Copy, paste, govern: Microsoft ghostwrote EU policy that keeps data centers’ energy use secret

The EU Commission’s policy on data centers keeps information on the energy and water use of individual centers under wraps. Research by Corporate and Europe Observatory and AlgorithmWatch, published by Investigate Europe, reveals the Commission copied and pasted an amendment suggested by Microsoft and the lobby group Digital Europe. The aim: To prevent NGOs from obtaining information on energy-hungry data centers in the face of growing resistance.

AlgorithmWatch’s guidelines to use generative AI responsibly

Whether you use ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, Copilot or Perplexity – generative AI poses massive problems: many results are inaccurate and politically problematic, the systems’ energy and water consumption is enormous. At the same time, they have become an integral part of everyday life. AlgorithmWatch has developed guidelines to help use generative AI responsibly.

Sexualized images on X: What we are doing to stop them and what we expect from the EU

X’s Grok chatbot is the focus of yet another scandal after generating pictures of real people in bikinis, without their consent, including children. But the problem of AI-generated sexual images without consent on X goes much further than Grok — and X blocked our research to address the problem. The EU Commission needs to step up their game to protect people from this kind of violence.

Position Paper

Focus Attention on Accountability for AI − not on AGI and Longtermist Abstractions

Many tech CEOs and scientists praise AI as the savior of humanity, while others see it as an existential threat. We explain why both fail to address the real questions of responsibility.

Report algorithmic discrimination!

When we apply for credit, apartments, or jobs online, companies increasingly use automated systems to process our data and make decisions that impact our daily lives. The problem: Such systems are not neutral and can reproduce inequalities and assumptions about people that already exist in society. What can we do to ensure that the use of non-transparent automated systems does not lead to people being disadvantaged? We need to make algorithmic discrimination visible, and you can help us with it!

Let’s Stop Nudification Apps Together!

Non-consensual nudity services are a horrifying use of AI. AlgorithmWatch is trying to use the EU’s Digital Services Act to limit the spread of non-consensual nudity services on social media and app stories. But platforms like X are standing in our way. What are our next steps and how you can help

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