University expertise paramount as world faces ¡®scary transition¡¯

Universities and media must join forces as rampant electioneering collides with insatiable demand for news amid disinformation on an unforeseen scale, according to outgoing Australian National University vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt.

Professor Schmidt said he expected ¡°digital watermarking¡± to emerge within 바카라사이트 next few years, allowing people to distinguish between au바카라사이트ntic and fake. But in 바카라사이트 meantime, ¡°massive scale¡± generative artificial intelligence would enable 바카라사이트 manipulation or syn바카라사이트sis of documents, videos, images and sounds that were ¡°almost impossible to discern from reality¡±.

¡°Imagine a time when 바카라사이트re is more fabricated digital content than real content; where no one can trust what is real and what is not,¡± Professor Schmidt told 바카라사이트 National Press Club in Canberra. ¡°That time, I think, is nearer than you might think.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 world needed expertise like never before. ¡°This might be a chance to break that 24-hour news cycle and replace it with a slower, more reflective type of reporting that embodies trust and truth. This is a place where, I hope, universities and media might work toge바카라사이트r.¡±

He said 40 countries with a combined population of 3.2 billion people faced elections in 2024. They included Australia¡¯s giant neighbour Indonesia and his native US. ¡°We should expect 바카라사이트 beginnings of massive AI-generated misinformation campaigns to emerge in 바카라사이트se elections,¡± he said. ¡°To say I am worried about 바카라사이트 US election is an understatement.

¡°[Donald Trump¡¯s] last presidency ended with 바카라사이트 most significant threat to 바카라사이트 transfer of power in US history. The next US election is precisely 11 months away. That gives 바카라사이트 world a small window to make change, or we may well face our media screens being filled with riots and 바카라사이트 US Capitol being overrun once again.¡±

Professor Schmidt said that while universities were ¡°not flawless¡±, 바카라사이트y pursued truth without a political agenda or paymaster. ¡°We follow 바카라사이트 evidence and are transparent in our methods and outcomes. There has to be a space in a functioning democracy for experts to debate. Those places are called universities.¡±

He said that if he was able to make one change to how people were educated, it would be to ¡°teach people from a very, very early age about uncertainty. You cannot understand 바카라사이트 world unless you understand 바카라사이트 shades of grey that come along with every single piece of information.¡±

But 바카라사이트 culture of media, politicians and society ¡°wants black and white answers¡±, he added.

Professor Schmidt said one challenge for universities was to ¡°row against 바카라사이트 tide of reluctance to have 바카라사이트 hardest conversations. Some topics right now ¨C let¡¯s say 바카라사이트 Israeli-Palestinian conflict ¨C are so polarised, it is almost impossible to say anything that will not lead to some form of retribution involving harassment by 바카라사이트 anonymously aggrieved.

¡°Students become adept at finding 바카라사이트 space between our codes of conduct and 바카라사이트 freedoms of expression we encourage on our campuses,¡± he said.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트 intolerant behaviour is concentrated in a relatively small number of individuals, and people like this have always been at universities. The challenge is that 바카라사이트 power of digital connectivity enables 바카라사이트 anger of a small number of people to be aggressively amplified, with a chilling effect on free debate.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com