AI Economics for Dummies

AI Economics for Dummies by Andrew Singleton

As AI companies get ready to go public and we get a deeper look at their inner workings, it’s only natural to have questions about their finances, like “Do they make money?” and “How?” In this article by Andrew Singleton are a few examples to help the average layperson understand the business side of AI.

How to Organize Safely in the Age of Surveillance

 (From Wired Magazine: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-organize-safely-in-the-age-of-surveillance/)

1. Decide What to Protect

The first step to safer and more surveillance-resistant organizing is what digital security experts and organizers call “threat modeling”: Gaming out what potential adversaries might seek to surveil and what needs to be protected. That means creating clear delineations around what information can be public or which conversations can happen on less private platforms, versus which aspects of your organizing must stay secret. You’ll almost certainly need a mix of both approaches.

2. Lock Down Your Communications

The core, default tool for text and voice communications recommended by every activist and security expert WIRED spoke to remains the encrypted messenger Signal. That’s because Signal is end-to-end encrypted—meaning that only the phones or PCs of the participants in a conversation can decrypt its communications—and it’s battle-tested, free, open source, popular, and simple enough to allow seamless onboarding of new members of an organization.

3. Use Secure Collaboration Tools

Organizations with a big budget can pay to implement an enterprise “client side” encryption scheme, using a platform like Google Docs but managing the encryption keys for their data with a third party like Virtru, so Google or another platform provider is shut out. For regular people who can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars a year on such a setup, though, experts say there’s still a place in most threat models for normal, unencrypted Google Docs—as long as you understand the risks.

“Will Google hand over your data to the feds if they serve them with a subpoena? Yes. Is it still basically a functional tool for the thing that you're trying to do? Yeah,” says Evan Greer, the director of nonprofit advocacy group Fight for the Future. “And would I tell you to switch to some cool open-source alternative in the middle of the fight? Not necessarily. We're in a crisis moment right now. I want organizers out there fighting and organizing, not figuring out how to configure their email.”

The good news is that, if you do need to prioritize security in collaboration tools without the expense of an enterprise client-side encryption setup, there’s a growing list of cheaper options that are still safer than the mainstream, consumer cloud. The Switzerland-based company Proton offers a suite of end-to-end encrypted tools, including its flagship email service Proton Mail as well as Docs, Sheets, Calendar, and Drive.

(A note here about the Proton Mail part of that suite of tools: Keep in mind that if you use it, your emails are only end-to-end encrypted when messaging with other Proton Mail accounts. If you email a Gmail account from Proton Mail, your message is treated like any other on Google’s end. Better to stick with Signal, which isn’t interoperable with messaging platforms that aren’t end-to-end encrypted, so it’s harder to make a mistake that exposes your communications.)

Free Proton accounts come with 1 GB of storage, and the company offers $13- and $20-per-month plans that include more storage and other features like expanded account protection. Proton also has business products for large organizations. (For cloud storage, another Swiss company called Tresorit offers an end-to-end encrypted option that’s not open source, but that some experts recommended.)

4. Meet IRL Safely

If you’re in the same region as people you’re organizing with, does it make sense to bypass all of these digital gymnastics and just hang out? In many cases the answer is a resounding yes, experts told WIRED—but there are caveats here, too. First you should do the same threat model evaluation for in-person meetings that you did for your digital organizing: Is the association between you and the people you would be meeting already public? Or is it a secret that you know each other and work together? Carry out this same evaluation for the location where you would meet and anywhere else you would go together, just as you would for where and how you host sensitive data.

If you cannot be spotted together or be seen coming or going from a secret or sensitive location, meeting in person may not offer privacy benefits. You could be observed by bystanders, followed by law enforcement, or tracked via cell phone data, surveillance cameras, face recognition, automatic license plate readers, or any of the myriad ways that you can be surveilled in the physical world.

