An AI chatbot to answer probate questions from Alaska residents "was supposed to be a three-month project," said Aubrie Souza, a consultant with the National Center for State Courts told NBC News. "We are now at well over a year and three months, but that's all because of the due diligence that was required to get it right."



"With a project like this, we need to be 100% accurate, and that's really difficult with this technology," said Stacey Marz, the administrative director of the Alaska Court System and one of the Alaska Virtual Assistant (AVA) project's leaders... While many local government agencies are experimenting with AI tools for use cases ranging from helping residents apply for a driver's license to speeding up municipal employees' ability to process housing benefits, a recent Deloitte report found that less than 6% of local government practitioners were prioritizing AI as a tool to deliver services. The AVA experience demonstrates the barriers government agencies face in attempting to leverage AI for increased efficiency or better service, including concerns about reliability and trustworthiness in high-stakes contexts, along with questions about the role of human oversight given fast-changing AI systems. These limitations clash with today's rampant AI hype and could help explain larger discrepancies between booming AI investment and limited AI adoption.

The chatbot was developed with Tom Martin, a lawyer/law professor who designs legal AI tools, according to the article. But the project "had to contend with the serious issue of hallucinations, or instances in which AI systems confidently share false or exaggerated information."


"We had trouble with hallucinations, regardless of the model, where the chatbot was not supposed to actually use anything outside of its knowledge base," Souza told NBC News. "For example, when we asked it, 'Where do I get legal help?' it would tell you, 'There's a law school in Alaska, and so look at the alumni network.' But there is no law school in Alaska." Martin has worked extensively to ensure the chatbot only references the relevant areas of the Alaska Court System's probate documents rather than conducting wider web searches.

The article concludes that "what was meant to be a quick, AI-powered leap forward in increasing access to justice has spiraled into a protracted, yearlong journey plagued by false starts and false answers." But the chatbot is now finally scheduled to be launched in late January. "It was just so very labor-intensive to do this," Marz said, despite "all the buzz about generative AI, and everybody saying this is going to revolutionize self-help and democratize access to the courts.

"It's quite a big challenge to actually pull that off."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Remember how California's government negotiated a 2024 deal where Google contributed millions to California's local newsrooms to offset advertisers moving to the search engine?

"A year after it was cemented — and billed as a model that could succeed where entire countries and continents had fallen short — the agreement is tangled in budget cuts, bureaucratic infighting and unresolved questions about who controls the money," reports Politico, "leaving journalists empty-handed and casting doubt on whether the lofty experiment will ever live up to its promise."



The program, initially framed as a nearly $250 million commitment over five years, has secured just $20 million in new money for journalists in its first year, with no guarantee the funding will continue. It's changed hands twice since the University of California, Berkeley withdrew its support [with school officials "worried they wouldn't have enough of a say in how the money was distributed"]. Suggestions that other big tech players like ChatGPT-maker OpenAI could front more resources haven't materialized. A $62.5 million "AI accelerator" tied to the deal hasn't been set up yet.

Not a single newsroom has seen a dollar of funding, and there's no definitive timeline spelling out when they will... [The article adds later that state officials "have yet to draft precise rules for how California will decide which newsrooms get cash..."] Conversations with at least 20 people involved in the deal's rollout reveal how California's budget shortfalls and intraparty spats among Democrats scrambled it... California's struggle to launch its program has dampened hopes of replicating its model in other states such as Oregon, Illinois and New York, where lawmakers have tried but failed to make Big Tech pay for news...


When [California governor] Newsom unveiled his final state budget plan in May 2025 after a $12 billion deficit suddenly scrambled the state's finances, California's first-year commitment was reduced from $30 million to $10 million. Google followed suit within days and cut its first-year contribution from $15 million to $10 million... Whether the program even continues past 2026 is also unclear. Newsom's office declined to confirm whether the state will provide its $10 million commitment to the fund in the coming 2026-27 state budget. Newsom will also be termed out in 2027, and there's no requirement for his successor to honor the state's agreement with Google.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

In 1983 vond in het diepste geheim een wargame plaats in Washington. Twaalf dagen lang speelden honderden mensen mee in een gesimuleerde oorlog met de Sovjet-Unie, op basis van…

Westerse landen voeren regelmatig patrouilles uit om een heropleving van de islamistische militante groepering die tot 2019 delen van Syrië in handen had te voorkomen.

Vandaag is het overwegend bewolkt en vooral in de eerste helft van de dag moet rekening worden gehouden met hagel- en sneeuwbuien. In het westen van de regio kan ook een regenbui voorkomen. Hierna wordt het vrijwel overal droog, met soms wat zon. De middagtemperatuur komt uit op 2 graden in het oosten van de regio en 4 à 5 graden langs de kust.

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

ajpscs posted a photo:

Drank too much, but once I take some medicine, time for round two_UNIVERSAL DRUG ASAKUSA ROKKU STORE ads

TOKYO DAY WALK
© ajpscs

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

arthur白 has added a photo to the pool:

ajpscs has added a photo to the pool:

Drank too much, but once I take some medicine, time for round two_UNIVERSAL DRUG ASAKUSA ROKKU STORE ads

TOKYO DAY WALK
© ajpscs

Mark Tindale has added a photo to the pool:

Established in 1898 by Joseph Blackmore as the Family Hotel, the Millthorpe Hotel is a heritage-listed landmark located on the corner of Elliott and Pym Streets. The historic two-storey building, later known as the Railway Hotel, features a traditional country facade and has preserved many original fittings, including a timber stairwell with turned woodwork and patterned floor tiles.

gecko47 has added a photo to the pool:

Unusual for a Babbler to be by itself. Highly gregarious, their name indicates the amount of noisy chatter they generate among their tribe.

contemplari1940 has added a photo to the pool:

ADELAIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
ANGAS BUILDINGS

There was a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen to witness the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Angas buildings in connection with the Adelaide Children's Hospital on Friday, April 29. As is well known, the Hon J H Angas is responsible for the erection of the additions, and the speeches which were delivered were full of eulogistic references to his generosity and keen interest in respect to philanthropic work.

