KU Researchers Claim 99% Accuracy Detecting ChatGPT Fakes
LAWRENCE, Kan. (GIZMODO) — Scientists from the University of Kansas have published a paper detailing an algorithm that they say detects academic writing from ChatGPT with an accuracy rate over 99%. That's according to a report from Gizmodo.com. As AI chatbot content begins to flood the world, one of the biggest concerns is reliably spotting the difference between the words of robots and real human beings. There have been a few attempts to build ChatGPT detectors, and dozens of companies are competing to build AI-spotting technology. But so far, none of the options work well. The ChatGPT spotter described in the KU paper is only built to work in specific contexts, but its reported success seems promising.
The paper, which was peer-reviewed and published in Cell Reports Physical Science, describes a technique that sniffs out AI-penned academic research articles. The study selected a set of 64 scientific researcher articles written by human authors across a variety of disciplines—from biology to physics. The researchers claim their algorithm detected entire articles written by ChatGPT 100% of the time.
The researchers hope others will use their work to tailor detection software to their own niches and purposes. “We tried hard to create an accessible method so that with little guidance, even high school students could build an AI detector for different types of writing,” said Heather Desaire, an author of the paper and a chemistry professor at the University of Kansas, in an interview with EurekAlert. “There is a need to address AI writing, and people don’t need a computer science degree to contribute to this field.”
The model built by Desaire and her colleagues won’t work out of the box for teachers hoping to penalize cheating high schoolers. However, Desaire said you can theoretically use the same technique to build a model that detects other kinds of writing. As promising as these results may be, tech companies and AI boosters say tools like ChatGPT are in their infancy. It’s impossible to say whether detection methods like this one will stand up if AI continues developing at the pace seen over the last few years.
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Kansas Governor Picks High-Ranking DEA Official to Take Over Embattled Highway Patrol
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas governor chose a high-ranking U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official Friday to head the state highway patrol, replacing a retiring superintendent who is facing federal lawsuits over the agency's policing and allegations that he sexually harassed female employees.
Gov. Laura Kelly's appointment of Erik Smith came on retiring Superintendent and Col. Herman Jones' last day. Until Smith can take over as superintendent July 7, patrol Lt. Col. Jason DeVore, who also was named as a defendant in the sexual harassment lawsuit, pursued by five patrol employees.
Smith has strong ties to Kansas. He is a native of the small central Kansas town of Ellsworth, holds a criminal justice degree from Friends University in Wichita, and served nine years with the Sedgwick County sheriff's office, also in Wichita, before joining the DEA. He has been chief of the DEA's Inspection Division since 2021.
Smith's appointment must be confirmed by the Kansas Senate next year. Lawmakers are out of session for the year, but a committee of Senate leaders will determine this summer whether Smith can serve as acting superintendent until a confirmation vote.
Kelly had faced pressure from the Republican-controlled Legislature to dismiss Jones, but he announced in February that he would retire. In announcing Smith's appointment, Kelly made no mention of the allegations surrounding Jones and the patrol and thanked Jones for his 45 years in law enforcement. In a statement released by the governor's office, DeVore thanked Kelly for her “steadfast support” of the agency.
A federal judge is considering the legality of a patrol tactic known as the “Kansas two step," in which troopers make traffic stops and then draw out their interactions with drivers, allegedly so that they get time to find incriminating information or get a drug-sniffing dog to the scene. The judge had a trial last month in a lawsuit that argues that troopers use the tactic even when they have no reasonable suspicion of a crime.
Critics contend that the patrol targets motorists coming from other states where marijuana is legal. Kansas is among the few states with no legalized form of marijuana.
Meanwhile, a trial is scheduled in September in the sexual harassment lawsuit against Jones, DeVore and the state, alleging that the female employees faced a hostile work environment.
Jones has denied allegations of improper conduct, and Kelly has stood by him, telling The Topeka Capital-Journal in December that the state conducted two independent investigations and found “no substance to the allegations.”
Jones and DeVore settled a third lawsuit last year, filed by two majors who alleged that they were pushed out of the patrol in 2020 in retaliation for helping female employees file sexual harassment complaints. The patrol restored the two men to their previous positions, and they received more than year's worth of back pay.
