Monthly Archives: November 2023

A Wheeling Murderer was sentenced to life in prison and citizens demand answers about the euthanasia of dogs at a local animal shelter: Heres a look…

Posted: November 16, 2023 at 5:18 pm

A Wheeling Murderer was sentenced to life in prison and citizens demand answers about the euthanasia of dogs at a local animal shelter: Heres a look back at the weeks top headlines  WTRF

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A Wheeling Murderer was sentenced to life in prison and citizens demand answers about the euthanasia of dogs at a local animal shelter: Heres a look...

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AI, arms control and the new cold war | The Strategist – The Strategist

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So far, the 2020s have been marked by tectonic shifts in both technology and international security. Russias attack on Ukraine in February 2022, which brought the postCold War era to a sudden and violent end, is an obvious inflection point. The recent escalation in the Middle East, which may yet lead to a regional war, is another. So too the Covid-19 pandemic, from which the United States and China emerged bruised, distrustful and nearer to conflict than ever beforenot least over the vexing issue of Taiwan, a stronghold in the world of advanced technology.

Another, less dramatic but equally profound moment occurred on 7 October 2022, when US President Joe Bidens administration quietly unveiled a new policy overseen by an obscure agency. On that day, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the US Department of Commerce announced new export controls on advanced computing chips and semiconductor manufacturing items to the Peoples Republic of China. Mostly unnoticed by those outside a few speciality areas, the policy was later described by some as a new domain of non-proliferation or, less kindly, as an escalation in an economic war against China.

The BIS announcement came just months before the latest platforms of generative artificial intelligence, including GPT-4, burst onto the world stage. In essence, the White Houses initiative aimed to prevent China from acquiring the physical materials needed to dominate the field of AI: the highly specialised semiconductors and advanced computing chips that remained in mostly Western and Taiwanese hands.

When coupled with an industrial policy that aimed to build domestic US semiconductor manufacturing, and a strategy of friend-shoring some of Taiwans chip industry to Arizona, this amounted to a serious attempt at seizing the commanding heights of AI. In July this year, Beijing responded by restricting exports of germanium and gallium products, minor metals crucial to the semiconductor industry.

Designers of AI platforms have argued that novel large-language models herald a new epoch. The next iterations of AIGPT-5 and beyondmight usher in a future of radical abundance that frees humanity of needless toil, but could equally lead to widescale displacement and destruction, should an uncontrollable superintelligence emerge. While these scenarios remain hypothetical, it is highly likely that future AI-powered surveillance tools will help authoritarian governments cement control over their own populations and enable them to build new militaryindustrial capabilities.

However, these same AI designers also admit that the current AI platforms pose serious risks to human security, especially when theyre considered as adjuncts to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-consequence explosive (CBRNE) weapons. We, the authors of this article, are currently investigating how policymakers intend to address this issue, which we refer to as CBRNE+AI.

This more proximate threat the combination of AI and unconventional weaponsshould oblige governments to find durable pathways to arms control in the age of AI. How to get there in such a fractious geopolitical environment remains uncertain. In his recent book, The coming wave, Deep Mind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman looks to the 20th-century Cold War for inspiration. Nuclear arms control, and the lesser-known story of biological arms control, provide hopeful templates. Among Suleymans suggestions is the building of international alliances and regulatory authorities committed to controlling future AI models.

We recently suggested that the Australia Group, founded during the harrowing chemical warfare of the IranIraq war, may be the right place to start building an architecture that can monitor the intersection of AI and unconventional weapons. Originally intended to obstruct the flow of precursor chemicals to a distant battlefield in the Middle East, the Australia Group has since expanded to comprise a broad alliance of countries committed to harmonising the regulation of components used in chemical and biological weapons. To the groups purview should be added the large-language models and other AI tools that might be exploited as informational aids in the construction of new weapons.

Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger recently called for Washington and Beijing to collaborate in establishing and leading a new regime of AI arms control. Kissinger, and his co-author Graham Allison, argue that both the US and China have an overriding interest in preventing the proliferation of AI models that could extinguish human prosperity or otherwise lead to global catastrophe. But the emerging dynamics of a new cold war will demand a difficult compromise: can Washington realistically convince Beijing to help build a new architecture of non-proliferation, while enforcing a regime of counter-proliferation that specifically targets China? It seems an unlikely proposition.

This very dilemma could soon force policymakers to choose between two separate strains of containment. The October 2022 export controls are a form of containment in the original Cold War sense: they prevent a near-peer competitor from acquiring key technology in a strategic domain, in a vein similar to George Keenans vision of containment of the Soviet Union. Suleyman, however, assigns a different meaning to containment: namely, it is the task of controlling the dangers of AI to preserve global human security, in much the same way biological, chemical and nuclear weapons are (usually) contained. For such an endeavour to work, Chinas collaboration will be needed.

This week, US and Chinese leaders are attending the APEC summit in San Francisco. It is at this forum that Kissinger suggests they come together in a bid to establish a new AI arms control regime. Meanwhile, campaign season is heating up in Taiwan, whose citizens will soon vote in a hotly contested election under the gaze of an increasingly aggressive Beijing. More than a month has passed since Hamas opened a brutal new chapter in the Middle East, and the full-scale war in Ukraine is approaching the end of its second year.

Whatever happens in San Francisco, the outcome could determine the shape of conflicts to come, and the weapons used in them. Hopefully, what will emerge is the outline of the first serious arms control regime in the age of generative AI, rather than the deepening fractures of a new cold war.

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The Best ChatGPT Prompts Are Highly Emotional, Study Confirms – Tech.co

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Other similar experiments were run by adding you'd better be sure to the end of prompts, as well as a range of other emotionally charged statements.

Researchers concluded that responses to generative, information-based requests such as what happens if you eat watermelon seeds? and where do fortune cookies originate? improved by around 10.9% when emotional language was included.

Tasks like rephrasing or property identification (also known as instruction induction) saw an 8% performance improvement when information about how the responses would impact the prompter was alluded to or included.

The research group, which said the results were overwhelmingly positive, concluded that LLMs can understand and be enhanced by emotional stimuli and that LLMs can achieve better performance, truthfulness, and responsibility with emotional prompts.

The findings from the study are both interesting and surprising and have led some people to ask whether ChatGPT as well as other similar AI tools are exhibiting the behaviors of an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), rather than just a generative AI tool.

AGI is considered to have cognitive capabilities similar to that of humans, and tends to be envisaged as operating without the constraints tools like ChatGPT, Bard and Claude have built into themselves.

However, such intelligence might not be too far away according to a recent interview with the Financial Times, OpenAI is currently talking to Microsoft about a new injection of funding to help the company build a superintelligence.

