Latest news with #businessethics
CTV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Can you ever expect privacy in public? Coldplay kiss camera saga tells us a lot about the answer
Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during the band's Music Of The Spheres World Tour at D. Y. Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File) NEW YORK — When the 'KissCam' at a Coldplay concert landed on a couple who tried (but failed) to duck out of the spotlight, the internet immediately got to work. In hours, the clip was just about everywhere. Endless memes, parody videos and photos of the pair's shocked faces filled social media feeds. Online sleuths rushed to identify who was on camera. Artificial intelligence and software company Astronomer eventually confirmed that its CEO and chief people officer were in fact the couple in the video — and announced the CEO's resignation over the weekend. The incident's fallout has, of course, generated conversations about business ethics, corporate accountability and the repercussions that conflicts of interest among leadership can cause. But there are also broader implications at play in our increasingly online world — about the state of potentially being visible everywhere you go or tracked through 'social media surveillance.' Experts say it's more and more common for moments that may have been intended to be private, or at least reserved to a single physical venue, to make their way online and even go global today. So in the era of lightning-fast social sharing and when cameras are practically inescapable, does being in public hold any expectation of privacy anymore? Is every experience simply fodder for the world to see? Cameras are everywhere It's no secret that cameras are filming much of our lives these days. From CCTV security systems to Ring doorbells, businesses, schools and neighborhoods use ample video surveillance around the clock. Sporting and concert venues have also filmed fans for years, often projecting playful bits of audience participation to the rest of the crowd. In short, the on-scene viewer becomes part of the product — and the center of attention. And of course, consumers can record just about anything if they have a smartphone in their pocket — and, if it's enticing to other social media users, that footage can quickly spread through cyberspace. Ellis Cashmore, author of the book 'Celebrity Culture,' proposes that the rapid fame of last week's KissCam moment probably answers a question many have been asking for years: 'Is the private life still what it was? And the answer is, of course, there's no such thing as the private life anymore,' he notes. 'Certainly not in the traditional sense of the term.' 'I'm not sure that we can assume privacy at a concert with hundreds of other people,' adds Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media. 'We can't assume privacy on the street anymore.' Some version of the KissCam has long been a staple at big events — from timeouts during sports games to romantic songs played by artists at their concerts. It's easy to miss, but most venues have signs to inform the audience that they could be filmed during the event. What's been different in more recent years, experts note, is how quickly those moments can travel beyond the physical space where they actually unfold. That isn't only limited to what shows up on a jumbotron. Sometimes it only takes one person in the crowd to capture any interaction on their phone and post the video online — where it can zip around the world. 'It's not just the camera,' Bock says. 'It's the distribution system that is wild and new.' Once something's viral, doxing often follows Then there's the second ring of exposure — what happens after the video or photos spread. Experts point to growing instances of social media users rushing to publicly identify, or dox, the people captured on camera — much like how quickly the internet committed to finding those involved in the Coldplay moment, for example. The LinkedIn pages belonging both to Astronomer's now-former CEO and chief people officer remained disabled on Monday, and The Associated Press could not reach either for comment. But it isn't limited to company executives. Beyond someone simply spotting a familiar face and spreading the word, technological advances — including AI — have made it easier and faster overall to find just about anyone in an online post. This can happen with videos and photos shared on social media each day, even if it doesn't go viral, experts warn. 'It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system," Bock says. 'When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.' And of course, such moments can also impact people who were not actually on camera. As easy as it can be to be identified online today, the internet is notorious for cutting a broad swath or not always getting it right. That sometimes produces harassment of individuals not actually involved. At last week's Coldplay concert, for example, many social media users speculated that a third person seen near the two caught on camera was another Astronomer employee — leading to swarms of posts targeting her. But the company later confirmed that she was not at the event and said no other employees were in the video circulating online. For the now-viral moment, 'we can talk about what's right and wrong, and whether they deserved it,' says Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. Still, it's a 'very frightening thing to get a lot of abuse and harassment online,' Taylor notes. 'There are real human beings behind this.' It's hard to think that that these kind of viral moments will ever go away — and there are few legal restrictions to stop users from sharing clips of interactions recorded from anything from a concert to the street widely online. But on an individual level, Bock says it can be helpful to 'think before you share' and question whether something's really accurate. 'Social media has changed so much,' Bock says. 'But we really have not, as a society, caught up with the technology in terms of our ethics and our etiquette.' ___ Associated Press journalists Hilary Fox and Kelvin Chan contributed to this report. Wyatte Grantham-philips, The Associated Press
