CHINA'S HIDDEN HAND: HOW IT INFLUENCES THE PHILIPPINE MEDIA

 

“Nandito pala talaga sila (They are really here).”

National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya’s statement above refers to the Chinese presence in the Philippine media today.

If so, have you ever wondered how China influences our local media? Whether it’s the news, the entertainment, or the social media, China has a growing presence and impact on the media landscape that affects our opinions and perceptions of its policies, especially on issues that matter to us, such as the West Philippine Sea, human rights, or democracy. But how does China do it? And what does it mean to us?

If you are curious about these questions, let’s delve into the phenomenon of China’s influence on our local media -- how it operates and evolves in various aspects and dimensions.

The case study The China Factor in Taiwan’s Media: Outsourcing Chinese Censorship Abroad by Huang Jaw-Nian published in the Open Edition Journals cited how China extended its influence by manipulating Taiwan’s media. The study stated that such a phenomenon of China’s influence can be applied as well to other countries like the Philippines.

Two models come into play: the “commercialization of censorship” by Kurlantzick and Link, and the “China Factor” by Wu Jieh-min.

The “commercialization of censorship” model, a modern authoritarian media control, was created by the Chinese Communist Party to transfer preventive control over media content from the government to the private sector. It triggers self-censorship and bias in favor of China using various economic incentives and threats to co-opt private media companies as collaborators.

The “China Factor” model is a process by which China exerts political influence on a target country, say the Philippines, by absorbing it into its sphere of economic influence. It creates a structure in which the Philippines becomes economically dependent, such as establishing government-business networks, developing local collaborators by offering privileges and special interests, and finally employing these collaborators to achieve China’s intended goals.

Integrating the two models, the study constructs a framework systematizing the mechanisms of China’s “outsourcing” of its censorship to private media companies in the target country, like the Philippines, in three steps corresponding to three levels of analysis: international, sectoral, and corporate.

STEP 1: CREATE ASYMMETRIC ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

China today, gunning for an alternative international order in the region, and even globally, seeks to chip away at the current American domination. Resorting to its economic clout as a means, China exerts its influence in carrying through its geopolitical goals in other countries.

This initial step makes the target country, say the Philippines, to become economically dependent on China at the international level as shown by the following headline:

Flashback: “China Visit Helps Duterte Reap Funding Deals Worth $24 Billion” (Bloomberg, October 21, 2016)

Having announced a foreign policy shift toward China just months into his presidency, President Duterte brought home the bacon of funding and investment pledges after his four-day visit to China as both nations agreed to resume talks and explore areas of cooperation in the South China Sea.

Sad to say, before the end of his term, we had figured out already its eventual outcome as revealed by the following headline:

Flashback: “China’s Loan, Investment Pledges Unlikely To Be Fulfilled Under Duterte’s Term – Carpio” (CNN Philippines, June 8, 2020)

Empty promises – that’s how China’s $24 Billion of committed loans and investments turned out to be soon after. Useless – that’s how Duterte’s stacks of extended concessions to please China ended up at the end.

Caveat. Here comes another one.

“Marcos Snags $22.8bn In Investment Pledges On China Trip” (Nikkei Asia, Jan 5, 2023)

Good luck with that one.

By the way, one concession that Duterte had extended that turned to China’s advantage -- signing of formal media cooperation agreements between the two countries that are still active today -- the inimical effect of which is spelled out in the next step.

STEP 2. CO-OPT MEDIA CAPITALISTS

Inside the target country, like the Philippines, China takes in and brings together the media capitalists at the sectoral level, to become its local collaborators to fall in with its censorship. In front of such collaborators, China dangles financial resources in the Chinese circulation, advertising, and capital markets -- the enticing siren song in “outsourcing” its censorship to the local media landscape.

Headline: “How pro-China propaganda is seeded online in the Philippines” (Rappler, Nov 1, 2023)

Rappler hit upon a group, the Integrated Development Studies Institute (IDSI), a prominent actor presenting itself as a think tank and pushing pro-China narratives. Having neither a record on the SEC nor DTI online database, IDSI frequently attacked independent media organizations critical of the pro-China Duterte administration.