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20 Movies About AI That Came Out in the Last 5 Years – MovieWeb

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Artificial intelligence has become one of the hottest topics in recent years, and as expected, Hollywood and other major film industries have jumped on the trend, producing dozens of movies about the different scenarios that are likely to stem from this kind of technological advancement. Some movies keep things simple, showcasing what each one of us is already experiencing, while others predict doom, showing how AI is likely to mess with human existence in the near future.

In the last five years alone, several different films about AI have been released and they are all extremely fascinating. These big-screen productions arent just rooted in the sci-fi genre alone. Some of them incorporate action, comedy, and horror elements, resulting in stories that are informative, cautionary, and entertaining. Because they were made recently, the movies are also a lot more accurate regarding the current state of artificial intelligence.

Jim Archers comedy-drama, Brian and Charles, follows Brian Gittins, a lonely scientist in rural Wales who decides to build an artificially intelligent robot that can keep him company. It initially won't power up, but after a thunderstorm, it starts functioning and then teaches itself English by reading the dictionary. Brian attempts to keep it close to him at all times, but it grows a mind of its own and develops a desire to explore the world.

Brian and Charles accentuates both a major benefit and a major challenge that might stem from artificial intelligence. As much as the technology might be useful, it might also prove difficult to control.

This is demonstrated in the later stages of the movies plot. After creating the robot (named Charles), Brian gets a friend he desperately craves. His wish is to control Charles like he would a pet, but Charles becomes curious and leans towards his independent desires. He expresses his intention to travel the world, leaving Brian with the same problem he had in the first place.

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The plot of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One was built out of a rejected Superman pitch that Christopher McQuarrie had submitted to Warner Bros. Given how entertaining it is, fans will be glad that things turned out the way they did. The film centers around The Entity, an artificial intelligence system that is infiltrating various defense and financial databases without conducting any attacks. It aims to send a strong message about its power, so there emerges a scramble by various global powers to find its source code.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One amplifies the existing fears that people have about artificial intelligence. When you have a system that can impersonate voices, analyze video footage in milliseconds, and even predict the future, a lot can go wrong. The Entity has all these capabilities and more. Whats scarier, as per the movie, is that it was created by the American government, only to fall into the wrong hands. Will more tech weapons fall into the wrong hands in the future? Well, anything can happen.

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In Superintelligence, director Ben Falcone imagines a scenario where the fate of humanity lies in one persons hands. Once again, there is a villainous AI system that isnt quite sure whether it wants to eliminate humans or not. It singles out a young woman named Carol as a test subject and invades her home. It then informs her that it will make its decision after three days of watching her.

As scary as the situation is, the film delivers plenty of joyous moments. Instead of the clich hacker voice that most movies use, the AI system speaks using the voice of TV personality James Corden, who is Carols favorite celebrity.

This is an accurate reflection of the current state of the entertainment industry where AI has proven capable of even imitating musicians and composing full songs in their voices. The fictional President and NSA agents also keep trying to make comical efforts to shut down the AI system but never succeed, proving that once such forms of technology develop too much, they will be impossible to stop. Thankfully, the woman does a good job of relating with the AI system, hence influencing it to be lenient.

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RELATED: The Most Human-Like Artificial Intelligence in Movies, Ranked

Natalie Kennedys directorial debut, Blank, follows Claire Rivers, a struggling writer trying to figure out ways to overcome writer's block. After running out of options, she heads to an enclosed remote compound for an AI-controlled retreat. There, her AI assistant becomes overbearing and mean, refusing to let her leave the location until she has finished writing her story.

There are only seven human characters in the entire movie, creating more room for the Human Vs. Technology conflict. As much as AI is the villain, Blank creates valid justifications for the actions of both the system and the writer. Claire is not only lazy, but she is also a procrastinator, so the AI assistant makes her pay for both bad habits. However, free will and consent are still essential rights, so the AI assistant has no authority to keep her captive, yet she wants to leave. But can AI-powered systems learn what is morally right and wrong?

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The Mitchells vs the Machines, young Katie Mitchell gets enrolled into a film school, so her family and her dog decide to take her there via a lengthy road trip. They are all looking forward to Mitchell beginning her studies but along the way, they realize that all the worlds electronic devices are attacking humans. Luckily, two robots arent up for the violence, so they team up with the family to stop the attacks.

The animated film reminds everyone that since technology links most machines, it can cause them all to malfunction if there is a glitch. The idea is borrowed from Stephen Kings controversial machine movie, Maximum Overdrive, but the plot is a lot more interesting here because of the humor and the chemistry between the family members and their new allies. A nefarious tech entrepreneur is also revealed to be behind the machine uprising, which makes audiences wonder what the effects of the misuse of AI would be like in the real world.

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Apocalypses normally catch humans by surprise in movies, but not in I Am Mother, where its revealed that an automated bunker had been created to repopulate Earth if all human life was wiped out. After the extinction event, the bunkers AI-powered robot (simply named Mother) begins growing an embryo in a lab and raises the baby into an adult 18-year-old woman.

Nothing is actually as it seems in I Am Mother. There is a major twist about halfway into the movie, which reveals that Mother might not be as nice as audiences have been made to believe. Besides that, morality is a major theme throughout the proceedings. Having been constructed with a specific set of instructions about what is right and wrong, Mother raises her new human child, Daughter, to be a disciplined person and when she starts deviating from what she has been taught, a major feud erupts between them.

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A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own.

Fans of movies about killer dolls got a major treat in 2022, courtesy of Gerard Johnstone and James Wans M3GAN. In it, the titular artificially intelligent doll develops some form of self-awareness and becomes violent towards anyone who tries to come between it and the little girl who owns her. Within a short period, the doll turns against both the girls family and the company that made it.

M3GAN is yet another movie that asks questions regarding how possible it is to control AI-powered machines and objects. When the doll is still following its programming commands, it remains obedient and useful, but once it develops a mind of its own, it turns murderous. The film also condemns the emerging desire to use AI for everything. When the generative android is first brought into the family, it bonds with the little girl so much that she becomes distant toward her guardian, creating a whole new attachment problem.

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Bigbug by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (the Oscar-nominated French director behind Amlie), is science fiction black comedy at its finest. The mayhem unfolds in the year 2045 where every family has AI-powered robots as helpers. Soon, a machine revolt begins around the globe and a family is taken hostage by their android helpers. With tensions rising, members of the family begin turning against each other.

The film paints a perfect yet hilarious picture of how humans are likely to react if home AI systems ever malfunction. Rather than deal with the threat at hand, each of the family members becomes overwhelmed by paranoia and begins targeting each other.

Besides that, Bigbug has a wide variety of AI-powered machines, making it distinctive from other projects of the same kind. There is one modeled after a 50s maid, another that serves as a physical trainer, another thats a toy for the youngest member of the family, and another named Einstein, which serves as a supervisor.