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Can you ever expect privacy in public? Coldplay kiss camera saga tells us a lot about the answer
NEW YORK (AP) — When the 'KissCam' at a Coldplay concert landed on a couple who tried (but failed) to duck out of the spotlight, the internet immediately got to work. In hours, the clip was just about everywhere. Endless memes, parody videos and photos of the pair's shocked faces filled social media feeds. Online sleuths rushed to identify who was on camera. Artificial intelligence and software company Astronomer eventually confirmed that its CEO and chief people officer were in fact the couple in the video — and announced the CEO's resignation over the weekend. The incident's fallout has, of course, generated conversations about business ethics, corporate accountability and the repercussions that conflicts of interest among leadership can cause. But there are also broader implications at play in our increasingly online world — about the state of potentially being visible everywhere you go or tracked through 'social media surveillance." Experts say it's more and more common for moments that may have been intended to be private, or at least reserved to a single physical venue, to make their way online and even go global today. So in the era of lightning-fast social sharing and when cameras are practically inescapable, does being in public hold any expectation of privacy anymore? Is every experience simply fodder for the world to see? Cameras are everywhere It's no secret that cameras are filming much of our lives these days. From CCTV security systems to Ring doorbells, businesses, schools and neighborhoods use ample video surveillance around the clock. Sporting and concert venues have also filmed fans for years, often projecting playful bits of audience participation to the rest of the crowd. In short, the on-scene viewer becomes part of the product — and the center of attention. And of course, consumers can record just about anything if they have a smartphone in their pocket — and, if it's enticing to other social media users, that footage can quickly spread through cyberspace. Ellis Cashmore, author of the book 'Celebrity Culture,' proposes that the rapid fame of last week's KissCam moment probably answers a question many have been asking for years: 'Is the private life still what it was? And the answer is, of course, there's no such thing as the private life anymore,' he notes. 'Certainly not in the traditional sense of the term.' 'I'm not sure that we can assume privacy at a concert with hundreds of other people,' adds Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media. 'We can't assume privacy on the street anymore.' Some version of the KissCam has long been a staple at big events — from timeouts during sports games to romantic songs played by artists at their concerts. It's easy to miss, but most venues have signs to inform the audience that they could be filmed during the event. What's been different in more recent years, experts note, is how quickly those moments can travel beyond the physical space where they actually unfold. That isn't only limited to what shows up on a jumbotron. Sometimes it only takes one person in the crowd to capture any interaction on their phone and post the video online — where it can zip around the world. 'It's not just the camera," Bock says. 'It's the distribution system that is wild and new.' Once something's viral, doxing often follows Then there's the second ring of exposure — what happens after the video or photos spread. Experts point to growing instances of social media users rushing to publicly identify, or dox, the people captured on camera — much like how quickly the internet committed to finding those involved in the Coldplay moment, for example. The LinkedIn pages belonging both to Astronomer's now-former CEO and chief people officer remained disabled on Monday, and The Associated Press could not reach either for comment. But it isn't limited to company executives. Beyond someone simply spotting a familiar face and spreading the word, technological advances — including AI — have made it easier and faster overall to find just about anyone in an online post. This can happen with videos and photos shared on social media each day, even if it doesn't go viral, experts warn. 'It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system," Bock says. 