17/07/2025

THURSDAY | JULY 17, 2025

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8

Push for cockpit video recorders

o Cameras can be misused, say US pilot unions

HK agency probes AI-generated porn scandal HONG KONG: A privacy watchdog here said on Tuesday it has launched a criminal investigation into an AI-generated porn scandal at the city’s oldest university, after a student was accused of creating lewd images of his female classmates and teachers. Three people alleged over the weekend that a University of Hong Kong (HKU) law student fabricated pornographic images of at least 20 women using artificial intelligence, in what is the first high-profile case of its kind in the financial hub. The university sparked outrage over perceived lenient punishment after it said on Saturday it had only sent a warning letter to the student and demanded he apologise. But Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Tuesday that disclosing someone else’s personal data without consent, and with an intent to cause harm, could be an offence. The watchdog “has begun a criminal investigation into the incident and has no further comment at this stage”, it said, without mentioning the student. The accusers said in a statement on Saturday that Hong Kong law only criminalises the distribution of “intimate images”, including those created with AI, but not the generation of them. There is no allegation so far that the student spread the deepfake images, and so “victims are unable to seek punishment through Hong Kong’s criminal justice system”, they wrote. The accusers said a friend discovered the images on the student’s laptop. Experts warn the alleged use of AI in the scandal may be the tip of a “very large iceberg”. “The case shows clearly that anyone could be a perpetrator, no space is 100% safe,” said Annie Chan, a former associate professor at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University. HKU said it will review the case and take further action if appropriate. – AFP Boeing declined to disclose whether customers are able to order cockpit video recorders, while Airbus did not reply to a request for comment. – Reuters be enhanced to record higher-quality data, rather than adding video cameras,” an Alpa spokeperson said. There are also concerns the footage could be used by airlines for disciplinary action or that video could be leaked to the public after a crash, said John Cox, an aviation safety expert, retired airline pilot and former Alpa executive air safety chairman. A pilot’s death being broadcast on “the 6 o’clock news is not something that the pilot’s family should ever have to go through”, he said. “If confidentiality can be assured around the world, I can see an argument for installing cameras,” Cox said. Cockpit voice recordings are typically kept confidential by investigators in favour of partial or full transcripts being released in final reports. Despite that, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (Ifalpa)said it was sceptical that confidentiality could ever be assured for cockpit videos. “Given the high demand for sensational pictures, Ifalpa has absolutely no doubt that the protection of (airborne image recorder) data, which can include identifiable images of flight crewmembers, would not be ensured either,” the organisation said in a statement.

“In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally. Protecting the flying public is a sacred obligation,” said air safety expert and former commercial airline pilot John Nance. Another aviation safety expert, Anthony Brickhouse, said he is in favour of cockpit video, but acknowledged that commercial pilots have real concerns. Video on Air India flight 171 “would have answered lots of questions”, he said. Air India declined to comment. AAIB, which is expected to release a final report within a year of the crash under international rules, did not reply to requests for comment. US pilots’ unions such as the Air Line Pilots Association (Alpa) and Allied Pilots Association (Apa) say the voice and data recorders already provide enough information to determine the cause of a crash and that the cameras would be an invasion of privacy and could be misused. Calls for cockpit cameras are an understandable reaction to “the stress of not knowing what happened immediately after an accident”, said Apa spokesperson Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot. “I can understand the initial reaction of ‘the more information, the better,’ but investigators already have enough data to adequately determine an accident’s cause, leaving no need for cameras,” he said. “To make flying safer, safety systems should

Walsh said. Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy and misuse outweigh what they argue are marginal benefits for investigations. Video footage was “invaluable” to Australian crash investigators determining what led to Robinson R66 helicopter breaking up in mid-air in 2023, killing the pilot, the only person aboard, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report, which was released 18 days after the Air India crash. The video showed “the pilot was occupied with non-flying related tasks for much of this time, specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages,” the report said. The ATSB commended Robinson Helicopters for providing factory-installed cameras and said it encouraged other manufacturers and owners to consider the safety benefits of similar devices. In 2000, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chairman Jim Hall urged the Federal Aviation Administration to require commercial airliners be equipped with cockpit image recorders. Hall’s recommendation came in the wake of 1999’s Egyptair crash, when the first officer intentionally crashed the Boeing 767, according to the NTSB, killing all 217 people on board.

SEATTLE: The deadly Air India crash last month has renewed a decades-old debate in the aviation industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. One of the industry’s most influential voices, International Air Transport Association head Willie Walsh, a former airline pilot, said yesterday in Singapore there was a strong argument for video cameras to be installed in airliner cockpits to monitor pilot actions. Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787’s engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation. The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground. “Based on what little we know now, it’s quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation on the issue of mental health,”

OPEN SEASON ... Sonic the Hedgehog

holds court at the opening of Japanese video game and entertainment company Sega’s first official store in Tokyo’s Shibuya district

yesterday. – AFPPIC

New Zealand rethinks bailouts for homeowners WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government is considering ending bailouts for homeowners affected by floods and landslides as it develops a framework for addressing the impact of extreme weather events. His comments come as parts of the South Island start cleaning up after floods this month, which affected about 800 homes, according to local authorities.

important that any change is enduring,” he said. Any policy changes would likely be introduced slowly. A recent independent report commissioned by the Environment Ministry suggested a transition over 20 years to allow pricing to adjust as expectations of government bailouts are tempered. Policymakers, researchers and property experts both in New Zealand and Australia have for some time warned extreme weather events are a risk that home buyers have not priced in. The Environment Ministry report recommended including the need for more information about the potential impact of natural hazards so owners can make their own decisions about whether to move or stay and bear the costs of that decision. – Reuters

The government yesterday announced NZ$600,000 (RM1.5 million) in compensation for flood-affected farmers, growers and forestry owners. By 2060, at least 14,500 homes worth NZ$12.5 billion could suffer at least one damaging flood, about 300 to 400 homes annually, according to Climate Sigma research. Climate Minister Simon Watts said in an email that the government has been working to get bipartisan support on a national adaptation framework to give New Zealand certainty. “This is complex and challenging work. It is

The government has often stepped in after natural disasters to buy properties, spending billions of dollars in recent years as severe weather events increase in intensity and frequency. The government “won’t be able to keep bailing out people in this way”, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Radio New Zealand. “We need to find a way to manage these events and who takes responsibility and there is a shared responsibility.”