Elected officials and social media blocking

  • March 21, 2024

A unanimous Supreme Court determined that elected officials can block social media followers under very specific circumstances— that is their private account and then only if it has nothing to do with their government position. What’s the practical effect- yes, elected officials can be sued for violating  the First Amendment when they block their critics.

Scotusblog | Public officials can be held liable for blocking critics on social media

Safety of airline wifi

  • March 21, 2024

Part of me feels like I’m pointing out the obvious here, but airline wifi is public and has the same inherent risks of public wifi. This includes hacking and malware. A VPN and visiting only https sites can help.

WSJ | How Secure Is an Airplane’s Wi-Fi?

A.I. risk list

  • March 21, 2024

A Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance post gives us a handy rundown of AI risks. Let’s take a peek:

  • Unwanted bias, when automated systems relying on biased data or design produce
    discriminatory outcomes, perpetuates inequalities in decision-making. Some
    companies have faced legal action after using AI systems allegedly reinforcing
    discriminatory outcomes.[16]
  • “Hallucinations”, referring to when AI generates false information.[17]
  • AI systems trained on inaccurate, outdated, or otherwise not fit for purpose data.[18]
  • Spread of mis/dis-information or harmful content through AI generated content.
  • Failure to evaluate risks of third-party AI. Research suggests that more than half of
    all AI failures come from third-party tools, which most companies rely on.[19]
  • Intellectual property (IP) infringement.[20]
  • Data security breaches, including hacking or privacy violations.
  • Technical malfunctioning, causing autonomously operated machines to endanger
    human life, for instance.

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | Artificial Intelligence: An engagement guide

AI and energy use

  • March 14, 2024

AI use requires more data center capacity, which thereby requires more energy use. A staggering amount of additional energy use.   @bloomberggreen

268.4% increase in AI investment deals

  • March 14, 2024

Investment in AI increased by 268.4% last year according to the BoF Professional Summit. This accounts for 691 generative AI deals for a total investment of $29.1 billion. @bof

Banning cell phones in schools

  • March 14, 2024

Florida is the 1st state to ban cell phones during classes. A National Center for Education Statistics at IES report says 3/4 of all schools prohibit nonacademic use of cell phones during class. Other states working on similar statewide legislation: Indiana, Oklahoma SB 1314 (2024 | OK), Kansas HB 2641 (2024 | KS) , Vermont S284 (2024 | VT), Connecticut LCO 607 (2024 |CT), and Utah’s Governor sent guidance to all public schools.

Route Fifty | If schools won’t ban kids’ cellphones, some lawmakers say, they will

The New C Suite: CAIO

  • March 7, 2024

Bonjour Chief AI Officer, CAIO. A 2023 report in Oklahoma recommended a state level CAIO. Federal agencies must hire CAIOs by the end of 2024 based on this fall 2023 Executive Order. Who is next to create CAIOs? Most likely your state.

Route Fifty | ‘Early days’ for state-level response to Biden’s AI executive order

Washington State’s AI Task Force

  • March 7, 2024

Washington State Legislature has passed SB5838 (2024 | WA) to create an AI Task Force. The Task Force will consist of 19 members and be housed in the state Attorney General’s Office. AL, MA, NJ and WI have created similar AI Task Forces. Speaker Johnson in the US House created an AI Task Force a couple weeks ago.

GOV TECH | Washington State Lawmakers Approve AI Task Force Bill

Rhode Island’s new AI Task Force

  • March 7, 2024

Rhode Island ‘s Governor created a new AI task force by executive order. The AI Center of Excellence will create a standard of ethics code for AI and develop a risk analysis and safeguards for the use of AI.

GOVTECH | Rhode Island Creates AI Task Force, Data Centers

State Data Trend: Mental Health Data

  • February 29, 2024

 The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is funding a statewide multigenerational study that aims to identify the causes and risk factors of poor mental health outcomes. The study hopes to run for 20 years gathering data to help policymakers and health care providers identify ways to support long-term mental health success.

Route Fifty | One state looks to collect multiyear data to address the mental health crisis

Tech & Policy: +1 city reconsiders gun shot spotter tech

  • February 29, 2024

Add Chicago to the list of jurisdictions that are breaking ties with gun shot spotting technology that alerts law enforcement of the possibility of gun fire. Concerns raised in Chicago include increasing emergency response times with no attributable reduction in violence. Chicago was spending $9 million annually for the technology.

Route Fifty | Chicago is the latest city rethinking disputed technology that listens for gunshots

2023: Record Setting Data Breaches

  • February 29, 2024

2023 saw  2,365 more data breaches than the previous record in 2021. The total number of breaches of personal information was 3205 that impacted 353 million.

The T-Mobile breach was the largest affecting 37 million and then the Xfinity breach that impacted 35.9 million.

