Digital vaccine passports could deny people services due to algorithmic decisions, experts warn

Mar19
by on March 19, 2021 at 7:05 pm
Posted In: Insider


Digital vaccine passports could provide a path back to our pre-pandemic lives, but the route of return is an ethical minefield. China, Israel, and Bahrain have already begun rolling out digital vaccine certificates. On Wednesday, the EU announced its plan to join them. In theory, the passes can provide evidence that someone is safe to travel, return to the office, or enter leisure venues. But critics fear they will exacerbate inequalities and compromise data privacy. They also worry that even inoculated people can spread COVID-19. One of their biggest concerns involves the rollout of vaccines. People who get their jabs first — such as older…

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Beware of biased vaccine distribution algorithms

Mar18
by on March 18, 2021 at 9:18 pm
Posted In: artificial intelligence, Podium


As the sheer logistical challenge of distributing vaccines to over 300 million Americans looms large, institutions are furiously developing algorithms to assist the rollout. The promise: that technology will enable us to allocate a limited number of doses efficiently — to the highest priority groups, and free of human error.  Vaccine distribution algorithms have already been deployed in many places. In December 2020, researchers at Stanford University rolled out a system that ranked individuals in its 20,000-plus strong community by priority. Around that time, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed it had partnered with the data-analysis firm…

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Android 12’s second developer preview finally adds a one-handed mode

Mar17
by on March 17, 2021 at 8:32 pm
Posted In: Insider, Plugged


Android 12‘s second developer preview is out just a month after the first, and it includes a bevy of updates. While we’ll probably have to wait until a consumer-friendly public beta for the juiciest new bits, we’re already seeing some interesting new additions as Google’s next OS takes shape. One of the most notable new features is a built-in one-handed mode. Although the first preview of Android 12 included this feature in its code, it wasn’t readily accessible in Settings, making it uncertain whether it was a feature Google was committing to. But as noted by Android Police, the feature…

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