How an archeological approach can help leverage biased data in AI to improve medicine

Although computer scientists may initially treat data bias and error as a nuisance, researchers argue it’s a hidden treasure trove for reflecting societal values.

Alex Ouyang | Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health • mit
Sept. 13, 2023 ~9 min

Nanoparticles will change the world, but whether it's for the better depends on decisions made now

Nanoparticles have contributed to profound medical advances like the COVID-19 vaccine, but without oversight, they pose ethical and environmental issues.

Kristin Omberg, Group Leader, Chemical and Biological Signatures, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • conversation
Sept. 7, 2023 ~9 min


Is climate change really a reason not to have children? Here's four reasons why it's not that simple

The climate crisis is becoming more intense – should this make you think twice about having kids?

Felix Pinkert, Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Universität Wien • conversation
Aug. 16, 2023 ~9 min

New neurotechnology is blurring the lines around mental privacy – but are new human rights the answer?

More invasive devices have prompted new debates about privacy and freedom. But it’s important to keep in mind that other technologies already sense and shape our thoughts, a neuroethicist argues.

Laura Y. Cabrera, Associate Professor of Neuroethics, Penn State • conversation
Aug. 7, 2023 ~8 min

AI ethics teams lack ‘support, resources, and authority’

Because tech industry ethics teams lack resources and authority, their effectiveness is spotty at best, according to a new study.

Stanford • futurity
Aug. 1, 2023 ~11 min

Eliminating bias in AI may be impossible -- a computer scientist explains how to tame it instead

Creating bias-free AI systems is easier said than done. A computer scientist explains how controlling bias could lead to fairer AI.

Emilio Ferrara, Professor of Computer Science and of Communication, University of Southern California • conversation
July 19, 2023 ~7 min

First contact with aliens could end in colonization and genocide if we don't learn from history

Three Indigenous studies scholars draw from colonial histories and explain why listening for alien life can have ethical ramifications.

William Lempert, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Bowdoin College • conversation
July 19, 2023 ~11 min

Promising assisted reproductive technologies come with ethical, legal and social challenges – a developmental biologist and a bioethicist discuss IVF, abortion and the mice with two dads

Scientists can create viable eggs from two male mice. In the wake of CRISPR controversies and restrictive abortion laws, two experts start a dialogue on ethical research in reproductive biology.

Mary Faith Marshall, Professor of Biomedical Ethics, University of Virginia • conversation
July 13, 2023 ~17 min


How an “AI-tocracy” emerges

In China, the use of AI-driven facial recognition helps the regime repress dissent while enhancing the technology, researchers report.

Peter Dizikes | MIT News Office • mit
July 13, 2023 ~8 min

Researchers can learn a lot with your genetic information, even when you skip survey questions – yesterday's mode of informed consent doesn't quite fit today's biobank studies

Biobanks collect and store large amounts of data that researchers use to conduct a wide range of studies. Making sure participants understand what they’re getting into can help build trust in science.

Robbee Wedow, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Data Science, Purdue University • conversation
June 29, 2023 ~7 min

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