The Manila Times and SMNI, with histories of fueling disinformation and attacking critics of the Duterte administration, often gave a platform to IDSI according to Rappler.

Rappler also came upon Sass Sasot, a prominent pro-Duterte blogger, who has been flagged for spreading disinformation, as among IDSI’s supposed “thinkers”.

Without naming names, NSC Asst. Dir. Gen. Malaya said that “they are, at the very least, propagandists or willing proxies of China in their malign information operations.” Besides Sasot, George Siy, and Herman Tiu Laurel being named in the Rappler report, Rigoberto Tiglao, Mark Anthony Lopez, Anna Malindog-Uy, Trixie Cruz-Angeles, and Uere Rebu Bainrebu, though not being named, had gotten their articles shown as exhibits.

Speaking of The Manila Times and Tiglao, among the paper’s premium columnists, oddly enough, only Tiglao seems entitled to be viewed by both the premium subscribers and the general public freely through his website. By contrast, readers of his opposers such as, Maj. Gen. Edgard A. Arevalo, Rafael M. Alunan III, and Francisco S. Tatad are restricted by the premium subscription.

STEP 3. CARRY OUT AND NORMALIZE SELF-CENSORSHIP

Finally, backed by the local media capitalists, the local media’s corporate and market structures in the target country, like the Philippines, play ball with China’s mass communication policies. Structural changes may finally drive some Filipino journalists to normalize self-censorship in rooting for China in the news editing process.

In such a process, two patterns come into effect. First, top-down, the media capitalist or the owner explicitly or implicitly gives a rundown of news editing and reporting to the chief editor, the chief editorial writers, and other high-level managers through weekly executive meetings. Second, bottom-up, the reporters and editors themselves tried to get the drift of the media capitalist or the owner’s message and then slanted news and opinion content to go along with their bosses' line of thinking.

At first, each pattern hinges on the media capitalist or owner’s power to call shots at employees’ fate with the proverbial dreaded “You’re fired!” Subsequently, amid the day-to-day collaboration in the corporate hierarchy, this self-censorship evolves into a culture that reporters and editors harmonize with, fall into, and ultimately embrace as a matter of course.

Exhibit A: “Inside China’s Audacious Global Propaganda Campaign” (The Guardian, Dec 7, 2018)

The above banner story disclosed China’s buying up media outlets and training scores of foreign journalists to “tell China’s story well” as part of a worldwide propaganda campaign of astonishing scope and ambition. “Telling China’s story well” means serving the ideological aims of the state.

Exhibit B. “Philippines: Beijing’s Global Media Influence Report” (Freedom House, 2022)

The report cited that at least 36 people from the Philippine media industry went on a subsidized trip to China in 2019, with some participants parroting Chinese state talking points upon their return. These trips stopped only as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Let me wrap up this article with the statement of NSC Asst. Dir. Gen. Malaya:

“We are a democracy and we respect the rights of individuals to freely express their positions on matters of national concern. However, once they utilize these fora for the purposes of disinformation, misinformation, utilizing the Chinese narrative, the ones coming from Beijing, then it becomes a threat. And that is exactly what is happening now.”

Head collage photos courtesy of istock, pdf coffeedotcom, and freepik

Video clips courtesy of YouTube

A BACK-TO-BASICS LESSON LEARNED IN A LONG-DRAWN-OUT WAY

 

“Philippines’ Marcos Gives Up Agriculture Post, Names New Head” – Bloomberg

The headline above tells of the President ultimately throwing in the towel after 16 months of concurrently carrying out the role of Secretary of Agriculture amid food security and other agriculture-related problems such as supply shortages and price spikes in basic commodities, among others.

I am reposting my past ATABAY article Weak Move: Agri Sec Marcos Jr. about the issue, not to pat myself on the back with I-told-you-so hype for having seen the handwriting on the wall, but to hopefully turn a crucial mistake into one valuable lesson.

                                                             ><><

It was a typical day. My wife, son, daughter, and I were having lunch.

“Where can I buy a kilo of cement, Dy?” my daughter Dionne asked.

