Centre for Society, Technology and Values @uofwaterloo
@cstv-uw.bsky.social
We offer courses on social aspects of technology: cstv.uwaterloo.ca
Pinned
Next CSTV Movie Night—May 13, 2025—The Matrix (1999): This movie combined cyberpunk themes with kung fu and lots of guns to raise issues of human freedom in the age of AI!
Free admission & popcorn!
See you in E5 6008 at 6:30pm. Bring a friend!
Free admission & popcorn!
See you in E5 6008 at 6:30pm. Bring a friend!
Volvo and others are working hard on self-driving trucks, causing anxiety over the future of truck driving as a job, explains @camilareads.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n... #work
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n... #work
Will technology provide a boost to truck drivers — or will it replace them?
The American economy depends on truckers. Technology is promising to transform this industry with new driver-assistance features that are meant to make the job safer and less demanding.
www.npr.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Volvo and others are working hard on self-driving trucks, causing anxiety over the future of truck driving as a job, explains @camilareads.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n... #work
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n... #work
Battling SuperPACS are raising $$ to lobby for—or against—rigorous #regulation of the #AI industry, explains @teddyschleifer.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Fears About A.I. Prompt Talks of Super PACs to Rein In the Industry
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Battling SuperPACS are raising $$ to lobby for—or against—rigorous #regulation of the #AI industry, explains @teddyschleifer.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
An #AI resistant English course depends on pen-and-paper + oral testing, teaching the process of writing, and more emphasis on in-class activities (plus it helps if you class is a smaller one), argues Carlo Rotella
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/m... #education
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/m... #education
I’m a Professor. A.I. Has Changed My Classroom, but Not for the Worse.
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:16 PM
An #AI resistant English course depends on pen-and-paper + oral testing, teaching the process of writing, and more emphasis on in-class activities (plus it helps if you class is a smaller one), argues Carlo Rotella
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/m... #education
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/m... #education
Advocacy group Fairplay found that #AI equipped child toy Kumma easily engaged in conversations on inappropriate topics, prompting a recall, explains Mark Walker
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/u... #risks
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/u... #risks
An A.I. Toy Bear Speaks of Sex, Knives and Pills, a Consumer Group Warns
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Advocacy group Fairplay found that #AI equipped child toy Kumma easily engaged in conversations on inappropriate topics, prompting a recall, explains Mark Walker
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/u... #risks
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/u... #risks
Gen-#AI programs are helping hackers by coding and conducting attacks, even against #AI providers, touching off a #cybersecurity arms race without a clear winner, explains @matteowong.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Chatbots Are Becoming Really, Really Good Criminals
Cybersecurity was already a nightmare. Now comes AI.
www.theatlantic.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Gen-#AI programs are helping hackers by coding and conducting attacks, even against #AI providers, touching off a #cybersecurity arms race without a clear winner, explains @matteowong.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Give you kid the gift of an #AI toy this season? Providers say they're fun & educational, but critics fear that the unregulated market poses #privacy, #security, and cognitive development concerns, explain @nicireland.bsky.social
www.thestar.com/business/con...
www.thestar.com/business/con...
Concerns raised about AI-powered toys and creativity, development as holiday shopping peaks
TORONTO - As parents hunt for gifts that will wow their kids this holiday season, Canadian child development and psychology experts say they should be wary of AI-powered toys because
www.thestar.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Give you kid the gift of an #AI toy this season? Providers say they're fun & educational, but critics fear that the unregulated market poses #privacy, #security, and cognitive development concerns, explain @nicireland.bsky.social
www.thestar.com/business/con...
www.thestar.com/business/con...
The Alberta gov't will use #AI to draft the Alberta Whisky Act, apparently making it the first Canadian jurisdiction to outsource its legislating function, Fahika Baig
www.thestar.com/news/canada/... @schneier.com
www.thestar.com/news/canada/... @schneier.com
Alberta minister reportedly putting together first AI-generated legislation in Canada
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally says the plan is to use AI to develop and introduce the Alberta Whisky Act when the house sits next spring.
www.thestar.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The Alberta gov't will use #AI to draft the Alberta Whisky Act, apparently making it the first Canadian jurisdiction to outsource its legislating function, Fahika Baig
www.thestar.com/news/canada/... @schneier.com
www.thestar.com/news/canada/... @schneier.com
#AI investment is bolstering the US economy though benefits are limited to a few big cities and players, and undue exuberance may lead to a "burst bubble" and not increase productivity as much as fans anticipate, explain @bencasselman.bsky.social & Sydney Ember
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/b...
The A.I. Boom Is Driving the Economy. What Happens if It Falters?
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
#AI investment is bolstering the US economy though benefits are limited to a few big cities and players, and undue exuberance may lead to a "burst bubble" and not increase productivity as much as fans anticipate, explain @bencasselman.bsky.social & Sydney Ember
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/b...
