*[Enwl-eng] AI and democracy: where the threats lie

[ENWL]

                  Global Edition - Today's top story: How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy View in browser 
                   Global Edition | 5 June 2023 
                 
           
                   
                    
                 
           
           
                  There’s been no shortage of news about how AI language models can influence people’s behaviour, spread misinformation and sow confusion about what’s real and what isn’t. But it can be difficult to picture what those dangers might look like in the real world.

                  Political scientist Archon Fung and legal scholar Lawrence Lessig paint a chilling scenario of a plausible AI system in the hands of a presidential candidate’s campaign. They describe how the hypothetical campaign messaging machine would be able to target millions of people individually and adjust its approach to each person over the course of the campaign, all with the singular goal of changing your voting behavior – including even convincing you not to vote at all.

                  Nigeria’s biggest security threat used to be Boko Haram, whose activities were mostly limited to the northern region of the country. Although the previous administration, under Muhammadu Buhari, claimed to have significantly weakened the insurgent group, security in Nigeria has actually deteriorated. Boko Haram continues to operate in the north and other terror groups as well as bandits have joined the fray. Now, every region of Nigeria is affected by growing insecurity. This is what president Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inherited from his predecessor. But Sallek Yaks Musa thinks all is not lost. He argues that the new president needs to address socio-economic factors that contribute to insecurity. 
                 
                          Eric Smalley

                        Science + Technology Editor
                       
                 
                   
                  How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy 
                  Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School; Lawrence Lessig, Harvard University 

                  Artificial intelligence looks like a political campaign manager’s dream because it could tune its persuasion efforts to millions of people individually – but it could be a nightmare for democracy.
                 
                   
                  Nigeria’s security situation has got worse: what Tinubu’s administration needs to do about it 
                  Sallek Yaks Musa, University of Northampton 

                  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherits major security challenges. Job creation, poverty alleviation and inclusive growth may be the solution.
                 
                       
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                          Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation 

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                  Postnatal depression: what new fathers need to know – and how to ask for help 
                  Andrew Mayers, Bournemouth University 

                  Postnatal depression is thought to affect up to 10% of fathers.
                 
                    
                    
                    
                    
                          
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            From: The Conversation 
            Sent: Monday, June 05, 2023 10:32 AM
            Subject: AI and democracy: where the threats lie 
           
           
     
 
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