'When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.' And of course, such moments can also impact people who were not actually on camera. As easy as it can be to be identified online today, the internet is notorious for cutting a broad swath or not always getting it right. That sometimes produces harassment of individuals not actually involved. At last week's Coldplay concert, for example, many social media users speculated that a third person seen near the two caught on camera was another Astronomer employee — leading to swarms of posts targeting her. But the company later confirmed that she was not at the event and said no other employees were in the video circulating online. For the now-viral moment, 'we can talk about what's right and wrong, and whether they deserved it,' says Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. Still, it's a 'very frightening thing to get a lot of abuse and harassment online,' Taylor notes. 'There are real human beings behind this.' It's hard to think that that these kind of viral moments will ever go away — and there are few legal restrictions to stop users from sharing clips of interactions recorded from anything from a concert to the street widely online. But on an individual level, Bock says it can be helpful to 'think before you share' and question whether something's really accurate. 'Social media has changed so much,' Bock says. 'But we really have not, as a society, caught up with the technology in terms of our ethics and our etiquette.' ___ Associated Press journalists Hilary Fox and Kelvin Chan contributed to this report. Wyatte Grantham-philips, The Associated Press
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Can you ever expect privacy in public? Coldplay kiss camera saga tells us a lot about the answer
NEW YORK (AP) — When the 'KissCam' at a Coldplay concert landed on a couple who tried (but failed) to duck out of the spotlight, the internet immediately got to work. In hours, the clip was just about everywhere. Endless memes, parody videos and photos of the pair's shocked faces filled social media feeds. Online sleuths rushed to identify who was on camera. Artificial intelligence and software company Astronomer eventually confirmed that its CEO and chief people officer were in fact the couple in the video — and announced the CEO's resignation over the weekend. The incident's fallout has, of course, generated conversations about business ethics, corporate accountability and the repercussions that conflicts of interest among leadership can cause. But there are also broader implications at play in our increasingly online world — about the state of potentially being visible everywhere you go or tracked through 'social media surveillance.' Experts say it's more and more common for moments that may have been intended to be private, or at least reserved to a single physical venue, to make their way online and even go global today. So in the era of lightning-fast social sharing and when cameras are practically inescapable, does being in public hold any expectation of privacy anymore? Is every experience simply fodder for the world to see? Cameras are everywhere It's no secret that cameras are filming much of our lives these days. From CCTV security systems to Ring doorbells, businesses, schools and neighborhoods use ample video surveillance around the clock. Sporting and concert venues have also filmed fans for years, often projecting playful bits of audience participation to the rest of the crowd. In short, the on-scene viewer becomes part of the product — and the center of attention. And of course, consumers can record just about anything if they have a smartphone in their pocket — and, if it's enticing to other social media users, that footage can quickly spread through cyberspace. Ellis Cashmore, author of the book 'Celebrity Culture,' proposes that the rapid fame of last week's KissCam moment probably answers a question many have been asking for years: 'Is the private life still what it was? And the answer is, of course, there's no such thing as the private life anymore,' he notes. 'Certainly not in the traditional sense of the term.' 'I'm not sure that we can assume privacy at a concert with hundreds of other people,' adds Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media. 'We can't assume privacy on the street anymore.' Some version of the KissCam has long been a staple at big events — from timeouts during sports games to romantic songs played by artists at their concerts. It's easy to miss, but most venues have signs to inform the audience that they could be filmed during the event. What's been different in more recent years, experts note, is how quickly those moments can travel beyond the physical space where they actually unfold. That isn't only limited to what shows up on a jumbotron. Sometimes it only takes one person in the crowd to capture any interaction on their phone and post the video online — where it can zip around the world. 'It's not just the camera,' Bock says. 'It's the distribution system that is wild and new.' Once something's viral, doxing often follows Then there's the second ring of exposure — what happens after the video or photos spread. Experts point to growing instances of social media users rushing to publicly identify, or dox, the people captured on camera — much like how quickly the internet committed to finding those involved in the Coldplay moment, for example. The LinkedIn pages belonging both to Astronomer's now-former CEO and chief people officer remained disabled on Monday, and The Associated Press could not reach either for comment. But it isn't limited to company executives. Beyond someone simply spotting a familiar face and spreading the word, technological advances — including AI — have made it easier and faster overall to find just about anyone in an online post. This can happen with videos and photos shared on social media each day, even if it doesn't go viral, experts warn. 