The Risk of Social Media-Facilitated Violence Has Grown

“Will there be blood?”

As Americans cast their ballots, Dean Jackson says that “security officials are preparing for the risk of violence on the day Congress certifies the election — but there remains a serious risk of violence at some other time, in some other place. And social media companies, having failed to learn the lessons of January 6, may once again facilitate it.”

Half the world’s population goes to the polls in 2024. This commentary is the ninth in a series from CIGI, created in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at the University of British Columbia to explore the intersection of technology with the most pivotal among these elections.

When Joe Biden became president, Burcu Kilic writes, many expected his administration to champion the broadly liberal digital trade framework of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. But the appointment of Katherine Tai as US Trade Representative signalled a shift. “With all the knives out in neoliberal trade circles…[Tai] passionately and eloquently laid out the far-reaching consequences of tech monopolies, the consolidation of power, the threats to our democracy and the need for an inclusive digital trade policy that serves people, not just tech companies.”

In this opinion, Kilic says that Tai has demonstrated true leadership by “embracing a new era focused on the real-world challenges of today.” If Harris becomes president, “much will depend on who [she] appoints as the next USTR. She would be wise to keep Tai.”

Research and development for military solutions enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) is proceeding rapidly, but governance solutions to address concerns — such as issues with the availability and quality of training data sets — are lacking.

In this paper, Yasmin Afina and Sarah Grand-Clément provide a comprehensive look at data issues surrounding AI in the military domain. They examine data governance lessons and practices from civilian applications and then overview possible policy and governance approaches to data practices surrounding military AI to foster its responsible development, testing and deployment.

The involvement of the Canadian military and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces has been critical during yet another fierce wildfire season in Canada. Yet it also underscores a larger issue, as Andrew Heffernan argues: “Our existing military structures are not purpose-built for the complex challenges posed by climate change.” Further, “relying on military resources for routine disaster response risks straining these forces and potentially compromising their primary mission of defence.”

In this opinion, Heffernan makes the case that as we look ahead to the next wildfire season, “the scale and complexity of climate-driven crises demand a dedicated, purpose-built force.”

CIGI is seeking an Accounting Specialist, who will be responsible for several accounting functions within the Finance department. The application deadline is November 13.

Competition is also open until November 6 for a Multimedia Producer, who will work within the Public Affairs department and be responsible for the creation of multimedia content for CIGI’s channels.

Learn more about these opportunities and please share with your networks.