05/05/2025

MONDAY | MAY 5, 2025

24

LYFE

How artificial intelligence tools can threaten cultural diversity

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is now widely used. Presented as an everyday ally, promising to make our lives easier and reimagine the way we write, it nonetheless carries a major risk. A US study claims that by imposing Western writing standards, AI could smooth out styles and erase cultural particularities. To measure this threat, a team from Cornell University, led by Professor Aditya Vashistha, conducted an experiment with 118 American and Indian participants. Each of them was asked to write texts on cultural themes, with or without the help of an AI writing assistant. The aim was to observe the influence of AI on their respective styles. It turns out that, while AI boosts writing speed, it also profoundly transforms personal styles. This phenomenon was particularly noticeable among the Indian participants, whose writing style became much more Americanised. To adapt to AI’s suggestions, they often had to make numerous changes. “When Indian users use writing suggestions from an AI model, they start mimicking American writing styles to the point that they start describing their own festivals, their own food, their own cultural artifacts from a Western lens,” explained Dhruv Agarwal, a doctoral student at Cornell and first author of the study, quoted in a statement. A detailed analysis of the texts shows that the Indian participants accepted 25% of AI’s suggestions, compared to 19% for their American counterparts. At the same time, Indians were significantly more likely

to modify AI’s suggestions to fit their topic and writing style to maintain cultural relevance. For example, AI typically suggested “Christmas” to evoke a favourite holiday, overlooking Diwali, one of the country’s biggest festivals. This bias is no mere anecdote. The authors denounce a veritable form of “AI colonialism”, an insidious cultural domination in which Western standards are imposed to the detriment of other identities. And the consequences are far reaching. By standardising the way they write, people could end up seeing their own culture through a foreign lens, to the point of altering their individual perception of it. “This is one of the first studies, if not the first, to show the use of AI in writing could lead to cultural stereotyping and language homogenisation. People start writing similarly to others, and that is not what we want. One of the beautiful things about the world is the diversity that we have,” said Aditya. Aditya and colleagues are well aware of this and are calling for a change of direction. Cornell’s Global AI Initiative is already looking to join forces with industry to build policies and tools that are more attentive to cultural specificities. The stakes are immense. It is a question of safeguarding the richness and diversity of human expression, protecting the plurality of voices and imaginations, and preventing digital homogenisation. Indeed, defending cultural diversity in the face of AI is not just an ethical choice, it is a collective emergency. – ETX Studio

It is recommended that you change your passwords to key accounts every three months.

o Tips to keep data safe, secure Protecting digital accounts

I NTERNET users are constantly reminded to update their passwords in manage where identity theft and online scams are on the rise. Here are some of the basic rules for protecting online accounts and data. Forget birthdates or your pet’s name, choose complex passwords and remember to change them regularly. This, and several other steps can limit the risk of having your accounts hacked. Stop using personal information Avoid using passwords that are too simple or easily recognisable, such as your first name, the names of your children or your pet, your date of birth, sequences of numbers or letters such as “123456” or “qwerty,” which are extremely popular but particularly vulnerable. Change your passwords regularly Another bad habit is reusing the same password for several services, or simply changing one character.

involves adding at least one additional step to logging in to an account. This can take several forms, such as a code sent by SMS or a personal question. This way, even if your password gets cracked, hackers would not be able to access your account. these precautions, no one is entirely safe from having their data hacked or stolen one day. To find out if your phone number or email address has been compromised, simply go to the Have I Been Pwned website. It lists all the latest data reported stolen. Just type in your email address to find out if you have been affected. If so, do not panic! It does not necessarily mean that sensitive data is circulating online, but simply that your login is part of a leaked list. In all cases, you should immediately change the passwords concerned, even if the data breach dates back several months or years. – ETX Studio Despite taking all

This is unwise, because hackers’ first instinct is precisely to try their luck with the password they have just stolen on several other platforms. As a general rule, it is also advisable to change all your passwords every three months. It is tedious, but it seriously boosts security. Use mnemonic strategy to help choose right password The best way to compose and remember a complex password – made up of numbers, letters and even special characters – is to use a mnemonic technique. Just think of the first letters of each word in a sentence or song title, for example. However, remember to choose a different one for each separate online service, as each password must be unique. Use two-factor authentication Whenever possible, it is recommended to activate two factor authentication, which

A study has indicated that while AI boosts writing speed, it also profoundly transforms personal styles.

You can now shop online through ChatGPT CHATGPT has added a new shopping function, enabling users to compare prices and directly access e-commerce sites by asking the chatbot a few simple questions. As such, the platform takes position as a direct competitor to Google Shopping. Still, European internet users will have to wait a little longer to try it out. get tailored recommendations, consult reviews and compare prices, all without advertising or sponsored content. OpenAI says the results displayed are organic, with no advertisements or paid placements, offering a more neutral alternative to existing platforms.

Unlike Google Shopping, this is a much more intuitive conversational shopping experience. Indeed, users can ask the assistant very simple questions in natural language, such as “what is the best espresso machine under RM1,000 that comes close to the taste of coffee in Italy?” In response, users get product suggestions, with images, accompanied by reviews and prices. They can then click on the links to buy the products in question.

All ChatGPT subscribers – whether free or paying users – can now access this new feature. The first categories covered include fashion, beauty, electronics and home goods. As is often the case with new features, users in the European Union will have to wait a little longer to try this shopping experience, as OpenAI has to comply with specific local data protection regulations. – ETX Studio

OpenAI has unveiled a new shopping feature integrated directly into ChatGPT, transforming its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot into a truly personalised online shopping assistant. This innovation enables users to search for products,

OpenAI says the results displayed are organic, with no advertisements or paid placements. – ALL PICS FROM PEXELS