In a move that feels equal parts science fiction and dystopian,  Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency has just unveiled their “A.I” news anchor. The anchor is nothing more than program that learns human speech patterns and cadences and uses that information to read back a script it had been provided. Appearing on screen as a perfectly manicured, stoic man, the A.I. looks strangely human apart from its mouth that moves in frankly a completely unhuman and uncanny way. Apart from its appearance its voice is another source of criticism. Sounding like a strange mix of GLaDOS from Portal and like the vocal equivalent of a ransom note made from letters cut from a magazine, the A.I. “mimics” human speech in a way not much better than Siri does on your iPhone. In these respects the A.I. news anchor is amusing and funny, but in other ways the emergence of this technology is deeply troubling.

China as a nation has an issue with free speech. Individuals who speak against the dominant party often find themselves in prison or facing other consequences as in the case of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who found his studio demolished by the party after many years of speaking out against them. The A.I. news anchor is just another step towards the complete demolition of free speech. The anchor does not make decisions, knows no morals, asks no questions. It is able to run twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, pumping out the news as it has been approved by the government. It is in all respects the perfect mouth piece.

Besides the obvious ethical issues that arise from replacing new anchors with A.I. I think the thing that most bothers me are the theoretical issues. These A.I. news anchors are pure reference without referent, there is no center to be held but rather a simulation based in an unreality.  The onset of simulated humanity into televised culture represents pure post-modern paranoia to its most fulfilled potential. It honestly terrifies me.

-Tim Caston

Let’s Review the 2018 Midterm Elections!

An estimated 115 million Americans went out last Tuesday and cast their vote for democracy. This Election Day experienced the highest voter turnout for a midtermImage result for voting election in nearly fifty years! This was apparent in how narrow many contentious races were across the country. For instance, Ted Cruz beat Beto O’ Rourke with a mere 219,427 votes; this was out of 8.3 million total voters. In Florida, the gubernatorial race between  Ron DeSantis, a former Republican Congressman, and his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum was brought to the state’s first recount.

Furthermore, Democrats took over the House by flipping 32 seats, while Republicans maintained control over the Senate, with a gain of two Senate seats. Spectacularly, across the board, this country elected the most diverse group of candidates into Congress for the first time in its history. Across the country, more than 100 women were elected into the House of Representatives. Two Native American women, Deb Haaland of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas, were elected into Congress for the first time in history!

This new Congress may prove to be a positive direction for moving into 2019. With the Democrats taking over the House and the election of a more diverse Congress, this country may for once achieve a higher degree of representation for its constituents. Moreover, the Executive Branch is long overdue for the legislative branch’s checks and balances.

This victory for democracy, however, should not clout the many experiences of voter suppression and questionable ballot initiatives that were put forth on Election Day. In New York State multiple polling locations experienced late openings, long wait lines, and jammed ballot counting machines. The gubernatorial race in Georgia between Brian Kemp, the Republican nominee and the secretary of state, and the Democratic nominee, Stacey Abrams famously was rife with various forms of voter suppression efforts.

In West Virginia and Anti-Abortion Ballot Measure was approved by 51.7%, it read:

Amendment 1: No Right to Abortion

The state’s Constitution would be amended to state that a woman’s right to an abortion is not protected in West Virginia, paving the way for the State Legislature to ban the procedure outright if the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Measures like these are incredibly troublesome for it not only directly and disproportionately restricts the individual choice of a female over her own body, but it is in direct opposition to a Supreme Court decision. It is a measure that should be of concern to many Americans being that Justice Bret Kavanaugh was appointed by President Trump with the intention that he was inclined to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“If we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that will happen. And that will happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court.”

Election Day was a great win for all Americans, no matter who you voted for. But Election Day was only one battle, in the midst of the greater war, that is, preserving democracy. Just because November 6th passed, does not mean that you get to become lazy and complacent. Stay informed and stay active.

-Justine Mekonen