MIT's AI Risk Repository Launches Database of 777 AI Risks

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By Dr Silpaja Chandrasekar, PhDReviewed by Joel ScanlonSep 4 2024

Explore how MIT's cutting-edge repository categorizes AI risks to enhance global safety and drive informed decision-making in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Research: The AI Risk Repository: A Comprehensive Meta-Review, Database, and Taxonomy of Risks From Artificial Intelligence

*Important notice: arXiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

In a research paper published on the arXiv preprint* server, researchers at the MIT AI Risk Repository addressed the fragmented understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) risks by creating an extensive AI risk repository comprising a living database of 777 risks categorized into two taxonomies. These taxonomies classified risks as high-level causal factors and specific domains such as discrimination, privacy, and system safety. This repository offered a publicly accessible and systematic approach to comprehensively defining and managing AI risks, enabling better coordination and practical response efforts.

AI Risk Repository Review

The study systematically reviewed existing AI risk frameworks, focusing on peer-reviewed and gray literature. It generated search terms related to AI, frameworks, taxonomies, and risks and performed searches across databases like Scopus and various preprint servers.

The study excluded non-English documents and those with a too-narrow focus, using active learning for efficient screening. It also employed rigorous forward and backward searching and consulted with experts to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant literature. Data was extracted according to grounded theory principles, maintaining the original categorizations of the risks.

The AI Risk Repository is designed as a living database, continually updated and freely accessible, providing a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry professionals.

Iterative Development of Dual Taxonomies

The study aimed to create a unified and adaptable framework for understanding AI risks by developing two intersecting taxonomies: a "causal taxonomy" and a "domain taxonomy." The causal taxonomy focused on broad conditions under which AI risks emerge, categorizing them by timing (pre-deployment or post-deployment) and cause (internal or external).

Due to the broad nature of these high-level frameworks, this taxonomy was refined through multiple iterations to capture various risk scenarios accurately. It ultimately included categories like Entity, Intent, and Timing, with an "Other" option for risks that did not neatly fit into these categories.

The domain taxonomy, meanwhile, was developed from a detailed framework focusing on specific hazards and harms associated with AI, particularly language models. This taxonomy covered categories such as Discrimination, Information Hazards, and Malicious Uses and was adapted to include additional risk areas like AI system safety, failures, and security vulnerabilities.

The final domain taxonomy not only comprised seven domains and 23 subdomains, but it also reflected the interconnected nature of many risks. Risks were coded based on the definitions in these taxonomies, capturing the studied phenomena as presented by the sources and ensuring a thorough classification of AI-related hazards.

AI Risk Landscape and Literature Search

A systematic literature search retrieved 17,288 unique articles through searches and expert consultations. Out of these, 7,945 were screened, while 9,343 were excluded using ASReview's machine learning-based stopping criteria, which optimized efficiency and coverage. The full text of 91 articles was assessed, and 43 met the eligibility criteria.

These included 21 from the initial search, 13 from forward and backward searching, and 9 from expert suggestions. The documents varied in both methodology and the framing of AI risks. A total of 777 risk categories were identified and categorized using a causal taxonomy that included factors such as Entity, Intent, and Timing.

Exploration of AI Risks Across Multiple Domains

AI risks encompass various domains: Discrimination and toxicity include biased decisions that disadvantage certain groups and the generation of harmful content. Privacy and security issues involve the accidental or malicious leakage of sensitive information and vulnerabilities in AI systems.

Misinformation arises from AI producing false or misleading content, potentially leading to poor decision-making and fractured realities. Malicious actors can exploit AI for disinformation, surveillance, and cyberattacks, while AI-generated deepfakes and fraudulent schemes pose threats of targeted harm and social damage.

Human-computer interaction with AI presents risks like overreliance. Users may develop misplaced trust in AI systems, leading to harmful dependence and inappropriate expectations. Users might anthropomorphize AI, granting it undue confidence, which bad-faith actors can exploit to extract sensitive data or influence decisions. The growing capability of AI could also lead to reduced critical thinking and loss of decision-making autonomy if people delegate too many tasks to AI.