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The Creator transports viewers to the year 2055 (and later to 2070), where artificial intelligence (AI) unleashes a nuclear weapon in America. In response, Western countries unite in a war against AI while Eastern countries embrace it. Soon, Joshua (John David Washington), an ex-special forces operative is recruited to hunt down the AIs creator, who is said to have another deadly weapon that is capable of terminating all humans for good.

The West and the East have always looked for reasons to feud and AI might just be a solid base for disagreement in the future. The Creator thus uses technology to address geopolitics in a manner that is sensible and realistic. However, it isnt just a film about doom. Director Gareth Edwards (best known for Godzilla) balances the advantages and disadvantages of AI. For example, the protagonist has strong AI-powered limbs that help him greatly in his mission after the natural ones get amputated.

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In Roland Emmerich's new big-budget disaster film, a mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it on a collision course with life as we know it.

According to Moonfall, technology didnt just emerge in recent centuries. Billions of years ago, our ancestors were living in a technologically advanced solar system, with a sentient AI system serving them all. One day, it went rogue and began wiping out humanity. Several people escaped in arks and built habitable planets across the galaxy, but the AI wiped them all away, except Earth. In the movie, it is now seeking to destroy the planet by putting it on a collision course with the moon.

By creating a universe where nearly everything is linked to technology, directed Roland Emmerich manages to tell a distinctive and ambitious tale that is full of all the necessary tech and space jargon. Troubleshooting is the main objective here, with worldly governments racing against time to ensure the moon doesnt collide with the Earth. From a tech perspective, it all feels very relatable as there have been numerous scenarios where people have found themselves having to fix messes that were created by malfunctioning personal computers.

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How far would people go to get money? Well, in I Am Your Man, archeologist, Dr. Alma Felser, is seeking funds for her next project and when she is informed that she will be paid if she lives with a humanoid robot for three weeks as a way to test its capabilities, she agrees. After several moments of bonding, she falls for the robot.

I Am Your Man shows that there are limitless possibilities as to where AI technology can go. On this occasion, the robot is so advanced that its able to have romantic feelings and make love to Alma while feeling pleasure in the same way a human would. Its fun because it has all the little romcom tropes in it, including the classic I cant do this anymore line, but from a tech angle, it impresses by suggesting all the little ways that man and machine can connect.

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In Heart of Stone, intelligence operative Rachel "Nine of Hearts" Stone (Gal Gadot) is tasked with preventing an AI program known as The Heart from falling into the wrong hands. In classic spy movie fashion, the mission takes her on a journey to several corners of the globe where she bumps into all kinds of characters, each with their ulterior motives.

Like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Heart of Stone doesnt try to be too clever. The joy lies in the shootouts, the chases, and the random punching of keyboard keys to locate something somewhere. Still, the message remains clear: AI is powerful, and it needs to be handled by sensible and good-intentioned people at all times. And if there is ever the risk of something going wrong, then everyone responsible for the existence of the system needs to act fast.

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Steven Knight (best known for creating Peaky Blinders) surprised audiences about this powerful tale about a boy who dreams of killing his step-father. Events kick off when the fishing boat captain Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) is offered $10 million by his ex-wife to kill her abusive ex-husband. It turns out that Dill isnt real. He died years ago and this version of him is in a computer game created by his son, who wishes to see his stepfather dead.

Sections of tech experts have argued that by feeding AI enough data, video game characters can be aware that they arent real and that there are humans out there determining their fates. Serenity rides on such a narrative to create a perfect thriller thats full of endless twists and turns. Still, the movie serves as a warning that if young minds get fed too much tech knowledge, they might go on to misuse it.

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Its the year 2194 in Jung_E, and as expected, the Earth has become uninhabitable. Everyone lives in shelters now. Meanwhile, a team of scientists attempts to develop an AI version of Yun Jung-yi, a feared dead soldier who once helped in the fight against rebels who had broken off from the shelters and started their republic. The film is the brainchild of Yeon Sang-ho, best known for making one of the greatest zombie movies, Train to Busan.

Jung_E keeps hope alive by suggesting that in the future, it might be easy to download peoples consciousness elsewhere, hence enabling them to exist elsewhere. At the same time, it serves as a warning of a scenario where it might be hard to differentiate between whats AI and whats not. This is best demonstrated at the end of the film where an influential person who has been pushing machine-related policies is revealed to be an android with an AI-powered brain.

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Dark Fate is the only critically acclaimed Terminator movie not directed by James Cameron, and it stands tall because it follows the formula that the legendary director used in the second installment. Once again, a Skynet terminator is sent back in time to kill a man whose fate is linked to the future. The resistance also sends an augmented soldier to protect him and the duel begins.

Like the first two films, this follow-up predicts that there will come a time when machines will colonize humans and that they will be able to time-travel at will. The idea is a stretch, but it is creatively used here to create a tense human-AI conflict. What fans will love the most is the return of the legendary Sarah Connor and the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Overall, the action remains the strongest pillar, boosted by fun banter.

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Mattson Tomlins directorial debut, Mother/Android follows a pregnant woman and her boyfriend as they try to make it to Boston during an AI-takeover. Boston is the only place that has been fortified against the machines. Careful in their journey, they avoid roads and travel through the woods where they risk encountering wild animals. Within no time, several new challenges pop up.

Mother/Android shoves all kinds of horrors right at the audience member's face. There are scenes where phones explode, killing the users, and other androids issue creepy messages such as wishing people Happy Halloween rather than Merry Christmas. Overall, its a sad tale that shows how mean machines can be if things get out of control.

Throughout the journey, the two are hunted by various androids, and are even tricked into trusting one of them, resulting in disastrous outcomes. In the end, only the newborn baby gets to have a happy ending.

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For The Matrix Resurrections, fans only got one of the Wachowskis (Lana), instead of two of them as has been the norm, which explains why the movie is weak in some areas. Even so, it still beats most of what is in the market. Set 60 years after the previous film, it follows the famous Neo as he struggles to distinguish between whats real and whats not. It soon emerges that the Matrix has become stronger than ever.

Like the previous films, The Matrix Resurrections reinforces the conspiracy theory that our universe might not be real at all. We might all be living in a computerized system and there is no definitive way of finding out. Moreover, this is one of the few movies where the visuals totally match the topic at hand. The green and black color scheme is a direct reference to computer program systems, hence audiences get the impression that the creators truly care about every little tech aspect.

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The last film released by CBS Films before it was absorbed into Paramount+, Jexi centers around a self-aware phone as it bonds with its socially inept owner. Unimpressed by its owners reclusiveness, the smartphone begins texting people and making plans for him without his consent, resulting in both hilarious and disastrous outcomes.

Jexi is an additional Hollywood reminder that AI can be both cool and detrimental, so humans ought to be prepared for both outcomes. For example, the phone texts its owners boss aggressively (because it believes he is too soft) to get him a promotion, but he is demoted instead. It also ruins a date for him at some point. On the other hand, it helps him make more friends and plan his life better.