Why the increase? According to  James E. Lee, chief operating officer of the  Identity Theft Resource Center, ” Many professional cybercriminals supported by nation/states resumed stealing business and personal information after being more focused on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Professional cybercriminals and nation/state actors focused more on finding and exploiting zero day software flaws.”

Governing | 2023 Will Go Down for Record-Setting Number of Data Breaches

A.I. leaders calling for deep fake legislation

  • February 23, 2024

888 leaders in artificial intelligence have signed a statement calling for deep fake legislation. Their position is:

Deepfakes are a growing threat to society, and governments must impose obligations throughout the supply chain to stop the proliferation of deepfakes. New laws should:

  1. Fully criminalize deepfake child pornography, even when only fictional children are depicted;
  2. Establish criminal penalties for anyone who knowingly creates or knowingly facilitates the spread of harmful deepfakes; and
  3. Require software developers and distributors to prevent their audio and visual products from creating harmful deepfakes, and to be held liable if their preventive measures are too easily circumvented.

If designed wisely, such laws could nurture socially responsible businesses, and would not need to be excessively burdensome.

30 State Attorneys General Letter to Commerce Department concerning AI

  • February 22, 2024

30 conservative State Attorneys General, including Texas, signed a letter to the Secretary of Commerce arguing against “centralize governmental control over an emerging technology being developed by the private sector.” 

Route Fifty | States clash over what responsible AI looks like

Virginia’s Crypto Commission

  • February 22, 2024

 Virginia Legislature is considering SB439 (VA | 2024) to create the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Commission. The Commission will make recommendations to the Legislature about how the state should regulate cryptocurrency and blockchain use.

WVTF | Virginia legislature could inch towards a regulated crypto market with potential new commission

Ethical Cybersecurity

  • February 15, 2024

States and local governmental entities are turning to white hat hackers to keep their cybersecurity game on point.  NYC Cyber Command established a system where white hat hackers report the bugs and vulnerabilities that they find via  vulnerability disclosure website.

Route Fifty | See something, say something: Ethical hackers strengthen cyber resilience

Employees and Shadow AI

  • February 15, 2024

41% of employees have modified or added technology without IT department input according to  a Gartner report. Overworked government employees are turning to AI to be more efficient with little oversight. Some say this is the use of Shadow AI. Sounds like a horror film. In 2023, 18 states adopted resolutions or legislation regulating AI use in state government.

Route Fifty | Shining a light on shadow AI

No Longer Legal: AI Robocalls

  • February 15, 2024

This week the FCC made AI generated robocalls illegal. Enforcement authority is also granted to state attorneys general.

Route Fifty | FCC makes AI-generated voices in robocalls illegal

Hacking as a Legislative Opposition Argument

  • February 8, 2024

A winning opposition argument for a fossil fuel company disclosure bill in the Washington State Legislature:    There are hackers. The state computers could be hacked. The state cannot ensure that  the information would be confidential because of cybersecurity threats.  

Missoula Current | INSLEE’S OIL TRANSPARENCY BILL STALLS IN LEGISLATURE

13 States Passed Comprehensive Data Privacy

  • February 8, 2024

 Since California passed its comprehensive data protection legislation, 12 other states have followed suite. New Jersey passed its version last month with S332 (2024 | NJ)   New Jersey joins  states like Montana, Oregon and Texas. ” Cisco’s 2024 consumer privacy survey found that 86% of organizations surveyed in the U.S. said such laws have a positive impact.”

Route Fifty | As privacy conversations become mainstream, data protection laws gain traction

A.I. Use: Police Body Cam Footage

  • February 8, 2024

How to review a bazillion hours of police body cam footage? A.I. Today there is  100 petabytes of police body cam footage. (note to self: what is a petabyte?!)

Route Fifty | Police departments are turning to AI to sift through millions of hours of unreviewed body-cam footage

global cybercrime treaty

  • February 1, 2024

Negotiations are occurring this week at the UN on this draft of a global cybercrime treaty.   World leaders agreed to work on the international treaty in 2019— yes, you are very good at math, indeed that is the Trump era. Politico

A.I. Traffic Light System

  • February 1, 2024

78 countries cooperated to set up traffic light safety parameters. What A.I. is green, good to go? chatbots, video games, and product recommendations. What A.I. is let’s slow our roll, yellow? A.I. managing investment portfolios. What’s do not pass go, red? surveillance, social scoring, and discrimination. @ mitsloan

It’s official: NYC declares social media a public health hazard

  • February 1, 2024

“Companies like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook are fueling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features,” he said. “We cannot stand by and let Big Tech monetize our children’s privacy and jeopardize their mental health.”

Adams confirmed New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan issued an advisory to classify “unfettered access to and use of social media” as a public health hazard.”