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K-State Chosen to Lead Global Animal Health Effort
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) — A Kansas State ag economist has been selected to lead a global animal health effort. Professor Dustin Pendell has been named head of the Americas region of the Collaborating Center for the Economics of Animal Health. Pendell will lead a five-year project to develop decision-making tools and improve communication on the economic impacts of animal disease, ultimately improving the health of those animals. The project is supported by the World Organisation for Animal Health, or WOAH, which has headquarters in Paris, France. The effort will center its operations at K-State's Manhattan campus, though there are no physical buildings representing the group. It will involve partners at other universities in Brazil, Mexico and Washington State. The center will focus its effort on animal health related to terrestrial livestock — animals that live primarily on land — and aquaculture.
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Kansas Promised State Employees a Pay Raise, but the Cost Could Shut Down State Agencies
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — A plan to give a raise to all state employees in Kansas will cost more than expected. So, lawmakers will need to quickly address the issue early next year. If they don't, some state agencies may be forced to shut down or suspend services. The plan was to give most state employees a 5% raise. Turn out that will cost about $11 million more than the Kansas Legislature approved. That may seem small compared to the multi-billion-dollar state budget, but it might create cash flow problems for some government agencies. The extra cost means state agencies will have to pay for the raises themselves. That could make things difficult in the latter half of the 2024 fiscal year — next spring — if lawmakers wait too long to reimburse those costs. The raises to state employees are based on a workforce study that showed most Kansas government workers were paid below average market rates. (Read more.)
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State Renews Level Two Trauma Center Status for Topeka's Stormont Vail
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Topeka’s Stormont Vail Hospital has been re-designated as a Level II trauma center. Hospital administrators announced the trauma center will continue to serve the community with the renewed designation from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. WIBW reports that KHDE officials noted that Stormont Vail continues to show dedication to patient care and health. Hospital administrators say the trauma center was first certified as Level II in 2006 and the recertification shows that Stormont Vail is continuing to adhere to rigorous standards for emergency care.
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Lawrence Mayor Vows to Fight Kansas Transgender "Bathroom" Law
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) -Lawrence Mayor Lisa Larsen vowed to personally fight against laws that, she says, dehumanize transgender people. Mayor Larsen spoke yesterday (THUR) at an event sponsored by PFLAG, a group that supports the LGBTQ community. The Lawrence Journal World reports that Larsen singled out the new state law that bans transgender people from using bathrooms associated with their gender identity. Larsen says she thinks the law is inhumane and should not be enforced. She told the group that the city commission has requested a report from its legal staff regarding the city's options for reacting to that law. Many of those at the meeting asked Larsen about the possibility of Lawrence following the lead of Kansas City, Missouri, in becoming a sanctuary city for transgender people. The mayor said she was open to the idea but cautious because of how the city was punished by state lawmakers when Lawrence declared itself a sanctuary city for immigrants in 2020.
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EPA Warns Midwest of Air Quality Issues in the Midwest
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MWNR/HPM) - Smoke and pollutants from wildfires in Canada have been drifting into the Northeast and Midwest of the U.S., including Kansas, where air quality has dropped. Since Tuesday, the Canadian fires have brought dangerous breathing conditions for Midwesterners who are more sensitive to poor air quality. Emergency departments are reporting more patients than usual showing up with symptoms apparently related to air pollution over the last few days. Currently, the northeast U.S. is experiencing the worst air quality in the country but an official with the federal EPA says if the wind shifts, the Midwest could see even more haze, low visibility and poor breathing conditions. EPA Physical Scientist Lance Avey says air quality this time of year already is lower because of ozone issues in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska. Avey says it’s hard to predict when the air quality will improve because the weather can change quickly. “We might see a greater impact in the Midwest depending on how the wind pattern shifts. As long as those fires are burning there’s a potential to have an air quality impact,” Avey said. The American Lung Association says people who are sensitive to poor air quality should pay attention to air quality alerts and try to limit their time outside. Individuals with respiratory illnesses should try to stay indoors.