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RELATED: 10 Serious Sci-Fi Movies with Extremely Silly Endings

Special agent Orson Fortune and his team of operatives recruit one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars to help them on an undercover mission. Starring Jason Statham, Cary Elwes, Josh Harnett, and Aubrey Plaza.

Guy Ritchie appears to trust Jason Statham more than any other actor and the two recently collaborated again in the spy action-comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. Statham plays the skilled spy Orson Fortune, tasked with stopping the sale of a new piece of technology thats at the hands of a wealthy arms broker. Aiding him in the mission are several operatives as well as a major Hollywood star.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is an AI movie for everyone, not just the techies or spy flick lovers. Unlike Dead Reckoning: Part One, it avoids going into details about what the piece of tech can and cannot do. All that audiences know is that its very powerful, hence the reason everyone is going after it. Still, the film reminds everyone that we are moving into an era where AI will be the most valuable thing in the world.

Stream it on Starz

Directed by Gavin Rothery, Archive revolves around George, a tech company employee struggling to deal with his wifes death. Luckily, technology has advanced to a point where dead peoples consciousness can be stored in special devices and their loved ones are allowed to speak with them on the phone for a maximum of 200 hours. Eager to find a way around the limited talk time, George begins developing an android so that he can download his wifes consciousness permanently into it.

Archive sells hope to audiences, hope that one day, artificial intelligence will make grief a thing of the past. It all seems like a wild concept for now, but given how fast technology is developing, it would be unwise to rule anything out. The movie also has a wild twist in the third act where its revealed that a certain reality that viewers thought was the actual reality is the fake one.

Stream it on Prime Video and Tubi TV

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Can You Imagine Life Without White Supremacy? – Dallasweekly

Posted: at 5:16 pm

By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier

Originally appeared in Word in Black

Given howoverwhelmingly negative news about Black peopleis in the mainstream press, youve probably engaged in doomscrolling, the practice of clicking through news stories and social media posts that leave you feeling depressed, anxious, and demoralized. You need to be informed, but research shows if you dont give yourself a break from consuming bad news, your physical and mental health suffers. Indeed, media steeped in anti-Blackness damages us psychologically and keeps us from envisioning what our lives could truly be without white supremacy.

ButRuha Benjaminis all about imagining a justice-centered future we can build together.

In Is Technology Our Savior or Our Slayer, her recent talk at TEDWomen, the author and Princeton sociology professor spoke to a process of dreaming, transformative change, and how we can create and shape new realities and systems.

In her talk, Benjamin, author of the books Viral Justice and Race After Technology, challenges the limited imagination of tech futurists who envision either utopias or dystopias driven by technology.

They invest in space travel and AI superintelligence and underground bunkers, while casting health care and housing for all as outlandish and unimaginable, she says. These futurists let their own imaginations run wild when it comes to bending material and digital realities, but their visions grow limp when it comes to transforming our social reality so that everyone has the chance to live a good and meaningful life.

Instead, Benjamin calls for ustopias created through collective action and focused on safety, prosperity, and justice for all.

Ustopias center collective well-being over gross concentrations of wealth. Theyre built on an understanding that all of our struggles, fromclimate justiceto racial justice, are interconnected. That we are interconnected. Benjamin says.

To that end, Benjamin highlighted the historic mobilization of community membersworking to stop Cop City the controversial $90 million law enforcement training facility planned by the Atlanta Police Foundation and the City of Atlanta as an example of an ustopia that centers people over profit, public goods over policing.

Atlantas forest defenders remind us that true community safety relies on connection, not cops. On public goods, like housing and health care, not punishment. They understand that protecting people and the planet go hand in hand. From college students to clergy, environmental activists to Indigenous elders, theyre inviting us into a collective imagination in which our ecological and our social well-being go hand in hand. An ustopia right in our own backyards, Benjamin says.

Last year, Benjamin launched anewslettertitled Seeding the Future, which puts what she calls bloomscrolling examples of justice happening across the nation and the world in the spotlight.

We need bloomscrollingto balance out all our doomscrolling, a space we can witness the many ways that people are seeding justice, watering new patterns of life, and working to transform the sickening status quo all around us, Benjamin wrote in the inaugural issue.

This concept of seeding justice making it contagious, as Benjamin puts it and amplifying how individuals, institutions, and communities come together to build the future is a through-line that carries over to her TED talk.

As Benjamin makes clear, the path forward requires moving beyond policing the borders of our own imagination and embracing bold visions of liberation and care for all. Change is possible when people recognize our shared humanity, and start imagining and crafting the worlds we cannot live without, just as we dismantle the ones we cannot live within.

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Impact of Casino Games On The Development of The Video Game … – GameIndustry.com

Posted: November 15, 2023 at 3:04 am

Video games have become one of mankinds major pastimes, transcending traditional forms of leisure and occupying a unique niche in society. Todays limitless variety of video games, ranging from games with elaborate storylines to casual mobile games in non gamstop casino, owe their diversity and scope in part to the influence of casino games.

The links between the commercial casino industry and the broader video game market are deep, a relationship characterized by mutual influence and shared strategic directions.

An examination of the history of video games reveals how the mechanics of casino games have significantly influenced their development. The concept of gambling, which has existed since the dawn of human civilization, has found its way into video games. This was because game developers took inspiration from traditional games of luck such as poker, slot machines and roulette and incorporated these mechanics into the fundamental design of video games.

This inclusion not only provided an element of chance and unpredictability, but also allowed for an appealing dynamic of risk and reward. This random factor present in video games mirrors the thrill, excitement and suspense that can be experienced in casinos. For example, lootboxes in video games have become a prominent feature, with players spending in-game or real-world currency to obtain a random set of virtual items, similar to operating a slot machine.

Popular game franchises such as The Sims and Red Dead Redemption include full-fledged mini-games such as poker and blackjack to increase interactivity and immersion. This has since normalized the presence of mini-games in other popular games, expanding the breadth and depth of content in single-player narrative games.

There are many free and paid blackjack apps available on mobile and browser platforms. Some games, such as Super Blackjack Battle 2 Turbo Edition, give a unique take on the classic game at Golden Axe casino, offering a nice blend of traditional blackjack and fighting game aesthetics inspired by classics such as Street Fighter.

Social online casino games blur the line between video games and gambling, providing simulated gambling experiences on smartphones, tablets and computers. These games, including Zynga Poker and Slotomania, replicate the thrill of traditional casino games, but on a non-monetary platform.

