ‘In God We Trust’ in all classrooms violate the doctrine of separation of church and state? A legal scholar weighs in. Arts + Culture - [Why Elon Musk is obsessed with casting X as the most ‘authentic’ social media platform]( Michael Serazio, Boston College With identity the most lucrative commodity social media platforms trade in, their fetishization of authenticity remains ironclad. Science + Technology - [AIs could soon run businesses – it’s an opportunity to ensure these ‘artificial persons’ follow the law]( Daniel Gervais, Vanderbilt University; John Nay, Stanford University If a business is run by an AI and it causes you harm, could you sue the AI? - [Asteroids in the solar system could contain undiscovered, superheavy elements]( Johann Rafelski, University of Arizona Scientists have been searching Earth’s surface for superheavy elements too difficult to make in the lab, but now, many are looking to the skies instead. Politics + Society - [‘I see no happy ending’ − a former national security leader on the Gaza hostage situation]( Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences No government wants to have to deal with a hostage crisis. A former US national security official explains that there is no winning without losing in such situations. - [A Halloween party in Boston turned ugly when a gang hurled antisemitic slurs and attacked Jewish teenagers]( Andrew Sperling, American University Shortly after World War II, European Jews immigrated to American cities like Boston and were often met with violent antisemitism. Trending on site - [I studied 1 million home sales in metro Atlanta and found that Black families are being squeezed out of homeownership by corporate investors]( - [New House Speaker Mike Johnson leads a GOP majority weakened by decades of declining party authority]( - [Being humble about what you know is just one part of what makes you a good thinker]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( Forty-one states and the District of Columbia sued internet giant Meta on Oct. 24, alleging that the company designs its products with features that do what? - A. Gather private info - B. Harm young people - C. Encourage hate speech - D. Rate the hotness of Harvard students [Test your knowledge]( - - 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? Follow us: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon](• [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](