This Bank Holiday Monday the news digest covers thought-provoking Fediverse stories from murmel.
The article discusses the state of American politics in the context of the 2024 GOP primaries, focusing on a televised debate held in Milwaukee. The absence of Donald Trump, the former president, looms large over the event, with the crowd’s attention primarily fixated on him. The author criticizes the media’s coverage of the election, arguing that it fails to address the true nature of the Republican Party’s transformation into an authoritarian movement that disregards democratic norms. The article emphasizes the danger of this movement’s rise and its potential to undermine democracy. The author calls for a more comprehensive understanding of the situation and a shift in media focus to address the stakes and the threat of American fascism – Journalism fails miserably at explaining what is really happening to America (The Philadelphia Inquirer ~ OPINION>COMMENTARY)
The keynote discussed practical uses of Large Language Models at WordCamp 2023. The speaker, with a history in WordPress, emphasized avoiding AI hype and focused on practical applications. The speaker’s experience with WordPress and an open-source XML-RPC library was highlighted. The talk explored Large Language Models’ evolution, from GPT-1 to recent models like ChatGPT and LLaMA. The significance and potential of these models, as well as challenges and patterns in their discovery of new capabilities, were key themes – Making Large Language Models work for you (Simon Willison’s Weblog)
In 2010, Chris and Melissa Bruntlett embraced a carless lifestyle in Vancouver, BC, and began sharing their experiences through blogging at their creative agency, Modacity. Intrigued by Dutch bicycling culture, they traveled to the Netherlands to study cycling infrastructure, eventually compiling their findings into a book titled “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality.” The book highlights lessons from Dutch cities that can be applied to other urban areas, emphasizing cycling and sustainable transportation. They discuss Dutch bike infrastructure, intersections, education for kids, integration with public transit, and the role of electric bikes and vehicles in Dutch culture – No helmets, no problem: how the Dutch created a casual biking culture (Vox ~ Science)
Generative AI technology prompts discussions on intellectual property, ownership, and compensation for creative works. Historical examples, from music rights to photography protection, provide context for these debates. The emergence of AI models like ChatGPT introduces new complexities, such as producing content in a particular style or summarizing news. Differentiating between AI mimicry and true creativity challenges existing legal frameworks and prompts reevaluation of fair use. The scale of AI’s operations and its reliance on massive datasets raise questions about compensation, collaboration, and the role of AI as a creative tool – Generative AI and intellectual property (Benedict Evans ~ AI)
The Inuit community of Nunatsiavut, situated in the Labrador-Newfoundland province of Canada, is facing rapid environmental changes due to climate change. Traditional knowledge has sustained the Inuit for generations, but the region’s harsh conditions are evolving swiftly. The area has lost 40 days of ground snow annually since 1950, and sea ice is disappearing faster in Nunatsiavut than in other parts of the Canadian Arctic. To protect their way of life and environment, Nunatsiavut is partnering with the Canadian government to create the world’s first Inuit protected area. This conservation zone, based on Inuit values, aims to preserve traditional practices while safeguarding marine life from industry and development – Seascape: the state of our oceans – New dawn for Arctic’s first people: the Inuit plan to reclaim their sea (The Guardian ~ News)
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