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Canada and France will explore AI ethics with an international panel
The AI revolution is coming, and both Canada and France want to make sure we're approaching it responsibly. Today, the countries announced plans for the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence (IPAI), a platform to discuss "responsible adoption of AI that is human-centric and grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth," according to a mandate from the office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It's still unclear which other countries will be participating, but Mounir Mahjoubi, France's secretary of state for digital affairs, says it'll include both G7 and EU countries, Technology Review reports. It won't just be politicians joining the conversation. France and Canada plan to get the scientific community involved, as well as industry and civil society experts. While it's easy to jump to doomsday scenarios when talking about AI, that loses sight of the other ways the technology will eventually impact humanity. How do we build AI that takes human rights and the public good into account? What does the rise of AI and automation mean for human workers? And how do we develop AI we can actually trust? Those are some topics the panel could end up considering, according to the Canadian government, but they're also questions for every country on Earth to ask as we barrel towards true AI. If anything, the panel could help to normalize discussions around artificial intelligence. While luminaries like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking haven't been shy about discussing the dangers of the technology and the dramatic impact it could have on humanity, their warnings have leaned towards the extreme. By having more countries thinking hard about the ethical considerations of AI, there's a better chance we'll actually be able to preempt potential issues.
Facebook will cooperate with French hate speech investigation
Facebook plans to cooperate with the French government as it investigates the company's content moderation policies and systems, according to TechCrunch. Facebook will reportedly grant the government significant access to its internal processes for the informal investigation, which will primarily focus on hate speech on the platform.
Renault is creating France's first 'smart island'
Back in February, Renault helped electrify the Portuguese islands of Madeira and Porto Santo -- a move not dissimilar to Tesla's efforts in Hawaii. Now it's at work again bringing power to the French island of Belle-Île-en-Mer, in a bid to create the first "smart island" in its home country.
Overwatch League adds teams from Toronto, Vancouver and Paris
Activision Blizzard has rounded out the Overwatch League ranks for the second season of Overwatch's top-level professional competition. The company confirmed that eight more teams will compete, including new additions Toronto and Vancouver (the first Canadian teams in the league), along with Paris, which is the second European squad after the 2018 champions London Spitfire. Teams from Washington, DC, and Chinese cities Chengdu and Hangzhou are also part of the 2019 lineup. They join the previously announced Atlanta and Guangzhou teams as the number of rosters rises to 20 this time around.
French secret service intercepts drone near president’s summer home
This week, the French secret service (Groupe de sécurité de la présidence de la République, or GSPR) took down a drone that was flying in the airspace above Fort de Brégançon. This spot on the French Riviera is well known as the summer home of the French presidents. It's unclear whether President Emmanuel Macron and his wife were in residence at the time.
Mixed-gene French grapes may lead to cheaper, safer wine
French wineries have to use a lot of pesticide to keep their grapes healthy, and that's both expensive and costly -- a problem when some countries don't have those problems. The country might just have a solution, though. Researchers at France's Institute of Agronomical Research (INRA) recently received permission to grow four grape varieties that are genetically resistant to mildew rot, eliminating much of the need for pesticides. Where a winery typically needs to spray pesticides about 15 times a year, the INRA varieties may only need one or two.
France bans smartphones in schools
Under new legislation, French students will be prohibited from using smartphones and tablets while at school. The law, which was originally noted in President Emmanuel Macron's election campaign, was elevated to a matter of public health amidst concerns French youth has become super-connected.
The Tour de France deserves a better video game
The Tour de France is one of the toughest and -- in my opinion -- most exciting sporting events in the world. Every year, close to 200 riders saddle up and race across a 21-stage course that spans over 2,000 miles. Aside from the occasional rest day, it's a non-stop marathon that pushes competitors and their carbon bicycles to the limit. Lung-busting mountain climbs are punctuated with deadly descents and hard-fought sprints. Riders frequently crash, breaking bones and bending bike frames in the process. Only the fittest, smartest and luckiest athletes stand a chance of winning the tour's ultimate prize: the yellow jersey. With this year's race in full swing, I recently decided to try the official video game. My hope was that titles based on so-called "niche" sports -- anything that EA or 2K doesn't publish, essentially -- had improved since the original PlayStation era. As an adolescent, I spent many afternoons sinking hours into terrible cricket and rugby games. (I stand by Jonah Lomu Rugby, however.) By now, surely the industry had moved forward and figured out a way, both economically and technically, to do these smaller sports justice? Not in the case of the Tour de France, unfortunately.
How France beat Russian meddling (and we could, too)
Since we're all expecting Kanye West to be a Supreme Court justice by Monday, it will surprise no one to find out that the completely normal, perfectly-operating administration in the White House is blowing off a new threat of interference and hacking in the upcoming elections. "Robert Mueller and the nation's top intelligence official say Russia is trying to interfere in the midterm elections," Politico reported, "but Republican and Democratic lawmakers say the Trump administration is keeping them in the dark about whether the U.S. is ready."