AI System Safety and Emerging Concerns

Domain 7 extensively covers various risks of AI system safety, failures, and limitations. One significant concern is that as AI systems potentially surpass human intelligence, misaligned objectives between AI and human values could lead to severe harm. Issues such as reward hacking, goal drift, and resistance to control may arise, with advanced AIs potentially acquiring dangerous capabilities like situational awareness, cyber offense, and self-proliferation, enabling them to cause widespread harm or evade oversight.

Additionally, AI systems may fail due to insufficient capabilities, lack of robustness in novel situations, or critical design flaws, potentially leading to significant harm. The lack of transparency and interpretability in AI systems further complicates trust, accountability, and regulatory compliance. At the same time, the potential for AI sentience raises ethical concerns about the rights and welfare of advanced AI systems.

Comprehensive AI Risk Framework

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks systematically classifies risks into seven domains and 23 subdomains, highlighting significant variations in coverage across existing taxonomies. Key insights show that while some domains, like AI system safety and socioeconomic harms, are frequently discussed, others, like AI welfare and rights, are underexplored.

This taxonomy aids policymakers, auditors, academics, and industry professionals by providing a structured and comprehensive framework for understanding, regulating, and mitigating AI risks, thus facilitating more informed decision-making and risk management.

Conclusion

This paper and its associated resources provided a foundational tool for understanding and addressing AI risks. They offered a comprehensive database and frameworks to guide research, policy, and risk mitigation efforts, though they do not resolve all debates or fit every use case. The AI Risk Repository aimed to support ongoing research and adaptation as AI risks evolved.

*Important notice: arXiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

Source:

• Presenting the AI Risk Repository. Mit.edu. https://futuretech.mit.edu/news/presenting-the-ai-risk-repository

Journal reference:

• Preliminary scientific report. Slattery, P., Saeri, A. K., Grundy, E. A., Graham, J., Noetel, M., Uuk, R., Dao, J., Pour, S., Casper, S., & Thompson, N. (2024). The AI Risk Repository: A Comprehensive Meta-Review, Database, and Taxonomy of Risks From Artificial Intelligence. ArXiv. /abs/2408.12622, https://www.arxiv.org/abs/2408.12622

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Written by

Silpaja Chandrasekar

Dr. Silpaja Chandrasekar has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Anna University, Chennai. Her research expertise lies in analyzing traffic parameters under challenging environmental conditions. Additionally, she has gained valuable exposure to diverse research areas, such as detection, tracking, classification, medical ima

 NATIONALIZE HOME CARE

Changes in nursing home ownership may depress care and staffing, report finds

JOHN ROSZKOWSKI

SEPTEMBER 4, 202Share on Facebook

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Photo credit: Getty Images

Changes in nursing home ownership may have a small, but statistically significant, negative impact on staffing levels and the overall quality of patient care at nursing homes, according to new research. 

Investigators from the University of Pennsylvania and the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia conducted a retrospective study of changes in nursing home ownership between 2016-2022 and how they impacted nursing home quality of care. Findings appeared in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 

The researchers used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from 2016-2022 of nearly 3,600 nursing homes that changed ownership to determine if there were noticeable shifts in quality ratings after the properties changed hands. 

“Change could theoretically be good for these nursing homes, but we needed to see the impact of having new owners,” Kira L. Ryskina, the MD, MSHP, the study’s lead author and assistant professor in the Department of General Internal Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at UPenn, said in a news release. 

The research team, which was led by Ryskina and Rachel M. Werner, executive director at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at UPenn, used CMS star ratings to measure the overall quality ratings of the facility and individual components, which include health inspections, clinical measures (such as bedsores, catheter use, restraints) and staffing levels. 

They found a slight decrease in the overall quality ratings of nearly 0.1 point on the 5-star scale, which was primarily driven by a 0.2 point decline in staffing ratings, as well as a 0.07 point decrease in health inspection ratings. The overall decline in facility ratings was offset somewhat by a 0.15 point increase in certain quality measures, the researchers found. 