Just as with your threat model assessment for your data, there are no doubt plenty of situations where your affiliation is already public or non-sensitive—meeting people you know from your neighborhood, for example, or people you regularly volunteer with through a religious group, labor union, or other non-secret organization. If you can be seen together without giving away anything sensitive, experts emphasize that in-person meeting is one of the most valuable and potentially secure ways to collaborate.

5. Assess, Then Act

The truth, says Distribute Aid’s Taylor Fairbank, is that all organizing that runs counter to the interests of the powerful, digital or physical, carries a threat of surveillance and its consequences. “There's always going to be some inherent risk to helping other people, unfortunately,” says Fairbank. “That's the reality that we live in, so think about what you're doing. Build your own threat model. And if you're not willing to accept the inherent risks of doing something, then don't do it.”

By Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman

Know Your Rights Training

 

On June 14th, while President Trump's military parade takes place in the capitol, communities across the country will mobilize en masse for the No Kings national day of action- standing in bold defiance of any attacks on our rights. 

Before you mobilize- join the ACLU's Know Your Rights Training. This training will prepare you to show up safely and confidently at this nonviolent action. Whether you're marching, rallying, or supporting from the sidelines, you'll learn how to protect yourself, your community, and stand up for your rights. 

WHAT: June Know Your Rights Training

WHEN: Tuesday, June 10th at 7 PM ET

WHERE: On Zoom - RSVP for the link!

You Are Not Alone

More than 10 million men and women experience sexual assault and domestic abuse each year, estimates the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). You are not alone and what you are going through is not your fault. Here is a list of resources for survivors.

National Hotlines
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233 (SAFE)
www.ndvh.org

National Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-4673 (HOPE)
www.rainn.org

National Dating Abuse Helpline
866-331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org

Pathways to Safety International
833-723-3833 (833-SAFE-833) (international and toll-free)
www.pathwaystosafety.org

National Center for Victims of Crime
855-484-2846 (4-VICTIM)
www.victimsofcrime.org

The following is a list of culturally specific hotlines. 

Deaf Abused Women’s Network (DAWN)
email: hotline@deafdawn.org
202-559-5366 (video relay services)
www.deafdawn.org

National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities
a project of Casa de Esperanza
800-799-7233 (national)
651-646-5553 (Minnesota)
www.nationallatinonetwork.org

The National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project
202-274-4457
www.niwap.org

National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center

855-649-7299 (toll-free)
www.niwrc.org

Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence
415-954-9988
www.apiidv.org

Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence (CAAAV)
212- 473-6485
www.caaav.org

Manavi
732-435-1414
www.manavi.org

Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community
651-331-6555
www.idvaac.org

The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
800-799-7233
www.ujimacommunity.org

National LGBTQ Task Force
202-393-5177
www.thetaskforce.org

The Northwest Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse
206-568-7777
www.nwnetwork.org

Outside of calling a hotline, many survivors often need legal resources. While advocates can often connect you to an agency that provides legal services, here are some individuals you can contact directly.

Legal support American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence
202-662-1000
www.abanet.org/domviol

Battered Women’s Justice Project
800-903-0111
www.bwjp.org

Legal Momentum
212-925-6635
www.legalmomentum.org

WomensLaw.org
www.womenslaw.org

National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
800-903-0111 x 3
www.ncdbw.org

Legal Network for Gender Equity
www.nwlc.org

Mental Health Talk/Text Support for Everyone

 

GET HELP NOW 

If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical emergency, poses an immediate threat to themselves or others, or is being hurt by someone, call 911 for immediate help.

