There Are No Girls on the Internet

Those horrifying deep fake AI images of Taylor Swift that circulated on social media last week are a threat to all of us. It’s time for real cultural and legislative change. Check out Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s Algorithmic Justice League: https://www.ajl.org/ Listen to Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s episode: https://omny.fm/shows/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet/biden-s-executive-order-on-ai-protects-privacy-and 404 Media’s reporting on Microsoft: https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-taylor-swift-porn-twitter/ Teen Marvel star speaks out about sexually explicit deepfakes: ‘Why is this allowed?’ https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/teen-marvel-star-xochitl-gomez-speaks-deepfake-rcna134753 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelly Osbourne addresses infamous 2015 remarks about Latinos on 'The View': https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/kelly-osbourne-addresses-infamous-2015-remarks-latinos-view-rcna134755 Researchers Say the Deepfake Biden Robocall Was Likely Made With Tools From AI Startup ElevenLabs: https://www.wired.com/story/biden-robocall-deepfake-elevenlabs/ AI-Generated Taylor Swift Porn Went Viral on Twitter. Here's How It Got There: https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-taylor-swift-porn-twitter/ Oklahoma schools gig for Libs of TikTok founder: Does it meet state's own rules? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/01/26/libs-of-tiktok-chaya-raichik-oklahoma-school-library/72361037007/ Conversion therapy content is being banned by social media companies thanks to the work of LGBTQ+ group: https://www.advocate.com/business/conversion-therapy-ban-social-media Man Jailed, Raped, and Beaten After False Facial Recognition Match, $10M Lawsuit Alleges: https://www.vice.com/en/article/3akekk/man-jailed-raped-and-beaten-after-false-facial-recognition-match-dollar10m-lawsuit-alleges Parents worry AI-generated influencers are promoting unrealistic beauty standards to kids: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/parents-worry-ai-influencers-promote-unrealistic-beauty-standards-rcna134814  AI is producing ‘fake’ Indigenous art trained on real artists’ work without permission: https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/01/19/artificial-intelligence-fake-indigenous-art-stock-images/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our last news roundup, Bridget and Mike had conflicting and surprisingly strong feelings about self checkout machines. And it turns out, listeners do, too! We got more emails about this seemingly low stakes topic than any other. Why did this touch a nerve?! We don’t know but there’s something there, and we’re here for it. We read some listener emails, which make great points for and against. Are these machines dystopian symbols of our crumbling social connectedness? Or are they convenient devices for buying groceries, and maybe the real dystopian symbols were the capitalist overlords we met along the way? You be the judge!   Self-Checkouts Often Inaccessible to Disabled Shoppers:  https://foodinstitute.com/focus/self-checkout-often-inaccessible-to-disabled-shoppers/ LA Times report on self checkouts and loneliness (paywalled): https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-08-28/some-skip-self-checkout-to-combat-loneliness-build-human-connection TikTok Lawyer explains why you should avoid using self-checkouts in stores: https://scoop.upworthy.com/lawyer-explains-why-you-should-avoid-using-self-checkouts-in-stores-576190-576190-576190-576190 Washington Post piece: Dear grocery store owners: I don’t work for you! https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/10/31/rick-reilly-self-checkout-rebellion/ Walmart reveals it's tracking checkout theft with AI-powered cameras in 1,000 stores: https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-tracks-theft-with-computer-vision-1000-stores-2019-6 Feeling lonely? Too many of us are. Here’s what our supermarkets can do to help: https://theconversation.com/feeling-lonely-too-many-of-us-are-heres-what-our-supermarkets-can-do-to-help-211126 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Patreon: Bridget remembers the time she met Sheryl Sandberg. https://TANGOTI.com/patreon  Google promised to delete sensitive location data about abortion clinic visits. A new study finds that it still isn’t living up to that promise: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/16/google-keeps-location-history-data-abortion-clinics-despite-delete-pledge  Teen deepfake victim pushes for federal law targeting non-consensual, AI-generated explicit content - the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/deepfake-law-ai-new-jersey-high-school-teen-image-porn-rcna133706  OpenAI quietly removes ban on military use of its AI tools: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/16/openai-quietly-removes-ban-on-military-use-of-its-ai-tools.htm AI already being used to select bombing targets in Gaza:  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/01/the-gospel-how-israel-uses-ai-to-select-bombing-targets  Formula E Team Fires Its AI-Generated Influencer after Fans Balk: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46353319/formula-e-team-fires-ai-generated-influencer/ It's not just you, Google Search really has gotten worse: https://mashable.com/article/google-search-low-quality-research  The Self-Checkout Nightmare(?) May Finally Be Ending: https://gizmodo.com/the-self-checkout-nightmare-may-finally-be-ending-1851169879 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech expert Bridget joins the hosts to discuss leaving behind negativity in tech for the new year. They delve into the impacts of AI and unethical practices on women online, the challenges faced by women and marginalized groups, and the importance of diversity in the tech industry.

Topics include Substack's Nazi content removal, dating app shortcomings, eBay's harassment scandal, SEC misinformation, Elon Musk's controversial tweet, George Carlin AI stand-up, and video game voice actors' criticism of AI technology.

Harvard donor Bill Ackman pushed for the resignation of Harvard's first Black woman president, Dr. Claudine Gay, for what he says is a history of academic plagiarism. An independent review panel cleared her of misconduct, but the allegations continued and led to her resignation. Now Ackman’s wife, Dr. Neri Oxman, is also being accused of plagiarism in her academic work.    In the aftermath of Dr. Gay’s resignation from Harvard, here’s how Ackman has responded to the allegations against his wife. Meanwhile, their troubling connection to Jefferey Epstein resurfaces.    Full video of this episode is available on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/tangotiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast discusses the resignation of Dr. Claudine Gay, the first black woman president of Harvard, and explores the campaign led by right wing activist Christopher Rufo to get her fired. It highlights the role of legacy media outlets in legitimizing his bad-faith framing and celebrates her resignation as evidence of a return to meritocracy. The hosts also touch on controversies in higher education, dynamics of having a Black woman leader, the misconceptions surrounding DEI and Black women's success, and the frustration of constantly defending their existence.

Have you been seeing a lot of content on social media romanticizing women not working outside of the home?  Jo Piazza, host of the hilarious and insightful podcast Under the Influence, breaks down why we're seeing so much trad wife content right now.   #TradWives: sexism as gateway to white supremacy: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/countering-radical-right/tradwives-sexism-gateway-white-supremacy/ Listen to Under the Influence: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix’s Inventing Anna presents a flashy version of fake German heiress Anna Delvey’s scams. Rachel Deloache Williams was scammed out of $62,000 by Anna on a disastrous trip to Morocco.  Rachel discusses true crime shows like Inventing Anna and Hulu’s The Dropout and what it means for all of us when liars and scammers are elevated and amplified.   Anna ‘Delvey’ Sorokin Almost Ruined My Life. Now She’s Being Rewarded for Her Crimes: https://time.com/6146419/inventing-anna-rachel-williams-anna-delvey/ Check out Rachel’s book My Friend Anna: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/My-Friend-Anna/Rachel-DeLoache-Williams/9781982114107See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.