Public Attention Research Articles

Field-building and the epistemic culture of AI safety

The emerging field of “AI safety” has attracted public attention and large infusions of capital to support its implied promise: the ability to deploy advanced artificial intelligence (AI) while reducing its gravest risks. Ideas from effective altruism, longtermism, and the study of existential risk are foundational to this new field. In this paper, we contend that overlapping communities interested in these ideas have merged into what we refer to as the broader “AI safety epistemic community,” which is sustained through its mutually reinforcing community-building and knowledge production practices. We support this assertion through an analysis of four core sites in this community’s epistemic culture: 1) online community-building through Web forums and career advising; 2) AI forecasting; 3) AI safety research; and 4) prize competitions. The dispersal of this epistemic community’s members throughout the tech industry, academia, and policy organizations ensures their continued input into global discourse about AI. Understanding the epistemic culture that fuses their moral convictions and knowledge claims is crucial to evaluating these claims, which are gaining influence in critical, rapidly changing debates about the harms of AI and how to mitigate them.

Delay model for the dynamics of information units in the digital environment

The digital revolution has transformed the exchange of information between people, blurring the traditional roles of sources and recipients as active and passive entities. To study this, we build on a publicly available database of quotes, organized as units of information flowing through media and blogs with minimal distortion. Building on this, we offer an innovative interpretation of the observed temporal patterns through a minimal model with two ingredients: a two-way feedback between sources and recipients, and a delay in the media’s response to activity on blogs. Our model successfully fits the variety of observed patterns, revealing different attention decays in media and blogs, with rebounds of information typically occurring between 1 and 4 days after the initial dissemination. More important perhaps, the model uncovers a functional relationship between the rate of information flow from media to blogs and the decay of public attention, suggesting a simplification in the mechanisms of information exchange in digital media. Although further research is required to generalize these findings fully, our results demonstrate that even a bare-bones model can capture essential mechanisms of information dynamics in the digital environment.

How to Enhance Public Participation in Environmental Governance? Evidence from China

Public participation in environmental governance plays a pivotal role in fostering a healthy and sustainable relationship between society and the environment. Despite the convenience afforded by the internet, the level of participation among Chinese citizens remains notably low. Thus, enhancing public enthusiasm for environmental governance is imperative, particularly given the paucity of academic research in this area. To address this gap, we employed the volume of messages on a leadership message board as a proxy for measuring the motivation behind public participation in environmental governance. Utilizing a provincial panel regression analysis, we investigated the determinants of public participation and subsequently conducted a mechanism analysis. Our findings reveal that deteriorating local air quality correlates with heightened motivation for public involvement in environmental governance. Additionally, increased public attention to environmental issues significantly amplifies this motivation, with the availability of internet access and the degree of emphasis placed by local governments on public participation further facilitating this process. This study contributes a theoretical and empirical foundation for enhancing public engagement in environmental governance, thereby fostering the development of a sustainable society.

Conformism, Ignorance & Injustice: AI as a Tool of Epistemic Oppression

Abstract From music recommendation to assessment of asylum applications, machine-learning algorithms play a fundamental role in our lives. Naturally, the rise of AI implementation strategies has brought to public attention the ethical risks involved. However, the dominant anti-discrimination discourse, too often preoccupied with identifying particular instances of harmful AIs, has yet to bring clearly into focus the more structural roots of AI-based injustice. This paper addresses the problem of AI-based injustice from a distinctively epistemic angle. More precisely, I argue that the injustice generated by the implementation of AI machines in our societies is, in some paradigmatic cases, also a form of epistemic injustice. With a particular focus on AIs employed as gatekeepers of our epistemic resources, this paper shows how their epistemically conformist behaviour is responsible for the marginalisation and the ostracism of minoritarian perspectives. Because it clarifies key structural flaws and weaknesses of current AI design, this paper helps make headway in critical discussion of current AI technologies. And because it forges new theoretical tools to understand forms of epistemic oppression, this paper also contributes to the advancement of feminist theorisation.

Public Preferences for Mental Health Initiatives to Prevent Crime

Recently, in the wake of high-profile incidents, public and policy attention has been directed toward addressing mental health as an avenue to prevent crime. Given the link between public opinion and policy, it is important to understand how the public views such efforts. Specifically, do Americans favor measures (e.g., diversion/mental health partnerships, 988 hotline) that require a mental health, rather than police response, for incidents involving mentally distressed people? What factors—concerning beliefs about crime and mental health and personal characteristics (e.g., prior mental health history)—are associated with these policy preferences? Drawing on a 2022 national poll, this study examines these research questions. Results suggest majority approval for changes in mental health responses to crime among the public. However, divides in public attitudes are evident.

