Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 23h

The Woulard case signals that AI’s “wild west” phase may be nearing its end. Independent artists have drawn a clear line: no matter how powerful the technology, it cannot function above the law. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/the-woular...

The Woulard case signals that AI’s “wild west” phase may be nearing its end. Independent artists have drawn a clear line: no matter how powerful the technology, it cannot function above the law.

The case demands that AI firms adopt ethical licensing frameworks, data accountability, and respect for creator rights—not as an afterthought, but as core infrastructure.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 23h

The 99-page complaint, supported by damning economic data & historical context, argues that Microsoft manipulated access to computing resources via exclusivity clauses in its investment deals with OpenAI, imposing artificial price floors & suppressing innovation. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/the-99-pag...

The 99-page complaint, supported by damning economic data and historical context, argues that Microsoft manipulated access to computing resources...

...through exclusivity clauses in its investment deals with OpenAI, effectively imposing artificial price floors and suppressing innovation.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 23h

Teachers expressed strong confidence in their content and pedagogical knowledge, and many recognized AI’s potential to enhance personalized learning and student engagement.
However, technological knowledge—deep familiarity with AI’s capabilities—lagged behind. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/teachers-e...

Teachers expressed strong confidence in their content and pedagogical knowledge, and many recognized AI’s potential to enhance personalized learning and student engagement.

However, technological knowledge—especially deep familiarity with AI’s capabilities—lagged behind. Ethical awareness was moderate, with some skepticism about AI’s fairness and transparency.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 23h

By late 2024, nearly 1 in 4 corporate press releases, almost 1 in 5 financial consumer complaints, and 14% of UN press releases were at least partially written by AI
Recently founded companies were more likely to use AI in job postings (15% v. <5% in older firms) p4sc4l.substack.com/p/by-late-20...

By late 2024, nearly 1 in 4 corporate press releases, almost 1 in 5 financial consumer complaints, and 14% of UN press releases were at least partially written by AI.

Recently founded companies were far more likely to use AI in job postings (15% v. <5% in older firms). Complaints written in areas with lower educational attainment had higher AI usage rates (20%).

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 1d

Far from the early 2010s vision of Silicon Valley as a progressive, privacy-defending force, the recent developments show key tech companies actively enabling and expanding state power.
Particularly through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). p4sc4l.substack.com/p/far-from-t...

Far from the early 2010s vision of Silicon Valley as a progressive, privacy-defending force, the recent developments show key tech companies actively enabling and expanding state power.

Particularly through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The implications are vast: for civil liberties, democratic institutions, international relations and the global role of technology firms

p4sc4l.substack.com

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Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 1d

Although each document focuses on different aspects—government overreach, democratic backsliding, and public complicity—their commonalities are glaring: a steady erosion of constitutional protections, increasing normalization of state violence... p4sc4l.substack.com/p/although-e...

Although each document focuses on different aspects—government overreach, democratic backsliding, and public complicity—their commonalities are glaring: a steady erosion of constitutional protections

...increasing normalization of state violence, and a weakening of public resolve to confront injustice. The road to authoritarianism is paved by silence.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 2d

A class-action lawsuit alleging that Salesforce infringed copyrights by using a dataset of pirated books to train its LLMs, including the CodeGen, XGen, xGen-Sales, and xGen-Small series.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/a-class-ac...

A class-action lawsuit alleging that Salesforce infringed copyrights by using a dataset of pirated books to train its LLMs, including the CodeGen, XGen, xGen-Sales, and xGen-Small series.

The plaintiffs claim their books were included in the Books3 corpus without permission, compensation, or consent, and that Salesforce willfully used these materials for commercial gain.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 3d

The Indian AI market has grown from USD 3.2 billion in 2020 to over USD 6 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach nearly USD 32 billion by 2031.
This expansion is fueled by rising demand for automation, personalized services, and decision-support tools... p4sc4l.substack.com/p/the-indian...

The Indian AI market has grown from USD 3.2 billion in 2020 to over USD 6 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach nearly USD 32 billion by 2031.

This expansion is fueled by rising demand for automation, personalized services, and decision-support tools across industries such as BFSI, healthcare, logistics, retail, and marketing.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 3d

As AI becomes more embedded in education, law, healthcare, and creativity, the metaphor of “machine intelligence” becomes a double-edged sword.
It seduces us into trust while shielding developers from responsibility. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/as-ai-beco...

