Why we need to stop lying about the housing crisis and OpenAI alleges The New York times tricked ChatGPT into plagiarism…this week in social change

Welcome back to another week of social change news!

Every seven days we give you the rundown on the latest Gen Z news. Whether it’s AFCON’s fossil fuel affiliation potentially damaging Africa, Norway’s controversial deep-sea mining plan, climate change driving up sugar prices, or Canon donating camera equipment to a coral reef lab, we’ve got it all right here.

Let’s get stuck into this week’s biggest social change stories.

First up, did you know that disrupted sleep could be linked to cognitive decline in later life? According to a new study, young people with poor sleep quality are more than twice as likely to have memory and thinking issues when they get older. 526 participants were instructed to wear a wrist activity monitor for three consecutive days on two occasions, about one year apart. Want to learn more? Read the full story on our website right here.

Elsewhere, AI has discovered the first new antibiotic in over sixty years. A deep-learning algorithm has helped scientists identify new compounds that are effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria – a public health threat that causes thousands of deaths annually. Nice to have some good news for a change, right? Check out the full article on our website Thred here.

These are fascinating stories, of course, but what about our main feature pieces of the week? Let’s jump straight into it.

So, have you tried to buy a house recently? It’s not a fun time. Gen Z and Millennials are continuously told it’s as simple as saving money, but this out-of-touch approach needs the boot, writes our remote contributor Flo Bellinger.

Everywhere you look, statistics about the housing market are as dire as the next. Between a cost-of-living crisis and the economic vestiges of a pandemic, the concept of purchasing a property for the first time feels almost impossible. Particularly for those under the age of 40.

But despite this harsh reality, a large portion of the older generation – specifically those in high-paying, influential jobs –?are constantly telling Gen Z and Millennials that buying a house is a simple as putting in the effort.

This week, during a BBC radio interview, NatWest chair Howard Davies reinforced these harmful misconceptions. Davies, who earns over ￡700k a year,?told listeners?it ‘wasn’t that hard’ to buy a house in today’s economy. His assertion that buying a house was just a simple case of self-discipline?sparked outrage?online, and rightfully so.

It is high time we acknowledge that the housing market is not a level playing field, and the barriers to entry are not easily overcome with mere frugality. Interested in reading more? Check out the full article on our website here.

Meanwhile, the New York Times is suing OpenAI for training ChatGPT using its articles without permission. The defendant alleges that the media outlet tricked its AI model specifically to produce answers verbatim. It will likely be a definitive case for the future of generative AI.

While the very nature of a deep learning model is to compartmentalise as much data as possible to generate valuable responses, the NYT alleges that ChatGPT has recited its content verbatim on several occasions.

A spokesperson said this ‘undermines and damages’ the company’s reputation while simultaneously depriving it of ‘subscription, licensing, advertising, and affiliate revenue.’ The Times updated its?terms of service?in August 2023 to prohibit the scraping of its articles and images for AI training.

In laymen’s terms, the NYT now views ChatGPT as direct competition in the news business and isn’t keen on sharing its intellectual property without compensation.

In a juicy turn of events, however, OpenAI has?stated a belief?that employees at the NYT deliberately tricked the generative AI tool into replicating excerpts from its articles. Dismissing the case as being ‘without merit,’ OpenAI still hopes to partner with the media outlet – as it has with?The Associated Press, among others. Want the full scoop? Check out the article by our writer Jamie on our website Thred here.

Don't forget to keep a tab open on?Thred.com?for more from our global Gen Z writing team every single day. If you want more updates and planet-positive ways to take action, sign up for our?email newsletter, and check out our youth empowerment opportunities through our?Change Maker Network?page.

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