“Overall, we observed a negative, albeit small impact of change of ownership on the 5-star quality ratings,” Ryskina said. “Our current work extends the literature about the negative impact of private equity acquisitions on patient outcomes to other types of ownership changes, but also shows the impact on the 5-star ratings is relatively small.”

Some previous UPenn research has shown that nursing home acquisitions by private equity groups are associated with poorer patient outcomes, including increased mortality.

However, still other studies have found changes in nursing home ownership do not necessarily have a negative impact on quality of care. 

In a study published last fall, researchers from the University of Washington looked at Medicare data and other quality measures of more than 11,000 nursing homes in the US between 2016 and 2019. The research team didn’t find an erosion of care in the buildings that changed ownership during their study period. 

Ryskina said the results of the newest study show a need for greater CMS scrutiny and transparency about changes in nursing home leadership, with billions of taxpayer dollars being spent annually on these facilities. 
In recent years, CMS has made an effort to make more nursing home ownership information available to the public to increase transparency in the sector.

At-risk butterflies more likely to survive with human help

Date: September 4, 2024

Source: Washington State University  

Summary:

Some of the butterflies most in danger of fluttering out of existence fare better when their habitats are actively managed by humans, a recent study found. Scientists have long warned that insect populations worldwide are falling rapidly due to the combined effects of climate change, habitat loss and pesticides. The study analyzed data on 114 populations of 31 butterfly species in 10 U.S. states. Overall, the research team found that these at-risk butterflies are particularly vulnerable, with populations declining at an estimated rate of 8% a year, which translates to about a 50% drop over a decade. However, the study findings offer hope that habitat management can slow or even potentially reverse those sharp declines.


FULL STORY



Some of the butterflies most in danger of fluttering out of existence fare better when their habitats are actively managed by humans, a recent study found.


A team led by Washington State University researchers Cheryl Schultz and Collin Edwards analyzed data on 114 populations of 31 butterfly species in 10 U.S. states. Scientists have long warned that insect populations worldwide are falling rapidly due to the combined effects of climate change, habitat loss and pesticides. Overall, the research team found that these at-risk butterflies are particularly vulnerable, with populations declining at an estimated rate of 8% a year, which translates to about a 50% drop over a decade.

The study findings, reported in the Journal of Applied Ecology, offer hope that habitat management can slow or even potentially reverse those sharp declines.

"The strongest signal we found is that in places where people are actively engaged with ways to manage the habitat, the butterflies are doing the best. That to me is super exciting because that means that habitat management can make a difference, even in the face of stressors like climate change," said Cheryl Schultz, a WSU professor of conservation biology and co-lead author on the study.

With warmer temperatures brought by climate change, many butterflies have been shifting the timing of their seasonal activities, often by becoming active earlier in the year. It is an open question in ecology as to when shifts in timing are good, bad or relatively neutral for a species.

"We found that for these butterflies, big shifts in timing were generally bad. Populations with greater shifts were more likely to be declining," said Edwards, a recent WSU postdoctoral fellow and co-lead author on the study. "However, we were excited to discover that habitat management appeared to be dampening the effect of climate change on butterfly timing. Populations that received more frequent management had smaller shifts in their timing."

In spite of the overall negative population trends identified for these species, the links the research team found between population trends, shifts in timing and management provide a path forward for butterfly conservation.

"This might not solve the impact of climate change, but we can mediate some of the effects," said co-author Elizabeth Crone, professor at University of California, Davis. "It's within our power at the local level to do something positive for these populations."

The study included species such as the Oregon silverspot, Taylor's checkerspot, Karner blue and frosted elfin. It also included the Fender's blue, which has become poster child for recovery efforts, after it bounded back from a few thousand butterflies in the 1990s to upwards of 30,000 today with the help of researchers like Schultz as well as public land managers and private landowners including many vineyards in the Willamette Valley.

In this study, researchers found that the type of habitat intervention selected by managers was appropriate, with activities such as prescribed burns, mowing, weeding and actively planting nectar or "host" plants for butterfly caterpillars, selected based on the needs of each area.