 

CRISIS PHONE NUMBERS

 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7

1-800-273-8255

Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio 24/7

1-888-628-9454

 

Crisis Support Services of Alameda County 24/7

1-800-309-2131

 

Youth & Family Services Counseling - Hayward Police Dept

M-Th 9am-7pm, Fri 9am-5:30pm

510-293-7048

 

Childhelp® Child Abuse Prevention 24/7

1-800-422-4453

 

National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7

1-800-799-7233

 

Trevor Project 24/7 Crisis Line (LGBTQ+ youth)

1-866-488-7386

 

*Trans Lifeline 7am-2am

1-877-565-8860

*Trans and questioning folx can call and talk to a trans person

 

CRISIS TEXT LINES

 

Crisis Text Line 24/7

Text HOME to 741741

 

Crisis Text Line Para español 24/7

 Textea AYUDA al 741741

 

Alameda County Teen Text Line 

English: 4-11pm, all 7 days

Text SAFE to 20121 

Para español: 5pm-9pm, Martes - Viernes

Textea SEGURO al 20121

 

Trevor Project Textline 24/7

Text START to 678678

 

Trevor Chat 24/7 for instant messaging

California Has A Free Website for Legal Help

 LawHelpCA is California’s official and free legal resource.

LawHelpCA has been prepared for general information purposes only. It does not provide direct legal advice but can connect you to legal aid organizations and referral services. The resource has information about common legal issues, written by reputable sources on 16 general topics and over 140 specific subtopics. 

The information on LawHelpCA comes from Government agencies, Legal aid organizations, California courts, and Non-profit organizations.

Surveillance Self-Defense

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit defending digital privacy and free speech, has developed online guides to protect you from online spying.

Surveillance Self-Defense includes tips and tools for how to have safer online communications including how to keep your passwords safe, encrypt your private communications, protect your online devices from hackers, avoid phishing attacks, and how to browse online anonymously.

Resources for Parents from California Courts

Parenting Resources

Find about resources that may be available in your community to help you in parenting your children during your separation.

Limited Scope Representation and Legal Technology

According to Sarah Castelhano Cassady's article, The Changing Landscape of California’s Legal Practice and Revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct. How Limited Scope Representation and the Growth of Technology in the Legal Field Just May Jump Start Access for Underrepresented Californians, over the past thirty years, access to legal services in California and across the United States has sharply declined. "While corporate entities continue to benefit from legal services, and have in fact increased their retention of legal services over time, the representation of individuals in legal disputes has declined, leaving California courts overwhelmed with historically high numbers of self-represented parties."

According to a study commissioned by the State Bar, legal services access could be improved by attorneys entering the "gig economy" to connect with clients. A cost-saving benefit to clients is to obtain discrete services from an attorney that is tailored to the client's needs as opposed to the expense of full-service representation by an attorney. 

Under the model of "unbundling" services (called "limited scope representation"), attorneys may offer services such as document preparation, legal research, or the drafting and filing of a complaint (as many Superior Courts in California permit or even require electronic filing) virtually from any location. And clients would be able to work with attorneys from their own home at their leisure.

To facilitate limited scope representation, the State Bar adopted a new Rule 1.2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. According to Rule 1.2, the attorney may provide limited scope or "unbundled" services if: (1) the limited scope representation of the client is reasonable under the circumstances; (2) it is not otherwise prohibited; and (3) the client gives informed consent.

An attorney still has a duty to meet competency requirements and must follow other requirements according to the Rules (acting with diligence, appropriate skill and education, limitations on business transactions with clients, restrictions on an attorney's representation after forming a client relationship, etc.).

Under my own practice, limited scope representations make up close to 75% of my clients, and when a prospective client is looking for legal services, learning the cost to prepare a legal document will be $400 sounds much less alarming than hearing $200 per hour. Generally, with limited scope representation I am able to estimate the costs of representation to receive fair payment for my work, and my clients know up front the total fee for the work they need.

Families Change

Families Change is a website of resources developed by the California Courts to help parents, teens, and children cope with separation and divorce. The site contains free guides and courses that help parents make decisions that are in the best interests of their children.

Why Do Pro Bono?

A Message from American Bar Endowment.

Why do pro bono?
Obviously, the primary reason to do pro bono work is to help those less fortunate who may have a serious need for your legal skills and knowledge. When you decided to become a lawyer you likely had a desire to promote justice and to make it equally accessible to all people.
Pro bono work clearly helps accomplish that goal. However, there are actually a number of additional benefits to performing pro bono work.