'It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system,' Bock says. 'When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.' And of course, such moments can also impact people who were not actually on camera. As easy as it can be to be identified online today, the internet is notorious for cutting a broad swath or not always getting it right. That sometimes produces harassment of individuals not actually involved. At last week's Coldplay concert, for example, many social media users speculated that a third person seen near the two caught on camera was another Astronomer employee — leading to swarms of posts targeting her. But the company later confirmed that she was not at the event and said no other employees were in the video circulating online. For the now-viral moment, 'we can talk about what's right and wrong, and whether they deserved it,' says Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. Still, it's a 'very frightening thing to get a lot of abuse and harassment online,' Taylor notes. 'There are real human beings behind this.' It's hard to think that that these kind of viral moments will ever go away — and there are few legal restrictions to stop users from sharing clips of interactions recorded from anything from a concert to the street widely online. But on an individual level, Bock says it can be helpful to 'think before you share' and question whether something's really accurate. 'Social media has changed so much,' Bock says. 'But we really have not, as a society, caught up with the technology in terms of our ethics and our etiquette.' ___ Associated Press journalists Hilary Fox and Kelvin Chan contributed to this report.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Ethical AI Is Key To Building Trust
Lee Blakemore, CEO of Introhive, explores how organizations can balance AI innovation with integrity to strengthen client relationships. AI is transforming how businesses operate, driving new efficiencies and insights. But in the professional world, where our client relationships and trust are paramount, the question isn't just what AI can do, it's also how responsibly we use it, particularly when it affects both human connections and how we manage client data. When it comes to relationship building, AI also raises important concerns around data privacy, security and governance. It's not just about what AI creates; it's also about what data AI consumes. Ethical use of AI depends on a strong commitment to protecting client information through robust policies, secure infrastructure and clear governance. Without that foundation, it's not just trust that's at risk, it's the relationships that make business possible. How AI Can Strengthen Client Relationships AI can be a powerful ally in building stronger client relationships. By managing client information, tracking communication history and automating repetitive tasks, it frees up time for professionals to focus on the work that truly deepens connections: listening, advising and solving complex problems. But with that opportunity comes an ethical responsibility: AI should never reduce relationships to transactions. When it's used in ways that feel impersonal or indiscriminate, it risks treating clients as data points rather than people. I've seen a growing number of automated LinkedIn messages that come across as overly polished or impersonal. They might be grammatically flawless, but they don't sound human or genuinely interested. Relationship-building depends on empathy, context and intent, all of which are areas where AI falls short. Used thoughtfully, AI has the potential to amplify the human touch, but it means deploying it in ways that support more meaningful engagement, not shortcuts that undermine sincerity. Strengthening Governance: The Cornerstone Of Responsible AI As AI systems become more embedded in how organizations operate, it's not enough to focus only on AI capabilities. Many companies still treat compliance as an exercise (a series of audits, checklists or security reviews) that happens in isolation. But real governance needs to be proactive, continuous and cross-functional. It's about embedding ethical and regulatory considerations into the day-to-day. Not just responding to issues when they appear, but designing processes that prevent them in the first place and fostering a culture where governance is a shared organizational mindset. One common challenge is that governance structures often become fragmented as organizations grow. With data flowing through more platforms, partners and tools than ever, it's easy to lose track of how that data is being accessed, shared and used, especially by AI systems trained on sensitive or proprietary information. As a result, a critical challenge for organizations is knowing whether AI is secure or accurate, as well as having a firm handle on how data powers those systems. Being able to stand behind the decisions AI is helping to make means understanding where the data comes from, how models are trained and what kinds of risks they introduce. Strong AI governance means putting the right guardrails in place. It means maintaining clear policies for data usage, validation checks for model performance and ethical reviews of how AI interacts with clients and staff. It also calls for a higher level of scrutiny for third-party technologies and partners, since responsibility doesn't stop at the vendor contract. When designing our platform, we could have pursued many paths, some of which would