Industry News
SELECTED ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE MEDIA COMMUNITY
Voters Say AI Is Moving Too Fast
A new poll shows that almost three-quarters of American voters want the development of Artificial Intelligence to slow down. An even larger number -- 82% -- don't trust AI companies to regulate themselves. These findings are at odds with efforts by many social media and tech companies which, despite some talk of welcoming regulation, have already embraced AI for commercial purposes and have in fact advocated for little or no government involvement. The poll, conducted by data analytics firm YouGov for the AI Policy Institute, surveyed 1,000 Americans of various ages, genders, and political affiliations. Most respondents (73%) were white and did not have a college degree. Concern about the potential harmful impact of AI technology on elections, especially by the spreading of disinformation, is one reason voters favor caution on its use.
Read more of the Vox story here.
#media #strategy #consulting
Researchers Give Facebook a Smiley Face
An Oxford Internet Institute study found no conclusive evidence to support the widely-held belief that Facebook is linked to widespread psychological harm. On the contrary, researchers concluded that Facebook use may actually contribute to "positive well-being." Believed to be the largest independent scientific study ever conducted, the Oxford analysis used well-being and usage data collected during 12 years from nearly one million people in 72 countries. Facebook provided data but did not commission or fund the study. Other findings included:
- A small but significant correlation between Facebook use and positive well-being was seen in younger individuals.
- A slightly more positive correlation between use and well-being for males than females was found but was deemed insignificant.
- The results align with previous Oxford research which found that over time technology use has not become increasingly associated with negative psychological outcomes.
Read more about the Oxford study here.
#media #strategy #consulting
“Streak” feature creates a winning streak
The language learning app Duolingo has significantly boosted its daily active user count to 17 million (in June), with its streak feature largely credited for the upswing. While education apps have generally seen a decline in downloads, two other language-learning apps, Busuu and Drops, also experienced significant increases in user engagement and overall app usage after introducing a streak tracking feature. According to a Business of Apps story, while it's still unclear to what extent other types of applications would benefit, it's likely that introducing well-designed streak features would enhance user loyalty and increase app performance in any field.
Read more of the Business of Apps story here.
#media #strategy #consulting