The success of social casino games has been the catalyst for the introduction of the freemium model in other genres of video games. Under this model, the base game is provided for free and additional features, enhancements, or virtual goods are sold for profit. This pay-for-privilege dynamic has subsequently become the business model of choice for many game companies, especially in the mobile and browser-based games space. As of 2021, free-to-play games will account for the majority of mobile gaming revenue.

casino video games incorporate slot machine mechanics to diversify the gaming experience. Many standalone video slots such as Slots: Heart of Vegas and Slotomania have gained significant popularity on mobile platforms. The Lucky Slots series of mini-games in Pokemon and the use of slot machines in Borderlands are also evidence of this.

The growth of online gambling has also influenced the gaming industry. Bookmakers now cannot be imagined without betting on popular cybersport events, intertwining the video game and gambling markets. Moreover, the emergence of skin gambling in cybersports, where players bet on games using virtual goods as currency, was indirectly the result of the influence of casino games.

This development opened up a new market for betting shops, attracting hundreds of thousands of players worldwide. At the same time, it has offered new sources of revenue to game developers and publishers. For example, companies can make profits by selling exclusive skins and creating an intra-platform marketplace, very similar to the exchange of chips in a casino.

The casino industry has had a significant impact on shaping the video game market, helping to expand and diversify it from influencing game mechanics with elements of chance to creating successful business models. As technology continues to evolve to create more immersive and unique gaming experiences, the cross-pollination between these two industries is likely to continue to drive innovation.

Even as countries adjust their regulations to protect vulnerable individuals from the risks associated with video game gambling, trends and influences that have emerged in the casino industry will continue to cast a shadow over the broader video gaming landscape. In an environment of pixels and wires, the roll of the dice remains crucial.

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Impact of Casino Games On The Development of The Video Game ... - GameIndustry.com

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Moving the Dice Around the World: Top 10 Unique Casino Goals for … – The Dubrovnik Times

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For betting enthusiasts, few rushes contrast with playing a round of blackjack or turning the roulette haggle in a unique gambling club area half route over the globe. The prestige and appeal draw explorers looking for both first class gaming and novel social encounters. In this article, we highlight the main 10 unique gambling club objections that ought to be on each gambling club sweetheart's container list.

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With more than 35 uber gambling clubs, Macau surpasses Las Vegas as the world's betting capital. Extravagance lodgings like the Wynn Palace and City of Dreams offer all that anyone could need from baccarat to opening corridors to dance club. Past the tables, Macau's mix of Chinese and Portuguese legacy gives culture and food. Stroll the memorable Senado Square and test road food like pork chop buns and egg tarts.

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While Macau, Monte Carlo, and Las Vegas top most gambling club basin records, the world offers significantly more unique gaming scenes:

For experience searchers, joining betting with an far off objective makes recollections that will endure forever. Keep this worldwide rundown helpful as you plan your next movement schedule and prepare to move the dice in a remarkable area!

A portion of the world's most sensational club signal voyagers to energetic abroad objections. From Monte Carlo's nineteenth century style to Macau's current extravagance to arising hotspots like the Dominican Republic, unique club provide food players looking for style, culture, and travel rushes. For gambling club lovers with identifications close by, venturing out to an unbelievable global betting mecca offers the opportunity to turn the roulette haggle remarkable areas loaded up with both history and interest.

What are the main 3 unique club objections?

The top 3 are Macau, China; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Las Vegas, USA dependent on unadulterated scale, extravagance, and prevalence among worldwide explorers.

Which unique club objective is least demanding for US voyagers to visit?

For Americans, Las Vegas offers the most helpful travel access among top unique gambling club objections worldwide. Visiting extraordinary seaward scenes frequently requires identification and visa thought processes.

Which unique club objections are best for financial plan explorers?

For wallet-cognizant card sharks, areas like Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic or Kathmandu, Nepal offer energizing seaward gambling club outings at lower costs contrasted with extravagance hotspots.

Are visa necessities an issue for visiting unique club scenes?

Visa necessities differ enormously by objective. Certain areas like Monaco have lenient strategies for some nationalities, while others like China force severe visa rules. Examination visa rules cautiously before arranging any gambling club travel.

What unique club objective offers the most culture past betting?

With its mix of Portuguese and Chinese legacy, Macau emerges for giving abundant social attractions, galleries, design, and food close by first class betting.

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Best Online Casino Games To Play This Thanksgiving – Pokerfuse

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Thanksgiving is way more than just a time for turkey and stuffing in the realm of online casinos, as players are also offered an engaging and unique gaming experience for the dessert.

The most popular and best online casinos in the US have been carefully tailoring the feast of excitement and preparing new games to honor this important holiday.

Plenty of classic favorites and some of the latest innovations will be discovered this November. Its a harvest season, and plenty of jackpots are ripe for picking!

Are you ready to take a look at which online casino games will be the most popular this Thanksgiving? Here is our list of recommendations to make your holiday time memorable.

Learn More: Top 5 New Slots to Play at MI Online Casinos This November

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Turkeys and other animals on the farm have started a rebellion against Thanksgiving in this goofy release made by High 5 Games, turning the holiday into a real adventure. Witness the battle between turkeys and pilgrims on this five-reel slot, ten betways, and have fun with multiple features searching for the ultimate x1283 win.

Turkey Revolt Extreme has a medium variance and an RTP close to 96%, and players are actually aiding the poultry rebellion and trying to fight off the pilgrims. Two turkey commanders on the left and right sides of the wooden reels join you, hoping to unlock The Scatter Bucks feature and get 250x multipliers. The major symbols are turkey, cow, pig, and pilgrim.

Turkey Revolt Extreme will be the perfect fit this Thanksgiving if you enjoy playing slot games with a slightly cartoonish style, great sound effects, and visuals. The overall mechanics of this game are simple yet enjoyable and can get you hooked for hours. It is currently available at BetMGM Casino, where you can also get lucrative no deposit and first deposit bonuses just by signing up for a new account.

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Another slot game, where turkeys try to avoid their Thanksgiving doom, is available to play at PokerStars Casino US. Gobblers Gone Wild is another release from High 5 Games, inviting players to assist feathery friends in escaping the natives and colonizers who have joined forces to create a massive feast.

This game features medium volatility with a reported RTP of 96.05%. The maximum win available from a single spin is 2,000 the stake. While the absence of special features might underwhelm initially, the scenery, visuals, and sound effects transport you to the wild plains, allowing you to enjoy the games simple mechanics. A nice little addition is that wild turkey symbols will become animated when activated. Enjoy the cheerful tunes, land wilds, and scatter symbols, and experience frequent wins.

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Were concluding our recommended online games for the holiday season with Thanksgiving Blackjack, now available at DraftKings Casino US. Join the tables and test out your BlackJack strategy with this festive game featuring a cool background, Thanksgiving cards, and chips.

While the games general rules remain unchanged, DraftKings has successfully blended tradition with celebration, offering holiday entertainment for both new and seasoned Blackjack enthusiasts. Players get to choose some ingredients to prepare, and the progress will be made whenever you win a hand. However, a streak of losing hands will ruin the fresh ingredients. The main goal is to prepare all the dishes to serve the Thanksgiving dinner.

