Google pauses Gemini’s image tool for people after anti-‘woke’ backlash
Tech giant says model is ‘missing the mark’ after controversy over failure to depict white people. Google has temporarily stopped its Gemini AI model from generating images of people following a backlash over its failure to depict white people. The search engine giant made the announcement on Thursday after Gemini users shared images created by the model that mostly featured people of colour, including scenes from history that only involved white people. “Gemini’s AI image generation does generate a wide range of people. And that’s generally a good thing because people around the world use it. But it’s missing the mark here,” Google said in a post on X. “We’re already working to address recent issues with Gemini’s image generation feature,” the tech giant added. “While we do this, we’re going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon.” It’s embarrassingly hard to get Google Gemini to acknowledge that white people exist pic.twitter.com/4lkhD7p5nR — Deedy (@debarghya_das) February 20, 2024 Gemini-generated images circulated on social media in recent days prompted widespread mockery and outrage, with some users accusing Google of being “woke” to the detriment of truth or accuracy. Among the images to attract criticism were a depiction of four Swedish women, none of whom were white, and scenes of Black and Asian Nazi soldiers. “It’s embarrassingly hard to get Google Gemini to acknowledge that white people exist,” Debarghya Das, the founding engineer of enterprise search startup Glean, said in a post on X accompanied by a number of images generated by Gemini. AI models have in the past also faced criticism for overlooking people of colour and perpetuating stereotypes in their results. Google, which has been racing to catch up with rival OpenAI since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, has suffered a number of setbacks in its rollout of AI products. Last year, the tech giant tech apologised after its AI chatbot Bard wrongly stated during a demo that the James Webb Space Telescope took the first pictures of a planet outside the solar system. Adblock test (Why?)
US pulls off first moon landing since 1972 with spacecraft Odysseus
Odysseus is the first spacecraft built by a private company to land on the lunar surface. The United States has pulled off its first lunar landing in more than half a century with a spacecraft built and operated by a Texas-based private company. Odysseus, an uncrewed robot lander built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines with funding from NASA, touched down near the lunar south pole at around 23:23 GMT, the company announced in a webcast on Thursday. The successful landing followed a tense final descent during which flight controllers had to switch to an untested landing system after a problem arose with the spacecraft’s autonomous navigation system. NASA administrator Bill Nelson described the landing as a “triumph for humanity” and a “new adventure in science, innovation and American leadership in space”. “Today, for the first time in half a century, the US has returned to the Moon,” Nelson said in a video posted on social media. “Today for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company, an American company, launched and led the voyage up there. And today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA’s commercial partnerships.” Today, for the first time in half a century, America has returned to the Moon 🇺🇸. On the eighth day of a quarter-million-mile voyage, @Int_Machines aced the landing of a lifetime. What a feat for IM, @SpaceX & @NASA. What a triumph for humanity. Odysseus has taken the Moon. pic.twitter.com/JwtCQmMS2K — Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) February 23, 2024 Intuitive Machines’ mission, the first successful lunar landing by a private firm, follows a failed bid by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology last month that ended with its lander crashing back to Earth. The last time a US spacecraft landed on the moon was in 1972 when Apollo 17 brought astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt to the lunar surface. Only four countries apart from the US have successfully landed on the moon. Japan last month became the fifth country to achieve the feat when it landed its so-called “Moon Sniper” spacecraft on the lunar surface, following in the footsteps of the former Soviet Union, China and India. Odysseus launched from Florida on February 15 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The hexagon-shaped craft carried NASA’s scientific instruments, including cameras and a device to analyse clouds of charged dust particles, and cargo shipped on behalf of private clients, including the latest insulating jacket fabric produced by Columbia Sportswear. Odysseus, which is solar-powered, is expected to operate for a week on the surface of the moon before the lunar night renders the lander inoperable. Adblock test (Why?)