Her question hinted at her bursting into a new project and bringing me on board as her financer, purchaser, and consultant rolled into one.

“What’s that cement for?” I asked high-handedly since cement is one component of concrete – a building block of my civil engineering profession.

“I will make concrete planters, Dy,” she eagerly replied.

“Concrete planters? How will you do them?” I asked with a straight face. “I think it will not be easy.” All at once, the mood over the dining table turned subdued.

“I can do it, Dy,” she cut in with confidence.

“To make concrete planters, you need formworks. Since, at first, concrete is in fluid form, you need formworks to contain it before it hardens,” I stressed. Dionne seemed unable to believe her ears and at a loss for words.

“If your planter is thin-walled, it could turn into a potato chip -- brittle and will break easily if it falls to the ground. You may need a very fine mesh to reinforce it. I could only imagine its messy process.” Puffing up, I wised up with technical jargon turning our usual family bonding into a power lunch pep talk. Dionne looked at her Mom obviously for her backing but got no word.

“How about plastic planters? They are cheap. You can simply buy it anywhere.” I tipped her off in earnest.

With tears welling in her eyes, Dionne stood up and left the dining table without even touching her food.

Caught off-guard and mixed up about what broke out that day, I Google “concrete planters” that very night. Whoa, the images on the screen unfolding before my eyes struck me dumb – an array of colorful concrete planters in fine-looking shapes and diverse sizes with accompanying how-to-do instructions. In the same breath, I got an “aha” moment: I found the vital piece I had missed during my power lunch pep talk – the silicon mold – the cutting-edge recyclable substitute for conventional formworks available online in various shapes and sizes.

The next day I drove to the nearest hardware store and bought the cement Dionne had asked for her concrete planter project.

In essence, what took place during our lunchtime?

MICROMANAGEMENT

Dionne, a proponent then, proposed a project – concrete planters. Being a prospective financer, purchaser, and consultant, right there and then, I assumed the role of the project head. No problem with that. Here’s the crux of the matter: I micromanaged it – even as the project was still in its early proposal-making stage.

What is micromanagement?

Wikipedia defines it as “a management style whereby a manager closely observes and/or controls and/or reminds the work of their subordinates or employees. Micromanagement is generally considered to have a negative connotation mainly because it shows a lack of freedom and trust in the workplace.”

“Interference and disruption” – that’s what micromanagement is all about for Harry E. Chambers, author of “My Way or the Highway: The Micromanagement Survival Guide.” He says, “It occurs when influence, involvement, and interaction begin to subtract value from people and processes. It is the perception of inappropriate interference in someone else’s activities, responsibilities, decision making, and authority… the excessive, unwanted, counterproductive interference and disruption of people or things.”

Headline: Marcos will be agriculture secretary at least for now.

He intended to “reorganize the Department of Agriculture in the way that will make it ready for the next years to come.” All at once, PhilStar Jarius Bondoc took issue with it in his in-your-face column head: “Stop reinventing the wheel.”

To borrow from chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer’s words in one of his matches: “This is a weak move already.”

Yet, Marcos Jr. may say: “I’m not micromanaging” which squares with the character his father wrote in his diary: “Bongbong is our principal worry. He is too carefree and lazy.” Besides, Marcos Jr. can’t micromanage because he’s not even an agriculture specialist -- Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas has considered him “grossly unqualified.”

Marcos Jr. could even say, “I’m only trying to help. I’m only doing what is necessary to ensure success.”

Fair enough. But, here’s the bone of contention: When does headship become micromanagement? Chambers explains:

“When they interfere with performance, quality, and efficiency. When they become barriers to achievement or impediments to getting things done. Micromanagement and micromanagers do not add value to individuals or processes. Regardless of the intent, the results are subtraction, not addition.”

Trinity Solutions’ survey on micromanagement revealed the following: 7 in 10 workers said being micromanaged interfered with their job performance and 8 in 10 said being micromanaged impacted negatively their morale.

The crux of the dilemma: Perception. The gap between the perceptions of Marcos Jr. as a micromanager (true or not) and his Agriculture department as being micromanaged (real or imagined) in the words of Chambers, “is the breeding ground for misunderstanding, morale problems, high frustration, and declining productivity.