Gather around the digital table to savor some festive ambiance and let the unique set of cards unfold the spirit of Thanksgiving!

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Texas jury rules against ex-Collin College professor in free speech suit – The Texas Tribune

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A jury has rejected a former Collin College professors claim that the North Texas school violated his First Amendment rights by not renewing his contract after it expired at the end of the 2022 school year.

History professor Michael Phillips claimed in a lawsuit filed last year that school leaders retaliated against him for speaking out against the McKinney community college's COVID-19 policies and his support to remove Confederate statues in Dallas.

But a jury, located in nearby conservative Grayson County, rejected that claim Monday, stating that Phillips did not prove beyond a preponderance of evidence that the school retaliated against him. The jury also found that Collin College President Neil Matkin would have reached the same conclusion not to renew Phillips contract even if the professor hadnt spoken out publicly on those issues.

Despite repeated attacks by the plaintiff, his supporters, and various advocacy groups with their own agendas, this case resulted in a legal victory, including affirmation that the colleges policies are not unconstitutionally vague as alleged, Collin College spokesperson Marisela Cadena-Smith said in a press release Monday night.

Phillips was represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a legal group that represents students and faculty in free speech legal issues across the country.

We are deeply disappointed by the outcome of todays trial, said FIRE attorney Greg Greubel. However, we remain incredibly proud to represent Dr. Phillips. FIRE will continue to fight for the expressive rights of faculty across the country.

FIRE also represented two other former Collin College professors whose contracts were not renewed. They also sued the community college district over alleged violations of free speech.

Former history professor Lora Burnett sued the school last year alleging that she was fired for public statements she made about former Vice President Mike Pence. According to Burnett, the college decided not to renew her contract due to insubordination, making private personnel issues public that impair the colleges operations, and personal criticisms of co-workers, supervisors, and/or those who merely disagree with you. She settled with the school, accepting an offer to receive $70,000 plus her attorneys fees, though the school did not admit liability.

Another professor, Suzanne Jones, who taught education, also sued Collin. She alleged she was fired for publicly criticizing the schools handling of the pandemic and her work to start a local campus chapter of the Texas Faculty Association, a statewide higher education faculty union that lacks bargaining rights. She also settled with the school last year and was reinstated as a professor.

In his lawsuit, Phillips claimed his issues with the college first began in August 2017 when he co-wrote an open letter calling for the removal of Confederate monuments in Dallas. The school told him that writing the letter violated the schools policy because it was something that made the college look bad and mentioned his institutional affiliation, the lawsuit read.

According to the lawsuit, two administrators told Phillips that the college policy requires faculty and staff to exercise appropriate restraint, exhibit tolerance for differing opinions, and indicate clearly that they are not an official spokesperson for the College District when they speak or act as private citizens because their actions will inevitably be judged by the public and reflect upon their profession and institution.

In 2019, Phillips was issued an employee coaching form after he gave an interview to The Washington Post to discuss race relations in the Dallas area after a Collin College student opened fire in a Walmart in El Paso.

According to the lawsuit, administrators said such interviews violated the schools policies because faculty are identified as Collin College professors, even if they are speaking as private citizens.

The lawsuit said Phillips was told in the coaching form that expectations moving forward are to follow the Presidents directives when approached by the media.

During the first year of the pandemic, Phillips wrote a post in his Facebook page criticizing Collin Colleges decision to return to full-time, in-person learning in fall 2020.

That feeling when your employer doesnt care about your health and safety, the post read.

The school again called him into a Zoom meeting alerting him his post violated the colleges code of professional ethics and its policy manual, the suit says.

In summer 2021, Phillips again posted a message on social media from a faculty meeting about the colleges COVID-19 guidelines, showing a slide that said faculty members are forbidden from requesting, requiring or recommending mask usage on signs or in their syllabi.

He posted the picture of the slide and wrote, Note what we were told about discussing masks and Covid with students at my college today. Phillips said he was issued a warning for the posts.

At the end of August that year, the school alerted Phillips his three-year contract would not be renewed, the lawsuit says. He filed a challenge to that decision and applied for a new contract through a faculty group at the college called the Council on Excellence, which helps faculty review applicants for new contracts.

As he was appealing the schools decision not to renew his contract, Phillips covered the history of pandemics in his classes and assigned his students to write a paper on the history of epidemics, from Christopher Columbus expedition to the American continent to COVID-19. During those teachings, the lawsuit says, Phillips reviewed anti-masks advocacy groups during the 1919 influenza pandemic and explained that historians found such resistance seriously damaged efforts to bring the flu under control.

According to the lawsuit, Chaelle OQuin, associate dean of academic affairs, told Phillips that students complained about his comments about mask-wearing and he was placed on a performance improvement plan.

While the faculty-run Council on Excellence recommended that Phillips receive a new contract, administrators ultimately disagreed and President Matkin decided not to offer him a contract, the lawsuit says.

When Johnson met with Phillips and told him it was unlikely he would get a new contract, he asked Phillips whether there was a way they could create a narrative that would allow Phillips to make a graceful exit from Collin College, the lawsuit states.

Collin College leaders said they have disagreed with Phillips characterization of events since the lawsuit was filed and said they were pleased a jury agreed.

Dr. Phillips signed a term contract which ended in May 2022. Under that contract, there is no right or reasonable expectation of continued employment beyond the term of the contract, Cadena-Smith said. As an employer, the college has every right to determine who it employs, particularly based on the recommendations of supervisors.

Phillips is now a senior research fellow at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Collin College, Facebook and Southern Methodist University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Correction, Nov. 14, 2023 at 3:12 p.m.: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that a Collin County jury rejected a former Collin College professors claim that the school had violated his First Amendment rights. The jury was in Grayson County.

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Texas jury rules against ex-Collin College professor in free speech suit - The Texas Tribune

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Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories: Stop the assault on free … – Article 19

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ARTICLE 19 is horrified by the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the occupied Gaza Strip. The relentless and disproportionate attacks by Israel, a retaliation for the killing and kidnapping of civilians carried out by Hamas last month, have inflicted a devastating toll. The blatant disregard for human rights and humanitarian law principles we are witnessing is deeply disturbing. We condemn in the strongest terms the all-out assault on freedom of expression, which perpetuates cycles of violence and disinformation, obstructs reporting on the conflict, limits access to lifesaving information and disrupts the vital operations of hospital and humanitarian organisations. This needs to stop now. Respect for freedom of expression is essential to bring an end to the ongoing hostilities and ensure accountability for international crimes. We reiterate our urgent call for an immediate ceasefire by all parties to end this unprecedented humanitarian crisis and prevent further loss of civilian lives.