US, European powers back outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte as next NATO head
Support of top NATO powers makes Rutte favourite to succeed current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in October. The United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany have all thrown their weight behind outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to become NATO’s next secretary general, at a crucial time for the alliance as Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on. Top NATO powers on Thursday backed Rutte to succeed current chair Jens Stoltenberg when he steps down in October, putting him in a strong position to win the leadership of the transatlantic alliance. Stoltenberg’s successor will take office at a crucial juncture, tasked with sustaining NATO members’ support for Ukraine’s costly defence while guarding against any escalation that would draw the alliance directly into a war with Moscow. “The United States has made it clear to our allies, our NATO allies, that we believe Mr Rutte would be an excellent secretary general for NATO,” US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told journalists on Thursday. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said the UK “does strongly back” Rutte, adding that the UK wanted a candidate who would “keep NATO strong and deliver on the alliance’s NATO 2030 vision”. The British Foreign Office also said Rutte was a well-respected figure across NATO, with serious defence and security credentials and who would ensure it remained strong and prepared for any need to defend itself. A senior French official told the Reuters news agency that President Emmanuel Macron had been an early supporter of putting Rutte in the role. And German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said on X that Rutte had Berlin’s backing, praising him as “an outstanding candidate”. Diplomats have said Rutte is the only official candidate for the post in the behind-the-scenes contest, although some said the name of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had also been floated in informal discussions recently. Other candidates may include Estonian Primer Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvia’s foreign minister, Krisjanis Karins. But with the support of Washington – the alliance’s predominant power – and the three big European nations and some 16 other NATO members, according to diplomats, Rutte is in a commanding position. However, some analysts believe he could face opposition from Turkey and Hungary. ‘Interesting’ job After ruling himself out for the NATO post in previous years, Rutte, 57, told Dutch media in October that running the military alliance was a “very interesting” job and he would be open to the prospect. The Netherlands’ longest-serving leader, Rutte has had good relationships with various British, European Union and US leaders – including Donald Trump – during his tenure. Set to run for a second term as US president later this year, Trump drew fierce criticism from Western officials earlier this month for calling into question his commitment to defending NATO allies if re-elected. At the weekend, Rutte urged European leaders to “stop moaning and whining and nagging” about Trump and focus instead on what they could do to bolster defence and help Ukraine. Founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, NATO is a political and military alliance of countries from North America and Europe. NATO leaders are appointed by consensus, meaning all members must consent to a final decision. The alliance currently has 31 members, with Sweden poised to join soon. Adblock test (Why?)
Rafah mosque flattened by Israeli airstrike
NewsFeed Israeli airstrikes flattened Al-Farooq Mosque in Rafah and destroyed several homes. Gaza health authorities say at least 97 people were killed by Israel in the last 24 hours. Published On 22 Feb 202422 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Jordan to ICJ: Israel’s occupation of Palestine must end
NewsFeed Jordan told the International Court of Justice that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is illegal and must end. Over 30 countries have now provided their arguments to the UN top court’s hearing into the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation. Published On 22 Feb 202422 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Ireland to ICJ: Israel exceeds reasonable use of force limits
NewsFeed Ireland argued before the International Court of Justice that Israel’s actions following the October 7 Hamas attacks exceed reason. In their argument to the hearing about legal consequences of Israeli occupation, Ireland added that it is dismayed by the current violence in Gaza and its wider implications for the peace process. Published On 22 Feb 202422 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Disillusioned about China’, more Chinese aim for US via risky Darien Gap
Necocli, Colombia – Shortly after 8am, about a dozen Chinese migrants rush out the doors of Mansion del Darien, a rundown hotel a few blocks from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, and pile into three tuk-tuks waiting on the street. “We’re full of Chinese people every day,” said the receptionist, Gabriela Fernandez, scurrying past the front desk with a clipboard in hand. “All the time, big groups of them are arriving and leaving together. It’s been like this for months.” Behind her, signs explaining the hotel prices and policies are written in Mandarin. Pots of spicy instant noodles imported from China are for sale next to bottles of water. Payments via the Chinese social media app WeChat are accepted. “They move along in their own separate world,” Fernandez said. The group of middle-aged travellers, wearing hats and carrying tents and walking poles, are dressed for a trek. But not everything quite adds up. Many are wearing lightweight Crocs footwear, and their small backpacks are wrapped in plastic bags. It is here in Necocli, a beach town near the border with Panama, that marks the starting point for crossing the Darien Gap, a region of dense and inhospitable jungle that has become a major migration route for those trying to reach the United States. In 2023, more than 500,000 migrants crossed the treacherous Darien, which is the only overland route from South to North America, according to data collected by the Panamanian government. Just over 25,000 of those migrants were Chinese, making them the fourth largest overall nationality and the largest outside of the Americas to making the crossing. “This is a new element that was not there in previous years,” said Giuseppe Loprete, head of mission in Panama for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN body that provides information for migrants crossing the Darien. “It’s a lot of people, and it’s a long way to come. For the smuggling networks, it’s big business.” Chinese migrants – unlike many of the other most common nationalities in the