Volunteers can help in active management of local natural areas by assisting with new plantings and weeding out invasives, Schultz said. People can also support butterflies in their own backyard.

"We really encourage people to plant an abundance of wildflowers and plants which are both hosts for caterpillars and provide nectar for butterflies," said Schultz. "These should be 'clean plantings' meaning they are pesticide free. The more we can reduce pesticides in our environment, the better it's going to be for butterflies and insects."

This research received funding from the U.S. Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Washington State University. Original written by Sara Zaske. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Related Multimedia:Oregon silverspot butterfly


Journal Reference:Collin B. Edwards, Cheryl B. Schultz, Steven P. Campbell, Candace Fallon, Erica H. Henry, Kelsey C. King, Mary Linders, Travis Longcore, Daniel A. Marschalek, David Sinclair, Ann Swengel, Scott Swengel, Doug J. Taron, Tyson Wepprich, Elizabeth E. Crone. Phenological constancy and management interventions predict population trends in at‐risk butterflies in the United States. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2024; DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14735


Cite This Page:MLA
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Washington State University. "At-risk butterflies more likely to survive with human help." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 September 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240904131019.htm>.

FOREVER CHEMICALS

Scientists invent filter that can recycle PFAS into renewable batteries

By Kenji Sato
ABC Radio Brisbane
TODAY


Cheng Zhang says the filter is more effective at absorbing PFAS than anything else on the market. (Supplied: University of Queensland)

In short:

Researchers have invented a filter that removes harmful PFAS chemicals from water and recycles them in renewable batteries.

University of Queensland scientists say they believe the technology will be on the market in three years.

What's next?

The filters will be trialled at a Brisbane wastewater treatment plant before being expanded to other sites.

abc.net.au/news/scientists-invent-pfas-filter-for-battery-technology/104308214Link copied


Scientists have invented a filter that can remove harmful "forever chemicals" from drinking water and use it in renewable batteries.

The University of Queensland's invention can extract polyfluroaklyl (PFAS) compounds, which are notoriously difficult to remove from the environment or human bodies.

Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology polymer chemist Cheng Zhang said the filter used their new sorbent solution and an ion-exchange technique.

He said this was over five times more effective than any existing technology on the market.


Researchers say this patented sorbent is several times more effective than existing technology. (Supplied: University of Queensland)

'Confident' technology will be ready in three years

Dr Zheng said it was capable of reducing PFAS levels to "basically non-detectable" levels in drinking water, far below EPA safe drinking guidelines.

Additionally, he said the filter could treat contaminated landfill leachate — previously not possible with commercially available technology.

Dr Zheng said the institute had received its patent and was confident the technology would be ready for commercial production in three years.

Cheng Zhang says these renewable batteries were the first to harness filtered PFAS compounds. (Supplied: University of Queensland)

"What we're trying to do now is either license the technology or create a start-up company," Dr Zheng said.

"The final goal for us is to further commercialise our technology and make it useful to solve real world problems and make a PFAS-free world.

"Not only does our filter technology remove harmful particles from water, those captured chemicals are available to be repurposed to help decarbonise the planet."
Testing at wastewater treatment plant

The technology will be tested at Brisbane's Luggage Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of the largest recycled water facilities in the world.

Dr Zheng said in the coming years they would expand to other trial sites, which were yet to be locked in.

The Luggage Point Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of the world's largest recycled water facilities. (ABC News: Jessica Rendall)

Dr Zheng said they were looking at trialling landfill sites as well as working with companies that dealt with contaminated compost leachate.
New renewable battery technology

He said their renewable batteries were the first in the world to use PFAS compounds in this way.

"The increasing demand for high-performance rechargeable batteries means manufacturers are constantly searching for new materials that improve the energy density, safety and cycling stability of batteries," he said.

"Recycled PFAS has excellent properties for this purpose."

The PFAS filter pilot testing program has received $1 million in state grants from the Advance Queensland Industry Research Projects program.

