THINGS OF NOTE
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bill of Rights
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)1 announced a plan to develop a "bill of rights" to protect against what the OSTP perceives to be potentially harmful consequences of AI, including anticipated and unanticipated risks arising from AI applications developed using biometric data such as facial recognition, voice analysis, and heart rate trackers. Experts say that, although this is an admirable goal, there needs to be a worldwide AI Bill of Rights.
Source:
https://www.dwt.com/blogs/privacy--security-law-blog/2021/10/ostp-artificial-intelligence-bill-of-rights; https://www.ft.com/content/17ca620c-4d76-4a2f-829a-27d8552ce719
Number of Authoriarian Governments
Exceed Democratic Governments
According to a newly published report, entitled “The Global State of Democracy Report 2021 - Building Resilience in a Pandemic Era”, published on 22 November 2021 by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), an intergovernmental organization based in Stockholm, the world is becoming more authoritarian. Overall, the number of countries moving in an authoritarian direction in 2020 outnumbered those going in a democratic direction.
Source:
https://www.idea.int/gsod
New Study Says One-fifth of the World's Languages
Could Disappear by the End of the Century
A newly published study by Australian National University (ANU) found, of the world's 7,000 recognised languages, around half are currently endangered - with 1,500 particularly at risk. The study identified as many as 51 new stressors on endangered languages. Stressors included that more years of schooling increased the level of language endangerment in some countries (which suggests the need for bilingual programs emphasizing both indigenous languages and regionally dominant languages) and, surprisingly, road density (which implies greater connectivity between towns threatens diversity).
Source:
https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/1500-endangered-languages-at-high-risk