The Hill | New York City mayor classifying social media as ‘public health hazard’

Florida: banning minors under 16 from social media

  • January 25, 2024

Florida legislature is moving HB 1 (2024 | FL) that would ban kids under 16 from being on social media. “Sites like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat and YouTube are expected to become targets, out of concern that they could affect young people’s mental health.”

Politico | Legislature wants kids on digital detox

legislative trend: kids and social media

  • January 25, 2024

  In 2023 Utah passed restrictions on kids using social media. Tech groups sued. Utah’s attorneys told the court that the Legislature would repeal and replace the laws in 2024. The Legislature is in the process of doing so. 

Salt Lake Tribune | Big changes to how Utah kids use social media are — again — in the works at the Legislature. Here’s why.

Business Trend. Ring no longer allow police access to footage without warrant.

  • January 25, 2024

Ring, the doorbell camera company, will no longer allow police to ask Ring users for video footage. Ring announced the new policy by blog post. Ring is owned by Amazon. @ABCNEWS

NPR | Ring will no longer allow police to request users’ doorbell camera footage

For your radar: Quantum Computing

  • January 19, 2024

Identifying business trends: Quantum Computing. “McKinsey has estimated that 5,000 quantum computers will be operational by 2030 but that the hardware and software necessary for handling the most complex problems won’t be available until 2035 or later.” @MITSLOAN

Open A.I. 1st State Partnership

  • January 19, 2024

Pennsylvania and Open A.I. have announced a new partnership. Governor Shapiro said, “I believe Pennsylvania can be a national leader in the safe and responsible use of generative AI in our government operations—and this first-in-the-nation pilot with OpenAI will help us safely and securely learn from and use this important technology to serve Pennsylvanians and empower our workforce.”

Route Fifty | The Keystone State partners with OpenAI for first-in-nation AI pilot

Open AI partnership with Higher Education

  • January 19, 2024

Open AI and Arizona State University, those Sun Devils, are partnering. This is the 1st university to partner with Open AI so that “Arizona State University will have full access to ChatGPT Enterprise and plans to use it for coursework, tutoring, research and more.” @CNBC

A.I. legislation: Extortion

  • January 18, 2024

Idaho Legislature is considering a bill that will “make it a crime to use sexually explicit images generated by artificial intelligence to harass victims or extort money from the victim depicted. “

Idaho Capital Sun | Idaho Legislature introduces new bill banning explicit AI media to harass or extort victims 

state action on AI policy

  • January 11, 2024

Executive Orders: California + Pennsylvania

Task Forces on A.I.:  New JerseyOklahoma and Wisconsin

Issued policy guidance:  KansasSouth Dakota and Utah

A smattering of model acts: European Union’s AI Act, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Recommendations on Artificial Intelligence, &  National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework

Route Fifty | A good AI policy needs to consider these 12 factors

AI use in advertising

  • January 11, 2024

Do we regulate AI voices/appearances in advertising? Well, there’s a sweepstakes that uses an AI generated Taylor Swift voice and face. The sweepstake is for a certain cookware brand that had nothing to do with these FaceBook ads. “In April, the Better Business Bureau warned consumers that fake celebrity scams made with A.I. were “more convincing than ever.”  hello laws and regulations.

NYTimes | No, That’s Not Taylor Swift Peddling Le Creuset Cookware

Artificial Intelligence + Politics

  • January 11, 2024

Politics and A.I. feels like a punch line, and maybe it is. Florida lawmakers are considering disclaimers on any political information that utilizes content derived from artificial intelligence.

Miami Herald | 10 Things to Watch as Florida lawmakers begin 2024 session

Hackers hitting water facilities

  • December 8, 2023

Recently hackers have taken hold of water systems in the US. The Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa in Pennsylvania connected the hack to its Israeli made system.  Politico’s Morning Cybersecurity provides insight.   The hacks have prompted “four federal agencies and the Israel National Cyber Directorate to issue a joint advisory warning of “malicious cyber activity” against certain devices by groups linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

Route Fifty | Two recent cyberattacks on water systems highlight vulnerability of critical infrastructure

funding withheld for broadband in certain states?

  • December 8, 2023

States that bar or restrict municipally owned broadband may not be eligible for federal broadband funds. “In its draft plan, Texas’ broadband office said only the state’s legislature can change a law that gives preference to private broadband providers. As a result, the office said it cannot allow local governments to be eligible for BEAD funding in areas where private companies are also seeking funding to improve broadband service.”

Route Fifty | Could the feds withhold broadband funding to some states?

new legislative frontier: target algorithms

  • December 7, 2023

Al Gore this week suggested that policy makers should ban certain uses of algorithms that are “an abuse of the public forum.” The policy concern is that the algorithms effectively harm our form of government by weaponizing information. @bloombergbusiness

The Hill | Al Gore calls social media algorithms ‘digital’ AR-15s

New York’s Crypto Task Force

  • December 1, 2023

New York State Legislature is considering a Crypto Task Force that would examine the emerging industries of digital currency, cryptocurrency, and blockchain. The 16 member Task Force would be appointed by the Governor and the Legislature to study the industries, including their trade on exchanges, impacts on state and local tax receipts, and energy consumption and environmental impact of digital mining. 

State of Politics | New York lawmakers propose task force to examine crypto industry

cities are blurring faces on cctv

  • December 1, 2023

 Amsterdam is blurring faces of people seen on public CCTV. The policy reason to blur faces is to safeguard people’s privacy. In addition to blurring faces, Amsterdam is blurring license plates and company branding. @worldeconomicforum

New AI and Government Report

  • December 1, 2023

California has released a new report, Benefits and Risks of Generative
Artificial Intelligence Report,
laying out guardrails for AI use in state government. The report stresses a need for an ongoing partnership with the Legislature, community, academia, and technical experts.

FTC influencer enforcement

  • November 17, 2023

The FTC has sent warning letters over paid dietician influencers. “The agency flagged nearly three dozen social media posts that it said failed to clearly disclose who was paying the influencers to promote artificial sweeteners or sugary foods. The health influencers collectively have over 6 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.” @washingtonpost

digital redlining rules

  • November 17, 2023

The FCC has approved new rules that prohibit broadband companies from digital redlining. Digital redlining means a company is providing faster digital service in wealthier communities. “The new rules only prohibit discrimination that is ‘not justified by genuine issues of economic or technical feasibility.'”

Route Fifty | FCC adopts rules prohibiting ‘digital redlining’

Crypto & 2024 Presidential election

  • November 10, 2023

 How’s crypto going to impact the 2024 Presidential election?  Some candidates like Ted Cruz are openly accepting campaign contributions in crypto. DeSantis’ campaign is also accepting crypto. There are still unprecedented regulatory and tax issues related to crypto and central bank digital currencies that state and federal elected officials could tackle.

CCN | Bitcoin in the U.S. Election Race: What Role Will Crypto Play in Deciding Next President?

Deleting your data from databrokers

  • November 10, 2023

California became the 1st state to allow people to have their personal data deleted from databrokers. SB 362 (2023 | CA)

Governor Newsom

Route Fifty | DELETE Act closes ‘big loophole’ and tightens regulations on data brokers

Why should governments switch to .gov?

  • November 9, 2023

.gov domain names should be the go-to for governmental entities. Why you ask? Because .gov domains have required multi-factor authentication requirements. 1000s of state, local, and tribal government agencies not currently utilizing the .gov domain.

Route Fifty | States, localities should transition to the .gov domain ‘hard stop,’ federal official says

state officials banning followers on social media

  • November 3, 2023

The US Supreme Court this past week heard arguments about elected officials banning followers on social media. What emerged as the key issue is what is official state action?

Route Fifty | Social media cases hinge on definition of what amounts to state action online

SCOTUSBLOG | Justices weigh rules for when public officials can block critics on social media

cyber workforce numbers

  • November 3, 2023

A new study  says that the global cybersecurity workforce increased by 5.5% in 2022. There is still a 13% shortage and 4 million workers are needed. 75% of cybersecurity professionals say it is the most challenging threat landscape of the last five years.

Route Fifty | The cyber workforce gap is growing

constituent data : 4 questions to ask before sharing

  • November 3, 2023

71% of Americans say they are worried about government use of personal data. A new report in the International Journal of Population Data Science, poses these 4 questions to determine whether data should be shared:
Is this legal? Is this ethical? Is this a good idea? How do we know (and whodecides).

Route Fifty | 4 questions to ask before sharing constituent data

MetroLab Network

  • October 26, 2023

Bonjour, MetroLab Network. The group is developing a tangible policy guide for AI use by local governments. The task force is made up of representatives from more than 45 local governments, 15 universities, 20 private-sector organizations, including Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) and the U.S. Department of Commerce. They have compiled a resource guide here until a final guide is published in April 2024.

Government Technology | How Can Local Governments Safely Use Generative AI?

can tech improve affordable housing?

  • October 26, 2023

Santa Barbara County is testing 3D printing for affordable housing. We’ve infohived about 3D printing houses and neighborhoods. Santa Barbara County wants to use 3D tech for affordable housing. Greeley, Colorado has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build 3D printed affordable housing. Chattanooga, Tennessee wants to use 3D printing for homeless shelters.

Route Fifty | County tests feasibility of 3D-printed affordable housing

31 community innovation hubs

  • October 26, 2023

31 community innovation hubs were announced by the Biden Administration to advance a range of technologies, including autonomous systems, quantum computing, biomedicine and green energy. Organizations include state and local governments, educational institutions, businesses and community groups in 32 states and Puerto Rico. 1/3 of the hubs must benefit small and rural communities.

Route Fifty | 31 communities tapped as innovation hub finalists

the first local government a.i. program

  • October 20, 2023

New York City became the first major local government to create an a.i. action plan for responsible municipal government use of artificial intelligence. It includes a.i. literacy programs, streamlined and specific procurement guidelines to support agency-level contracting, and the “potential to better deliver vital services while protecting New Yorkers’ privacy and concerns about bias.”

Route Fifty | New York City unveils AI action plan

a.i. use by elected officials

  • October 20, 2023

Imagine an elected official who uses artificial intelligence to create videos of themselves explaining policies in languages that they don’t speak. Is that a deep fake prohibited by law?  Is that a means of communicating with constituents? What are the ethical considerations surrounding this? no one knows.

AP | Can New York’s mayor speak Mandarin? No, but with AI he’s making robocalls in different languages

prohibiting employer access to employee personal social media

  • October 20, 2023

 Assembly Bill 836 (2023 | NY), signed by Governor Kathy Hochul,  prohibits an employer from accessing an employee’s or job applicant’s personal social media. The Governor’s office called the bill a means to  “protect the privacy of New Yorkers and protect their rights in the workplace.”

Governing | New York Can No Longer Access Workers’ Private Social Media

defining a.i.

  • October 12, 2023

Is there a consistent statutory definition of artificial intelligence? No, of course not, can elected officials agree on the color of the sky anymore? So let’s look at 6 different a.i. definitions:

Connecticut SB 1103: An “artificial system that ‘performs tasks under varying and unpredictable circumstances without significant human oversight or can learn from experience and improve such performance when exposed to data sets.”

Louisiana SCR 49: It “combines computer science and robust datasets to enable problem-solving measures directly to consumers.”

North Dakota HB 1361: “Personhood” does not include “artificial intelligence.”

Rhode Island H 6423: It includes “computerized methods and tools, including, but not limited to, machine learning and natural language processing, that act in a way that resembles human cognitive abilities when it comes to solving problems or performing certain tasks.”

Texas HB 2060: Systems capable of “perceiving an environment through data acquisition and processing and interpreting the derived information to take an action or actions or to imitate intelligent behavior given a specific goal and learning and adapting behavior by analyzing how the environment is affected by prior actions.”

The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 sought to define AI, describing it as “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments,” according to the federal law, which was enacted Jan. 1, 2021.

Route Fifty | What is artificial intelligence? Legislators are still looking for a definition.

social media & elected officials & the US Supreme Court

  • October 5, 2023

 The Supremes (the Justices, not the musical group) are going to rule on whether elected officials can block constituents on social media. The impact of the ruling(s), there are two cases before the court, is expected to impact state laws on the matter.

Route Fifty | Should public officials be allowed to block constituents on social media?

local government use of geographic information systems

  • October 5, 2023

 Denver’s mayor is putting geographic information systems to use to identify potential public lands that can be used as micro communities for Denver’s homeless. GIS allows for layered data to identify viable locations. Data includes slope, proximity to city services, ecological vulnerabilities and size.

Route Fifty | Cities turn to GIS mapping to find housing for the homeless

facial recognition software & schools

  • October 5, 2023

New York’s Education Commissioner banned facial recognition software use in schools after multiple years of requests from privacy advocates and a request from the Legislature to study the impact of facial recognition software on students.

Route Fifty | The hazards of facial recognition in schools

trending crypto scam

  • September 28, 2023

Meet Liquidity Mining, which is an innocuous sounding phrase for luring crypto investors into fake mining schemes. An investor is lured into putting their crypto with a decentralized exchange with high returns, and then poof! their crypto disappears. More than 500 fake liquidity websites have been identified this year. 

Politico | CRYPTO FRAUD EVOLVING

reliable & secure voter data

  • September 28, 2023

Republican controlled states are introducing voter data systems. Questions are being raised. Is the data reliable?  Is the data secure on the systems? 

Route Fifty | GOP states announce new voter roll systems. Are they as secure as ERIC?

heads up: Presidential order on A.I.

  • September 28, 2023

This fall we should be seeing an Executive Order from President Biden on Artificial Intelligence with a goal of balancing innovation with the protection of Americans. This is not the President’s first A.I. rodeo. In October 2022, his Administration released “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights”, and in a February 2023 this Executive Order  instructions were given to federal agencies to consider disparities and equity in A.I.

Bank Info Security | White House Set to Publish AI Executive Order This Fall

what do Americans think about tech companies & their market power?

  • September 21, 2023

60% of Americans in a survey by American Economic Liberties Project think big tech companies have too much market power. The 60% reflects 65% of democrats, 63% of independents & 53% of republicans. 30% of respondents say that “companies “showcase the best of American innovation and capitalism, and are deserving of the profits and market power they have achieved.” 

