Is the end of hybrid conferences arriving just as they have been invented? I assumed that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shifts to more people working remotely and from home, that academic conferences would not think twice about embracing hybrid forms of meeting even as academics begin to travel again. Well, … Continue reading Back to the Future of Academic Conferences
Digital Policy
The Importance of Media Literacy
Dear Colleagues of the ASEAN Regional Symposium in Bangkok, Thailand, Congratulations on the success of your ASEAN Regional Symposium on 20 March 2024, entitled ‘Unveiling Insights into the Region’s Digital Literacy’. I want to thank you again for inviting me. I enjoyed participating in the panel discussion you organized and am delighted to provide a … Continue reading The Importance of Media Literacy
Kate’s Mother’s Day Photo
Stand Up to the Photo Police, Kate, it’s the Digital Age I am amazed by the flurry of social media posts about the Mother’s Day photo of the Princess of Wales and her children. When flaws or discrepancies in the photo were reported, the Princess, Kate Middleton, admitted to doing her own amateur editing of … Continue reading Kate’s Mother’s Day Photo
Are YOU the Problem? Holding Up a Mirror to our Political System
The esteemed American scholar of politics and international relations, Francis Fukuyama, wrote an engaging opinion piece in The Financial Times (2/3 March 2024: 11), entitled ‘We can still reverse America’s political decay’. He begins with a litany of issues tied to the widespread perception that liberal democracies, like the US, are declining. In fact, he … Continue reading Are YOU the Problem? Holding Up a Mirror to our Political System
Riyadh’s Global Cybersecurity Forum
Delighted to have participated in the 2023 Global Cybersecurity Forum, 1-2 Nov, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia #GCF2023. It provided me with a jam-packed two days of activities. I did interviews and a podcast, but my main contributions were: First, a talk on cybersecurity capacity building, moderated by Alexandra Topalian, a truly helpful moderator and speaker … Continue reading Riyadh’s Global Cybersecurity Forum
Opinion: A. Michael Noll on AI Hype
AI CRAZED HYPE A. Michael Noll Posted with permission of the author AI (artificial intelligence) is gripping the media. The claim is made that computers can think and understand language. Predictions are being made that AI will replace human creativity in music, art, and literature. Others predict that the harm from AI will mean the … Continue reading Opinion: A. Michael Noll on AI Hype
Cyber Insecurity
If I tell friends and colleagues that I am working on a ‘cybersecurity project’, I can see them mentally move along to other topics. In sounds technical and only technical. Arguably, most internet users and ordinary people generally see cybersecurity as a technical field – one that is likely to be impenetrable or uninteresting … Continue reading Cyber Insecurity
The Fifth Estate Needs Better Public Information
The following is a comment on my book, The Fifth Estate, from Marian FitzGerald, a Visiting Professor of Criminology at Kent Crime and Justice Centre in Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the University of Kent and a freelance consultant & researcher. Posted with the permission of Professor FitzGerald. Marian FitzGerald "Your … Continue reading The Fifth Estate Needs Better Public Information
Society and the Internet, AI, and All Things Digital
HIIG and its Advisory Council
AI and The Fifth Estate: The Power Shift of the Digital Age
The emergence of ChatGPT and related Artificial Intelligence (AI) tied to Large Language Models (LLMs) is the hot-button issue of the day. There are those who see AI as the new-new thing that will boost productivity and jobs. Others have raised concerns over LLMs being error prone – like other media, in not getting the … Continue reading AI and The Fifth Estate: The Power Shift of the Digital Age