Mastodawn

Dig into CDT’s report on the importance of data in the fight against technology-facilitated disability discrimination, including recommendations for how to mitigate the poor collection and availability of representative data sets: https://cdt.org/insights/report-to-reduce-disability-bias-in-technology-start-with-disability-data/

Report – To Reduce Disability Bias in Technology, Start With Disability Data

This report was also authored by Bonnielin Swenor, Director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center. Introduction When people with disabilities interact with technologies, there is a risk that they will face discriminatory impacts in several important and high-stakes contexts, like employment, benefits, and healthcare. For example, many jobs use automated employment decision tools […]

Center for Democracy and Technology

CenDemTech 1d ago

“A recent report by Ariana Aboulafia, Miranda Bogen & Bonnielin Swenor at CDT highlights the need for better data on disabled populations—not only to ensure fairness in AI systems but to inform the development of disability-inclusive policies, allocate public funding, and uphold civil rights.” https://fairplay.ai/the-challenge-of-fairness-addressing-the-data-gaps-for-people-with-disabilities-in-ai-and-financial-systems/

Improving AI Fairness for Disabled Groups: A Must-Read

Explore how lack of data on disability impacts AI fairness and what steps can be taken to improve inclusivity and uphold civil rights.

FairPlay

CenDemTech 1d ago

AI can threaten democracy—but it can also help defend it. Civil society groups are using AI to expand access to trustworthy info, fight deepfakes, and protect voters. Check out CDT Isabel Linzer’s analysis + recommendations in Compiler: https://www.compiler.news/ai-democracy-romania-elections/

How to harness A.I. in the fight for democracy

Autocratic regimes are using artificial intelligence to attack democracies, stirring concern from Romania to Rhode Island. But the technology could also become a powerful tool to safeguard elections if deployed in the right ways.

Compiler

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CenDemTech 1d ago

Branum: “[But] in everyone’s defense, this stuff is really novel. These are genuinely tough issues and new ones that courts are going to have to deal with.”
https://www.theverge.com/law/672209/character-ai-lawsuit-ruling-first-amendment

Are Character AI’s chatbots protected speech? One court isn’t sure

A judge is “not prepared” to say companion chatbots should receive First Amendment protection.

The Verge

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CenDemTech 1d ago

CDT’s Branum: “If we’re thinking about the whole realm of things that could be output by AI, those types of chatbot outputs are themselves quite expressive, [and] also reflect the editorial discretion and protected expression of the model designer.” https://www.theverge.com/law/672209/character-ai-lawsuit-ruling-first-amendment

Are Character AI’s chatbots protected speech? One court isn’t sure

A judge is “not prepared” to say companion chatbots should receive First Amendment protection.

The Verge

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CenDemTech 1d ago

“Becca Branum, deputy director of the CDT’s Free Expression Project, called the judge’s First Amendment analysis ‘pretty thin’ — though, since it’s a very preliminary decision, there’s lots of room for future debate.” https://www.theverge.com/law/672209/character-ai-lawsuit-ruling-first-amendment

Are Character AI’s chatbots protected speech? One court isn’t sure

A judge is “not prepared” to say companion chatbots should receive First Amendment protection.

The Verge

CenDemTech 1d ago

CDT’s Becca Branum in the Verge on a judge’s recent ruling that argued that #AI chatbots should not receive First Amendment protection. https://www.theverge.com/law/672209/character-ai-lawsuit-ruling-first-amendment

Are Character AI’s chatbots protected speech? One court isn’t sure

A judge is “not prepared” to say companion chatbots should receive First Amendment protection.

The Verge

CenDemTech 2d ago

Becca Branum, deputy director of Free Expression at CDT, recently joined Taylor Lorenz’s Power User podcast to explain how the TAKE IT DOWN Act really works—and how the Trump admin is already preparing to weaponize it. Find the discussion on:
* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6RmEIyHz7lpltMULe2g255
* YT: https://youtu.be/FVvea5CcsFc

The Take It Down Act Is a Free Speech Killer

Spotify

CenDemTech 2d ago

“Matthew Scherer, senior policy counsel at CDT, has a more dire warning: ‘The moratorium [on state-level AI legislation] is so sweeping that it’s hard to imagine how any law that touches on AI or automated decision-making in any way could escape it.’" https://www.pcmag.com/news/theres-a-lot-of-ai-in-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-heres-what-it-does-and

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CenDemTech 2d ago

“Thoughtful, inclusive regulation of surveillance pricing is possible, and advisable. Without it, people with disabilities could face far more impactful consequences than raised prices on concert tickets.” https://www.techpolicy.press/priced-out-how-surveillance-pricing-leaves-people-with-disabilities-at-risk/

Priced Out: How Surveillance Pricing Leaves People with Disabilities At Risk | TechPolicy.Press

Disabled people are likely uniquely vulnerable to surveillance pricing practices due to several risk factors, Ariana Aboulafia and Nina DiSalvo write.

Tech Policy Press

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