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE BY INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS AS THE BASIC MEANS OF PREVENTING VIOLATIONS OF PUBLIC INTEREST OF CITIZEN INVESTORS

The article is devoted to the analysis of the concept of "responsible business conduct" from the point of view of public interest. It is noted that responsible corporate governance has its origins in the concept of "corporate social responsibility", which became widespread in the 1970s in the US and the UK as a result of increased public and consumer attention to the overall image of companies. At the international level, many documents have been adopted to regulate corporate social responsibility. However, not enough has been done in Ukraine to introduce this category into economic activity. The purpose of the research is to analyse the legal grounds and theoretical approaches to the formation of the concept of "responsible business conduct" and to present the author's approach to the essence of the concept of "responsible business conduct of institutional investors" from the point of view of the protection of the public interest. According to the purpose of the article, several scientific methods of modern epistemology were used in the scientific research. The methodological basis of the study was the theory of legal cognition developed by prominent experts in the field of investment law. In addition, special research methods were used, in particular: comparative – to compare the rules of international and national law; historical and legal – for retrospective analysis of the concept of social responsibility; special legal – for in-depth analysis of the regulations governing the procedure of investment; systematic approach and logical-legal method – to analyse the impact of some factors on the investment activity of individuals and some elements of the formation of logical and specific theoretical and applied conclusions. In conclusion, the authors define responsible business as a set of generally accepted norms, rules and principles that are voluntarily implemented by companies in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development of society; they are not part of the national legislation of Ukraine, but their observance indicates a certain business reputation of the business entity. For institutional investors, responsible corporate governance includes two main groups of activities of an institutional investor: "responsible attraction" of funds and "responsible investment" of funds of individual investors. The authors proposed to divide the responsible business conduct of an institutional investor to manifest its social responsibility into "responsible attraction" of funds and "responsible investment" of funds.

Awareness begets action: public climate attention and corporate green innovation

ABSTRACT In this study, we examine the effect and mechanism of public climate attention on corporate green innovation. We find that green innovation strengthens with increasing degrees of public climate attention. Moreover, the impact of public climate attention on green innovation is more significant when enterprises face more green development pressure and hold more resource reserves. Further investigation reveals that public climate attention contributes more to green innovation in samples of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), non-high-tech companies, and under more frequent extreme climate disasters. Finally, based on the differences in firm motivation for engaging in green innovation, we also explore the influence of public climate attention on firms’ substantive and strategic green innovations and find that public climate attention significantly contributes to both types of innovation. Our research results are of theoretical and practical significance for achieving dual-carbon goals and promoting sustainable social development and high-quality economic development.

Communicating CSR relationships in COVID‐19: The evolution of cross‐sector communication networks on social media

AbstractCross‐sector relationship building is an important strategy in corporate social responsibility initiatives, and communicating cross‐sector relationships on social media can help raise the visibility of collaborative relationships. A noticeable gap in the literature is how social media enables and constrains the formation patterns of cross‐sector connections. To understand how businesses communicate their relationships with government agencies and nonprofits about social issues on social media, we propose a theoretical framework that centers public attention as a critical resource and considers different sectors' interests in the COVID‐19 issue. We tested this framework with a nationally representative sample of 1,980 organizations on Twitter. The analysis reveals that the increase in public attention to the COVID‐19 issue was accompanied by a greater likelihood of cross‐sector ties. Specifically, firms severely affected by COVID‐19 were more likely to build ties with government agencies, and the increase in public attention also drove firms to build more ties with nonprofits, especially advocacy nonprofits. Our findings suggest managers of social media communication should observe the volatile public attention and design communicative strategies accordingly.

