Author Archives: Stuart G. Hall

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Making a positive difference one day at a time. #London #Leicester

Web3 Tackles the Digital Quagmire: A Deep Dive into the Panel on Hate Speech and Misinformation

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Introduction
“In today’s digital age, misinformation and hate speech are as ubiquitous as smartphones,” Yasir Khan, Editor in Chief of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, declared as he opened the panel discussion hosted by Web3 on September 13, 2023. The panel featured a diverse group of experts, each bringing a unique perspective to the table.

What is Web3?
“Web3 is not just a technological shift; it’s a paradigm shift,” Yasir Khan emphasized. “It’s still in its infancy, but it has the potential to be a game-changer in addressing hate speech and misinformation.”

The Digital Battlefield
“We’re not just talking about hate speech; we’re talking about a life-and-death issue,” Khan asserted. “Misinformation and hate speech online have a direct impact on the access to life-saving information and services by displaced people around the world.”

The Ice Cream Activist
Jessie MacNeil-Brown, head of social mission and activism for Ben and Jerry’s in Europe, was candid. “We’re an activist brand, and we’ve felt the heat,” she said. “Someone on the far right picked up one of our messages in France, and it led to a pile-on. It got so bad that someone even turned up at an employee’s house.”

The Humanitarian Perspective
Gisella Lomax of UNHCR was forthright. “Online harms are causing direct harm to refugees, asylum seekers, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people,” she stated. “We need a multi-pronged approach—understanding the problem, developing tools to respond, and focusing on prevention.”

The Voice of Experience
Nadine Tunasi, a refugee and activist, spoke from the heart. “The impact on the mental well-being that hate speech has on refugees and asylum seekers is significant,” she said. “We’re not just statistics; we’re human beings.”

The UN’s Strategy on Hate Speech
The United Nations has a comprehensive strategy and plan of action on hate speech. Launched on June 18, 2019, by Secretary-General António Guterres, the strategy aims to tackle hate speech at both global and national levels. “Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech,” Guterres noted. “It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous.”

The strategy focuses on two main objectives: addressing the root causes and drivers of hate speech, and responding to the impact of hate speech on societies. “As effective action must be supported by better knowledge, the strategy calls for coordinated data collection and research,” Guterres added.

What Can We Do?
“We all have a role to play,” said Khan. “Report hate speech, educate, support organizations, lobby for change, and be mindful.”

Conclusion
“In a world where hate can spread faster than a wildfire, it’s crucial to remember that we all have a role to play in dousing the flames,” Gisella Lomax concluded. “We need to do better. And indeed, we must.”

Call to Action
Contact your elected officials and demand action on this issue. You can also get involved in the fight against hate speech and misinformation by supporting organizations that are working to address this problem.

Participants in ‘Web3 – Tackling Hate Speech and Misinformation’ with Thomson Reuters Foundation, Ben & Jerry’s, Freedom from Torture and UNHCR on Wednesday 13th September:

Yasir Khan: Editor-In-Chief, Thomson Reuters Foundation. An award-winning journalist, editor, podcaster and documentary filmmaker, Yasir leads the Foundation’s digital news platform Context covering the impacts of climate, socio-economic inequality and technology on societies around the world.

Jessie MacNeil-Brown: Head of Social Mission & Activism Europe, Ben & Jerry’s. Jessie is a specialist with a strong track record of designing and delivering initiatives that inspire the public and drive long term sustainable change. She has experience in both corporate & NGO sectors. Her work is currently focused on advancing and protecting the rights of those with refugee experience. Jessie has previously worked for IKEA, The Body Shop and Amnesty International.

Nadine Tunasi: Survivor Speak Out Coordinator, Freedom from Torture.  A member of One Strong Voice network and Coordinator of the Survivor Speak Out group, Nadine is a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gisella Lomax: Senior Advisor on Information Integrity (Misinformation, Disinformation and Hate Speech), UNHCR. Gisella leads UNHCR’s new capacity to address the harmful impact of mis and disinformation, and hate speech on digital platforms. Gisella started her career as a journalist, reporting for national and international media organisations.  She joined the United Nations in 2011, a time of global disruption to the information ecosystem driven primarily by social media.

She has served in various digital and comms strategy roles across the UN, including Head of Social Media for UNHCR, where she saw up front the harm misinformation and disinformation can levy on people who are forced to flee.

AI in Process Optimization: A New Paradigm for Safer and More Intuitive Systems

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Introduction
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a game-changer in optimizing business processes, but its potential goes beyond mere efficiency. As we venture deeper into the AI landscape, the question arises: Can AI help us design safer and more intuitive systems? Let’s explore this overlooked aspect of AI in process optimization.

The human element in AI-driven systems
While AI excels at automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes, its true potential lies in complementing human decision-making. The so-called “curse of knowledge” often leads experts to overlook gaps in systems and processes, (incorrectly) assuming that what’s obvious to them is equally apparent to others. AI, devoid of such biases, can identify these gaps and even suggest corrective measures. This leads to systems that are not just efficient but also user-friendly and much safer.

Example: The $900m quirk
Consider the peculiar rule mentioned in the payment error outlined in Matt Levine’s Bloomberg article, where a payment was kept by the recipient even if after a noticed arrived shortly after payment saying the transaction was a $900m error.

AI could flag such risky counterintuitive rules and suggest more logical alternatives, thereby enhancing system safety and intuitiveness. The failure of the UK’s NATS, the national air traffic control provider, caused widespread delays and cancellations of flights across the UK.

Ethical and security concerns in AI-driven optimization
AI’s capability to process vast amounts of data comes with ethical and security challenges. Data privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA necessitate stringent data protection measures. AI can be designed to be “ethically aware,” flagging potential data privacy issues before they become a problem. This proactive approach can make systems safer and more secure.

Real-World applications for safety and intuitiveness
While AI has been successfully employed in various sectors for process optimization, its role in enhancing safety and intuitiveness is less discussed. For instance, AI can be used in healthcare to identify potential drug interactions that human pharmacists might overlook, or in automotive design to predict and mitigate crash impacts more effectively.

Conclusion
AI’s role in process optimization is evolving, and its potential to make systems safer and more intuitive is untapped. By focusing on the human element, addressing ethical concerns, and exploring real-world applications for safety, we can unlock a new paradigm in AI-driven process optimization.

The first version of the article was written with a different LLM:)