The broader the gap, the less job satisfaction there is for everyone involved.”

MACROMANAGEMENT

Here’s the other side of the coin: Macro management.

Macro management leadership delegates authority and responsibilities to people while focusing on the long-term strategy. A macro manager uses a hands-off approach and allows subordinates to perform their tasks independently.

Former US President Ronald Reagan’s leadership style seems to fit the macro management definition above like a glove. Ben T. Elliot of National Review wrote that he “led a great American comeback. He not only achieved what his critics said would be impossible; he made it easy. His leadership transformed a sputtering U.S. economy into a rocket of growth that led to a generation of prosperity. He restored a neglected U.S. military and its alliances, engineering the eventual defeat of the Soviet empire, without starting a war and without firing a shot.” The essence of Reagan’s following words could be the key to his leadership style:

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.”

Sign of political will. Strategic. Fearless. These are among the many honeyed words Marcos Jr. gained from his Agriculture move. But the statement of his Super Ate Imee (as written by PhilStar Ana Marie Pamintuan) is a fly in the ointment: it acknowledged that “BBM faces frighteningly high public expectations – highest in his most remarkable aspiration for P20 per kilo rice.”

Not only will he micro-manages (perceived or not) the Agriculture department, but also will shell out a chunk of his limited time to deliver on his campaign promise of P20 per kilo of rice. The Manila Times Marlen Ronquillo “sees no credible, viable path” of such promise within Marcos Jr.’s full term. Like in chess, not only is it a weak move, but it’s also a dubious one – preemptive for an expected loss of a piece: “I did my best” as the popular line of a song goes.

It was a typical day. My wife, son, daughter, and I were having lunch.

“Where can I buy a hamster’s cage, My?” Dionne asked her mom.

Her question hinted at her bursting into a new project and bringing, this time, her Mom on board as her financer, purchaser, and consultant rolled into one.

I just kept quiet. I had learned my lesson: do not stifle her growth and creativity.

Head photo courtesy of Bulk Quotes Now

Video clips courtesy of YouTube

THE FALL OF CRYPTO KING: A TALE OF TWO MASTERS

 

“Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty of seven counts of fraud in stunning fall for former crypto billionaire” – CNN

Hitting the headlines all over the world lately, the banner story above tells of one of the biggest financial frauds perpetrated in American history. Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the “Crypto King,” was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from accounts belonging to customers of his once-high-flying crypto exchange FTX.

Looking back, SBF, once known as cryptocurrency’s whiz kid, became a financier, established cryptocurrency companies that made billions and backed Effective Altruism (EA) – a movement that seeks to persuade people to donate a large share of their income to charity. For having donated millions, SBF became the EA poster boy.

“By making as much money as we can and donating to the best causes, we can each save hundreds of lives,” argues William MacAskill, an Oxford philosopher and one of the EA founders.

The serendipitous mix of SBF’s driving force to “make money and give it away,” the spiritual nuance of “fall” in the above headline, and the precognition of the top prosecutor’s words -- “The crypto industry might be new. But this kind of corruption is as old as time” -- speaks volumes and gives an inkling to the old-fashioned dilemma of the fallen nature of man flashing back to the time of Jesus Christ.

TWO MASTERS

At this point, let’s take a spiritual trip, briefly, down the hallowed memory lane. Jesus said:

“No one can serve two masters at the same time. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Mt. 7:24)

Inspired by EA, SBF claimed that he wanted to make money – billions or maybe even trillions – so that he could do the most good possible – give it all away to the poor. He planned to keep only one percent of his wealth, he told Bloomberg, eventually giving the rest away to worthy causes.

Such a motivation is a two-stage course of action. The first stage is to make money. The second stage is to do good. Cool idea.

Drawn on such a motivation, wittingly or unwittingly, SBF put in place two masters. Money, in the first stage; God-inspired Goodness, in the second stage.