The impact and management of internet-based public opinion dissemination during emergencies: A case study of Baidu News during the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency has had a huge impact worldwide. We analyzed news headlines and keywords from the initial period of COVID-19, and explored the dissemination timeline of news related to the epidemic, and the impact of Internet-based media on the public using lifecycle theory and agenda-setting theory. We aimed to explore the impact of Baidu news headlines on public attention during the first wave of COVID-19, as well as the management mechanism of regulatory departments for social public opinion. We searched Baidu News using the keywords "Novel Coronavirus" and "COVID-19" from 8 January to 21 February 2020, a total of 45 days, and used Python V3.6 to extract news samples during the first wave of the epidemic. We used text analysis software to structurally process captured news topics and content summaries, applied VOSviewer V6.19 and Ucinet V6.0 to examine key aspects of the data. We analyzed the impact of Baidu News headlines on social opinion during the first wave of COVID-19 in the budding, spread, and outbreak stage of the information lifecycle. From clustering visualization and social network analysis perspectives, we explored the characteristics of Baidu News during the initial stage of the COVID-19. The results indicated that agenda-setting coverage through online media helped to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19. The findings revealed that news reporting generated a high level of public attention toward a specific emergency event. The public requires accurate and objective information on the progress of COVID-19 through Baidu News headlines to inform their planning for the epidemic. Meanwhile, government can enhance the management mechanism of news dissemination, correct false and inaccurate news, and guide public opinion in a positive direction. In addition, timely official announcements on the progress of the COVID-19 outbreak and responses to matters of public concern can help calm tensions and maintain social stability.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Voluntourism Network Attention in China: An empirical Test Based on Big Data Analysis

Based on the Baidu index platform, this study takes panel data of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipality directly under the central government in China from 2019 to 2023 as a research sample, and and uses big data to empirically analyze the influencing factors of the Voluntourism Network Attention in China. This study chose the Voluntourism Network Attention as the explanatory variable, the seven indicators including the consumption level of the residents, the population above the college and the total tourism revenue of the region as explained variables. Using the STATA15.0 software, the big data model is determined by a descriptive test, a unit root test, a co-integration test, a variance expansion factor (VIF) test, etc. The regression equation of this study was constructed by the generalized least squares method. The empirical study is conducted to determine the influence mode and degree of each factor on the public interest tourism network attention and analyzes the internal causes. The results show that the educational level of the region, the level of economic development and the level of tourism development have a significant positive impact on the Voluntourism Network Attention, and the regression coefficient of the education level and economic development level is the largest. Both of them are the main factors of network the Voluntourism Network Attention. In view of the empirical results, this paper puts forward the following suggestions: First, it is necessary to create more voluntourism routes suitable for college students. Second, it is essential to increase the marketing and promotion of voluntourism activities in economic and tourism developed areas.Last, there is a need to innovate the connotation and form of the voluntourism.

Underestimated burden of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in global surface waters and groundwaters

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of fluorinated chemicals used widely in consumer and industrial products. Their human toxicity and ecosystem impacts have received extensive public, scientific and regulatory attention. Regulatory PFAS guidance is rapidly evolving, with the inclusion of a wider range of PFAS included in advisories and a continued decrease in what is deemed safe PFAS concentrations. In this study we collated PFAS concentration data for over 45,000 surface and groundwater samples from around the world to assess the global extent of PFAS contamination and their potential future environmental burden. Here we show that a substantial fraction of sampled waters exceeds PFAS drinking water guidance values, with the extent of exceedance depending on the jurisdiction and PFAS source. Additionally, current monitoring practices probably underestimate PFAS in the environment given the limited suite of PFAS that are typically quantified but deemed of regulatory concern. An improved understanding of the range of PFAS embodied in consumer and industrial products is required to assess the environmental burden and develop mitigation measures. While PFAS is the focus of this study, it also highlights society’s need to better understand the use, fate and impacts of anthropogenic chemicals.

A Practical and Analytical Study of Yoga Therapy Techniques for Back Pain

Background: Yoga has garnered considerable public interest and attention across various countries worldwide, frequently being suggested as a means to enhance one's health. It encompasses more than mere physical exercises, incorporating a distinct philosophical outlook and psychological processes. This aspect is crucial when integrating exercises into today's unique cultural milieus. Aim: To determine the effect of selected yoga postures in treating backache. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was chosen to substantiate the objectives of this study. Seven different postures were considered; eight respondents recorded their responses after the yoga therapy. A purposive sampling technique has been followed to acquire the data. The data were screened and analysed using a one-sample t-test to signify the effectiveness of the yoga postures. Moreover, ANOVA is used to analyse posture comparison and compute whether all participants obtained the same relief. Furthermore, twelve cohorts participated in an awareness seminar and took part in thirteen different treatments; the effectiveness of such treatments was gauged via t-test. Results: Significant levels of relief were identified. However, the extent of relief among participants was different. Conclusion: This study adds to the literature related to the effect of yoga in reducing back pain. The study results can be used to create awareness of providing conventional treatment substitutions.