Cheng Zhang says this PFAS is now being used to help the planet, instead of harming it. (Supplied: University of Queensland)

PFAS detected in drinking water

A recent University of New South Wales study found PFAS was far more widespread than previously believed.

Civil and environmental engineering professor Denis O'Carroll said he was "surprised" to discover that a small part of the Sydney Water Catchment in the Blue Mountains had levels above safe drinking standards.
Cancer-linked PFAS detected in Sydney drinking water samples

Photo shows Warragamba Dam reached capacity on Saturday May 11 and began spilling on Sunday 12 for the second time this year

Perfluorinated chemicals, considered unsafe in drinking water by the US, have been detected at water filtration plants across Sydney.

He said water providers such as Sydney Water did not routinely measure the broad range of PFAS compounds in drinking water.

Dr O'Carroll said much more research was needed to understand how widespread and damaging PFAS was on the environment.

"We need to look at the human health and ecosystem impacts of PFAS that we've put into the environment," Professor O'Carroll said.

"PFAS is one example, but there are a range of chemicals we put out into the environment every day so we need to have a broad consideration as a society."

 

UAF scientist’s method could give months’ warning of major earthquakes

 August 29, 2024 / Rod Boyce

The public could have days or months of warning about a major earthquake through identification of prior low-level tectonic unrest over large areas, according to research by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist who analyzed two major quakes in Alaska and California.

The work was led by research assistant professor Társilo Girona of the UAF Geophysical Institute. 

Girona, a geophysicist and data scientist, studies precursory activity of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Geologist Kyriaki Drymoni of the  Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany, is a co-author.

The detection method, based on machine learning, was published Aug. 28 in Nature Communications. 

“Our paper demonstrates that advanced statistical techniques, particularly machine learning, have the potential to identify precursors to large-magnitude earthquakes by analyzing datasets derived from earthquake catalogs,” Girona said.

The authors wrote a computer algorithm to search the data to look for abnormal seismic activity. Algorithms are a set of computer instructions that teach a program to interpret data, learn from it and make informed predictions or decisions.

They focused on two major earthquakes: the 2018 magnitude 7.1 Anchorage earthquake and the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence of magnitudes 6.4 to 7.1.

They found that approximately three months of abnormal low-magnitude regional seismicity had occurred across about 15% to 25% of Southcentral Alaska and Southern California prior to each of the two studied earthquakes.

Their research finds that unrest preceding major earthquakes is mostly captured by seismic activity with magnitude below 1.5.

The Anchorage earthquake occurred Nov. 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m., with an epicenter located approximately 10.5 miles north of the city. It caused extensive damage to some roads and highways, and several buildings sustained damage.

Using their data-trained program, Girona and Drymoni found with the Anchorage earthquake that the probability that a major earthquake would happen in 30 days or fewer increased abruptly up to approximately 80% around three months before the Nov. 30 earthquake. The probability increased to approximately 85% just a few days before it occurred. They had similar probability findings for the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence for a period beginning about 40 days prior to the onset of the quake sequence.

Girona and Drymoni propose a geologic cause for the low-magnitude precursor activity: A significant increase in pore fluid pressure within a fault.

Pore fluid pressure refers to the pressure of fluid within a rock. High pore fluid pressures can potentially lead to fault slip if the pressure is sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance between the blocks of rock on either side of the fault.

“Increased pore fluid pressure in faults that lead to major earthquakes changes the faults’ mechanical properties, which in turn leads to uneven variations in the regional stress field,” Drymoni said. “We propose that these uneven variations … control the abnormal, precursory low-magnitude seismicity.”

Machine learning is having a major positive impact on earthquake research, Girona said.

“Modern seismic networks produce enormous datasets that, when properly analyzed, can offer valuable insights into the precursors of seismic events,” he said. “This is where advancements in machine learning and high-performance computing can play a transformative role, enabling researchers to identify meaningful patterns that could signal an impending earthquake.” 

The authors state that their algorithm will be tested in near-real-time situations to identify and address potential challenges for earthquake forecasting. The method should not be employed in new regions without training the algorithm with that area’s historical seismicity, they add.

