An AI Summit, Israel Airstrikes, & The Rise Of Homeschooling
November 1, 2023
To Summit All Up, We Don’t Know What To Do
Today, the U.K. will host a global summit on artificial intelligence, a meeting which has proved surprisingly controversial on the world stage. The summit has highlighted differences between Britain’s and America’s approaches to AI as the U.K. attempts to place itself as a third global AI power behind the U.S. and China.
While America has sought to reign in the technology with an executive order and the promise of Congressional action, Britain appears to view the technology as a more sci-fi-esque problem. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly focused on doomsday AI situations, warning that “humanity could lose control of AI completely” in the future. The U.S. seems more focused on the immediate problems with the technology, including the use of AI algorithms to discover dangerous new chemicals or AI image generators pushing misinformation. “The U.K.’s answer is not to rush to regulate,” said Sunak in response to those issues.
Critics of the summit have attacked the meeting, and the U.K.’s outlook on AI, from multiple angles. Its attendance list is over-indexed with AI industry leaders instead of government leaders, raising concerns that discussions will be weighted toward businesses that profit from weaker regulation. Most observers also don’t expect any concrete legislative outcomes of the summit, even though Sunak says he wants to establish an international coalition of experts to advise governments on AI safety. The U.K. is also not anticipated to establish strong regulations on the technology due to its massive potential upside for Britain’s flailing economy – according to a September 2022 report from the International Trade Administration, the AI sector is expected to add $1 trillion in value to the U.K. economy by 2035. Who would want to regulate that?!
Want answers? We’ve got you covered: DP 10/27 Quiz Answers. Hats off to Peggy T., who scored a perfect 10 on last week’s quiz. Check back next week for another chance to test your current affairs acumen!
Another Day, Another Airstrike
- On Tuesday, Israel fired an airstrike into a Gaza refugee camp, killing at least 50 Palestinians and injuring over 150 more. The IDF said that the strike also killed Ibrahim Biari, who it claims was a ringleader in the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas. Medics say they were forced to set up operating rooms in the hallways of a nearby hospital in order to treat casualties from the blast.
- Meanwhile, Israel’s invasion of Gaza continues, with tanks rolling into the northern portions of the Palestinian enclave. IDF forces are apparently taking on Hamas militants in tunnel networks dug by the group under Gaza as Israel attempts to totally eradicate the organization. The IDF said it hit 300 targets on Tuesday alone, though their efforts to clear the tunnels will likely lead to a bloody and prolonged military campaign.
The King Wants To Know – Kenya Just Move On?
- From 1895 to 1963, Kenya was a British colony. On Tuesday, King Charles III began a three-day tour of the Eastern African country, leading to some predictable results. The king, who was born in 1948, faces pressure from human rights groups, activists, and local Kenyan leaders, who are asking for redress and reparations for Britain’s brutal colonial hold over their country.
- “The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret. There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans” as they sought independence, said King Charles in a speech. “And to that, there can be no excuse. In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected.”
- Despite the nice speech, he’s refused to actually apologize for Britain’s “misconduct” as a colonial power – the U.K.’s misdoings include running forced labor camps, violent repression of independence efforts, and human rights abuses by British soldiers.
Additional World News
- Mexico storm: Dozens still missing after Hurricane Otis hit (BBC)
- Russian soldiers accused of killing family of nine in Ukraine (Guardian)
- Ori Megidish: Israeli forces rescue soldier held by Hamas in special operation, IDF says (CNN)
- Indian deputy IT minister investigated over social media post after attack on Jehovah’s Witnesses (Reuters)
- Suspected shooter barricades himself in Japan post office after 2 wounded at nearby hospital, police say (CNN)
- Paris police shoot woman at station after threats (BBC)
- Canada clarifies its stance on a ‘humanitarian truce’ (Politico)
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” – Elbert Hubbard
Testing Your Testimony
- On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified to a Senate committee on the administration’s emergency funding request for Israel and Ukraine. Throughout his attempted speech, he was interrupted by demonstrators calling for a “ceasefire now” and calling the war in the Middle East a “massacre.” The Code Pink demonstrators had painted their hands red.
- “Save the children of Gaza,” one protester shouted, asking, “Where is your pride in America?” The Biden administration is seeking congressional approval for a $106 billion aid package that provides support to Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip…oh, and replenishment of the U.S.’s weapons piles.
Life Hack: Don’t Pay Hackers
- A senior White House official announced on Tuesday that the U.S. led the charge in establishing an alliance with 40 countries that will agree not to pay ransomware hackers their demands. Ransomware attacks are on the rise, with the U.S. hit with nearly half of them.
- Two information-sharing platforms — one from Lithuania and one from Israel and the U.A.E. — where countries can share a “black list” with information on digital wallets being used to move money will be created. It will also use AI to try to locate illicit funds being sent or received.
Additional USA Reads
- Heavily armed man found dead at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Colorado officials say (CNN)
- In Chicago, a Neighborhood of Immigrants Is Conflicted About More Arrivals (NYT, $)
- California wildfire threatens 1,300 homes south-east of Los Angeles (Guardian)
- Hamas could inspire attacks in the U.S., FBI chief Christopher Wray says (NBC)
- Youngkin issues order aiming to combat antisemitism, other anti-religious hatred (WaPo, $)
- Woman poisons boyfriend to death over ‘financial motives,’ police say (ABC)
- Harris had a contingency plan for campus protests over Israel (Politico)
A New, Probably-Slightly-Strange Generation
- The biggest trend in American education isn’t a tide of “left-wing ideology” or “identity politics” in the classroom. Instead, according to analysis by the Washington Post, it’s homeschooling. While the practice understandably grew during the pandemic, homeschooling continued its steady rise through the 2022-23 academic year, outpacing both private and public school enrollment in areas where comprehensive data was available.
- According to the Post’s analysis, the number of home-schooled students in school districts with comparable data sets increased by 51% over the past six years. Over that same time period, private school enrollment grew just 7%, while public school enrollment dropped by 4%. During the 2021-22 school year, the Post recorded about one homeschooled student for every 10 public school students.
- Homeschooling has gained popularity across demographic, political, and geographical lines. The practice, which was illegal just 40 years ago, still maintains most of the issues that come with its inherent lack of regulation. “I can tell you right now: Many of these parents don’t have any understanding of education,” said one Florida school board member. “The price will be very big to us, and to society. But that won’t show up for a few years.”
Additional Reads
- Why the urban legend of contaminated Halloween candy won’t disappear (NPR)
- 3 Expert Shoemakers Say Ron DeSantis Is Probably Wearing Height Boosters (Politico)
- Disney Accuses Ron DeSantis And Allies Of Un-American “Ongoing Constitutional Mutiny” In Latest Legal Volley Over Theme Park District (Deadline)
- Fossil found on the side of the road is a new species of mosasaur (Ars Technica)
- 3 astronauts return to Earth after 6-month stay on China’s space station (ABC)
- ‘Scene from a horror movie’: Airbnb sued after Michigan rental dubbed ‘the Castle’ found infested with bats (NBC)
- Eerie new NASA image shows “ghostly cosmic hand” 16,000 light-years from Earth (CBS)