Fulfill professional responsibility
Remember why you wanted to study the law in the first place.

Gain personal satisfaction derived from providing these services
It makes you feel good, helping with the stress and sometimes depression that can come with practicing law.

Acquire new experience and training
Whether it’s a different type of law, case, or segment of society, you can gain new and important knowledge.

Demonstrating faith-based commitment
Depending on your religious beliefs, it could provide additional evidence of your commitment.

Learn cross-cultural skills
Gives you the opportunity to connect with and serve different clients.

Gain insights of the legal needs of the poor
If you don’t normally work with the poor and disadvantaged, it could change your perspective.

Crowdfunding Litigation

Crowdfunding Can Be A Great Way to Finance Your Case - Or Destroy It, by Jason Krouse 
 
"A litigation crowdfunding website or application lets anyone in need of backing for a legal matter raise money from anywhere in the world. There are two emerging crowdfunding models at opposite ends of the funding spectrum. On one end there are nonprofit efforts ... which raises money from donors, not investors ... for small-scale criminal defense cases or nonprofit organizations trying to launch legal or political campaigns. At the other end of the spectrum, ... accredited investors bet on the outcome of corporate lawsuits, which is an estimated $1 billion market."

'Hackathon' Movement

The hackathon is a workshop, meet-up or conference bringing experts from different disciplines together with technologists looking for innovative ways to tackle long-standing problems.

The idea is to create an app, service, policy proposal or other work product that can address a real-world problem.

"To most lawyers, 'hackathon' probably sounds like an invitation to commit felonies and sets them fleeing," says Dazza Greenwood, a lawyer and research scientist at the MIT Media Lab. "But to people who get it, a legal hackathon is about lawyers, engineers and policymakers interested in solving problems at the intersection of the law and technology."

By Jason Krause, ABA Journal.

Google Scholar

The next wave in legal research may already be here: Google Scholar went beta in 2004, making hundreds of millions of cases, research articles and filings easily searchable and free.

Panel Proposes Pilot Project to Test Legal Technician Program

A State Bar task force last month proposed the development of a pilot program for limited licensing of legal technicians as part of a series of recommendations aimed at closing the so-called “justice gap.”

"Millions of low- and middle-income Californians fall into the gap of needing civil legal assistance but not being able to afford to hire a lawyer. In some cases, they may even qualify for legal aid, but are turned away by cash-strapped nonprofit providers, according to the newly released Civil Justice Strategies Task Force report."

How to Disappear Online

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Important information from the National Domestic Violence Hotline.  

Safety Alert: Computer use can be monitored and is impossible to completely clear. If you are afraid your internet usage might be monitored, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224.

Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender. 

It can happen to couples who are married, living together or who are dating.  Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.

Abuse is a repetitive pattern of behaviors to maintain power and control over an intimate partner. These are behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish or force them to behave in ways they do not want. Abuse includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse and economic deprivation. Many of these different forms of abuse can be going on at any one time.

We can use the Power & Control Wheel to describe most accurately what is occurs in an abusive relationship.

Think of the wheel as a diagram of the tactics your abusive partner uses to keep you in the relationship. While the inside of the wheel is comprised of subtle, continual behaviors, the outer ring represents physical, visible violence. These are the abusive acts that are more overt and forceful, and often the intense acts that reinforce the regular use of other subtler methods of abuse.

Estimating California Child Support Orders

California uses many factors to determine child support including:

* The gross incomes of each parent,
* The percentage of time each child spends with each parent,
* Any available income tax deductions that the parents can claim, such as mortgage interest,
* Mandatory payroll deductions, such as health insurance, pensions, and union dues, and
* Child care costs incurred by either parent.

Parents can estimate their child support responsibilities by entering data into the State's ChildSupport Calculator.

Some understanding of California family law and California and federal tax law is necessary to complete some blank fields correctly. You can obtain assistance in completing the Payment Estimator from your county's FamilyLaw Facilitator or a family law attorney.