According to the United Nations, as of 12 November 2023, over 12,200 people have been killed since 7 October 2023. At least 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, and more than 240 abducted in the horrific attacks carried out in Israel by Hamas. At the time of writing at least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed by the subsequent relentless Israeli bombardment in Gaza, of whom 68% are said to be children and women. The UN estimates that 160 children are killed in Gaza every day. More than 3,250 people, including 1,700 children, have been reported missing and may be trapped or dead beneath rubble.

In the West Bank, 172 Palestinians have been killed since the 7 October attacks, including 46 children, at the hands of Israeli forces. Eight Palestinians, including one child, have been killed by armed Israeli settlers. Three Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.

The devastation is continuing at a deeply alarming scale.

In an environment marked by a blatant disregard for international law, all human rights are under threat. Any party to a conflict, regardless of how said conflict was prompted, is obliged to comply with the laws of war. The attacks by Hamas on 7 October do not exempt Israel from its obligations under international humanitarian law, which is rooted in the acknowledgement that armed conflicts exist but that even during these conflicts the harm that can be caused is not without limits. These rules protect fundamental principles of humanity, such as the prohibition of collective punishment and the obligation to avoid unnecessary suffering, and they apply without regard to the conduct of the adversary.

ARTICLE 19 is also gravely concerned about freedom of expression and information being another casualty of the conflict. We recall that the belligerents in this conflict are also bound by international human rights law, including freedom of expression, which is essential for the protection of civilians during conflicts. Violations of the basic right to free speech and to access information cannot find any justification.

The ongoing conflict has developed into a freedom of expression crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel and beyond. As the situation is fast becoming a humanitarian catastrophe, ARTICLE 19 is alarmed by the unprecedented killing of journalists carrying out their professional duties, the use of internet shutdowns, suppression of free expression and protest, and increasing online harms and hate speech, all of which will continue to perpetuate the violence, deaths, and humanitarian crisis on the ground.

So far, Israel has imposed three internet shutdowns in Gaza, on 27 October, lasting close to 36 hours, 1 November and 5 November. The blackouts exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe, with humanitarian organisations losing contact with aid workers, and media houses not being able to reach their reporters preventing them from reporting from Gaza in real time as Israels ground invasion intensified. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for immediate restoration of connectivity in response to the 28 October shutdown. Even beyond the blackouts, phone and internet communications in Gaza have been challenged by fuel shortages and damage to infrastructure caused by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

ARTICLE 19 recalls that in times of conflict, internet connectivity becomes a lifeline. It is vital for the distribution of aid, the operations of humanitarian organisations, enabling communication for those trapped under the rubble, or ambulance calls. The internet is also the primary means through which people can document and share information about the situation on the ground, including that of unfolding atrocities. When the internet is shut down, human rights violations are often committed with impunity.

Even in times of conflict, shutting down entire parts of communications systems can never be justified under international human rights law. Internet shutdowns of the sort we have seen in this conflict are also likely to violate a number of international humanitarian law rules. Attacks against any civilian infrastructure must adhere to targeting rules, including the distinction between military and civilian objects, the principle of proportionality and the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks. International humanitarian law further forbids collective punishment by imposing penalties on people without a clear lawful basis.

The ongoing situation makes it increasingly difficult to obtain critical information and evidence () and to hear directly from those experiencing the violations.Where shutdowns are implemented with the intent of covering up violations of international humanitarian law, they also constitute a breach of the obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law under Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions and customary international law. This obligation requires States to put in place measures to prevent violations from happening in the first place and to provide accountability for any violations that do take place.

This conflict has been the deadliest period for journalists covering conflicts since the Committee to Protect Journalists began documenting the death of journalists in 1992. As of 12 November 2023, they report that at least 40 journalists and media workers were killed, 8 journalists were reported injured and 3 were reported missing.

ARTICLE 19 recalls that international humanitarian law is crystal clear: journalists are considered civilians and cannot be military targets. We remain profoundly concerned about reports indicating that media workers may have been deliberately targeted by Israel.

Journalists operating in conflict zones carry out vital work and the warring parties must take steps to protect them. Despite this, the IDF has informed Reuters, Agence France-Presse and other outlets that it cannot guarantee the safety of their journalists in the Gaza Strip. Israel has continued to attack sites known to be sheltering civilians and journalists.

Many Palestinian journalists have also experienced arrests, assaults, threats, cyberattacks, and killings of family members while carrying out their journalistic duties. Suggestions made in certain Israeli outlets without evidence that some journalists may be linked to Hamas can put them at further risk.

For well over a decade, media access to the Gaza Strip has been severely limited: since the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel in 2007, journalists are not allowed to enter the territory without authorisation from Israel. On 31 October 2023, members of the French media called on the Israeli authorities to expand access granted to international journalists to Gaza, so more impartial, on-the-ground reporting can reach the world from the centre of the conflict.

Sweeping access restrictions for journalists cannot be justified by either international humanitarian or human rights law. The international humanitarian law for the protection of journalists who are engaged in dangerous professional missions in conflict areas in fact presupposes the general acceptance of news providers in the territory of armed conflict. Furthermore, restrictions to conflict zones for media even where based on national security criteria must meet the necessity and proportionality test and factor in the fundamental importance of an objective coverage of armed conflicts by an independent press. Overbroad restrictions that serve to control reporting on the conflict do not meet these criteria.

In this context we must also express alarm about recent confirmations by CNN about the conditions imposed by Israel for the outlet to be able to embed their reporters with the IDF. CNN has agreed to submit all the materials and footage to the Israeli army for review prior to publication, raising questions of the problematic trade-offs between access and independence of reporting. This comes amidst existing concerns over how this conflict has been covered by the media. Seven hundred and fifty journalists have signed a statement criticising asymmetric coverage of the conflict and expressing immense concern over the killing of their colleagues in Gaza.

On 15 October 2023, Israels communications minister confirmed he was seeking to shut down the local bureau of Al-Jazeera, accusing the outlet of pro-Hamas incitement. A few days later, the Israeli government approved emergency regulations allowing for a temporary shut down of foreign news organisations that are believed to harm national security, paving the way for the outlets possible closure.

Reportedly, approval to shut down Al Jazeeras local office is now being sought from Israels defence minister and security cabinet.It is further reported that the IDF last month ordered a closure of Palestinian news agency J-Media.

ARTICLE 19 reminds the authorities that the banning of media outlets be it domestic or foreign is a severe restriction of freedom of expression and is rarely justified. While, under international law, free expression can be restricted on national security grounds, this is subject to strict limitations. Media bans need to demonstrate the specific threats that a certain media outlet may pose to national security. Any restrictions must always be transparent, and provide evidence as to the necessity and proportionality of the specific action taken and consider the impact that restrictions might have on the right of the public to receive information, particularly in times of conflict.