The spirited strains of the Police Band and the floating flags which were suspended across Kermode Street attracted a large crowd of spectators, who evinced the greatest interest in the proceedings.

Comfortable seating accommodation was provided for the invited guests. His Excellency the Governor, with Captain Milner, drove up at about half-past 3 o'clock, and he was received by the President (the Chief Justice). Among those present were Sir John Colton, the Hons Dr Campbell MLC, J H Angas MLC, A R Addison MLC, His Worship the Mayor (Mr C Willcox), Dean Marryat, Revs W S Milne and J Lyall, Drs Lendon, Swift, Hayward, and Powell, Messrs J H Finlayson, C S Leader, L P Lawrence, Lyons, M Salom, W Isbister, A Wells (architect of the building), and W Howchin (Secretary). The Matron (Miss Hill) and the nurses were accommodated with special seats.

The building, which will be two stories in height, is designed to harmonize with the main building. The main entrance will be approached by a wide flight of marble steps, with encaustic tiled risers, 21 ft in width, diminishing to a landing 13 ft in width, and will open into a tiled vestibule 13 ft in width, giving access on the left to a consulting room, and on the right to the Secretary's office, and through a handsome pair of polished cedar folding doors, glazed with lead lights, to the staircase hall. They will be lighted through a well hole, skirted by a gallery on the first floor, by a lantern light glazed with lead lights. To the right of the staircase hall is placed the staircase rising behind three arches, which feature is repeated on the first floor. Off the staircase hall and through a lobby will be placed the House Surgeon's sitting-room (occupying the south-western corner of the front) and bedroom, with bathroom, &c, opening off the same.

A passage to the rear, off the staircase hall, will be approached by a flight of slate steps, which will be continued as a landing, supported on arches, giving access to two nurses' bedrooms, off which are situated their bathroom, &c.

The Outdoor Dispensary Department, which will be placed on the north aide of the building, will be approached on the north side by a slope leading to the porch of the waiting-room. The waitingroom, having separate boys' and girls' lavatory accommodation, will be connected with two consulting rooms, having dressingroom and emergency ward, all being fitted up with lavatory accommodation. The dispensary will be in conjunction with the above, and connected with the staircase hall.

The above accommodation is placed on the ground floor, which is raised 3 ft above the level of the street footpath, and owing to the sudden fall of the site to the rear gives a height under the floor at the south-eastern corner of over 10 ft.
The accommodation thus provided is to be utilized as a dairy, &c.

The first floor, which is approached by means of the staircase from the ground floor landing on a gallery skirting the hall on four sides, gives accommodation as follows: Operating theatre with tiled floor: lavatory accommodation is lighted by a lantern in the roof and three windows at the side, and opening off same is the surgeon's and instrument room and special ward. The medical ward will be situated on the southwestern corner with light on three sides, having accommodation for ten beds, with a nurses' room adjoining, having access to a balcony in front over tbe vestibule on ground floor. The medical ward is approached from a balcony in the rear through a lobby, and a passage leads to the ward, kitchen, bathroom, and lobby. It will have accommodation for fourteen beds situated on the north-western corner of the building, and will be provided with a nurses' room similar in every respect to the medical ward. A balcony to the rear seven feet wide, whioh gives access to the wards, will be connected with the main building by an overway.

The building will be constructed with Glen Osmond slate stone to the underside of the plinth course in squared random courses. The walling over will be finished in Mitcham freestone in random courses, squared and punched on face, the dressings being executed by Mr E Atkinson under contract in South Australian Portland cement and sand pressed into blocks, boasted on face, the internal walls being built with Metropolitan bricks. The walls throughout internally are finished in polished Kind's Windsor cement, rendering a surface impervious to all infection, the rooms on tbe first floor being devoid of all woodwork that is not absolutely necessary, all skirtings and architraves being dispensed with.

Tobin's system of ventilation has been adopted for the introduction of fresh air, with exhausts in the ceiling to carry off the vitiated air, and the sanitary work throughout has been carried out on tbe latest sanitary principles, all sanitary accommodation being isolated by means of cross passages, &o.

The building, which is to be finished in September, 1893, is being carried out by Mr William Rogers, contractor, with Mr G S Martin as Clerk of Works, under the superintendence of Messrs Withall & Wells.

Ref: Adelaide Observer (SA) Saturday 6 May 1893.

Rambo2100 has added a photo to the pool:

The 'rivers of gold' were fired this time from both sides of the bridge, and higher up (previously falling from the bridge deck toward the water). Plus I like the sparkly firework at right which has a shimmery effect.

iain.davidson100 has added a photo to the pool:

iain.davidson100 has added a photo to the pool:

iain.davidson100 has added a photo to the pool:

The original saddlery of George Woolnough, grandfather to Peter Allen who made him famous.
www.newenglandhighcountry.com.au/the-tenterfield-saddler
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqHJ34M5zZo

bpanneman has added a photo to the pool: