It’s not just Silicon Valley versus the Legislature. An influential constellation of local business groups is pushing lawmakers to scale back the Senate’s sweeping data-privacy proposal, which one Democrat pitched as the strongest in the nation.
Technology
Posted inTechnology
Senate moves to crack down on ‘Wild West’ of data collection
Consumers would gain more control over their data under a new bill set for Senate approval that would also ban targeted advertising to minors.
Posted inOpinion
Declines in science scores should prompt big change in schools
It’s time to acknowledge that the way Massachusetts and other states have largely been teaching science isn’t getting the job done and look for better options and bright spots.
Posted inOpinion
Mass. must resist Congress’s proposed moratorium on state AI regulation
The vast majority of Americans are skeptical of AI and want it slowed down. This is the moment for Massachusetts to show its leadership.
Posted inOpinion
Big Tech is exploiting teens with addictive social media feeds. We can stop it.
Massachusetts is not powerless in the face of these harms to our children. In January, we filed legislation that would prohibit social media companies from directing content at minors through algorithms that are capable of hijacking their attention.
Posted inOpinion
We need to protect workers from dangerous ‘bossware’ technology
The FAIR Act would provide Massachusetts workers with much-needed protection against reckless and harmful uses of “bossware” technologies, electronic and algorithmic decision systems employers use to automate managerial functions, including determining whether workers get a job, tracking workers’ locations and communications throughout — and sometimes even after — the workday.
Posted inGovernment
The pandemic led to more access to local town meetings. Beacon Hill will decide what comes next.
If local officials weren’t livestreaming democracy before the pandemic, Massachusetts officials smoothed the path to the new paradigm by creating new provisions under the state’s Open Meeting Law.
Posted inGovernment
Researchers find some worry, some hope for AI in democracy
The risks are serious, but focusing only on artificial intelligence misinformation threatens to overtake conversations about where AI has been most impactful as a mass communication tool.
Posted inOpinion
AI was everywhere in 2024 elections — but the sky didn’t fall
These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated misinformation would overwhelm the democratic processes. The dreaded “death of truth” has not materialized – at least, not due to AI.
Posted inTechnology
Advocates call for cameras on school buses
Automated enforcement has historically received pushback, with opponents citing concerns about privacy and racial profiling. Previous bills that would have allowed for automated enforcement of running red lights have failed on Beacon Hill.
Posted inOpinion
It’s time to hold social media companies accountable
Just as we eventually recognized the dangers of lead paint, asbestos, and cigarettes and took action through public policy, it’s time to hold companies accountable and take steps to mitigate the impact of social media on young people’s well-being.
Posted inState Government
As state leans in on artificial intelligence, AG Campbell waves a yellow flag
Attorney General Andrea Campbell says AI has tremendous potential, but warns it has “shown to pose serious risks to consumers, including bias, lack of transparency or explainability, implications for data privacy, and more.”
Posted inCourts
Is collecting your data the modern wiretap?
Could using AdTech software to monitor a public website visitor’s online actions amount to an illegal wiretap in Massachusetts?
Posted inOpinion
Surprise — not enough skilled workers to fill AI jobs
According to the IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM, the top barrier hindering successful AI adoption at enterprises exploring or deploying the technology is “limited AI skills and expertise.”
Posted inTechnology
Taking shots at tech CEOs from Facebook’s birthplace
JUST A FEW BLOCKS from the dorm room where Mark Zuckerberg launched the first version of what would become Facebook, Gov. Maura Healey and tech journalist Kara Swisher got some […]
Posted inPolitics
What does #mapoli mean?
For years, Massachusetts had one of the most active state political universes on Twitter. Times – and the social media landscape – have changed. Legislative usage is down, usage of […]
Posted inMedia
Will artificial intelligence make or break newsrooms?
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is already in the newsroom. Smart transcription software helps reporters go through their notes faster and review meetings they didn’t have a chance to attend in person, large […]
Posted inTechnology
State questions need for 1,687 new parking spaces at Encore
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE JUST LIKE COMMUTERS on nearby Interstate 93, the planned expansion of the Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett is being held up by traffic. The Executive […]
Posted inOpinion, State Government, Technology
A blueprint for a statewide cybersecurity ecosystem
THE THREAT OF a cyberattack sits perched just beyond our doorstep, targeting our privacy, economic prosperity, and national security. Motivated to act quickly, congressional and state leaders are pushing the […]
Posted inState Government, Technology
New state board charged with making digital spaces accessible
FOR MOST PEOPLE in Massachusetts, the biggest hassle about using digital technology is often a slow internet connection, a buggy device, or being in an inconvenient location to whip out […]
Posted inState Government, Technology
Does artificial intelligence belong in therapy?
FOR MANY, the nearest therapist these days isn’t someone sitting across from them in a room but a friendly face on the other side of a Zoom, or even a […]
Posted inState Government, Technology
The disconnections of digital equity
It seems like easy enough math. Add access to computers, plus stable internet, plus the training to use technology, and digital equity results. So why, in tech-savvy, educated Massachusetts, are […]
Posted inGambling
Envisioning a Massachusetts ‘iLottery’
IF THE MASSACHUSETTS LOTTERY expands onto the internet with a new “iLottery,” what could it look like? Let’s spin the wheel. Option 1 – Michigan. Started in 2014, the Michigan […]
Posted inArts and Culture
The promise and pitfalls of relying on artificial intelligence
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS changing the way we think about authorship, art, and white collar work. It may be changing how we think, full stop. As artificial intelligence, or machine learning, […]