Walk well and talk well: Impact of the consistency of ESG performance and disclosure on firms’ stock price crash risk

The debate on whether it is possible for firms to do well by doing good in either ESG performance or disclosure is still ongoing. Investigating the consequences of firms’ outstanding status in both their actions and words may provide some new insights into this debate. This study investigates how the consistency of ESG performance and information disclosure affects the corporate stock price crash risk. We find that the consistency of ESG and its three separate dimensions negatively affects the corporate stock price crash risk. ESG consistency contributes to lower stock price crash risk through the mechanisms of alleviating agency problems and increasing information transparency. Moreover, this negative relationship is pronounced for firms operating in environmentally sensitive industries and provinces with greater public environmental attention.

HELMUT LACHENMANN'S SALUT FÜR CAUDWELL (1977) TODAY: BETWEEN STRUCTURE AND ASSEMBLAGE, BETWEEN INTERPRETATION AND EXPERIMENTATION

AbstractThe recent new edition of Helmut Lachenmann's Salut für Caudwell (1977) published in Breitkopf & Härtel (2020) by guitarist-researcher Seth Josel has renewed public attention on this seminal work from contemporary guitar literature. As a performer myself, I first performed the piece in 2008 (its Chilean premiere) and have recently premiered the new edition. Performing this piece in a concert situation is always a big event for both performers and listeners; the score seems to age well and its multivalence urges a rethink about how to approach it today. The purpose of this article is threefold: to consider the contribution of the new edition, to examine the relation of notation and performance through the analysis of selected recordings and to interrogate the possible futures for Salut, given recent developments in research into contemporary performing practice.

The geography of environmental regulation: Plant-level emissions data

We investigate how geographic proximity between environmental regulators and firms affects corporate polluting behavior through resource constraints and information asymmetry. Using plant-level emissions data from China, we find that firms pollute less when they are located closer to regulators. Proximity is more closely connected to pollution when regulators are subject to greater financial constraints, more severe manpower shortages, and higher transportation costs related to inspection. These results provide support for a resource constraint channel. There is less evidence that proximity affects corporate pollution through an information asymmetry channel. A heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of geographic proximity on plant pollution is weaker in regions with greater public attention to environmental issues. Overall, our results have implications for the strategic deployment of resources for environmental enforcement.

New outlets of digital feminist activism in China: the #SeeFemaleWorkers campaign

ABSTRACT This article examines the #SeeFemaleWorkers campaign in China, which has been one of the most influential digital feminist movements in recent years despite the patriarchal and repressive political environment in the country. The campaign not only achieved its initial goal of raising the media visibility of female health workers fighting the pandemic, but also drew public attention to the unseen contributions of female workers in all walks of life. By analysing the narrative themes and frequency of the randomly selected original posts, this study identified thematic categories to conceptualise themes of participation. Subsequently, we suggest that the intersectional nature of the campaign was an important factor in its success as it enabled women from different backgrounds to come together and discuss discrimination in the workplace. We also found that the campaign managed to evade misogynistic antagonism by avoiding polarising labels. Finally, we suggest that the reuse of socially established hashtags can be beneficial for conducting follow-up activities and sustaining the influence of the original campaign. However, the study also highlights the potential risks posed by censorship and surveillance in China, which can hinder the development and success of digital feminist activism.

Mathematical approaches to controlling COVID-19: optimal control and financial benefits

The global population has suffered extensively as an effect of the coronavirus infection, with the loss of many lives, adverse financial consequences, and increased impoverishment. In this paper, we propose an example of the non-linear mathematical modeling of the COVID-19 phenomenon. Using the fixed point theorem, we established the solution's existence and unicity. We demonstrate how, under the framework, the basic reproduction number can be redefined. The different equilibria of the model are identified, and their stability analyses are carefully examined. According to our argument, it is illustrated that there is a single optimal control that can be used to reduce the expense of the illness load and applied processes. The determination of optimal strategies is examined with the aid of Pontryagin's maximum principle. To support the analytical results, we perform comprehensive digital simulations using the Runge-Kutta 4th-order. The data simulated suggest that the effects of the recommended controls significantly impact the incidence of the disease, in contrast to the absence of control cases. Further, we calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio to assess the cost and benefits of each potential combination of the two control measures. The findings indicate that public attention, personal hygiene practices, and isolating oneself will all contribute to slowing the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, those who are infected can readily decrease their virus to become virtually non-detectable with treatment consent.

