A.I.'s Displacement of Human Jobs

A.I. and Job Loss

The thought of artificial intelligence was scary. With several movies about robots attacking humans or taking over the earth, most famously "The Terminator" franchise, it would be hard to be unafraid of A.I. before it became what it is today. With a variety of different forms of A.I. it's not hard to imagine the previously futuristic, super advanced A.I. being in our world today, though its nowhere close to being able to really displace humans. With the rise of A.I. comes a series of issues that people become aware and afraid of. The most pressing issue is that of jobs. A.I is coming whether we like it or not, Kai-Fu Lee believes that "about 50% of jobs will be somewhat or extremely threatened by A.I. in the next 15 years or so" as he admits in an interview. The video "In the Age of AI" Kai-Fu goes on to explain that jobs that are a pure quantitative analytical process will be easier to take than those that require hand-eye coordination and have other obstacles that robots and A.I. are just not capable of yet, but all jobs will be in danger of being taken eventually. 

Kai-Fu's response to this repetition of a "job destruction" wave intrigued me. He said that when going through history he thinks that it's only trustable if it is multiple repetitions of similar events, not a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. He goes on to say that there are only about three events that are on the same scale as this A.I. revolutions: the steam engine, electricity, and the computer revolution. I thought it interesting that with how many innovations that were made through our history, only those three are as big as the current revolution happening now. All the other events were "too small" to compare to the age of A.I. in the grand scale of our history. 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dZ_lvDgevk&ab_channel=FRONTLINEPBS%7COfficial 

Whistleblowers

 

Keeping the government honest is a job of the public and government honesty is maintained in a significant way thanks to whistleblowers. A whistleblower is a person who reports wrongdoing misconduct, or unethical behavior within a government institution or agency. They serve as watchdogs who reveal corruptions, power abuse, and demand accountability.

Whistleblowers can be considered "a symptom of the breakdown of internal checks and balances on our governments and corporations". There are several negatives to whistleblowing, such as the internal destruction of trust within the government/institutions, interference with decision making within organizations, and can create fear when it comes to wanting to retaliate or speak out. Whistleblowers play a crucial role in maintaining accountability and transparency, which are essential in preventing or halting harm to society. Sometimes whistleblowing results in protection of the environment, the saving of government money and the saving of lives. 

The fear of being punished for whistleblowing is enough to deter people from doing so, but the "Whistleblower Protection Act" (WPA) goes around this. The WPA protects federal employees and applicants for employment who lawfully disclose information they reasonably believes evidences a: violation of law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial  and specific danger to public health or safety. Under the WPA, certain federal employees may not take, fail to take, or threaten to take; any personnel action against an employee or applicant for employment because of the protected whistleblowing. Personnel actions can include poor performance review reassignment, demotion, suspension, or termination. The WPA also prohibits personnel action against employees for engaging in actions such as filing an appeal, complaint, or grievance; helping someone else file or testify on their behalf; cooperating with or disclosing information to the Office of Special Counsel or an inspector General; or refusing to obey an unlawful order. 

Source: Group 2: Mediasphere presentation 

 The Five Eyes?

The Five Eyes is an Intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries are parties to the multilateral UK-USA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence, but what does that actually mean? Let's start by breaking it down bit by bit.

"An intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries are parties to the multilateral UK-USA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence."

Breaking it down piece by piece, I'll start from the beginning: 

• Intelligence Alliance: An alliance where the participating members engage in intelligence gathering and security. 

• Multilateral: "Agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries."

• UK-USA Agreement: Multilateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence between AU, CA, NZ, UK, & US. The 7 page agreement that is recognized as one of the most important documents from the Cold War.

• Signals Intelligence: Intelligence gathering by interception of signals, whether communications through people or from electronic signals not directly used in communication.

So essentially, the Five Eyes are a group of countries who, in the year 1946, made an agreement to share signals intelligence, but why?

