SIIA expresses concerns about another lawsuit the Department of Justice filed today against an iconic American company – Apple – claiming it has violated the Sherman Act by blocking rivals’ access to the hardware and software features that make the iPhone unique.
You can read the full statement here.
Center Square published an Op-Ed: Kids Online Safety Act doesn’t answer call to protect kids, written by Paul Lekas, SIIA’s Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy.
Fostering a safe online environment for kids and teens should be a paramount concern for families, educators, and society at large. However – despite the President’s State of the Union call to “protect our children online” – the latest revamp of the Kids Online Safety Act still fails to meet the moment.
You can read the full article here.
The strength of AI is its ability to recognize patterns and generate information that helps humans make decisions. Doing that successfully requires robust datasets and finely tuned algorithms to recognize patterns across the data to generate accurate predictions. Yet predictions made by image generators and large language models are of limited value if they do not match user intentions or reflect unintended bias.
We saw this play out when Google initially released its image generation feature for its AI tool, Gemini. It was, admittedly, not ready for prime time, creating images that were inaccurate and, as the company described, its results were sometimes overcautious. Once the problem surfaced, Google made a responsible decision to swiftly remove the Gemini feature that generates images of people from the public domain.
Gemini was not the first AI product to be released prematurely. Remember Tay – one of Microsoft’s first forays into AI: In less than twenty-four hours, Tay’s Twitter account began to regurgitate racist and antisemitic comments it had found online.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT also experienced issues. At launch, users reported ChatGPT’s tendency to confidently report inaccurate information, and experts found cybersecurity and privacy threats in the model. At the time, however, OpenAI and Microsoft chose to make adjustments while enabling access to the tool, thus allowing the American public to essentially participate in the testing stage.
Plenty of other AI tools have amplified stereotypes without acknowledging their errors. Amplifying stereotypes and bias rather than presenting generated content that is patently at odds with our notions of reality is much harder to detect, and may cause less of a stir. But that sort of output should be no less problematic.
This leads, of course, to the question of what to do once these problems arise.
Responsible industry practice demands that firms proactively address problems and attack them head-on. For example, we would expect AI developers to identify potential cyber risks associated with AI and invest in ensuring that bad actors cannot employ cyber-attacks to expose private personal information and business secrets. We would also expect a certain degree of civic responsibility, for example by limiting answers to election-related queries. The responsible deployment of generative AI requires both taking preventative measures before release, but also as we discover the need to tweak these products to address potential concerns as they arise to ensure AI tools match our current reality.
That is exactly what Google did with Gemini. Although errors occurred, what happens in the aftermath matters. Google quickly removed the problematic Gemini feature from public access. However, overblowing the response to mistakes in new AI products with calls for heavy-handed regulations carries the risk of reducing competition in the tech industry and stifling innovation. Gemini’s rollout was far from perfect, but we should avoid overcorrecting on policy and vilifying responsible companies that are treating this complicated technology with care.
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 — The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) is pleased to reveal the finalists for the Innovation Showcase 2024, powered by Cambium Learning. This year, ten promising education technology companies have been recognized for their positive impact on teaching and learning, marking a significant milestone in educational innovation.
The SIIA Innovation Showcase, known as the Stepping Stone to the CODiE Awards, stands as a dynamic platform that unites entrepreneurs with industry leaders, experts, and visionaries. It is a time-honored tradition that provides a clear path to the premier education industry awards – The CODiEs.
“The Innovation Showcase powered by Cambium Learning mentors and celebrates innovators/startups earning less than $1M/year who have made a positive impact, demonstrated achievement, conducted groundbreaking research, and shown exemplary leadership within the specialized education industry,” said Sonya Roccia, Vice President, CODiE Awards. “The 2024 Finalists represent some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs in the industry.”
As the voice of Education Technology, SIIA connects those who drive the global economy, shape financial networks, and foster educational connections. Cambium Learning Group, a scaled leader in K-12 education, partners with SIIA to amplify these voices through the SIIA CODiE Awards. Our shared commitment extends to recognizing and applauding those pushing the industry forward which naturally includes The SIIA Innovation Showcase powered by Cambium Learning, the Stepping Stone to the CODiES.
The significant impact of the Cambium community in the K-12 education ecosystem outlines a clear course forward for deeper and broader support and an authentic approach that embodies our shared commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives.
“In conjunction with our purpose of helping all teachers and students feel seen, valued, and supported, Cambium focuses on the intersection of education’s greatest needs and the greatest opportunities to make an impact on those needs through technology,” said John Jorgenson, CMO of Cambium Learning. “To make that kind of impact, we are committed to innovation and diversity and equity. This year’s Innovation Showcase finalists embody qualities that are sure to help lead the way forward and we are proud to play a part in highlighting their efforts.”
The two categories awarded are “Most Innovative Start-Up” and “Best Solution for DEIB”.
The Finalists for the 2024 Innovation Showcase powered by Cambium Learning are:
These companies represent the next wave of pioneers in the education technology sector, embodying innovation and excellence. The winner of the Innovation Showcase powered by Cambium Learning will be announced during the live, virtual CODiE Awards Winner Celebration at 2pm EST on May 21, 2024.
For more information about the CODiE Awards and the Innovation Showcase, visit https://siia.net/codie/innovation/
About SIIA
SIIA is an umbrella association representing 500+ technology, data and media companies globally. Industry leaders work through SIIA’s divisions to address issues and challenges that impact their industry segments with the goal of driving innovation and growth for the industry and each member company. This is accomplished through in-person and online business development opportunities, peer networking, corporate education, intellectual property protection and government relations. For more information, visit siia.net.
About Cambium Learning Group
Cambium Learning Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued, and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now.
To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The Cambium family of brands includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia®, Learning A-Z®, Voyager Sopris Learning®, ExploreLearning®, Time4Learning®, and Kurzweil Education®.
For media and sponsorship inquiries, please contact:
Sonya Roccia, VP, Awards & Events
SIIA
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