Darien, such as Venezuelans and Haitians – often take special “VIP” routes across the jungle that are led by guides working for the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest drug cartel, and are quicker and less strenuous for higher prices than the most basic routes. Through a combination of boat journeys, hikes and, in some cases, horseback rides either along the Caribbean or Pacific coast, they are able to make the crossing in a couple of days rather than the weeklong trip that cheaper routes usually take. Traffickers in Necocli told Al Jazeera that while the cheapest routes across the Darien cost about $350, the more direct routes along the Panamanian coast through towns such as Carreto and Coetupo and arriving at one of Panama’s migrant reception centres cost $850. A line of Chinese migrants waiting to depart on boats in Necocli [Peter Yeung/Al Jazeera] But in some cases – with journeys to the island of San Andres, which is just a few hours by boat from Nicaragua – the price is as much as $5,000. It can bring in tens of millions of dollars per month for the cartel. After all that spending, the migrants must head north through the rest of Central America, contending with corruption, theft and violence as they make their way to the US-Mexico border. ‘Why we want to go to the United States’ During a two-day visit in Necocli, Al Jazeera observed dozens of Chinese migrants preparing for the journey, including engineers, teachers and computer programmers. Waiting on the beach to leave on a boat to Panama with a friend, Wu Xiaohua, 42, said he opted to take one of those quicker journeys because he is eager to arrive in the US and start work as soon as possible. Originally from Hunan province, Xiaohua moved to Shanghai to work as a taxi driver, but since the pandemic, life has been a struggle. “There are major problems in our country’s economy,” he said. ‘We have no choice but to survive. That’s why we want to go to the United States.” “Our requirements are very simple: We can afford medical treatment, have a place to live, our children can afford to go to school and our family can be safe.” One migrant, Huang, who asked to share only her surname, said she left Beijing two months ago after China’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns ended her employment as a masseuse, leaving her barely able to survive day to day. “I sold everything that I had,” Huang said. “We were treated like caged animals.” Chinese migrants are led in a group to begin the trek [Peter Yeung/Al Jazeera] The huge spike in Chinese people making the journey across the Darien – a journey now so popular it is known in Mandarin as “zouxian”, or walking the line — has been driven by the Chinese government’s COVID-19 lockdowns, increasingly rigid rule and the recent flatlining of China’s once-imperious economy. “It’s down to political and economic uncertainties,” said Min Zhou, a professor of sociology and Asian-American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. “There has been a downturn in the Chinese economy. People have become unemployed, and there’s discontentment about the government’s tight policies.” Ai Weiwei, a dissident artist and activist who fled China in 2015 due to repression, told Al Jazeera that the phenomenon is a sign of declining trust in the government. “Normally in China, ordinary people are very reluctant to leave their homes,” he said. “This phenomenon of people going through the agony of climbing through the rainforest, dragging their children with them, is the first of its kind to be seen.” ‘Chinese migrants are particularly vulnerable’ More than 37,000 Chinese citizens were arrested for illegally crossing the southern border of the US in 2023, according to US Customs and Border Protection. That number is nearly 10 times the total in 2022 and more than double that of the entire previous decade. The journey from China can take months of cross-continental travel
Canadian white supremacist who killed Muslim family gets life sentence
The judge in the case said Nathaniel Veltman’s attack represented an act of ‘terrorism’. A Canadian white supremacist who deliberately ran over four members of a Muslim family has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders. Nathaniel Veltman, 23, was convicted in November of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the attack that shocked Canada Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife, Madiha Salman, 44; their daughter Yumnah, 15; and Afzaal’s mother, Talat, 74, were killed. The couple’s nine-year-old son suffered serious injuries but survived. The family had been out for a walk near their home in the town of London, Ontario, at the time of the attack. The judge in the case said Veltman’s attack represented an act of terrorism, the first time that the term has been used to describe white nationalist violence. “I find that the offender’s actions constitute terrorist activity,” Judge Renee Pomerance of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice said at this sentencing on Thursday. The 2021 attack was the worst against Canadian Muslims since a man gunned down six members of a Quebec City mosque in 2017. Prosecutors noted Veltman had written a manifesto in which he outlined hatred of Islam and opposition to mass immigration and multiculturalism. Shortly after the assault, Veltman said, “I did it. I killed those people.” Veltman pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder. His defence, citing what it called Veltman’s mental challenges, said the actions amounted to a lesser charge of manslaughter. Adblock test (Why?)
Palestine: Transfer
People & Power investigates whether the permanent transfer of Palestinians from Gaza is Israel’s ultimate goal. Israel’s war on Gaza has displaced nearly two million Palestinians since October 2023. A majority of them are sheltering in the southernmost city of Rafah. Now, with the threat of an Israeli ground offensive on the area and calls by some Israeli politicians to permanently expel Palestinians from the Strip, fears are growing of yet another forced population transfer. An Israeli minister has even called the current war the “Gaza Nakba”, referring to the devastating forced displacement of Palestinians in 1948-1949. Meanwhile, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank say the Israeli army and illegal settlers are waging a less visible but equally dangerous shadow war there. People and Power delves into the history of Palestinian displacement and asks whether population transfer is Israel’s ultimate goal. Adblock test (Why?)
China to ICJ: Palestine has ‘inalienable right’ to armed resistance
NewsFeed Palestinian ‘use of force to resist oppression is an inalienable right’ and cannot be equated with terrorism. China used examples of international conventions to defend the Palestinian struggle for self-determination in its presentation to the UN’s top court. Published On 22 Feb 202422 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)