In the first stage, all in good time, according to court filings reported by The Byte, SBF used FTX money to support an incredibly lavish lifestyle for himself and those in his inner circle. He basked in the sunshine of a $35 million penthouse in the Bahamas, spending upwards of $40 million on ultra-luxurious living arrangements, food, and hotels in just nine months alone -- while stealing $13 billion in customer funds to buy real estate and hobnobbing with A-list celebrities like the Clintons, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Jeff Bezos, among others.

However, on the road to the second stage, an ugly head popped up. Nishad Singh, FTX’s former director of engineering and SBF’s onetime roommate, having figured out the $13 billion “hole” in FTX finances – customers deposits SBF used up – he testified:

“I was blindsided and horrified; I felt really betrayed. Something I thought was a beautiful force for good has turned out to be so evil.”

Accumulating so much wealth, SBF stuck around the first stage, putting on the pedestal his Money master. He ultimately lost track of his journey to the second stage, along with shrugging off the God-inspired Goodness master (as the Bible passage forewarns, deep in SBF’s heart, he could have hated or despised such a master in the thick of his accumulated wealth) to do good to poor people. In less than no time, SBF fell from grace and flat on his face, as he came to grips with the court judgment.

It flashes us back to the time of Jesus.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where he had raised Lazarus, the dead man, to life. Now they gave a dinner for Jesus and while Martha waited on them, Lazarus sat at the table with him.

Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume from genuine nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Judas, son of Simon Iscariot – the disciple who was to betray Jesus – remarked:

“This perfume could have been sold for three hundred silver coins and turned over to the poor.”

Judas, indeed, had no concern for the poor; he was a thief and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to the funds. (Jn. 12:1-6)

TWO PEAS IN A POD

From all appearances, Judas and SBF are two peas in a pod. In the same manner, the calculus of Judas words measures up to the credo of Peter Singer, an atheist philosopher, whose ideas lie at the heart of EA, as he argues:

“Effective altruists are sensitive to numbers and to cost per life saved or year of suffering prevented.”

What’s more, Singer has argued that, from a strictly consequentialist perspective, it is plausible that “at least some of the guards at Auschwitz were not acting wrongly” because they might have been replaced “by someone else… who would have been even more brutal.”

Kenan Malik of The Guardian countered that not only does Singer’s logic defy our moral intuitions, but it can also be applied to justify almost any action, including SBF’s fraud. Any EA adherent may stand up for SBF's scamming of the investors, for at least, he gave more money to charity than another scammer might have done. The point: There is more to morality than numbers adding up, and that concepts such as dignity or intrinsic worth may be as important as consequences.

WALK THE TALK

To be fair, EA in its Philippines’ Vision and Mission sounds respectable.

“Our vision is to create a thriving community of Filipinos who use evidence, reason, and compassion to maximize their social impact with their careers and resources.

Our mission is to provide high-quality resources and discussion spaces for Filipino students and professionals to learn about and practice the principles of effective altruism.

We aim to help more Filipinos learn about the importance of maximizing their social impact, which causes could be most important for them to work on, and what they can do with their careers or donations to make an impact on these causes.”

Amid its poster boy’s fall from grace, EA’s port in a storm, badly damaged, may be embedded in the wisdom of this Sunday’s Gospel:

“Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.” (Mt. 23:3-4)

Head photo collage courtesy of CBC, VOI, & deposit photos

Video clips courtesy of YouTube

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE DEEPFAKE: Q & A GUIDE

 

The Rise of Deepfake Pornography is Devastating for Women – CNN

The recent news banner above exposes the growing problem of deepfake pornography which uses artificial intelligence to create fake sexual videos of women without their consent. It reminds me of my ATABAY article The Great Unfairness I wrote in the thick of the fiercely divisive 2022 presidential election campaign, excerpts of which I am reposting below:

“There is a video of you having sex on the internet. You do not remember being with this person because it never happened. Others are watching the video online, too.

“The video is unfamiliar because it is a deepfake – an “ultrarealistic fake video” where your face is superimposed onto another person’s body through the use of artificial intelligence software. And someone has published it online for the world to see. This is not science fiction.

“All one needs is a computer, a decent graphics card, the FakeApp program, hundreds of pictures of the desired person, and a few hours. A tutorial is easily accessible online.

