Asian cities risk stumbling ‘zombie-like’ towards digital dystopia
Experts call to protect the vulnerable
PENANG, Malaysia, Oct 19, (RTRS): As Asian cities turn to technologies such as facial recognition and artificial intelligence to deliver social welfare and public services, urban experts on Thursday urged authorities to address privacy concerns and protect the vulnerable.
From India to Indonesia, governments across the region are backing hundreds of Smart Cities that use technology and data to improve waste management and energy conservation, tackle traffic congestion and mitigate risks linked to climate change.
“Frontier technologies such as AI hold promise to reimagine how the public sector can better serve sustainable development needs,” UN Undersecretary-General Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said at an urban conference in Penang.
“Fast-evolving technologies have the potential to transform the traditional way of doing things across all government functions and domains,” she said, adding that public-private partnerships will be key.
Worldwide, the rise of cloud-computing and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have led to data-gathering streetlights in China, autonomous buses in Singapore and facial recognition systems in Indian airports. Prevention AI, which includes machine-learning, autonomous and data processing systems, is currently being used in crime prevention, trademark applications and to improve crop yields, according to a UN study released this week.
But the increased use of data, and of systems such as facial recognition software and closed-circuit television have also sparked concerns over bias, security, privacy and surveillance.
With systems of social assistance increasingly being driven by data and technologies, there is “a grave risk of stumbling zombie-like into a digital welfare dystopia”, said Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on poverty and human rights.
This is “especially problematic when the private sector is taking a leading role in designing, constructing, and even operating significant parts of the digital welfare state”, Alston warned in a report last week.
Technology companies operate in an almost “human rights-free zone”, he added.
Governments can guard against this by putting in adequate safeguards, and ensuring that there is good planning and governance, said Lim Teng Leng, deputy director at the Singaporean government’s Centre for Liveable Cities.
Technology-based solutions are no panacea for city problems, and can often cause just as many problems as they set out to address, he said.
“Smart Cities cannot be a measure of how advanced the technologies are, but how these technologies are used to solve problems,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“People have to believe that all this data will improve their lives, make their cities better and safer. The government must build trust by being upfront about what data they are collecting, what it is for, and admit when there are mistakes.”
This is particularly relevant to
A section of the audience
poorer residents and those who are not tech-savvy and may be excluded, said Colin Fernandes at the Global Disaster Preparedness Center, a unit of the American Red Cross.
“Data collection often misses those in informal settlements, who are usually the most vulnerable to disasters and climate change risks, and most in need of welfare benefits and other assistance,” he said.
“There is a failure to collect data, or a reluctance on their part to give up data, because they don’t know whether the data will be used to evict them or protect them. They need to be assured of what they are signing up for.”
LOS ANGELES:
Also:
In a first such integration with other social networks, Reddit has added an option to share content
Left: Special invitee Fadia Al-Marzooq speaking on the occasion. Also seen are Maria & Maurice Pereira (from Qatar), Maestro Shahu & Armand D’Souza
(UAE). (Right): Esparansa and Gasper Crasto with their item song.
from its iOS app to Snapchat. iPhone users can now share Reddit posts with their contacts on Snapchat, or add Reddit content to their Snapchat stories.
Anything shared on Snapchat includes a special Reddit sticker, and links back to Reddit’s app. Uses who already have the app on their phones can directly open Reddit content from Snapchat; anyone who doesn’t have the Reddit app yet is being redirected to the App Store.
“Reddit empowers discovery and discussion that many Snapchatters love,” said Snap’s vice president of partnerships Ben Schwerin in a statement. “With this integration, Snapchatters will be able to share interesting posts they find, adding new context and conversation-starters to their Snaps.”
IEI Kuwait membership:
The Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter invites all its members to update their membership information for the year 2018-19 and actively participate in the chapter activities. Indian engineers residing in Kuwait are welcome to join the pool of more than 750,000 engineers by becoming corporate or non-corporate members of The Institution of Engineers (India).
IEI, Kuwait Chapter conducts many technical events for the benefits of its members. Please watch for further details in your registered e-mail or announcement in media. The chapter has science club activities for members’ children, and ladies wing activities for the member’s family. IEI, Kuwait Chapter has facility to register student members for AMIE Examination for those interested in pursuing career enrichment.
For more information and on chapter membership, kindly contact IEI, Kuwait Chapter on Mob: 90098667 or through email to ieikwt@hotmail.com
Advisory for OCI card holders:
All those having OCI Cards are required to carry both their OCI Card and passport to travel to India so that they do not face any difficulty in immigration clearance.
From October 2018, ICAO will accept only machine readable travel documents, hence, existing PIO Cards, which are handwritten will therefore, become invalid. Thus it will be necessary upon PIO Cardholders to obtain machine readable OCI Cards in lieu of existing hand written PIO Cards before October 2018 to avoid any inconvenience.
Q8BBall Season 13:
Q8BBall is beginning our 13th season with Boys U13 (ages 10-13) and U17 (ages 14-17). We train three times a week and play regular games throughout the year with schools and clubs. Contact Coach T 97128884 for information.
Invitation to Grand Mosque:
The Visits Department is pleased to invite you to visit the Grand Mosque, which is one of Kuwait’s most treasured religious and cultural landmarks to discover the beauty of Islamic arts and architecture. Free guided tours are available all year round on official working days between (9-11 am) and (5-7 pm), within a special tour program designed to cater to the needs of different age groups. The program is as follows:
Reception; Auditorium show; (according to age group); Touring the Mosque; Q & A; Art workshops; (according to age group – between 5 and 18 years old); Snack break; Distribution of the Grand Mosque publications and souvenirs; End of tour. According to these age groups: Age group: 5 to 9 years old: Morning: 60 visitors max; Evening: 20; 10 to 15 years: Morning: 100 visitors max; Evening: 45; 16 and above: Morning: 140 visitors max, Evening: 105:
Tour language: Arabic- EnglishFrench; Arabic (English upon prior request); Arabic- English- French; Arabic (English upon prior request); ArabicEnglishFrench: Arabic (English upon prior request) Rules and Regulations: Please arrive in time for your visit. All visitors are kindly required to abide by the mosque’s dress code. Male visitors should wear long pants. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are not allowed. Female visitors: should wear head cover and long loose clothing (available at the mosque).
Foods and drinks are not allowed inside the prayer halls.
For school visits, teachers are responsible for their students and are required to cooperate with the staff members of the Grand Mosque.
Photography is allowed inside the Grand Mosque (please note that disrespectful poses are strictly prohibited).
If you would like to book a tour, please contact us: Tel: 22980813/ 22980815/ 22980812 Email: gmvisits@gmail.com Fax: 22473708
Share your story with Amricani:
Do you or any of your family members, acquaintances or friends happen to have a story with the American Missionary hospital in Kuwait (Mustashfa Lemraicani) during the years from 1914-1967, the official period of offering medical services in Kuwait?
Please share with us your story or your memory during those old days by writing the event and sending it to the following email address: Mystory@ darmuseum.org.kw
Notes: 1. Please send your story only to the above mentioned email. Story shared in Instagram, Facebook or Twitter will not be considered.
2. Please write your story or memory and sign it with your full name, and your contact number.
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