This week, we begin with an article about how new AI algorithms will randomise controlled trials to minimise the predictive power of future decisions. Next, we have a piece on how Los Angeles is democratising open data access by preparing for the public launch of the Know Your Community platform. The following article discusses how scientists have developed a new technique for tracking the movement of ocean microplastics from space using NASA satellite data. Following that, we have an article about DreamHost, the world’s largest web server, which had a database leak that exposed the personal details of 815 million customers. Next is a piece that discusses how geolocation data is enhancing investment returns by enabling companies to develop more robust trading capabilities. Finally, we have a survey that shows how companies still confront challenges in data integrity and regulatory compliance.
We Should Test AI The Way The FDA Tests Medicines
Predictive algorithms risk creating self-fulfilling prophecies, reinforcing preexisting biases. This is largely because it does not distinguish between causation and correlation. To prevent this, we should submit new algorithms to randomized controlled trials, similar to those the FDA supervises when approving new drugs. This would enable us to infer whether an AI is making predictions on the basis of causation.
L.A. is ‘Democratizing’ Open Data With New Community Platform
A new platform from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office is localizing the city’s troves of demographic and 311 data and “democratizing” access to data in the process, officials told StateScoop. The platform was soft-launched last August by a team led by Preston Mills, community data manager for the mayor’s data team. Mill said the platform uses data already available on the city’s open data portal, but provides it in easily digestible graphics.
Scientists Use NASA Satellite Data to Track Ocean Microplastics From Space
Scientists from the University of Michigan have developed an innovative way to use NASA satellite data to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic in the ocean. Microplastics form when plastic trash in the ocean breaks down from the sun’s rays and the motion of ocean waves. These small flecks of plastic are harmful to marine organisms and ecosystems.
DreamHost Database Leak Exposed 815 Million Records of Customer Data
Jeremiah Fowler and Website Planet security researchers discovered an unsecured database containing close to 1 billion records from one of the world’s largest web hosts, DreamHost. The exposed customer data was up to three years old, ranging from March 24, 2018 to April 16, 2021. It was unclear how long the database was publicly accessible.
How Geolocation Data Is Boosting Investment Returns
In the dogged pursuit of maximising investment returns, the procurement of alternative data—that is, data from non-traditional sources—is no longer a niche practice. On the contrary, something of an arms race has developed over the last few years among investment firms, each keen to get its hands on the most inaccessible yet most insightful data available. Indeed, this type of data is transforming the very nature of investment firms, pushing them to develop more robust quantitative trading capabilities.
82% Execs See Data Integrity As A Core Challenge for Enterprises: Precisely Study
Data is the lifeblood for companies when it comes to making decisions. An increasing number of companies are using data to make critical decisions about product development, marketing, advertising, and more. However, for data to be beneficial to the organization, it should be of high quality. The higher the quality of data, the more effective decisions organizations can make.
Source: https://mailchi.mp/zigram/data-asset-weekly-dispatch_05_july_3