“Deepfakes are not only going to be used for self-gratification, but also have the potential to be used to extort, humiliate, harass, and blackmail victims.” (Deepfakes: False Pornography Is Here And The Law Cannot Protect You by Douglas Harris)

The noted victim then was Aika, the daughter of former Vice-President Leni Robredo.

Senator Leila de Lima said Aika’s deepfake was “so 2016.” That year, coming at the height of the hearing of her illegal drug-related charges, de Lima also fell victim to an accusation of having a sex video with her security aide. She stressed then:

“Demonizing women has been a go-to, and desperate political strategy in the past 6 years. Galawang sindikato talaga. Matitigil lang yan kapag natanggalan na ng sungay ang mga nagtatangkang bumalik sa kapangyarihan at yung mga nagtatangkang manatili.” (It’s what the syndicates do. It will only stop once we remove the horns of those who want to return to and maintain their power.)

Created in 2017, a deepfake then took hundreds of images of a person’s face to create a convincing video -- today, it will take just one or two images. User-friendly deepfake apps are now available for iPhones. Taking dirt cheap commission, deepfake creators can create explicit videos of a customer’s favorite celebrity, ex, or political targets like Aika or de Lima.

To thrash out this complex subject, we turn to an expert we had invited to Tech Talk.

ME: Welcome everyone to Tech Talk. Today, I’m glad to have with us a special guest, Mr. AI, a tech expert, who will share his knowledge and insights on deepfake technology. Thank you for being here, sir.

MR AI: Thank you for having me on your show. I hope I can enlighten you and your viewers on this provocative and controversial subject: deepfake technology.

ME: Absolutely, we’re excited to dive into this topic. Let’s start with the nuts and bolts. What are deepfakes?

MR AI: A pretty good start. Deepfakes are synthetic media creations made through artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms.

ME: I’ve heard about both the bad and the good sides of deepfake technology. Can you elaborate on both?

MR. AI: Sure. On the creative side, deepfake technology has breathed new life into the following industries, such as:

Entertainment and art. It can create realistic and immersive content for movies, video games, fashion, and e-commerce. For example, the Beatles' surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed with the late John Lennon, bringing him back to life through his voice in their new song "Now and Then".

Education and research. It can create educational and informative content. For example, a project by Samsung AI Center and Skolkove Institute of Science and Technology used deepfake technology to animate famous artworks, such as Mona Lisa and Portrait of an Unknown Woman.

Social activism. It can raise awareness and inspire action for various causes and issues. For example, a campaign by Malaria No More used deepfake technology to make David Beckham speak nine different languages, urging people to join the fight against malaria.

ME: That’s uplifting, but what about the other side?

MR AI: Fair enough. Unfortunately, there’s a darker side to deepfake technology which can be used maliciously such as:

Pornography and harassment: Deepfakes can be used to create non-consensual pornographic images or videos of real people, usually celebrities or private individuals. They can cause psychological harm, reputational damage, and online harassment for the victims. For example, a study showed that 96% of deepfake videos online were nonconsensual pornography.

Fraud and identity theft. They can be used to impersonate someone’s voice, face, or identity and trick others into giving money, information, or access to valuable assets or data. For example, a CEO of a UK energy firm was tricked into transferring $243,000 to a fraudster who used deepfake technology mimicking the CEO's voice, bypassing the biometric security system, such as facial or voice recognition.

Misinformation and propaganda. Deepfakes can be used to spread false or misleading information, such as fake news, hoaxes, or rumors. They can influence public opinion, incite social conflicts, or manipulate elections. For example, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, using deepfake technology, some videos have been manipulated to show events that did not happen or to support one side of the conflict.

ME: Yikes. How are deepfake videos created?

MR. AI: Here are some steps:

Choose a tool. Online tools, such as Deepfake Web or AI studios, have features, limitations, and pricing.

Upload your videos. You need two videos: a source and a target. The source is one you change; the target is a reference. For example, you make a deepfake of yourself as Tom Cruise: you need your video as the source; Tom Cruise video, the target.

Train the AI. The tool uses the AI algorithm to learn the facial features and expressions of both videos and create a model that can swap them which can take from a few minutes to many hours depending on the video quality and length, and tool speed.

