Tag Archives: Garry Kasparov

In September, Apple launched its newest round of iPhones—the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, with the iPhone X shipping in November—in what has become a familiar spectacle. In many ways, each launch is a snapshot of the technological developments that have recently come to the fore. Not necessarily new technology, exactly, but tech that will suddenly become very widespread and move beyond its creators’ intent, like a new species of creature created in a laboratory being released into the wild. As such, these markers provide a glimpse into the opportunities and challenges these advances present for society, not just the individual consumers.

In my previous blog posts, I have often argued that the internet brings latent conflicts to the fore, whether we are discussing fake news, government surveillance, nation-state cybersecurity or hate speech. Now, I’d like to make the case that it also works the other way, as we witness the opposite happen such as in  Charlottesville, where white supremacist groups marched with lit torches. Tensions that have long been simmering online have now moved into the realm of face-to-face interaction, where they have exploded with fresh force. Difficult chapters of America’s history have resurfaced; viewpoints we would like to think have been eradicated are still very much alive. The episodes in Charlottesville were painful to watch, absolutely, but perhaps it is better to have these elements of society exposed. If they remain outside of the public’s awareness, we can continue to collectively deny their existence. If they are brought to the surface, we must confront them and react, hopefully in a way that aligns with our guiding principles.

At the hacker conference, DEF CON, in Las Vegas, Garry Kasparov, Avast Security Ambassador and former chess world champion, discussed the rise of artificial intelligence, and how humans and machines can interact to get the most out of each other, in his presentation “The Brain’s Last Stand.” Prior to his speech, I chatted with him and Michal Salat, Threat Intelligence Director at Avast, about artificial intelligence, the interaction between man and machine, and their impact on our society.

Garry Kasparov, Avast security ambassador and former world chess champion, is set to discuss why humanity shouldn’t fear the rise of intelligent machines, but should embrace it at DEF CON in Las Vegas on July 28th, 2017 from 10:00 – 10:35. After his keynote, Garry will host a booklet signing session in the vendor area at DEF CON at 11:30.

I was honored recently to be one of the recipients of the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s (EPIC) 2017 Champions of Freedom award. Tech and privacy giant Bruce Schneier was among the presenters, and my fellow recipients—attorney Carrie Goldberg, Ron Rivest, and Judge Patricia Wald—are all doing important work in protecting privacy online and off in an age where it feels like we are always being watched. EPIC president and executive director Marc Rotenberg made a powerful statement about the vital, and often unsung, role that transparency has in a healthy democracy.

While most pundits agree that Trump’s first hundred days in office were underwhelming on the legislative front, he did manage to pass a measure on internet privacy that caused quite a stir in the media. This would be the rollback of privacy regulations that prevent ISPs (internet service providers) from selling user browsing history to third parties. As soon as the measure appeared likely to make it to the president’s desk, article after article was written decrying the development. Sensational headlines spelled out the end of the internet as we know it, a complete surrender of our personal data to big corporations, and social media was aflame with cries of “the end of privacy.”

The topic of fake news is at the forefront of our political debate, now more than ever. What gave rise to its ubiquity? How do we combat it? Is this just an inevitable outcome of the Internet opening up a wider space for communication? 

People often trust their social media contacts more than traditional advertising, and more readily believe everything from restaurant reviews to political opinions when it comes from a social network. An amusing or tragic anecdote that may not be representative of any trend has a better chance of going viral than a well-reported story with lots of analysis and facts. As always, there are marketers, abusers, propagandists, and outright criminals who are quick to exploit these psychological biases. The person who attacks you over a political tweet may be a paid troll or a robot. The spam you ignored in your inbox is now served into a trusted social media feed. The phishing attacks and malicious links you’d never click on in an anonymous email may now appear as a recommendation from a good friend, or a celebrity you admire. These attacks may even be customized by AI to target you perfectly, the way you get shopping or movie recommendations.