In the Media

A China-linked hack of US government cloud email accounts is raising questions about the New Zealand government's growing reliance on American data firms.

Could X or Twitter turn into WeChat and is that a good thing?

It is a familiar story – you walk into the mall to buy one thing and you walk out with an armful of bags. It can be hard enough to ignore the bright lights and sale signs... Now, it seems AI is giving us a wink and a nudge. Westfield is under fire from advocacy group Consumer for using digital billboards that film largely oblivious shoppers, and serve up advertisements based on age, gender, and even mood.

Internal Affairs’ ambitious plan to regulate large social media and online platforms and to change the way the media, film, advertising, steaming television, video game and broadcasting industries are policed has quickly run into some pretty heavy traffic.

There’s a lot going on in the world of tech, stuff is moving fast… and the thing is, there’s a lot of snake oil out there too.

So, we asked Allyn Robins from tech policy think tank Brainbox to identify three burgeoning areas of technology that he’s excited about, and three that he’s a bit scared of… but, naturally, he didn’t follow instructions...

This week the government released a Safer Online Services and Media Platforms 'discussion document' proposing to regulate online content the same way other media is regulated. Its set off alarm bells for everyone from Stuff head Sinead Boucher to the Free Speech Union, yet has been welcomed by others as a big step towards making the internet a safer place.

The proposal doesn't look to expand the categories of illegal content, says Tom Barraclough, and takes its lead from the European Union's recently implemented Digital Services Act.

Artificial Intelligence is developing at such speed it can now fake just about anyone from the digital breadcrumbs we leave behind us. New Zealand tech players have been discussing how much choice you get in the matter. Phil Pennington reports.

Geoffrey Hinton, also known as the "Godfather of AI," decided he had to "blow the whistle" on the technology he helped develop after worrying about how smart it was becoming, he told CNN on Tuesday.

If there’s one thing we can all probably agree on, it’s that the world doesn’t really need another big social media platform to emerge right now. So, naturally, that’s exactly what we’re getting.

Large Language Models such as GPT-4 can do grunt work, but they lack judgment and originality. Creativity, discernment, research skills, and high-level thinking are only going to get more important, and more valuable.

Some of the biggest names in technology have pushed the alarm button over the rise of artificial intelligence. They say it could pose a "profound risk to society and humanity".

One-and-a-half million kiwis have the video-sharing app on their phone. If you don't, there's a very good chance your child does. But with world governments racing to ban Tiktok - should you do the same in your home?

Brainbox Senior Consultant, Allyn Robins, told Newshub that it's "hard to overstate the impact this will have. It's going to touch every area of the economy."

Could AI host a podcast? Spoiler alert – no.

The White House on Monday gave government agencies 30 days to ensure they do not have Chinese-owned app TikTok on federal devices and systems.

Government plans to subject tech companies like Facebook and Google to the same content regulations as news media and advertisers may have been put on hold, Marc Daalder reports

A cross-agency group will examine the relative risks and benefits of end-to-end encryption and advise ministers on whether to regulate the technology.

Meet two Uni of Ontago law grads who launched a new business to help government and industry navigate legal, ethical and political questions around new tech

Experts are calling for more protection for New Zealanders from the harms of deepfakes and other synthetic media. Deepfakes, artificially generated mimicries of real people, have been prominent online since 2018.

On July 25, New Zealand adopted a new industry-led mechanism designed to provide guidance for social media platforms to enhance safety and mitigate online harm: the Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms.

Christchurch has produced many good things over the years. It has also produced Michael James Pratt, a fugitive sex trafficker on the FBI’s most wanted list with a $70,000 bounty on his head.

The Government privately shares concerns that a new code of practice for online safety is actually an effort by tech companies to deflect regulation, Marc Daalder reports

Ambiguous gaps remain in legislation against the use of harmful deepfake technology, as police, legal and tech experts predict widespread implications for the justice system.

Social media giants including TikTok and Meta will soon become more accountable for the content on their platforms in New Zealand, voluntarily signing up to a code of conduct led by Netsafe, which targets issues such as hate speech and misinformation.

New Zealand has been trying to update its media laws for the modern digital environment for over a decade. Experts warn there are no simple solutions, so has the Government now bitten off more than it can chew?

Canadian folk singer Joni Mitchell has joined her compatriot Neil Young in pulling her catalogue from streaming service Spotify.

A new $1.4 million service designed to help people understand ACC's systems and disputes process has failed to achieve many of its objectives, forcing the agency back to the drawing board.

When investors try to flag concerns to Facebook and Twitter about social media-related issues, the two tech giants often respond with stonewalling and obstruction. Google appears little better. Here we set out why.

A viral video that manipulated footage of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to make it look like she was smoking crack has reanimated debate over "deepfake" technology.

On a YouTube channel called Genuine Fake, a video shows Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the character of Maleficent. Her husband Clarke Gayford then appears shortly afterwards. Even National Party leader Judith Collins looks a bit like a forest fairy princess.

The NZ Super Fund is wrapping up its campaign to get Facebook​, Alphabet (Google)​ and Twitter ​to prevent violent and objectionable content being broadcast on their social media platforms.

A WorkSafe-type body should be set up so disabled people can identify and remove access barriers, a new report says.