Generate the video. Once AI finishes the training, it generates a new video that combines the source and target videos. You can preview, edit, download, or share the generated video.

ME: Fascinating and instructive. But it’s unsettling to think about the negative impact of deepfakes especially on pornography. How are researchers and organizations combatting this technology?

MR AI: Fortunately, there are ongoing efforts to detect and combat deepfakes. Researchers are developing AI-based solutions to identify anomalies in media, and metadata analysis can help spot discrepancies between real and fake content. Also, media literacy and awareness campaigns are empowering individuals to recognize and respond to deepfake threats.

ME: Privacy is a huge concern, and we must address it. Could you tell us more about the privacy and ethical concerns surrounding deepfake technology?

MR AI: A pivotal question. Privacy is indeed a significant concern.  Deepfakes can be created using anyone’s likeness without their consent, which raises ethical questions. Whether it’s for entertainment or malicious purposes, respecting an individual’s privacy and consent should be a top priority.

ME: Legal and regulatory measures are crucial in addressing this issue. What’s the current legal landscape when it comes to deepfakes?

MR. AI: Some countries have introduced laws and regulations to mitigate potential harm from deepfake technology. However, legislating and enforcing laws in the ever-evolving digital realm remains a challenge. The legal framework must evolve alongside technology.

ME: As we wrap up our discussion, can you give us a glimpse of the future of deepfake technology?

MR AI: Looking ahead, we can expect advancement in detection and prevention methods. However, just as the technology evolves, so do the capabilities of those who misuse it. Staying informed and vigilant is the key to navigating this ever-evolving digital landscape.

ME: And finally, any parting words for our viewers?

MR AI: Sure. In this age of deepfake technology, our perception of reality is under constant scrutiny. We must understand the technology, recognize its potential for good and bad, and actively engage in discussion about its implications. Technology is a tool, and how we use it, defines its impact. Remember, stay curious, stay vigilant, and stay informed.

Thank you for having me.

ME: Knowledge is power, and as Uncle Ben famously told Peter in Spider-Man movie: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Thank you, Mr. AI, for joining us today on Tech Talk and shedding light on the complex world of deepfake technology. It’s been an eye-opening conversation. Thank you, viewers, for watching Tech Talk. Stay tuned for more interesting and relevant topics in our next episodes. Have a great day!

Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft Bing AI-powered co-pilot

Head photo courtesy of Adobe Stock

Video clips courtesy of YouTube

NURSING SHORTAGE & MIGRATION: US & PH WIN-WIN APPROACH

 

Imagine that you are a nurse, and you get an offer to work in the US. You are excited by the opportunity to earn more money, experience a different culture, and advance your career. You pack your bags and board the plane, ready to start a new life.

Two Filipino nurses found a need and filled it amid the US nursing shortage.

JERICK

Jerick Tabudlo, 29, left his home in the Philippines and arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport 16 hours later. He became an operating room nurse at Henry Ford Hospital.

“It’s exciting,” Jerick said on his first visit to the hospital. “Where I had my experience in the Philippines was at a hospital with a 100-bed capacity, so it’s a much bigger hospital catering to more sophisticated cases from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.” Henry Ford has 877 licensed beds.

He earns between $70k and $100k a year, the same rate as all other nurses on staff. The hospital also pays for most of his immigration expenses and provides him with a furnished apartment near the hospital.

The hospital helps him with applying for a Social Security card, a driver’s license, and finding a local church. He realizes he needs a car to get around.

“They always say that I’m courageous to be coming here alone, but I’m just excited because it’s a new clinical environment and there are so many different specialties here,” Jerick said after meeting some co-workers for the first time. “I’m a person who always wants to learn.”

JAN

Six years ago, my daughter Jan, equipped with NCLEX-RN, flew to the US alone after being headhunted by Genesis Health Care from her five-year nursing job in the Mideast. She received paid traveling expenses, fetched by her bosses at the airport, and booked for a month-starter stay in a Marriot Hotel.

Schooled with a master's  degree, she works presently in DaVita Kidney Care as nurse practitioner, and has become a naturalized citizen. She now lives in Texas with her family of four in a home they own.