As AI becomes more embedded in education, law, healthcare, and creativity, the metaphor of “machine intelligence” becomes a double-edged sword.

It seduces us into trust while shielding developers from responsibility. But if we walk hand-in-hand with our models through vector space we may yet preserve both our creativity and accountability.

p4sc4l.substack.com

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Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 3d

Rather than building another chatbot, Oracle is constructing the reasoning fabric of tomorrow’s intelligent systems, rooted in trust, proximity to data, and real-world context.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/rather-tha...

Rather than building another chatbot, Oracle is constructing the reasoning fabric of tomorrow’s intelligent systems, rooted in trust, proximity to data, and real-world context.

The lesson for all stakeholders is simple: the future of AI belongs to those who combine intelligence with intent—and infrastructure with integrity.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 3d

Wiley have created a content enrichment and distribution platform alongside a suite of products to power the future and unlock the full potential of AI-driven research and enterprise innovation.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/wiley-have...

Wiley have created a content enrichment and distribution platform alongside a suite of products to power the future and unlock the full potential of AI-driven research and enterprise innovation.

Learn more about the ecosystem connecting AI developers, publishers, institutions, and R&D teams through trusted, peer-reviewed content that powers reliable innovation.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 4d

The New York State Unified Court System (UCS) has introduced one of the most comprehensive and forward-looking interim policies for the use of AI within a government institution.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/the-new-yo...

The New York State Unified Court System (UCS) has introduced one of the most comprehensive and forward-looking interim policies for the use of AI within a government institution.

Other entities that handle sensitive data, depend on trust, or make consequential decisions should adopt similar AI governance frameworks.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 4d

If “everything is searchable,” then everything is stealable if adversaries or insiders reach the index: passwords briefly visible on screen, previews of legal docs, health results, private chats...
OS-wide AI monitoring creates a forensically perfect dossier. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/if-everyth...

If “everything is searchable,” then everything is stealable if adversaries or insiders reach the index: passwords briefly visible on screen, previews of legal docs, health results, private chats, or c

OS-wide AI monitoring creates a single, dense, forensically perfect dossier on each of us. In open societies, that dossier magnifies breach impact, employer overreach, and chilling effects.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 5d

GPT-4o: By prohibiting questions about how Anthropic obtained training datasets — including whether it engaged in torrenting or downloaded from shadow libraries — the court has erected a wall... p4sc4l.substack.com/p/gpt-4o-by-...

GPT-4o: By prohibiting questions about how Anthropic obtained training datasets — including whether it engaged in torrenting or downloaded from shadow libraries — the court has erected a wall...

...that prevents plaintiffs from fully investigating one of the most critical aspects of AI model training: source provenance. This limits the ability to prove willful infringement.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 5d

GPT-5: These billionaires’ interconnected gains illustrate how AI infrastructure has evolved into a self-reinforcing oligopoly spanning hardware, cloud, and capital markets.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/gpt-5-thes...

GPT-5: These billionaires’ interconnected gains illustrate how AI infrastructure has evolved into a self-reinforcing oligopoly spanning hardware, cloud, and capital markets.

While U.S., EU, and UK regulators have the tools to act, the economic gravity and political utility of these firms make serious enforcement unlikely in the near term.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 5d

The 2025 State of AI Report. Scholarly publishers are no longer just gatekeepers of human-generated content—they must become curators and verifiers of machine-derived knowledge.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/the-2025-s...

The 2025 State of AI Report. Scholarly publishers are no longer just gatekeepers of human-generated content—they must become curators and verifiers of machine-derived knowledge.

The future of scientific publishing hinges on how swiftly and wisely publishers embrace this new paradigm. AI not only assists with knowledge production but also generates, validates, and teaches it.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 5d

Regulators must treat AI-generated political disinformation as a matter of national security and democratic survival.
Anything less than robust, coordinated, and enforceable safeguards would be an invitation for future abuses... p4sc4l.substack.com/p/regulators...

Regulators must treat AI-generated political disinformation as a matter of national security and democratic survival.