The Hill | Majority in poll says Big Tech has ‘too much power in the market’

a.i. polling…. eeek….

  • September 21, 2023

 What do Americans think about a.i. regulations? According to a Pew Research survey,  67%  don’t think government regulation of a.i. will be strong enough. 39% of republicans think a.i. regulations will go too far. 25% of democrats feel the same way.

Pew Research Center | Most Americans haven’t used ChatGPT; few think it will have a major impact on their job

data brokers new regulatory oversight

  • September 21, 2023

Data brokers in California are currently regulated by the state Attorney General,  but that’s coming to an end. SB 362 (2023 | CA) will officially move regulatory authority California Privacy Protection Agency, approved by voters in 2020. The agency will have full regulatory oversight over data privacy.

Governing | A California County Returns to Power, Thanks to Its Microgrid

artificial intelligence executive order

  • September 15, 2023

This week, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-12-23 to make California a global hub for  generative artificial intelligence. The order includes partnership opportunities, ethical standard promulgation, and the need for beneficial uses of a.i.

vehicle security thefts lead to tiktoks and lawsuits

  • September 15, 2023

Apparently online you can find ways to work around security defects in certain vehicles. This led to a 55% increase in thefts of these vehicles in Chicago. Chicago is suing manufacturers over the security defects because of the car theft crisis that was based on the manufacturers “unlawful and reckless actions.”

Governing | Chicago Sues Car Manufacturers Over Skyrocketing Auto Theft

crypto accepted at Colorado DMV

  • September 15, 2023

Let’s add another governmental entity that accepts crypto payments. Welcome, Colorado DMV. Its sole crypto payment processor is PayPal.

blockchain as a social impact driver

  • September 14, 2023

Meet the  Klaytn Foundation which has unveiled its ” blueprint to use blockchain to bring about social evolution.” Their focal point is RWA tokenization and “rolling out an RWA-specific token norm.” What is RWA? real world assets. In short- tokenizing good works, social impact.

Finance Feeds | BLOCKCHAIN FOR SOCIAL IMPACT: THE KLAYTN FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT

Apple supports California’s right to repair law

  • August 25, 2023

Apple supports SB 244 (2023 | CA), California’s Right to Repair legislation. Apple says ““We support SB 244 because it includes requirements that protect individual users’ safety and security, as well as product manufacturers’ intellectual property. We will continue to support the bill, so long as it continues to provide protections for customers and innovators.”

Fast Company | Apple is now supporting ‘right to repair’ laws—here’s what that could mean for its devices

why is Congressional a.i. legislation not moving?

  • August 25, 2023

Congressional leaders say that current federal laws cover a.i. But what does that mean? They are pointing us to  increased ‘vigilance” by federal  agencies to ensure that current laws are applied in a way that addresses future technologies.

Politico | AI legislation is going nowhere

legislation to protect kid influencers from their parents

  • August 24, 2023

 Illinois Governor signed SB 1782 (2023 | IL) that requires parents of kid social media influencers to set aside their kids’ gross earnings in a trust that the child can access when they turn 18. It’s kinda like Coogan’s law in California that sought to prevent parents from profiting from their kids’ work in Hollywood. Washington State is considering giving kids the option to permanently delete their kid influencer content when they turn 18. A legislative hot topic.

Route Fifty | New ‘kidfluencer’ law allows child social media stars to sue parents

stricter privacy requirements for drones

  • August 18, 2023

 A report from the ACLU suggests that constitutional protections need to be reflected  in drone regulations. This incudes imitations on the type of and amount of data collected from the devices, standards for program performance audits and transparency requirements such as the publication of drones’ tech capabilities. 

Route Fifty | Policing police drones: How regulations can protect privacy while expanding public safety

ncsl artificial intelligence policy report

  • August 18, 2023

NCSL has released a policy report on artificial intelligence. At least 16 states have passed legislation or resolutions concerning artificial intelligence since 2020. This includes Colorado that enacted legislation in 2021 that prohibited insurers from using algorithms or predictive modeling in a way that unfairly discriminates based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or gender expression.   

Route Fifty | Regulate AI? Here’s what states need to know

1st A.I. Resolution

  • August 17, 2023

California’s SCR 17 (2023 | CA) is the nation’s first artificial intelligence resolution. SCR 17 is California’s “commitment to examining and implementing specified principles related to the use of AI,” It creates an A.I. bill of rights to protect the “rights of the public while leveraging the benefits of AI.”

The Reporter | Legislature adopts Dodd’s AI resolution

a.i. leading to financial crisis?

