Lawmakers want US intelligence assessment on fake videos

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday asked for a U.S. intelligence assessment of the threat posed by technology that lets anyone make fake, but realistic, videos of real people saying things they've never said. The rising capabilities of the technology are fueling concerns it could be used to make a bogus video, for example, of an American politician accepting a bribe or of a U.S. or an adversarial foreign leader warning of an impending disaster.

Lawmakers want US intelligence assessment on fake videos Source: AP

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday asked for a U.S. intelligence assessment of the threat posed by technology that lets anyone make fake, but realistic, videos of real people saying things they've never said. The rising capabilities of the technology are fueling concerns it could be used to make a bogus video, for example, of an American politician accepting a bribe or of a U.S. or an adversarial foreign leader warning of an impending disaster.

Did Putin share stolen election data with Trump?

Data is the energy, the lifeblood, the food and drink of any modern election campaign. From the mundane - names, addresses, voting districts - to the specifics of habits and interest, data matters more than television time, more than space on billboards, more than speeches and debates.

iphone fingerprint scanner

As security and encryption for mobile devices grow more sophisticated, the same techniques that keep users' data secure also make it nearly impossible for law enforcement to examine the contents of a phone without the user's permission. Even if the phone's manufacturer agrees to help officials unlock the phone, unencrypted data may not be available.

A chronological look at the evolution of data mining in Canadian politics

Canadians have long been the targets of data harvesting, from credit cards keeping tabs on users' shopping habits to the personal information on warranty cards being used by companies to advertise replacement goods. In recent years, the availability of big data and breakthroughs in computing technology have allowed advertisers and political actors to crunch huge amounts of data and, through social media, micro-target narrow demographics in their bid to either boost sales or expand their political power.

Experts call for transparency, oversight around how political parties mine data

For years, Megan Boler's research focused on the power of social media as a democratizing force, giving voice to the voiceless and empowering everyday people to come together and participate more meaningfully in how they are governed. But the University of Toronto social justice professor said that even in the heady days of the Arab Spring and Obama's social media-aided ascendency to the White House, there were slivers of concern about how the technology might be abused.

Illustration on Federal contracting by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

President Obama has been out of office for 14 months now, but his ability - and that of his allies still in government - to steer gargantuan federal contracts to his friends seems not to have diminished. Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced it was looking to purchase cloud computing services for its 3.4 million users and their 4 million devices.

Three sectors being transformed by artificial intelligence

But exactly how that technology will influence the enterprise sector remains to be seen. Fiery public debates have swirled in the tech community around whether new advancements involve tactical adoptions for enterprise, like a personalized, improved retail experience, or whether these developments signal the coming of the robot apocalypse.

5G trial balloon bursts into flames

But the fact that somebody in the president's National Security Council was at least thinking about it shows how seriously the administration is taking America's technological competition with China, and the immense potential of next-generation wireless technology. The teacup-sized tempest began Sunday night, when the online news service Axios published a startling report based on an NSC memo and PowerPoint presentation.

How to Curb Silicon Valley Power—Even With Weak Antitrust Laws

The concentration of wealth and influence among tech giants has been building for years-90 percent of new online-ad dollars went to either Google or Facebook in 2016; Amazon is by far the largest online retailer, the third-largest streaming media company, and largest cloud-computing provider. Silicon Valley titans coasted to the top of the economy with little government oversight on the backs of incredibly convenient products, a killer backstory, shrewd lobbying, and our personal data.

Voter ID Laws Really Do Discriminate, a New Study Shows

Being able to match voters with their records in ID databases using just a few basic details might help dispel some myths about whom laws do and don't hurt. Being able to match voters with their records in ID databases using just a few basic details might help dispel some myths about whom laws do and don't hurt.

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The DoD was slow to use the cloud in the past, but it is now seeking innovative ways to bolster defense systems using AI, AR, Big Data and more. After cautiously approaching cloud computing in recent years due to serious concerns about security, the U.S. Department of Defense is now increasing its cloud spending and is planning to incorporate artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and augmented reality into the nation's defense systems.

The Race To 5G Technology: How America Could Lose Out On The Next Biggest Thing

The next generation of wireless technology is fast-approaching as multiple countries around the world are racing for its development and subsequent wide-scale application. The quicker nation states and their companies are able to successfully establish the prospective technological infrastructure, the quicker they will be able to reap the massive economic assets and advantages.

23 receive ‘genius grants’ from MacArthur Foundation

A director who has taken opera from the concert hall to the streets of Los Angeles and an organizer who helped put a human face on the plight of young undocumented immigrants are among this year's MacArthur fellows and recipients of the so-called "genius" grants. The Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on Wednesday announced the 23 fellows, who each receive $625,000 over five years to spend any way they choose.