THE LATEST thought — or lack of thought — from the Donald Trump team is that some child care subsidies should be available only to children of married couples.
It would seem obvious that those who need these subsidies are likely to include more single parents than the general population. So, once again, it is the less well-off who will miss out.
The other concern is the notion that a “married couple” constitutes the only legitimate family. That definition is long out of date, inaccurate and plainly offensive. I was raised at a time when two-parent families were more common, but even then, the concept of family extended to uncles, aunts, trusted neighbours and family friends.
What about changing circumstances — death, divorce, families in which one parent might be serving overseas, or cases where a parent has never been part of the child’s life?
Too many questions, too few answers and too many children who will miss out on much-needed support.
It does take a village to raise a child.
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A revealing brush stroke
Is it the robots or an artificial intelligence (AI) toothbrush that is going to destroy civilisation? A $AU799 toothbrush might just be the knife that stabs us. It’s not about what the AI toothbrush can do, but the simple fact that it exists. It shows that some people have too much money and science is their willing servant.
This is just another AI device, but it is one that normally travels with you everywhere you go. The question is: can it be hacked? Can conversations or video be sent to other “spies”? And if not — which is likely the current reality — how long before someone develops that capability? If it has GPS capability, people could be tracked, or criminals could know when they are away from home.
Cyborg Arnie did have good teeth.
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10 out of 10 is a failure
The fake accommodation bookings for the United Kingdom Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street may seem like a fun prank that exposes the lack of verification on many sites, but such vulnerabilities could easily be weaponised.
The real problem is that many such sites are open to pranks, scams and even malicious actions. Too many people are being bullied or scammed because almost anyone can operate “anonymously,” with victims having little means of redress. The bullying of young people, for example, could be reduced if posters could be properly identified.
If you are lucky enough to spend a week at No. 10, could you please remember to feed Larry the cat?
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Does AI know the truth?
It seems that more and more job applications are being submitted online, with AI then deciding whom it likes best.
It might be wise to make sure you mention that you are a regular AI user. Soon, we may reach the stage where AI makes the final decision on who is best for the position — only to decide that AI itself can do the job just as well.
Many, if not all, people “enhance” their résumés with achievements designed to get them noticed. Conversational language skills become fluency; knowing what a spreadsheet is becomes expertise in Excel. There should be a requirement for the truth and nothing but the truth.
If your résumé isn’t getting you that job, put in something that will get noticed. A friend included his “U13 Sports Most Improved Player” award. Probably not a useful qualification in most offices, but people noticed it. AI might notice it, too, simply because very few applicants would think to mention it.
Good luck with the search — or the search engine.
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A fine fine
The news that Meta will pay a fine of $US24 billion has been seen as a significant step in recognising the effects of social media platforms, but is it enough?
To me, $24 billion is an amount beyond comprehension. But to companies of this size, is it merely another line item in their budgets?
Generally, a crime involving childhood addiction would result in significant jail time rather than just a financial penalty.
A more consequential punishment could be remarkably simple: turn the site off for an hour each time something inappropriate happens and is not remedied within a reasonable but short period.
Maybe the site would rarely be live, but fewer children would be harmed.
Change the algorithm and let young minds go free./PN