  • August 11, 2023

New York Times Dealbook tells us that the SEC Chief thinks artificial intelligence could bring financial crisis. The reason why:  “It has to do with this powerful set of economics around scale and networks.” Last month the SEC  proposed a rule requiring platforms to eliminate conflicts of interest in their technology. 

the pope on artificial intelligence

  • August 11, 2023

This week the Pope said artificial intelligence has “disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.” Rewind 3 years ago and the Vatican collaborated with Microsoft on ethical standards for artificial intelligence.

Reuters | Pope warns against potential dangers of artificial intelligence

crypto scanning eyeballs

  • August 11, 2023

New York Times introduces us to Worldcoin, a crypto project seeking to scan billions of human irises. How do your state laws keep up with this type of biometric information gathering.

open records and CHATGPT

  • August 3, 2023

The City of San Jose has warned its employees that the use of ChatGPT is subject to public disclosure.

City of San Jose |Generative AI Guidelines

state adds a chief information technology accessibility officer

  • August 3, 2023

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued Executive Order 614 created a Chief Information Technology Accessibility Officer with the policy goals to establish, adopt, and maintain digital accessibility and equity standards, guidelines, and policies; the development of strategies and platforms to promote best practices for digital accessibility and equity; the development, in consultation with other executive branch offices and agencies, of procurement policies, contractual standards, and other related documents to promote digital accessibility and equity; and the consideration of federal funding opportunities for digital accessibility and equity priorities.

what’s slowing data center growth in the U.S. data center capital?

  • August 3, 2023

Access to power and environmental concerns are coming for Northern Virginia’s Data Center Capital title. Data centers have such an impact in Northern Virginia that Loudoun County data center tax revenue is near $600 million a year. That’s ample revenue to cover all the county’s operating expenditures.

Governing | The Data Center Capital of the World Is in Virginia

Texas: the “canary in the crypto mine?”

  • July 28, 2023

This headline on an opinion piece in The Hill caught my attention: “Why Texas is the canary in the crypto mine”  The authors say Texas has cheap energy, “receptive regulators,” and is home to one of the largest crypto mining hubs in the world. This combination of traits puts Texas on the cutting edge of crypto currency legislation.

call to repeal “right to mine” legislation

  • July 28, 2023

Arkansas legislators are calling for a repeal of the recently enacted, HB 1799 (2023 | AR), the “Right to Mine” bill supporting the crypto mining industry. Why the repeal? some say the bill passed too quickly under auspicious circumstances.  Others say, “Number one is the energy usage from these crypto mining facilities—they’re tremendous amounts. Right now, we’re already getting warnings that there may be possible brownouts or blackouts,” says State Senator Bryan King (R) of District 28.

ABC 7 | Arkansas senator seeking repeal of controversial new crypto mining law

counties reign in crypto mining

  • July 28, 2023

Counties in Arkansas are rushing to pass noise and nuisance regulations for crypto mining before a state law takes effect that limits local regulation of data centers & crypto mining. A state representative had quite a lively experience when he visited a crypto mining facility : “a security guard got out of his car, pulled an AR-15 out of his trunk, and filmed them. Kendrick said this was just one example of bad neighbor-like conduct by crypto operations.”

Arkansas Democrat Gazette | Several Arkansas counties race to pass crypto mining limits

Ai for wild fire response

  • July 21, 2023

California’s lookout cameras will be equipped with AI to give faster alerts of wild fires. This use of AI was sparked by 2021 legislation that created the Office of Wildfire Technology, Research and Development.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat via Governing | Cal Fire Equips Artificial Intelligence Wildfire Response System

Houston + ShotSpotter Technology

  • July 20, 2023

A Houston Chronicle investigation found that Shot Spotter technology hasn’t made a dent in crime statistics. Since implementation, response times by police officers has spiked. “Does (ShotSpotter) pull patrol officers off of other calls? Absolutely,”  Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers’ Union said. “But it gets our guys there very quickly and helps us, one, to stop any shooting that’s actively taking place, and No. 2, it also saves people that have been shot…You take the good with the bad.”

Houston Chronicle | Houston’s gunshot alert system isn’t curbing violence but delays police response times, data shows

why are cities quitting Shotspotter technology?

  • July 20, 2023

Dayton, Ohio is saying bye-bye,bye to using shotspotter technology that had been alerting its police force to shots fired. Why did they stop using it? According to the Dayton Police Department, it was difficult to prove the effectiveness of the technology. Researchers say the microphones Shotspotter uses can count fireworks as shots, and can miss shots fired directly under the microphone.

Route Fifty | Why Dayton quit ShotSpotter, a surveillance tool many cities still embrace

add AI voices to your fear list

  • July 20, 2023

The world can be a scary place. I just read AI is now imitating voices of your friends, family members, and colleagues to make scam calls to extort money/data/information. There’s a special place for people who do this.