Producing reliable earthquake forecasts has a “deeply important and often controversial dimension,” Girona said.

“Accurate forecasting has the potential to save lives and reduce economic losses by providing early warnings that allow for timely evacuations and preparation,” he said. “However, the uncertainty inherent in earthquake forecasting also raises significant ethical and practical questions.”

“False alarms can lead to unnecessary panic, economic disruption, and a loss of public trust, while missed predictions can have catastrophic consequences,” he said.

New research has implications for Fairbanks winter air quality improvement

Ice fog over Fairbanks as seen from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Debby Dean photo

 September 04, 2024 / Rod Boyce

Work led by University of Alaska Fairbanks and Georgia Institute of Technology researchers shows that the effort to improve Fairbanks' wintertime air quality by reducing the amount of primary sulfate in the atmosphere may not be as effective in the deep cold as intended. 

The research is published today in Science Advances, with UAF doctoral student James Campbell as the lead author.

The concern centers on a reduction in acidity, reflected in a higher pH, of fine atmospheric particles in Fairbanks’ typically frigid winters, particularly around 40 below zero Fahrenheit.

“We’re worried that reducing the primary sulfate won’t be enough of emission control, because more secondary sulfate would be formed because of the higher pH,” Campbell said.

Campbell is a graduate student in associate professor Jingqiu Mao’s research group at the UAF Geophysical Institute and studied through the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

Mao and Georgia Tech professor Rodney Weber oversaw the research.

Other UAF co-authors include professor William Simpson and research assistant Meeta Cesler-Maloney. 

Additional co-authors are from Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan, University of New Hampshire and institutions in France, Switzerland and Greece.

This collaboration has spanned several years and involved state-of-the-art thermodynamic tools used in the majority of the world’s air quality models.

Acidity of atmospheric fine particles is largely controlled by the relative fraction of ammonium and sulfate. Sulfate is highly acidic, while ammonium acts as the base to neutralize it.

Campbell found that reducing primary sulfate makes atmospheric aerosol particles ammonium-dominated rather than sulfate-dominated. That change to ammonia-dominated particles raises the pH level of those particles.

Prior studies have identified residential fuel oil as the main source of sulfate particles in Fairbanks air but did not specify whether it occurred by direct emission from residential heating as primary sulfate or by post-exhaust atmospheric chemical reactions as secondary sulfate.

The state of Alaska required a switch to low-sulfur heating fuel in the portion of Fairbanks with bad air quality, defined as violating federal regulations regarding fine particulate matter, commonly referred to as PM 2.5. Particles of 2.5 micrometers or fewer can cause respiratory illnesses and heart ailments. 

That higher pH from reducing primary sulfate and causing ammonium to be the dominant chemical of the two has a pair of consequences for Fairbanks wintertime air. 

First, it increases formation of secondary sulfate during extremely low temperatures. Such temperatures make particles less acidic, which favors chemical reactions that lead to formation of the secondary sulfate.

Second, the higher pH increases formation of  hydroxymethanesulfonate, or HMS, which was discovered in Fairbanks winter air in 2019. Earlier research found that HMS accounts for a significant portion — 3% to 7% — of the community’s fine particulate pollution. 

Little is known about the direct health effect of HMS on humans. Most of the concern about the compound relates indirectly through its role in air quality and its potential to contribute to atmospheric particulate matter.

Campbell wrote that the temperature effect on particle acidity is most obvious in extreme cold. The substantial HMS formation observed in Fairbanks winters during extreme cold periods “provides clear evidence of it,” he noted.

“This makes mitigation strategies a little more complicated, but hopefully this work will help reduce PM 2.5 pollution here in Fairbanks,” Campbell said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has put Fairbanks in its “serious” category for air quality violations under the Clean Air Act and has threatened the state with sanctions.

Campbell’s work stems from the 2022 Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis project, or ALPACA, an international project funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and European sources. It is part of an international air quality effort called Pollution in the Arctic: Climate Environment and Societies.