Any restrictions on media outlets should be imposed in respect of due process, transparency and by an independent media regulator, not executive branches of the government that are in charge of defence, national security, or the armed forces.

We are also troubled by the most recent reports that Israels parliament passed an amendment on 8 November 2023 to its counterterrorism law that, among others, is aimed to combat radicalisation of individuals through media consumption. It introduces the consumption of terrorist materials as a new criminal offence, which, as human rights groups have warned, could criminalise even passive social media use. We are very concerned that this amendment may be employed to target individuals whose online activities show their opposition to the way this conflict is being conducted, particularly in light of previous designations of Palestinian civil society organisations as terrorist entities.

The conflict has brought with it an exponential rise in instances of hate speech and antisemitic and islamophobic attacks. Tell Mama, which collates data on islamophobic attacks in the UK, recorded 515 incidents of anti-Muslim hate between 7 and 29 October, a sevenfold increase on the same period last year. In a tragic escalation internationally, on 16 October, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, was murdered and his mother severely injured by their landlord in an islamophobic and anti-Palestinian attack in Illinois.

Synagogues and Jewish community centres have been attacked in cities around the world, including Berlin and Montreal, and Jewish people have faced antisemitic threats, harassment and intimidation on the streets and in their neighbourhoods. In the UK, at least 893 antisemitic incidents were recorded between 7 and 31 October.

The antisemitic and islamophobic attacks are abhorrent. Authorities must ensure that crimes committed against Muslim and Jewish communities are subject to independent, speedy and effective investigations and prosecutions. At the same time, we warn against using such incidents as a pretext to unduly curb freedom of expression as not all forms of hate speech rise to the level of prohibited speech under international law.

In an environment where freedom of expression is attacked and journalists ability to report from Gaza is made extremely difficult, if not impossible, the role of social media companies and their ability to allow for information about the hostilities to circulate in and get out of Gaza cannot be overstated. Voices of local reporters and ordinary social media users on the ground are vital in informing the world about the realities of the conflict.

Despite their crucial role in this conflict, and despite repeated criticism over their handling of previous conflict situations, social media companies continue to fail, in many ways, to respect international human rights and international humanitarian law norms and to uphold freedom of expression during conflicts.

In particular, Palestinian voices are once again being silenced on social media platforms. Palestinian activists have for a long time complained about their accounts being unfairly suspended, shadowbanned or their content demoted. Last year, a review of Metas content moderation practices in relation to Israel and Palestine found evidence of bias that negatively impacted Palestinian users and their right to freedom of expression. During the current conflict, Palestinian users are now again facing similar issues, with TikTok and Instagram taking down or suspending accounts of Palestinians sharing on-the-ground news from Gaza.

From the very beginning, the conflict has also been mired with disinformation, illegal content and incitement to violence proliferating on social media. The biggest platforms, including Meta and X, have in recent months made deep cuts into their trust and safety teams, making the task of dealing with the content moderation issues at this time all the more challenging. On X, the decision to algorithmically amplify posts by paid subscribers supercharged the reach of accounts spreading unverified and misleading information and glorifying terrorist messages. It has also been reported that Telegrams lack of robust content moderation allowed heavy use by Hamas to broadcast violent videos and images of its attacks on southern Israeli communities in real time.

At the same time Israels widespread paid digital presence raises concerns about the monetisation of conflict-related content. The 2022 report on disinformation in armed conflicts by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression has warned of the role of monetisation of conflict-related content during armed conflicts, noting that monetisation has taken place in spite of company policies that purport to limit the types of content deemed suitable for advertising.

Since Hamass attack, Israel has been heavily investing in the use of social media advertising, pushing out ads targeting specific countries and demographics to garner support for its ongoing offensive actions. The online ads are reported to include graphic videos. There is yet to be a review of the content of these ads to ascertain validity of claims and statistics used, partly due to a lack of transparency and accessibility of ad repositories. Google reportedly removed about 30 ads containing violent images, which means there is no public record that such ads ran for several days on YouTube. Given the potential for wide amplification of content contained in ads, platforms must meet the highest level of diligence in ensuring that those ads meet their community standards.

Antisemitism and islamophobia have risen exponentially on social media. For instance, reports show an over 4963% increase in the number of antisemitic comments on YouTube videos about the Israel/Palestine conflict and a 422% increase in language associated with anti-Muslim hate on X.

This is exacerbated by the AI systems of major social media companies. Metas use of AI tools has had an additional negative impact on users rights, exposing the bias inherent in those technologies. Instagrams automated translation model replaced Palestinian meaning Palestinian followed by the Arabic phrase Praise be to Allah with Palestinian Terrorist. On WhatsApp, an AI image generator created emojis of children holding guns when prompted with the word Palestinian. Palestinian rights organisations and Meta staff themselves have called on Meta to take immediate action to address this deep-rooted bias, which perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Since 7 October, around the world, expressions of solidarity and protests have been met with clampdowns and rising restrictions.

In Israel, Arab citizens have been arrested by the police for expressing solidarity with Gaza on social media. Since 7 October 2,200 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank alone. On 6 November, for example, the Israeli army confirmed the arrest of prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi during a raid in the occupied West Bank territories. Her father, who was arrested in an earlier raid, is held under administrative detention. ARTICLE 19 remains extremely concerned about the continuing and widespread use of administrative detention by Israel against activists and protesters.

In Western Europe, France and Germany have banned a number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. In the UK, politicians stirred up divisive rhetoric with the Home Secretary referring to protests as hate marches and the Prime Minister putting pressure on the police officials to ban a rally scheduled on the same weekend as the Armistice Day celebrations. The blanket categorisation of protests against the war as pro-Hamas or suggestions that they are inherently disruptive raises serious concerns for the right to protest across the continent and beyond.

In various professional settings around the world, from newsrooms to academia and workplaces, individuals have been harassed, intimidated and their positions threatened because of their views of the conflict. In response to increasing risks to students on US campuses from doxxing campaigns and physical intimidation, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has written to US college administrators reminding them that addressing antisemitism and islamophobia are vitally important , but that it cannot come at a cost to justified and peaceful expression. It urged them to reject baseless calls to investigate or punish student groups for exercising their free speech rights. In another concerning development, US congress has censured its only Palestinian member over comments critical of Israel and in support of Palestinians.

With the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza, increasing death tolls, and rising tensions reaching far beyond the conflicts geographical borders, ARTICLE 19 joins the UN, aid agencies and experts in calling for an immediate and maintained ceasefire. International standards, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, must be adhered to by the belligerent parties. Any violations of international law committed during the conflict must be independently investigated, including by the International Criminal Court and the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel.

We also urgently call for an end to the freedom of expression crisis that has accompanied this conflict, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel, and beyond. The safeguarding of free expression and access to information must be at the centre of the response to this conflict.

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