Access Alliance, New Zealand’s largest alliance of Disabled Persons Organisations, disability advocacy groups, and service providers, calls on the government to implement the legal framework outlined in the report released today,

The Delta outbreak has unleashed a greater willingness to use derogatory and offensive slurs as part of public discourse, according to a University of Auckland research fellow.

A survey from the Classification Office offers a glimpse at how pervasive misinformation is in New Zealand, and how it’s affecting our beliefs.

There’s an old trope about journalists jostling with used car salesmen and real estate agents for last place in most-trusted rankings. In some cases – when tabloid hacks rifle through rubbish bins or voicemail baskets, or paparazzi hound people in the streets – this has been deserved.

A legal researcher at the intersection of law, policy and technology has developed a tool to access legal information digitally.

With the US election fast-approaching there’s a lot of chatter about foreign operations aimed at influencing the elections. Laura Walters asks experts why we’re not having the same discussion in New Zealand

The man believed to be behind the recent Covid-19 outbreak rumour said he’s willing to accept the consequences of his actions, describing them as “the worst things I’ve ever done”.

Analysis: The return of Covid-19 to New Zealand has been accompanied by conspiracy theories about the virus and the Government's response. How big a problem is this and what can - or should - we do about it? Marc Daalder reports

"Seen this?" Those were probably two words that countless Kiwis read over the weekend, when a friend or family member forwarded them a bogus, hyper-viral and now notorious Facebook post.

Deep fakes, synthetic media - the latest and most advanced techniques to spread disinformation and deception.

If you watch television, you may have come across an advertisement for Spark which shows Lord Ernest Rutherford sitting in an armchair, pontificating over the remarkable rate of human technological progress.

The Government plans to filter out the worst excesses of the internet. Experts think it will have almost no impact, other than introducing a series of grave risks. National Correspondent Katie Kenny reports.

After a trial in Nelson Hospital in May, the CovidCard proposal is still in the running as a government-sponsored contact tracing tool, Marc Daalder reports

Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that there was 'enthusiasm' for the Government to continue looking into the CovidCard proposal, Marc Daalder reports

It’s a crucial factor in keeping the spread of the virus under control, but there’s a whole lot more the government needs to consider than what is technically possible, writes Andrew Chen.

The Government is considering handing out a Bluetooth-enabled CovidCard to every New Zealander to aid with contact tracing efforts, Marc Daalder reports

The country's three major IT groups have been left out of the loop by the government in the race to speed up critical contact tracing of virus carriers.

Contact tracing is a crucial part of the Covid-19 puzzle and technology might prove essential to scaling up New Zealand's tracing capacity, Marc Daalder reports

One of the best weapons we have to throw against Covid-19 may be found in our pockets.

Deepfakes - putting a person's face on another person's body in a video - are about to go mainstream. So far best-known for internet pranksters putting celebrity heads on pornstars' bodies, the controversial technology is currently being tested by messaging app Snapchat.

Adam Daniel wades waist deep through the glassy water. Pumice stones spiral in the shallow eddy, while the shrill whistles of a male whio (blue duck) echo upstream through the green canyon walls.

Young people are criticised for not engaging in politics but experts say adults today are less likely to be able to tell fact from fake news. Katie Kenny and Tommy Livingston report on the risks of a post-truth political landscape.

The latest in "deep fake" technology is DeepNude - an app that uses AI to transform an image of a clothed woman into a realistic rendering of what she might look like naked.

Proof of alien life, a prank or a digitally altered hoax? Brittney Deguara takes a look at a viral clip and the dangers of deep fakes.

An alien? An elf?! What is that thing in the driveway?

Computers and government have been a major issue this past fortnight with the fallout from National accessing Budget data still proving dangerously radioactive to a range of politicians and civil servants.

Synthetic media and "deepfakes" pose a new threat to democratic processes, if used in the wrong way, write Brainbox Institute co-directors Curtis Barnes and Tom Barraclough.

Amidst the threats identified in a new report of the digital threats to democracy are two challenges with sinister sounding names - deepfakes and synthetic media. But what are these emerging risks and why should we care about them?

There's growing concern about the damage sophisticated fake videos can have on the public.

A new Law Foundation report says deepfake media could prove troublesome to tech companies and the Government, following the Christchurch Call.

A new study funded by the Law Foundation highlights the risk of "deep fakes" on social media - which co-author Tom Barraclough says "make it look or sound like something happened when it didn't".

Thanks to Donald Trump the phrase "fake news" is, for better or worse, forever embedded in our collective consciousness. But fake news - false information which is spread deliberately to deceive people - is just the tip of the iceberg threatening our democracy.

OPINION: At the first White House press conference following the midterm election, there was a verbal altercation between the President Donald Trump and CNN reporter Jim Acosta.

A $150,000 grant from the New Zealand Law Foundation will help Dunedin researchers find practical ways for injured New Zealanders to have their human rights upheld in seeking justice over ACC cases.

Dunedin ACC claimant Dr Denise Powell found the experience of representing herself at an ACC review hearing ''stressful'' but was successful in her claim.

Research carried out by a team of researchers in partnership with Acclaim Otago (Inc) has found serious barriers to access to justice for people challenging ACC decisions through the court system.

ACC campaigner Denise Powell is ''over the moon'' about a New Zealand Law Foundation research grant of up to $38,000 to ACC claimant support organisation Acclaim Otago.

Acclaim Otago representatives have just completed their participation at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability examination of the New Zealand government in Geneva, Switzerland.