Often referred to as the world’s most significant intelligence alliance. The original group of 5 English speaking countries and their security agencies (Australian Signals Directorate, Canada's Communications Security Establishment, New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau, Britain's Government Communications Headquarters, and the National Security Agency of the USA) was formed in the year that followed WW2 in an “effort to share intelligence in the interest of National Security.” After WW2 the UK-USA Agreement was signed between what would become the NSA and the GCHQ (National Security Agency and Britain's Government Communications Headquarters). Eventually as it grew, specifically during the Cold War, British and U.S. intelligence agencies banded together to share signals intelligence.

The agreement initially confined to the UK and the US, but expanded to include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand by 1956. The agreement did not become public knowledge until 2005, and then it took another 5 years until the full text of the UK-USA Agreement was released by the British and American governments, this is also when it was first recognized.  The Five Eyes collaborates with Third Party countries like Denmark, France, Norway, and the Netherlands, becoming known as the Nine Eyes, and then later on the Fourteen Eyes, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. All information was available to the Five Eyes from the Nine and Fourteen Eyes and partners. The Nine eyes had access to all information from the Fourteen eyes and partners, but not vice versa. There was a lot of gatekeeping of information that happened. 

The Five Eyes alliance is a powerful intelligence network that upholds national security and tackles global threats, contributing to public safety. However, this power comes with a price: the blurred line between surveillance for safety and invasion of privacy. Edward Snowden's 2013 revelations highlighted the precarious balance between security and individual privacy rights. Our digital footprints, such as emails, phone calls, online shopping, and social media activity, could be open books, potentially read without our knowledge or consent. This reality fuels ongoing debates about privacy, state power, and civil liberties. The Five Eyes alliance's activities highlight the need for a delicate balance between security and individual rights, as privacy forms a cornerstone of democratic societies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Five-Eyes-Alliance

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-five-eyes/#:~:text=Five%2C%20Nine%20and%2014%20Eyes%20Alliances&text=The%20Nine%20Eyes%20alliance%20includes,%2C%20Italy%2C%20Spain%20and%20Sweden

Our Privacy

 

Privacy is a subject that I didn't know much about, nor did I want to learn more about it, specifically the security of our privacy. I knew it was important, but didn't want to bother with it and just thought it wasn't something that would pertain to me. "With so many people in the world, why would my data be target." was probably my thought process. Taking this class and listening to a handful of interviews, TED Talks, and documentaries has taught me about the importance of protecting our privacy. 

A great case that involves a breach in the privacy of myself, my family and my friends' is that of our cell phones. Cell phones are essential communication tools in modern life, but they can also infringe on individual privacy. Knowing where a person's phone is located can reveal sensitive information, such as medical appointments, political activities, and sleep patterns. Law enforcement agencies can obtain this information without a warrant, and the federal government can use surveillance authorities to collect call records, contact lists, and text messages. This can compromise individual privacy and the security of personal information. 

Government organizations are lagging in setting cybersecurity guidelines for mobile devices, with 45% of the public sector lacking an acceptable-use policy. This lack of proper security measures can be harmful, particularly if dealing with confidential information. The Federal Mobility Group (FMG), chartered by the Federal CIO Council, has released a mobile management ecosystem that includes four strategic pillars: Unified Endpoint Management, Mobile Threat Defense, Native Mobile OS Security Functionality, and Mobile App Vetting. The government must evolve their policies and take proper precautions to counter potential threats and ensure the safety of all mobile devices. By implementing these measures, the government can better protect its citizens and ensure the security of mobile devices. 

To avoid constant surveillance, it's crucial to pay attention to your online activities and use a reliable proxy service to change your IP address. Encrypt your systems and store backups to protect your data. It's essential to consider how much information you should share on the web, as everything you say can be tracked and collated in a digital file. This privacy invasion is a complete invasion, and it's essential to protect yourself and your data. 

It's essential to stay aware of potential threats and take steps to protect your privacy.

https://www.egovreview.com/article/cybersecurity/64/how-do-governments-deal-mobile-security 

https://www.uscybersecurity.net/protect-yourself-from-privacy-invasion/