Medical practitioners may leak sensitive data when using online #AI services, an issue that calls for #cybersecurity audits, certified safe-for-health services, and AI literacy training for staff, argue Abbas Yazdinejad & @dzevela.bsky.social
theconversation.com/silent-cyber... #medicine
theconversation.com/silent-cyber... #medicine
Silent cyber threats: How shadow AI could undermine Canada’s digital health defences
Shadow AI is the unsanctioned use of AI systems without formal institutional oversight. In health care, it means pasting patient details into public chatbots.
theconversation.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Medical practitioners may leak sensitive data when using online #AI services, an issue that calls for #cybersecurity audits, certified safe-for-health services, and AI literacy training for staff, argue Abbas Yazdinejad & @dzevela.bsky.social
theconversation.com/silent-cyber... #medicine
theconversation.com/silent-cyber... #medicine
Distractions caused by computer use in classrooms is likely behind big drops in grades, an issue that should be remedied by restricting or eliminating the devices as much as possible, argues Jean Twenge
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/o... #education
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/o... #education
Opinion | The Screen That Ate Your Child’s Education
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Distractions caused by computer use in classrooms is likely behind big drops in grades, an issue that should be remedied by restricting or eliminating the devices as much as possible, argues Jean Twenge
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/o... #education
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/o... #education
Intimate #AI "companions" are powerful inducers of delusional thinking in users and should be treated not like pornography but like addictive things like gambling or tobacco, argues @laurenkunze.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/o... #regulation
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/o... #regulation
Opinion | The Sad and Dangerous Reality Behind ‘Her’
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Intimate #AI "companions" are powerful inducers of delusional thinking in users and should be treated not like pornography but like addictive things like gambling or tobacco, argues @laurenkunze.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/o... #regulation
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/o... #regulation
Can a gen-AI system produce content that defames ppl, despite not having intent? Several lawsuits now underway may clarify the legal issue, if any go to trial, explains Ken Bensinger
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/b... #AI
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/b... #AI
Who Pays When A.I. Is Wrong?
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Can a gen-AI system produce content that defames ppl, despite not having intent? Several lawsuits now underway may clarify the legal issue, if any go to trial, explains Ken Bensinger
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/b... #AI
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/b... #AI
Though ppl enjoy #AI/#robot "companions" in various ways, they may also exacerbate loneliness or #MentalHealth issues, undermine ppl's self-agency, and give providers too much market power, concerns not addressable by self-regulation
www.economist.com/internationa...
www.economist.com/internationa...
A new industry of AI companions is emerging
It may have profound implications for society and what it means to be human
www.economist.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Though ppl enjoy #AI/#robot "companions" in various ways, they may also exacerbate loneliness or #MentalHealth issues, undermine ppl's self-agency, and give providers too much market power, concerns not addressable by self-regulation
www.economist.com/internationa...
www.economist.com/internationa...
Adoption of #AI in classrooms presents challenges for teachers involving assessments, equity, workload, deskilling, and their rapport with students, explains Nadia Delanoy
theconversation.com/we-asked-tea... #education
theconversation.com/we-asked-tea... #education
We asked teachers about their experiences with AI in the classroom — here’s what they said
Classrooms are shaped by emotion, relationships and unpredictability. Teachers in a study described a widening gap between AI policy expectations and the realities of classrooms.
theconversation.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Adoption of #AI in classrooms presents challenges for teachers involving assessments, equity, workload, deskilling, and their rapport with students, explains Nadia Delanoy
theconversation.com/we-asked-tea... #education
theconversation.com/we-asked-tea... #education
Sensitive things that ppl tell their #chatbots should be considered legally confidential (currently, authorities can access your disclosures to your #AI friend, with potential legal consequences), argues @nilsgilman.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o... #privacy
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o... #privacy
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Sensitive things that ppl tell their #chatbots should be considered legally confidential (currently, authorities can access your disclosures to your #AI friend, with potential legal consequences), argues @nilsgilman.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o... #privacy
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o... #privacy
Despite "robust measures", including human and #AI review, ads for illegal drugs delivered by mail appear readily on #Facebook, leading critics to think the company doesn't really want to remove them, explain Ben Mussett & Omar Mosleh
www.thestar.com/news/investi... #fairness
www.thestar.com/news/investi... #fairness
We ordered cocaine for $100 through a Facebook ad. Here’s why it was easy to buy illegal drugs online in Canada
Meta, the tech giant that owns Facebook and Instagram, says it has “zero tolerance” for the ads and works to find and remove the illegal drug posts.
www.thestar.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Despite "robust measures", including human and #AI review, ads for illegal drugs delivered by mail appear readily on #Facebook, leading critics to think the company doesn't really want to remove them, explain Ben Mussett & Omar Mosleh
www.thestar.com/news/investi... #fairness
www.thestar.com/news/investi... #fairness
The pitfalls of #AI legal assistants, such as deskilling and overtrust in recommendations, can be mitigated by designing assistants to play a subordinate role and have lawyers actively maintain skill sets, argues Alexander Schuhr
www.fastcompany.com/91439520/you... #law
www.fastcompany.com/91439520/you... #law
Your AI assistant might be making you worse at your job, unless it's built right
Learning how to best use these tools is crucial, too.