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Nurses, State Officials Mark New Law Improving Workplace Safety
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) –Doctors, nurses and other medical staff joined Governor Laura Kelly Thursday to celebrate a new law that improves workplace safety for health care workers and increases penalties against people who assault medical personnel. Kelly says that workers in medical fields should not be subject to violence and the law will make their jobs safer. “We just need to make sure that everybody out there knows that these folks are doing their job,” Kelly said. “They’re doing a very hard job and they’re our heroes and you are not to mess with them.” The law will increase penalties against people who assault health care workers. It’s modeled after similar legislation that covers law enforcement personnel. The Kansas Hospital Association reports that it trains staff in de-escalation tactics to avoid violent interactions. It also provides counseling for victims of violence. Federal officials report that attacks on health care workers account for 50 percent of all workplace violence.
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Missouri Jail Employee and Associates Indicted for Smuggling Contraband to Inmates
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Jackson County, Missouri, Detention Center employee and three associates have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a contraband smuggling conspiracy. The employee, 42-year-old Aaron D. Copes, of Grandview, Missouri, allegedly took bribe money and sexual favors in exchange for smuggling drugs to jail inmates. Along with Copes, KCTV reports that 32-year-old Deanna Clark and 31-year-old Stephanie McDaniel, both of Kansas City, and 37-year-old James A. Booker, Jr., of Raytown, were charged in the indictment.
Prosecutors say Copes was employed as a case manager at the facility. They also say Clark and Booker were close associates of an inmate and McDaniel was the girlfriend of an unidentified co-conspirator.
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KPERS Plans to Spend Thousands to Comply with New Social Investment Restrictions
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) is set to pay thousands of dollars each year to comply with a new requirement limiting how it uses environmental, social and governance factors in its investments. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the provisions of a new law passed this year will largely not change the behavior of KPERS. However, when the law takes effect July 1, it will require KPERS and other state and local entities to make decisions on investments and government contracts solely based on their financial viability, though similar language already exists in state law. (Read more.)
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Docking State Office Building in Topeka Coming Down
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — Efforts are underway to demolish the Docking State Office Building in Topeka and replace it with a shorter, more modern version. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that demolition is on schedule and no major, unexpected issues have been encountered since work began on the project in January. State lawmakers signed off on the plan to create a new, three-story building and use the space for both an event center and offices. Limestone used in the old building's exterior will be saved and re-used in the modern replacement. The same is true of the exterior sculptures by Bernard Frazier, regarded as one of the pre-eminent visual artists in Kansas history, which are currently sitting in storage to be incorporated into the grounds of the new building.
Demolition of the building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. It will take roughly 18 months for construction to be completed on the new Docking building, with work currently expected to conclude in June 2025. The bulk of the building will be space for state agencies, though it is unclear which departments will move into Docking.
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NCAA President: Organization Made 'Big Mistake' by Not Setting Up Framework for NIL Compensation
WASHINGTON (AP) — NCAA President Charlie Baker wants a federal law to regulate the way college athletes can be compensated for name, image and likeness that creates a registry of deals, agent certification and uniform contract standards. Baker hopes a bill can move through Congress in the fall before next year's election cycle ramps up. If not, Baker says the NCAA has to be prepared to try to cleanup NIL on its own. Speaking at the Future of College Sports Summit in Washington, Baker says the previous NCAA leadership made a mistake in not trying to regulate NIL on its own.
"I think it was a big mistake by the NCAA not to do a framework around NIL when they had the opportunity to," Baker said during the Future of College Athletics Summit, not far from Capitol Hill. "And I think there were too many people in college sports who thought no rules would work really well for them. And what everybody's discovered is no rules, no transparency, no accountability, no framework, doesn't work well for anybody."
The NCAA lifted its ban on college athletes being able to earn money for sponsorship deals and endorsements in 2020. With only some broad rules in place that prohibit recruiting inducements and pay-for-play, state laws have set varying standards for NIL. Booster- and donor-funded collectives have stepped in to be the primary providers of payments. NIL has become a new arms race in big-time college sports with s tate lawmakers crafting legislation that gives their schools an edge, and in some cases protection from NCAA enforcement.
In recent weeks, there have been drafts of potential NIL legislation circulating around Capitol Hill and several lawmakers — including Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — have said they plan to introduce bills. But only one bill has actually been introduced.