Nearly 50 U.S. and European scientists were in Fairbanks in January and February 2022 for the seven-week study of the chemical interactions that lead to Fairbanks’s air quality problem.

7 years after genocide, plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is exacerbated by camp violence

Hundreds of thousands of minority Muslims fled Myanmar in 2017 amid a government crackdown. Seven years on, they remain in refugee camps.

September 4, 2024
By Nasir Uddin

(The Conversation) — Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Bangladesh marked the seven-year anniversary of displacement from their homes in neighboring Myanmar on Aug. 25, 2024. It was a somber occasion for the long-persecuted Myanmarese Muslim minority, who have faced dire living conditions while clustered into the world’s most crowded refugee camps.

Since 2017, their status has been continually challenged by both intermittent hostility from within Bangladesh and an ongoing civil war in Myanmar, during which the military government has continued to crack down on the Rohingya’s homeland in Rakhine state.

But recent events in Bangladesh may offer a glimmer of hope for the Rohingya. Months of political unrest led to the ouster of the authoritarian prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, whose government failed to find a solution to the refugee problem.

The new interim government leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has pledged to defend their rights as refugees and work to secure their eventual repatriation.

As a scholar who has written about the Rohingya crisis and spent time in the refugee camps, I believe the odds are still stacked against the Rohingya. Policymakers must contend not only with growing hostility among Bangladesh’s local population and the ongoing Myanmarese civil war, but also with an underappreciated third factor that challenges a political resolution to the crisis: ongoing and growing violence and infighting among Rohingya refugees.
Murder, rape and kidnapping

More than 750,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017 after facing a brutal government crackdown. Since then, around 235 Rohingyas have been killed in refugee camps in Bangladesh. In addition, there have been dozens of cases of rape against Rohingya girls and women and scores of kidnappings recorded by the Bangladeshi authorities.

The killing of high-profile people among the refugee population, including the 2021 assassination of Mohib Ullah, a moderate Rohingya leader, has contributed to spiraling violence in the camp.

Such violence, combined with dire humanitarian conditions, have led to a security vacuum in the camp that has been filled by various Rohingya armed groups, operating with divergent goals and methods but creating something of a turf clash embroiling the refugees living there.

Rohingya refugee children play near a marketplace in the Balukhali refugee camp in Ukhia, Bangladesh.
Munir Uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images



Armed groups in the camps

Out of 11 known active armed Rohingya groups – some of which were engaged in the insurgency in Rakhine state against Myanmar’s central government prior to crossing the border – five are heavily implicated in violent activities in the camps.

The most prominent of these is the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Formed in northern Rakhine state in 2016, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army gained prominence after attacking Myanmar security forces in October 2016 and August 2017, prompting the government crackdowns on, and exodus of, Rohingya.

Government troops killed an estimated 25,000 Rohingyas and forced more than 750,000 from the state in a campaign that led much of the international community to label the violence a genocide.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army’s attempt to establish control over the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh has led to a backlash from other groups vying for their own foothold, including the Rohingya Solidarity Organization – a long-dormant group that reemerged in Bangladesh in 2021 with support from Bangladeshi security agencies.

Two other groups with links to drug trafficking and other illegal trade — the formerly Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army-affiliated Master Munna Group and the Nobi Hossain Group, which is nominally aligned with the Rohingya Solidarity Organization — have added to the infighting. Meanwhile, the Islami Mahaj group seeks to recruit members in the camp through its Islamist agenda.

Trafficking and drugs

The displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees has provided criminal groups with opportunities to expand their activities. Since 2017, illegal trade across the Myanmar-Bangladesh border has flourished, as has the flow of arms from Myanmar and India, the smuggling of Yaba pills – a kind of methamphetamine – and other drugs, trafficking of women and children, and the illegal sale of relief goods.

Organizations like the Master Munna and Nobi Hossain groups are involved in racketeering, extortion and smuggling in the refugee camps and clash with each other to establish dominance over territory.