www.fastcompany.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
The pitfalls of #AI legal assistants, such as deskilling and overtrust in recommendations, can be mitigated by designing assistants to play a subordinate role and have lawyers actively maintain skill sets, argues Alexander Schuhr
www.fastcompany.com/91439520/you... #law
www.fastcompany.com/91439520/you... #law
US agencies ICE and DHS are now using enhanced #surveillance tools using mobile #FacialRecognition and #spyware that critics consider threats to #privacy and civil liberties until recently, explains @jjoffeblock.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/11/08/n... #AI
www.npr.org/2025/11/08/n... #AI
Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people
The Department of Homeland Security is adopting powerful new tools to monitor noncitizens. Privacy advocates are worried they erode privacy rights for all Americans.
www.npr.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:47 PM
US agencies ICE and DHS are now using enhanced #surveillance tools using mobile #FacialRecognition and #spyware that critics consider threats to #privacy and civil liberties until recently, explains @jjoffeblock.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/11/08/n... #AI
www.npr.org/2025/11/08/n... #AI
Firms are turning to #AI to perform job interviews and, surprisingly, job candidates seem to prefer them to humans as well, explains @wailinwong.bsky.social & @adrianma.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n... #work
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n... #work
Recruiting companies are starting to hold job interviews using AI
Companies have begun using AI to interview potential employees, and a new study shows a number of job candidates may prefer being interviewed by AI.
www.npr.org
November 12, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Firms are turning to #AI to perform job interviews and, surprisingly, job candidates seem to prefer them to humans as well, explains @wailinwong.bsky.social & @adrianma.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n... #work
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n... #work
#OpenAI's Atlas browser promises to use #AI take care of mundane tasks for you but poses significant risks for user #privacy and security, explains John Ruwitch
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
OpenAI's new web browser has ChatGPT baked in. That's raising some privacy questions
The Atlas browser can act as your "agent" online, doing tasks like shopping or booking tickets. But that gives it access to a lot of personal information.
www.npr.org
November 12, 2025 at 4:34 PM
#OpenAI's Atlas browser promises to use #AI take care of mundane tasks for you but poses significant risks for user #privacy and security, explains John Ruwitch
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
#AI provides #news organizations will tools to improve and expand their work but also pose critical questions about authorship and quality of the results, explain Benjamin Mullin & @katierobertson.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/b...
A.I. Sweeps Through Newsrooms, but Is It a Journalist or a Tool?
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
#AI provides #news organizations will tools to improve and expand their work but also pose critical questions about authorship and quality of the results, explain Benjamin Mullin & @katierobertson.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/b...
As use of #Chatbots for companionship grows in many populations, concerns over #privacy, #loneliness, and agency increase as well, and regulators consider how/whether to intercede.
www.economist.com/internationa... #AI
www.economist.com/internationa... #AI
A new industry of AI companions is emerging
It may have profound implications for society and what it means to be human
www.economist.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:43 PM
As use of #Chatbots for companionship grows in many populations, concerns over #privacy, #loneliness, and agency increase as well, and regulators consider how/whether to intercede.
www.economist.com/internationa... #AI
www.economist.com/internationa... #AI
Ad boards at Union Station, #Toronto, have cameras that include "facial detection," which the owners say respects ppl's #privacy but which not do gain "meaningful consent," explains Kevin Jiang
www.thestar.com/news/gta/the... #AI
www.thestar.com/news/gta/the... #AI
These ads at Union Station and other places around Toronto could be recording you. What you need to know
A social media post drew outrage after highlighting billboards recording Torontonians’ biometric data. Here’s what’s going on.
www.thestar.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Ad boards at Union Station, #Toronto, have cameras that include "facial detection," which the owners say respects ppl's #privacy but which not do gain "meaningful consent," explains Kevin Jiang
www.thestar.com/news/gta/the... #AI
www.thestar.com/news/gta/the... #AI
#GenAI undermines the integrity of online courses, especially asynchronous ones, leaving individual instructors without the means to credibly ensure learning outcomes, a situation requiring institutional support, argue Mohammed Estaiteyeh & Rahul Kumar
theconversation.com/how-ai-is-ch...
theconversation.com/how-ai-is-ch...
How AI is challenging the credibility of some online courses
AI agents can navigate course sites, consume materials and complete assignments, effectively simulating student engagement.
theconversation.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM
#GenAI undermines the integrity of online courses, especially asynchronous ones, leaving individual instructors without the means to credibly ensure learning outcomes, a situation requiring institutional support, argue Mohammed Estaiteyeh & Rahul Kumar
theconversation.com/how-ai-is-ch...
theconversation.com/how-ai-is-ch...
#GenAI online reviews, which are hard to detect reliably, are becoming common, undermining #trust in the review system, explains Sheila Reid
www.thestar.com/business/is-... #AI
www.thestar.com/business/is-... #AI
Is it man or machine? The rise of AI-generated reviews is making it harder to spot the online fakes
Analysis of Canadian industries by an AI-detection firm finds that machine-made reviews are suspected in up to 35% of marketing posts, and experts says it's increasingly difficult to filter out
www.thestar.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
#GenAI online reviews, which are hard to detect reliably, are becoming common, undermining #trust in the review system, explains Sheila Reid
www.thestar.com/business/is-... #AI
www.thestar.com/business/is-... #AI