Route Fifty | AI scam calls imitating familiar voices are a growing problem—here’s how they work

data breaches at the 2 largest U.S. pension systems

  • July 14, 2023

CALPERS and CALSTARS both reported data breaches this past month. Hackers accessed names, social security numbers, birth dates and other confidential information of roughly 769,000 retirees and beneficiaries. The hackers accessed the information through a vulnerability in a vendor’s cybersecurity system.

Governing | The Nation’s Two Biggest Pension Systems Report a Data Breach

hacking EV chargers

  • July 14, 2023

At the start of the Ukraine war, hackers tweaked charging stations along the Moscow–Saint Petersburg motorway in Russia to show anti-Putin messages. A charger in Illinois has been hacked with anti-Biden messages. In May of 2022 the Journal of Energies published an article discussing the vulnerabilities of public EV chargers. It is recommended that home chargers not be connected to the internet. Here’s the big picture folks: imagine if multiple public EV chargers are hacked, and together these 1000s of grid access points are a means to attack the grid.

Route Fifty | Hackers already infiltrate EV chargers. It could get worse.

biometrics for alcohol sales?

  • July 14, 2023

Washington State’s Liquor and Cannabis Board will take up proposed rule changes on biometric identification for liquor purchases. There’s a long line of vendors for the technology.

The conversation started because a law firm representing food and beverage businesses that serve alcohol raised the issue. All signs point to the board waiting for the Legislature to act.

Route Fifty | Handprints for IDs? State liquor board discusses biometrics for alcohol sales

New Jersey deep fake bill

  • June 15, 2023

New Jersey Legislature is tackling deep fakes. I want to say there is a joke here, but let’s reward positive behavior. The bill, S3926 (2023 | NJ) would create a new crime by adding “false depiction through such manipulated media to the state’s identity theft statutes.” Defraud a single person, 18 months in jail. Defraud 5+ people, 5 years in jail. The person whose identity was used can also pursue civil cause of action.

Route Fifty | New Jersey Lawmakers Take Bipartisan Swing at Deepfake Regulation

a.i. bill of rights

  • June 15, 2023

Connecticut is on its way to an a.i. bill of rights. Public Act 23-16 (2023) would create a special committee to “make recommendations on how AI should be regulated and on a potential bill of rights based on the blueprint released last year by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.”

Route Fifty | Governor Paves the Way for an ‘AI Bill of Rights’

NYC new drone rules

  • June 15, 2023

For years, drones were prohibited in the boroughs. Now a $150 permit and NYPD approval gets you drone time. The requirements are that you apply more than 1 month out,  be insured,  have certificate of authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration, &  disclose what they hope to record.

Governing | Drone Operators Balk at NYC’s Strict Permitting System

1st state digital driver’s licenses

  • June 15, 2023

 Maryland became the first state to offer digital driver’s licenses on both Apple and Android platforms. The digital driver’s license stored in your phone’s wallet can be used at airport checkpoints. As an added safety measure, Maryland consumers have control over what information is disclosed to the person checking the driver’s license ID.

Governing | Maryland Becomes First State With Apple, Android Digital Licenses

anatomy of crypto mining opposition in Arkansas

  • June 9, 2023

Opponents to crypto mining in Arkansas point to noise pollution, tons of carbon emissions, and foreign investors.

KUAF | Cryptocurrency mining in Arkansas generating public opposition

new report: counties and cybersecurity

  • June 9, 2023

A new report from the National Association of Counties found that “50% of counties use the controls outlined in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations special publication. ” 30% use a cybersecurity program designed for the county specifically, 18% don’t know what cybersecurity program is used, and 20% do not use a standardized cybersecurity program.  60% of local county elected officials see cybersecurity as a top priority, or a priority.

Route Fifty |  Cybersecurity Standards Gain Ground in Counties

Connecticut limits AI

  • June 9, 2023

Connecticut passed legislation to reign in AI. The bill would do two things: (1)  require state agencies to inventory and assess government systems that use A.I.; and (2) create a permanent working group to recommend further A.I. rules.

Route Fifty | AI Is Used Widely, but Lawmakers Have Set Few Rules

Florida bans foreign owned drones

  • June 2, 2023

Florida banned state government purchases of foreign made drones starting January 1, 2022.

FL Department of Management Services | ARCHIVE Approved Drone Manufacturers

banning foreign drones

  • June 2, 2023

Arkansas banned the use of foreign made drones in the state. HB 1653 (2023 | AR)

new rfp jargon: vendor security rating snapshot

  • June 1, 2023

Michigan is looking for a software vendor that can develop a vendor security rating snapshot for all Michigan vendors. The data goal is to receive ongoing security snapshots of vendor information that includes a security rating, & how the vendor measures up against its peers in areas like botnet inspections, open ports, spam propagation, the frequency of its patching and file sharing.

Route Fifty | State Looks to Better Assess Vendor Security