Category: ethics

  • 3I/ATLAS Deep Fake Videos

    3I/ATLAS Deep Fake Videos

    For many years (at least six for me) we’ve heard warnings about “deep fake” videos and the ways artificial intelligence / AI platforms will accelerate the dissemination of false and misleading information. Welcome to December 2025, when interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS are very real, but convincing / realistic videos of noted astrophysicists like Dr. Avi…

  • AI Bots and AI Personas

    AI Bots and AI Personas

    We have not only entered “The Age of AI,” we have entered the Age of “AI Bots” and “AI Personas.” There is not (yet) an English WikiPedia article for “AI persona,” but this is the definition Gemini AI provided to me this evening: An AI persona is a carefully crafted digital profile with a specific…

  • Is Any AI Use Ethical?

    Is Any AI Use Ethical?

    The past two days I had the opportunity to attend multiple sessions at the summer 2025 conference for “Civics of Technology.”  It’s a grassroots organization which: …aims to empower students and educators to critically inquire into the effects of technologies on their individual and collective lives. We conduct research, develop curriculum, and offer professional development.…

  • Zoom AI Meeting Summary

    Zoom AI Meeting Summary

    Today I facilitated another monthly Zoom webinar for the MediaEd Club of the Media Education Lab, and I was both pleased and amazed to receive an AI-powered “Meeting Summary” (directly from Zoom) following the recorded videoconference. I’m including an edited version of it below, and adding hyperlinks to referenced resources. Here’s the archived recording (47…

  • Hijacked Minds and Broken Trust

    Hijacked Minds and Broken Trust

    In this wide-ranging podcast conversation, Scott Galloway discusses numerous issues of interest with Sam Harris, including how important it is that we rebuild trust in institutions across our society and culture, and the toxic power of Twitter / X in hijacking our minds for the worse. Listen to the original podcast episode on Pocket Casts.…

  • Microaggressions in Middle School

    Microaggressions in Middle School

    These are my notes from Dr. Laurie A Ramirez’ presentation, “Microaggressions at the Middle – What are they and what do we do about them?“ at the March 25, 2025 NCMLE ‘Middle School Matters’ Conference MY THOUGHT AND REFLECTIONS ARE IN ALL CAPS. Presentation slides MICROAGGRESSIONS in Middle Level Education NCMLE – March 2025 by…

  • Reading Wish List

    Reading Wish List

    Long form reading may be a relic of the past for younger generations in US society and culture for a variety of reasons, but I still believe in both the power of reading and its importance in our shared civic culture. For a number of years now, I’ve maintained a public aspirational reading list on…

  • 6 Things to Do

    6 Things to Do

    In today’s fast-paced world, it feels almost impossible to tune into any news—whether it’s from broadcast television or social media—without feeling overwhelmed. As of early February 2025, the sheer volume and intensity of current events have many people feeling either elated or deeply troubled. Regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum, navigating this…

  • Ending Christian Nationalism

    Ending Christian Nationalism

    These are my notes from Amanda Tyler’s presentation about her book, “How to End Christian Nationalism” on October 22, 2024, at First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was a conversation facilitated by Jennifer Roberts, former mayor of Charlotte. MY THOUGHTS ARE IN ALL CAPS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS…

  • Beware of Hurricane Helene Fundraising Scams

    Beware of Hurricane Helene Fundraising Scams

    Today in my middle school web design class, we took some time at the start to “think / pair / share” about the past weekend’s dramatic and even traumatic events caused by Hurricane Helene. Several teachers in our department did not have electricity at their houses for three days, and some students reported electricity outages…