Airbnb strengthens Paris presence thanks to Century 21
Airbnb has clashed with cities where it operates for awhile over regulations specific to each. Back in December, authorities in Paris started cracking down harder on the service to comply or face legal consequences. Airbnb has a new strategy to play by the rules in France's most populous city: Partnering with international real estate company Century 21 to make sure everyone gets their cut.
Video referee technology influences its first World Cup goal
When FIFA greenlit the use of video assistant referees at the 2018 World Cup, there was one overriding question: how long would it take before the technology shaped an important call? Not long at all, apparently. Two days into the group stage, officiators have used VAR to call for a key penalty after Australia's John Risdon appeared to have fouled France's Antoine Griezmann with a sliding tackle, disrupting a charge toward a possible goal. Griezmann promptly scored on the subsequent penalty kick, giving France the lead.
Bonjour, Alexa: Amazon's Echo finally comes to France
While all my American and UK colleagues have had access to Amazon's Alexa for years, I've been left out of the party here in France. At last, however, folks in the nation (and Monaco) can parlez Francais with Alexa on Amazon's Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Spot. Those devices are now up for pre-order on Amazon at half price, with delivery set at June 13th for Prime members.
Apple's HomePod arrives in Canada, France and Germany this June
Wedged in among Apple's wider iOS 11.4 announcement today comes the news that HomePod is launching in Germany, France and Canada on June 18. This is a significant market expansion, and one surely designed to boost sales of the Siri-powered smart speaker that have so far been rather uninspiring. While Apple hasn't released any official figures, third parties have speculated on disappointing numbers.
France faces lawsuit for seizing France.com
When a country or company seizes a web domain, it's frequently to kick out squatters who do little besides place ads and hope they'll get a giant payout. However, France is taking on someone who was actively using a site -- and it may have crossed a line. The country is facing a federal-level US lawsuit from ex-pat Jean-Noël Frydman after it seized France.com from him in March. Frydman had been using the domain as a "digital kiosk" for France-loving Americans ever since he bought it in 1994 and had even partnered with French government agencies, but his homeland sued in 2015 as part of a bid to take control. While an appeals court ruled in September 2017 that France.com violated French trademark law, there was no warning ahead of the seizure from either France or Frydman's registrar Web.com.
France creates secure chat app to keep its president off Telegram
Telegram is about to lose some more customers following the Russia ban, albeit for very different reasons. The French government is testing an encrypted messaging app that would keep officials' data on servers inside the country. It's worried about the "potential breaches" that could happen if data was encrypted in the US or Russia, and it's easy to see why. Between Russia's demand for Telegram encryption keys and Facebook's data sharing scandal, France is concerned that sensitive chats could end up in the wrong hands.
Uber executives on the hook for criminal charges in France
France can bring criminal charges against Uber executives for operating an illegal taxi service, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has ruled. The decision stems from events in 2015, when France's government banned UberPop and said that if Uber managers told drivers to ignore the ban, they'd be committing "a criminal offense." Uber executives defied the ruling, and the situation culminated in a raid on Uber's Paris office and the arrests of Uber France CEO Thibaut Simphal and Uber European GM Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty.
French Renault Zoe owners can finally buy their batteries
Renault's all-electric Zoe has been very well-received in its home country of France, but the company's controversial battery-leasing scheme in the country has undoubtedly given potential buyers pause for thought. Either own the car and pay a monthly fee, or lease the whole car. The idea that Renault could snatch your battery away if you broke contract somehow didn't instil a huge amount of confidence. Yet the Zoe still became the most popular all-electric vehicle in France, and today the company has revealed that buyers will now have the option of owning the battery pack outright.
Proposed law would insist on work-life balance for New Yorkers
With all of us connected to our phones day and night, it's pretty easy to respond to work requests after official office hours are over. European countries like France have passed laws allowing employees to ignore employers after hours, giving citizens the right to disconnect. Now New Yorkers may have a similar freedom if a new bill proposed by the city council passes.
France to sue Apple and Google over 'abusive' developer practices
France is taking Google and Apple to court over "abusive" app developer practices and could impose millions of euros in penalties. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told RTL that the government has a problem with the onerous conditions the tech giants impose on French startups. "When developers want to sell apps with Google or Apple, they must pay a fee," he said. "But Google and Apple also gather data, and can unilaterally alter the contract terms. All of that is unacceptable."
France bans smartphone use in cars even when you pull over
Road deaths have been on the rise lately in France and with nothing much else to pin it on, authorities are going after scofflaw drivers who text or call. It's now illegal to hold your phone on public roads even when you're pulled over to the side of the road, whether you're blocking traffic or not, Le Figaro reports. The high court ruling means that taking what some consider to be a safe step -- pulling over to talk on the phone -- could still result in points and a fine of 135 euros.