Stepping on Toes? Role Dynamics between Journalists and Lobbyists Regarding Big Tech’s Accountability Agenda

The expanding political role of Big Tech(nology) corporations has triggered concerns about the role of the media in holding corporate power to account. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of role dynamics between journalists and lobbyists toward the agenda for Big Tech’s responsibilities. Based on semi-structured interviews with European journalists ( n = 15) and lobbyists representing large technology corporations ( n = 15), we use professional role perceptions as a heuristic for examining the relationship of both actor groups in tandem. Journalists, who report an overlap of audience-focused with passive watchdog role ideals geared toward legislative accountability, interact with lobbyists, who assert a more concrete and active role perception. Journalists cautiously appropriate their normative watchdog role in accordance with the ideals of detachment and balance to maintain their own media legitimacy and access to an oligopolistic information environment. Remaining strategically sovereign over information, lobbyists perceive a strong mandate to establish Big Tech as a relevant stakeholder in the agenda on their regulatory accountability, but in mid of a perceived techlash, the majority of corporations avoid public attention. Both actor groups’ limited and off-the-record interaction reflects a defensive corporate stance, keeping their negotiation of Big Tech’s accountability off-stage. The technological and regulatory complexity of the information environment might render these corporations unfit for soft regulation by news media. We discuss implications for their co-dependence in the context of fast technological advancement and disruption of (corporate) mediatization processes.

Этнокультурные ценности народов Кабардино-Балкарии как элемент мягкой силы в между-народных связях Российской Федерации (на примере деятельности Международной черкес-ской ассоциации по популяризации адыгской этнической культуры)

It has been revealed that the popularization of the Circassian ethnic culture, propaganda of the components of the ideological position – maintaining interethnic peace and a positive image of Russia abroad is one of the main directions in the activities of the International Circassian Associ-ation. In this activity of the ICA, the most large-scale and effective are socio-cultural forums, sci-entific and practical conferences, festivals, educational projects, etc. These aspects of the ICA’s activities are also released as part of the work with young compatriots and repatriates. The com-ponents of the ideological position of the ICA are recorded in the resolutions of its XIII and XIV congresses. Considerable attention in the activities of the ICA is paid to events aimed at popular-izing the Circassian language (Adyghe and Kabardino-Circassian literary languages) and attract-ing public attention to the problems of its preservation. The active and constructive work of the ICA was highly appreciated at the federal level. In the welcoming address of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to the participants and guests of the XIII Congress of the ICA, it was recorded that the ICA cares about preserving and popularizing the native language, implements meaningful projects in the field of culture, edu-cation, enlightenment, increases multifaceted interaction with foreign compatriots, that the ICA’s efforts to maintain peace and consent in the North Caucasus. In 2023 ICA was included in the Fed-eral Register “All-Russian Book of Honor”, in which the most worthy organizations of various forms of ownership and fields of activity are formed.

Crowdfunding versus Traditional Banking: Alternative or Complementary Systems for Financing Projects in Portugal?

In an era where crowdfunding in Portugal is garnering increased public attention, exemplified by notable campaigns like the recent funding of the nurses’ strike, we explore its potential as an alternative financial source to traditional banking. Through a comprehensive case study, we delve into pertinent issues, encompassing European legislation, market dynamics, and a survey disseminated to representatives of the four prominent Portuguese crowdfunding platforms. Comprising forty-one questions across four categories, the survey extracts insights on platform details, company/project information, investor perspectives, and the financing process, along with an evaluation of platform advantages/disadvantages vis-à-vis traditional banking. Despite heightened visibility, crowdfunding remains relatively unfamiliar to the broader public, yet it diverges from banking not as a substitute but as a complementary financial mechanism. Emphasizing accessibility, process agility, and reduced bureaucracy, crowdfunding serves as a means of swiftly gaining recognition for a company or project while tapping into a broad audience. Rather than competition, it offers supplementary support, facilitating the identification and validation of investment opportunities and concepts. Moreover, it streamlines subsequent interactions with banks and investors, enhancing confidence in a project’s viability. In essence, crowdfunding emerges not as an alternative but a strategic complement, enriching the financial landscape with its unique attributes.