have provided a quicker path to AI-driven insights into relationships, but after discussions with our clients, we chose not to use third-party APIs like ChatGPT so as to keep our customer data within our data centers and bring the LLM to the data instead. This took longer, but was more in line with our data residency and privacy commitments to our clients. At the end of the day, AI is a powerful enabler, but it's how we use it that defines its impact. In a business context, the future of AI will be shaped not just by innovation, but by our ability to use it responsibly, transparently and in alignment with our core values. Practical Steps To Preserving Authenticity And Protecting Data While Using AI When communication lacks authenticity, or when data isn't handled with intentionality and care, it places an organization's relationships and reputation at risk. Preserving authenticity and protecting data aren't separate objectives; they're twin priorities for any organization using AI responsibly. Here are practical steps to ensure your organization upholds both authenticity and data security in its AI strategy: Ensure AI is used only for support tasks like data management or client insights, while personalized communication remains human-driven. Define and enforce clear boundaries to prevent over-reliance on automation. Develop strict policies around how client data is collected, stored, accessed and used by AI systems. Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and industry standards. Require that AI outputs are edited by humans to add personalization and context before being shared externally, ensuring both the message and the data usage are thoughtful and appropriate. Leverage AI for analyzing data and uncovering touchpoints, but always have a person follow up. For example, AI can highlight clients who haven't been contacted recently, but the outreach should be human-driven. Form a team to review how AI is used in customer interactions and ensure it aligns with company values. This team can make decisions about when and where AI can be ethically deployed. Ensure that clients always know how to reach a human representative quickly, even if AI is being used for initial communications or data handling. Invest in security infrastructure to ensure client data is protected from unauthorized access and breaches. Ethical AI begins with secure AI. As we integrate AI into how we work, the priority isn't just innovation; it's making sure that technology strengthens the connections that matter. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan warns students that a 'fake it till you make it' business mindset could land you in jail
Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan said that some college entrepreneurship programs were "teaching you to lie." Tan, who runs a startup incubator, said the "fake it till you make it" attitude wasn't necessary, and warned it can backfire. Tan said that students were learning to "become more SBFs and Theronoses," giving tech a bad reputation. Garry Tan says too many business students today are being taught to fudge the truth — and warns that going down that road could lead to serious consequences, like jail time. Speaking to an audience of undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students during a live recording of Y Combinator's Lightcone Podcast, Tan criticized unnamed academic entrepreneurship programs that he claimed teach a "fake it till you make it" attitude. "I'm very worried about them because what we're coming to understand is they are teaching you to lie," Tan told the audience at Y Combinator's AI Startup School conference. "Software is the most empowering thing in the world. Why do you have to lie?" Tan runs Y Combinator, astartup accelerator that pulls from a similar talent pool and has produced breakout successes like Airbnb and Doordash. After a competitive application process, YC promises mentorship, investor connections, and a $125,000 seed and $375,000 SAFE note in exchange for a 7% equity stake in startups selected for the program. Jared Friedman, YC's managing director of software and former cofounder of Scribd, said that academic programs suffer because they aren't run by founders. "Anytime you try to bottle up entrepreneurship and teach it as a college course, what you end up with is basically a cheap facsimile," Friedman says. "They teach you to follow a particular method or a particular practice and that's just not what startups are actually like." Tan said that these programs were teaching students to "fake it till you make it" and "lie to investors." He also warned that such ideas could lead students to become founders like FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes, who was sentenced to over 11 years in prison. "That's a waste of time, and you're going to go to jail," Tan said. He spoke against how Bankman-Fried, Holmes, and other "fake" founders grew to represent the tech industry, chanting, "They don't represent us!" to applause from the audience. Earlier in the conversation, Tan and his YC colleagues also said the unnamed academic entrepreneurship programs don't promote AI use. Diana Hu, YC group partner and former cofounder of Escher Reality, asked which students in the audience were allowed to use Cursor, an AI code editor. When limited hands were raised, Hu said, "This is the future." "They're quite literally prohibiting the students from learning the tools that they are going to need," Friedman said. Read the original article on Business Insider