NURSING SHORTAGE

Jerick and Jan are two samples of the Philippines’ best products primed for the global market. They filled a need in the US healthcare system that suffers from a severe nursing shortage.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the US will need 1.1 million new registered nurses for expansion and replacement of retirees. The Bureau lists registered nurses among the top occupations in terms of job growth, expected to reach 3.4 million by 2026.

However, the US does not have enough nurses to meet this demand. The nursing schools nationally graduate only about 200,000 nurses a year. Many nurses are also reaching retirement age and leaving the workforce.

“You could have just taken nursing – the only job here in the US now that will assure you of the bright future.” Jan told her younger sister, Dionne, a management accounting graduate, who plans to join her sister in the US.

BENEFITS OF HIRING FILIPINO NURSES

To address the need in the healthcare system suffering from a severe nursing shortage, US hires foreign nurses, especially from the Philippines, because they have many advantages over other candidates. According to Eric Wallis, Henry Ford’s chief nursing officer, Filipino nurses have:

·         Pool of talent and training similar to the US standards

·         Proficiency in English and communication skills

·         Ample supply of nurses in their home country

·         Strong work ethic and dedication

Hiring Filipino nurses also benefits the Philippines economically, as they send remittances back to their families. According to the Central Bank of the Philippines, total remittances to the country account for 9% of gross domestic product.

CHALLENGES

However, hiring Filipino nurses has some drawbacks and challenges for both the US and the Philippines. For the US, it may not be a long-term solution to its nursing shortage, as it may create ethical and practical problems such as:

·         Exploitation of Filipino nurses by unscrupulous recruiters or employers who charge exorbitant fees, impose unfair contracts, or violate labor rights.

·         Discrimination and integration issue from colleagues or patients who do not respect or appreciate their culture or background.

·         Loss of skilled health workers in the Philippines that can worsen its fragile public health systems and contribute to global health inequity.

For Filipino nurses, migrating to the US may also pose some difficulties and risks such as:

·         Emotional stress and loneliness from leaving their families behind.

·         Cultural shock and adaptation from living and working in a different environment.

·         Uncertainty and insecurity depending on their visa status or employer sponsorship.

TWO-CENTS

To address these challenges, here are some recommendations for improving the situation of both countries and their respective nurses:

·         Investing more in nursing education, research, and practice in both countries, to increase the supply and quality of native-born and immigrant nurses.

·         Improving working conditions and environments for nurses in both countries, to enhance satisfaction, retention, and well-being.

·         Creating fair and sustainable recruitment practices and policies for foreign nurses to protect their interests, rights, and dignity.

·         Enhancing collaboration and cooperation among various stakeholders involved in nursing migration, such as government, employers, recruiters, educators, regulators, professional associations, and civil society groups.

THERE’S THE RUB

In the best of times, immigration attorney Amy Erlbacher-Anderson, who helps rural hospitals in the Midwest with visas for their international nurses, said in a Marketplace article, the visa process takes a year.

According to the most recent State Department visa bulletin, a Filipino nurse would have had to file their paperwork in 2020 to be issued a visa in 2023.

While Congress could pass legislation to increase visas for foreign nurses, Erlbacher-Anderson said that, after 20 years in the business, she’s not holding her breath.

Henry Ford’s leaders are encouraging lawmakers to pass legislation that would speed up the process for international nurses looking to come to the U.S. to help alleviate the shortage.

“Until the ink from the president’s pen is dry on that sheet of paper,” Erlbacher-Anderson said, “it’s not happening,”.

CONCLUSION

Hiring Filipino nurses is a complex phenomenon that has both positive and negative impacts on both the US and the Philippines. It requires careful consideration of benefits and challenges involved, as well as collaboration among various actors to ensure mutual respect, trust, and lasting value.

By following the recommendations, both countries can address the underlying causes or factors that contribute to the nursing shortage and migration, and promote the advancement and recognition of the nursing profession globally.

Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft Bing AI-powered co-pilot

Head collage photos courtesy of YouTube & Shutterstock

Video clips courtesy of YouTube