AI - Information Matters

There is little doubt that GenAI can provide valuable services in certain areas e.g., by aiding and arguably empowering people who lack experience in say, writing business English or formatting CVs in specific ways, especially when applying for jobs that require submitting job applications online as is very common nowadays. However, it also creates uncanny language with a sensation of unease. Examples include employing idioms, phrases, or expressions that are used slightly incorrectly, or any other “slight but noticeable deviations from natural human writing can create a sense of disconnection and discomfort in the reader.” (ibid) Or, as Robertson (2024) puts it, “AI used to be weird. Now ‘sounds like a bot’ is just shorthand for boring.”

Spanish

July 28, 2024 Chirag Shah

Obsesión con los Robots Asesinos como Autorreflexión

Robots asesinos. Inteligencia artificial distópica. Rebeliones de máquinas. ¿Por qué nos fascina tanto la idea de que nuestros aparatos se vuelvan contra nosotros? En este artículo, desentraño nuestra obsesión con el ascenso de las máquinas y demuestro que gran parte de su atractivo es en realidad la proyección de nuestros propios miedos y dilemas.

Featured Translation

July 9, 2024 Siyao Cheng

Generative AI and Copyright Laws: Bridging the Divide

One of the concerns is that Generative AI’s output in response to user prompts often draws from copyrighted works, eliciting a question nowadays: Can the content created by Generative AI qualify for copyright protection itself? Here, we strive to extend our insights into the question.

Editorial Featured

June 6, 2024 Chirag Shah

Are We Ok With “Overviews” For Our Information Needs?

Google’s recent announcement about “AI Overviews” has created divisive reception. On one hand, it’s helping us by giving a shortcut to an answer and saving us effort to sift through a bunch of results. On the other hand, this shortcut robs us of our agency and ability to verify, question, and learn. Is this the future we want for accessing and interacting with information?

Featured Original

May 22, 2024 Sheng-Hsiang Lance Peng

D(igital)éjà Vu: AI, Mnemohistory, and the Future of Memory

Mnemohistory, a term coined by German Egyptologist Jan Assmann, refers to the study of how societies remember and construct their historical narratives. Unlike traditional historiography, which focuses on the objective recording and analysis of past events, mnemohistory emphasises the subjective processes through which memories are formed, preserved, and transmitted across generations. It explores the ways in which collective memory shapes, and is shaped by, cultural, social, and political contexts. Mnemohistory investigates the symbols, rituals, and narratives that communities use to create a sense of shared identity and continuity with the past. Originating from the Greek word “mnemos” meaning memory, and “historia,” meaning enquiry or knowledge, mnemohistory looks into the interaction between memory and history, recognising that our understanding of the past is not static but constantly reinterpreted through the lens of present concerns and future aspirations.

Featured Translation

May 14, 2024 Najeem Olawale Adelakun

Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Information Retrieval Systems

The study aims to comprehensively explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on information retrieval systems, analysing the evolution, challenges, and future directions. It explores the role of AI in enhancing search relevance, user experience, and ethical considerations in information retrieval contexts. The findings highlight AI’s transformative capabilities in enhancing relevance, personalisation, and semantic understanding within information retrieval systems. Ethical considerations, such as bias mitigation and data privacy, are also addressed.

Featured Translation

April 25, 2024 Michael Ridley

The Explainability Imperative

If artificial intelligence is so smart, why can’t it explain itself? This somewhat flippant question has preoccupied AI developers and researchers from the earliest days. Over 50 years later, the question is still relevant and increasingly urgent. When generative AI can hallucinate with impunity, there is a problem. Explainability is part of the answer.

Editorial

March 18, 2024 Chirag Shah

Killer Robot Obsession as a Self-reflection

Killer robots. Dystopian AI. Machine uprisings. Why are we utterly fascinated with the idea of our gadgets turning against us? Here I unravel our obsession with the rise of the machines and show that a big part of the appeal is really the projection of our own fears and dilemmas.

InfoFire Multimedia Uncategorized

March 14, 2024 Shalini Urs

AI and India’s IT Odyssey—From Humble Beginnings to Global Dominance: A Fireside Chat with NR Narayana Murthy

Given AI’s dominance and growth potential, there is naturally enormous interest in decoding how AI will impact and shape India’s growth trajectory. To understand the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Information Technology (IT) industry in India, few voices resonate as profoundly as that of NR Narayana Murthy, the legendary co-founder of Infosys and a pioneering figure in India’s technological journey. With a career spanning decades, Narayana Murthy’s (NRN) insights have not only shaped the trajectory of Indian IT but have also influenced global perceptions of the industry.

Education Translation

March 4, 2024 Jingtian Jia

Teaching Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in China: Strategies and Challenges

Individuals with intellectual disabilities require long-term education in specialized schools or institutions due to their unique learning needs and behavioral habits. Teachers with specialized training are essential in their education process. Based on volunteer experience at non-governmental organizations (NGOs) serving individuals with intellectual disabilities, we summarize common teaching strategies employed by teachers and challenges encountered in teaching to present the landscape of special education in China and to enlighten future LIS research.