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Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading Technology TED

Latest Read: Hello World

Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms by Hannah Fry, Today Hannah is a senior lecturer at University College London’s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Hello World Being Human in the Age of Algorithms by Hannah Fry

Generally speaking, Hannah has written a wonderful book addressing algorithms and artificial intelligence. Society has certainly fallen behind the moral implications of algorithms and Hannah speaks truth to power.

Above all, do not let the idea of learning about algorithms, artificial intelligence, or machine learning intimate you. Hannah explains all of these terms with easy to understand examples. This is why her book is popular and well regarded.

I really appreciate how Hannah is addressing algorithm technology across the following chapters: Power, Data, Justice, Medicine, Cars, and Crime. However, I will save her best lesson for last.

Machines that see

So, Hannah reveals artificial intelligence allows a computer to identify dogs. Once a computer has identify over one million dog photos, artificial intelligence can identify dogs like an expert.

Yet, when applying this to breast cancer diagnosis the magic of machine learning can truly shine. Feed a computer millions images of breast cancer tissue images and a local doctor at a small community hospital in remote Iowa can tap into machine learning to help diagnose with a better degree of accuracy once only for a doctor with 20 years of breast cancer diagnosis at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

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Cyberinfrastructure Education Globalization Network

Zoom out (wider)

Zoom video conferencing has no role on a college campus. The pandemic, as noted previously pushed many colleges to deploy a video conferencing solution under a less than workable timeframe.

Fair to suggest no risk assessment was completed. Some colleges hold a campus-wide license agreement while smaller schools have more limited host deployments.

Colleges need only review their mission and organizational goals to confirm a change from Zoom is needed. Many colleges have adopted strong mission and vision language to promote student learning and inclusiveness.

Truly accepting your College’s mission, vision and language is essential to understanding why Zoom violates their lives. Many do not seem to care or understand the true security and privacy vulnerabilities.

My initial post just scratched the surface. The cool factor juicing up your background image may in fact be more important than security and privacy of students.

Yea, its a videoconferencing app and during a pandemic — how bad can it be?

Enter hate groups

In addition to the racist Zoombombing at California State University Long Beach in late March, hate groups have begun hacking Zoom meetings.

As widely reported Jewish groups, teachers and families are being Zoombombed by white supremacists. The Verge reported White supremacists are targeting Jewish groups on Zoom

University of Colorado Bolder:
An online biology lecture was hijacked and anti-semitic messages were displayed. One professor is Jewish. A news article by Colorado public radio addressed this source: a student enrolled in the class posted the lecture’s Zoom ID number to reddit, an American social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website. Hate groups then entered the Zoom meeting.

University of Washington:
Students, instructors face threats and hateful speech as Zoom meetings get ‘bombed’

Binghampton University:
Racist interruptions affect Zoom classes at BU

Arizona State University and The University of Southern California:
‘Zoombombing’ Attacks Disrupt Classes Online Zoom classes were disrupted by individuals spewing racist, misogynistic or vulgar content.

University of Texas:
Virtual meeting of black UT students interrupted with racist slurs, students say

Just imagine a racist zoombombing during your next online class, campus event, Dean’s meeting, or public art performance. And the damage to your College brand becomes front and center in a social media world.

Categories
Cyberinfrastructure Education Globalization Network

Zoom out

How quickly the ground shifted on Zoom. Since March 30th the video conferencing app has been exposed by gaping security and privacy vulnerabilities. The impact on higher education is immense and must be addressed swiftly.

Zoom’s security and privacy vulnerabilities are deal breakers for higher education. Why? The online journal Inside Higher Ed shared shocking news: Dissertation Defense on Zoom Interrupted by Racist Attack. Yes, the ’N word’ was zoombombed at Cal State Long Beach during a dissertation defense. Educause links to multiple zoombombing articles.

Stunningly, multiple campus zoombombings quickly followed prompting the FBI to issue this warning: Teleconferencing and Online Classroom Hijacking During COVID-19 Pandemic addressing concerns across higher education. Yet, The Chronicle of Higher Education returns NO articles about Zoombombing.

These two events instantly change any campus conversation that all is well using Zoom. A Zoom cool factor was going viral just as Coronavirus closed down all higher education colleges. Students can sway easily via online trends.

Look at Zoom’s March 18th Collection of your Personal Data privacy statement:

Zoom gathers and sells to data brokers very personal information of your students and colleagues. Add the orange hi-lighted scraping of your campus network data and asset information.

Remember when an app is free many times you become the product. Zoom (NASDAQ) has been operating for nine years.

I know what you are thinking — how did this happened?
Many colleges had no idea Zoom was reckless with the data security and privacy of our students. Prior to coronavirus Zoom had about 12 million users. By late March this jumped to over 100 million. Instant capacity issues.