Anything less than robust, coordinated, and enforceable safeguards would be an invitation for future abuses, more sophisticated deepfake operations, and the gradual erosion of truth itself.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 6d

For Silicon Valley to be truly patriotic its actions must transcend rhetoric. True patriotism for corporations of this scale & influence isn't measured in press releases or philanthropic contributions.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/for-silico...

For Silicon Valley to be truly patriotic its actions must transcend rhetoric. True patriotism for corporations of this scale & influence isn't measured in press releases or philanthropic contributions

The future prosperity & security of the United States may well depend on whether these corporate titans can evolve from being disruptive adolescents to responsible stewards of the American enterprise.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 6d

Mekic v. X: the case is a microcosm of broader tensions: corporate secrecy vs. democratic oversight, algorithmic power vs. individual rights, and platform control vs. journalistic freedom.
Mekic was “shadowbanned” by X without explanation. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/mekic-v-x-...

Mekic v. X: the case is a microcosm of broader tensions: corporate secrecy vs. democratic oversight, algorithmic power vs. individual rights, and platform control vs. journalistic freedom.

Mekic was “shadowbanned” by X—his communications were limited without explanation. He demanded to know why, citing GDPR rights to personal data and to transparency about automated decision-making.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 7d

Report: Detachment of scientific conclusions from human authorship or oversight, especially with generative models, raises questions about accountability, originality, and reproducibility.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/report-det...

Report: Detachment of scientific conclusions from human authorship or oversight, especially with generative models, raises questions about accountability, originality, and reproducibility.

Over-reliance on AI may lead to the narrowing of scientific questions explored, favouring well-documented areas where AI performs better. AI may radically change what counts as scientific knowledge.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 7d

GPT-4o: The Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te is more than a theological document. The Trump administration’s policies, when viewed through this lens, fall grievously short of the Gospel ideal.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/gpt-4o-the...

GPT-4o: The Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te is more than a theological document. The Trump administration’s policies, when viewed through this lens, fall grievously short of the Gospel ideal.

Invoking divine blessing while enacting laws that harm the poor, ignore the sick, criminalize the migrant, and reward the powerful, amounts to a betrayal of the very faith it claims to defend.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 8d

GPT-4o: Martinez-Conde v. Apple is a meticulously constructed and potentially explosive copyright infringement case that places Apple’s AI ambitions under judicial scrutiny.
p4sc4l.substack.com/p/gpt-4o-mar...

GPT-4o: Martinez-Conde v. Apple is a meticulously constructed and potentially explosive copyright infringement case that places Apple’s AI ambitions under judicial scrutiny.

Given the strength of evidence, the precedent of similar cases, and the reputational risks at stake, the likely outcome is either a plaintiff-friendly settlement or a partial win for the class...

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 8d

Attackers can exploit these latency variations to infer sensitive information, including: Training data membership (e.g., whether a particular input was part of the training set). GateBleed can serve as a forensic tool for litigants... p4sc4l.substack.com/p/attackers-...

Attackers can exploit these latency variations to infer sensitive information, including: Training data membership (e.g., whether a particular input was part of the training set).

GateBleed can serve as a forensic tool for litigants to demonstrate improper model training practices, shifting the burden of proof onto AI companies.

p4sc4l.substack.com

Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 8d

GPT-4o: What happens in the U.S. does not stay in the U.S. The normalization of mass detention, surveillance, and expulsion has already inspired copycat regimes globally.
It destabilizes the global architecture meant to protect them. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/gpt-4o-wha...

GPT-4o: What happens in the U.S. does not stay in the U.S. The normalization of mass detention, surveillance, and expulsion has already inspired copycat regimes globally.

As the U.S. abandons human rights commitments, it destabilizes the global architecture meant to protect them. The outlook is deeply concerning.

p4sc4l.substack.com

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Pascal Hetzscholdt @p4sc4l.substack.com · 9d

Employees’ enthusiasm for AI-driven productivity collides with the institutional inertia of large firms trying to control an unpredictable technology.
The next frontier of corporate governance lies in closing this gap. p4sc4l.substack.com/p/employees-...

Employees’ enthusiasm for AI-driven productivity collides with the institutional inertia of large firms trying to control an unpredictable technology.

The next frontier of corporate governance lies in closing this gap — transforming awareness into accountability and risk disclosure into demonstrable resilience.

p4sc4l.substack.com