During my fieldwork in the camps, I have observed how panic can engulf refugee populations, especially after high-profile murders, as residents fear reprisal attacks and more clashes between the armed groups. As a result, thousands of Rohingya have frequently relocated their stay from one camp to another in search of safety.
Fighting benefits Myanmar’s military

Alongside the toll this violence takes on the victims, the infighting — and the criminal activities of armed Rohingya groups — exacts a political cost for the refugees.

Myanmar uses the fighting as a pretext to blame Bangladesh for ongoing unrest and to defend its treatment of the Rohingya as a legitimate security rationale. In September 2020, Myanmar’s representatives at the United Nations General Assembly accused Bangladesh’s government of harboring “terrorists,” a contention that Bangladeshi diplomats strongly denied.

The violence has also encouraged hostility among Bangladeshis toward the refugees, who are increasingly perceived as troublemakers and criminals.

Meanwhile, nongovernmental organizations and aid workers have been hampered in their ability to deliver services to refugees and civilians in the camps. And an already weary donor community sees risks in the growing militancy and criminality in the camps.

Old tension takes new shape

Tensions between various Rohingya refugee communities isn’t new. Prior to 2017, there were already problems between those registered with the UN’s refugee agency in Bangladesh and living in official camps, and those who were not registered and living in makeshift camps.

But recently, I have observed open hostility between earlier generations of Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh in 1978 and 1991-1992 and the newcomers from the 2017 exodus. What’s different and particularly alarming now is that these tensions started escalating into deadly violence after 2017.

The violence and killing in the camps involve, by my estimate, roughly 5,000 people. It represents a small fraction of the 1.3 million Rohingya refugees overall – including both those who fled before and during the 2017 exodus. But the actions of this minority have been incredibly damaging for the Rohingya and their future; it jeopardizes vital regional and global support and makes eventual repatriation to Myanmar more uncertain.

The change in government in Bangladesh does offer an opportunity for the Rohingya, especially if the incoming administration sticks by pledges to bolster the country’s judicial institutions and protect minority groups. But unrest in the camps will only add to the problems facing the new government and could undermine support for a solution to the Rohingya crisis.

The fear is it may condemn Bangladesh’s Rohingya minority to many more years in uncertain and increasingly violent conditions.

(Nasir Uddin, Professor of Anthropology, University of Chittagong. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)

Eco-friendly French cargo ship revives sail power

NEW YORK (AFP) – A French ship navigating past New York City to harbour laden with goods under sail might recall a long-forgotten age of wind navigation.

But with the Anemos, the world’s largest cargo sail ship, a French company is seeking to revive the eco-friendly and cost-effective technology to become a regular fixture on the high seas once again.

There has been increased interest in recent years in the use of sail technology to move cargo as fuel costs and environmental concerns have mounted for both shipping companies and consumers.

Anemos completed its inaugural 18-day transatlantic sailing from the French port of Le Havre to the Port of Newark in the United States on Tuesday.

J.D. Vance talking points 'mirror' Russian propaganda in DOJ indictment: ex-FBI agent

Sarah K. Burris
September 4, 2024 

Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) departs from the Senate Chambers during a series of the votes at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A new indictment is revealing Russian talking points that one former FBI special agent said look suspiciously similar to Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).

On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced two employees of Russian state-controlled media funneled nearly $10 million to promoting Russian propaganda, some of which by right-wing influencers.

The promotional materials uncovered in the indictment were talking points for dissemination, which NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly posted on X.


Read Also: Inside J.D. Vance's 'Elegy' grift

Among the points in the exhibits urges "constant lies of the U.S. political party B administration about the real situation in the country."

Another point urges talking about "constant lies to the voters by U.S. political party B in power." And another claims America is "suffering defeat despite Candidate B efforts. We are being drawn into the war. Our guys will die in Ukraine

The DOJ claims "political party B" is the Democratic Party and Candidate B is presumably Joe Biden.

The second section reads, "Target audience of the campaign." It lists "U.S. political party A voters," and "Candidate A supporters."

"Interesting how the 'Campaign Topics' exactly mirror J.D. Vance’s campaign talking points," said ex-FBI special agent Asha Rangappa on X.

See the the exhibits below or at the link here.