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Kansas Gets Good Rating for Public Health Emergency Preparedness
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas is relatively well-prepared to respond to public health emergencies, but still needs to improve hospital safety and flu vaccination rates. Those are some of the findings from a recent report by the nonprofit group Trust for America’s Health. Michael McNulty, emergency management director for the Kansas health department, says the state continues to work on outreach to the public on ways to fight disease outbreaks. “A lot of it is in education. We really want to try to educate folks on the availability of vaccines, so that they can make informed decisions about vaccinating themselves and/or their family members," he said. The report studied how well states are prepared for diseases and natural disasters. This year’s report placed 19 states and the District of Columbia in the high-performance tier. Kansas was among those in the high-performance tier.
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KU Med Hopes New Center Will Improve Health Outcomes for Black Community
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) — The University of Kansas Medical Center is launching a new center to help improve health outcomes in Black and African American communities. The Center for African American Health will focus on community engagement, research, policy advocacy and developing a diverse health care workforce. The Kansas News Service reports that KU will open two locations where the center will conduct its work, one in Sedgwick County and another in Wyandotte County. Michelle Redmond is with the KU Medical Center in Wichita. She says one goal is reducing health inequities for marginalized communities. “They have significant disparities in infant mortality, low birth weight, they also have lower life expectancy when we look at Black and African American residents," Redmon said. The center will research structural and environmental barriers to healthcare in Black communities and will study racism as a public health issue. “We want to enhance and improve the health and wellness of Black and African Americans who live in Kansas and beyond," Redmond said. The center is expected to launch July 1st.
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Parts of Midwest Threatened by "Flash Droughts"
UNDATED (HPM) — Preliminary research from a team of meteorologists has found that something known as a “flash drought” is beginning to spread across the Midwest. Harvest Public Media reports this type of abrupt dryness could get more common with climate change. The new study predicts that by the end of the century, North America could have a 49% annual risk of experiencing a flash drought. That’s up from 32% a few years ago. Jeffrey Basara, with the University of Oklahoma’s School of Meteorology, was on the research team. He says that’s cause for concern, since flash droughts can be even more damaging than a long dry spell. “Instead of something that takes place over six months, or 12 months, these are events that happen over three to six weeks," he said. "And really, because they have rapid developments, they can catch people by surprise.” In the past, flash droughts have destroyed billions of dollars of crops, zapped water sources and led to deadly heat waves.
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K-State Salina Campus Getting Millions to Address Pilot Shortage
SALINA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas State University's Aerospace and Technology Campus in Salina is receiving almost $5 million in federal funding to help address the national shortage of pilots. The money from Congress will go toward building a flight simulation center at the K-State Aerospace and Technology Campus. The federal government estimates there will be about 18,000 openings for commercial pilots this decade. Only about half of those vacancies are being filled. The shortage has led to flight delays and cancellations. Last October, K-State received $10 million from California-based company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to expand its aerospace research campus.
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Kansas Woman Removed from Flight at Louisiana Airport
JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WGNO) — A Kansas woman was removed from a flight at an airport in Louisiana after she allegedly caused a disturbance. The sheriff's office in Jefferson Parish says 25-year-old Kamaryn Gibson, of Olathe, caused the disturbance at Louis Armstrong International Airport after the plane left the gate. The plane returned to the airport so she could be removed. When officers tried to remove Gibson from the flight, she allegedly kicked two deputies and bit another in the leg. She was restrained in a wheelchair and later taken to the local jail. WGNO TV reports that the woman is charged with disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. The incident happened on May 29.
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KU Basketball Teams to Play in Mexico Next Year
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — In the 2024-25 basketball season, the KU men’s and women’s teams will travel to Mexico to play against the Houston Cougars. Houston will soon join the Big 12 conference, but next year's game south of the border won’t count as a conference game. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark says the conference is expanding its brand into Mexico and it's important to include the Jayhawks in that effort. "You only have one chance to launch a brand in a place like Mexico City. Doing it with Kansas is incredible for us," he said. The KU games will be played in December of 2024 at the CDMX arena in Mexico City.
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Black Bear Sighting Confirmed Near KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) -- A trail camera near Pleasant Hill, Missouri, snapped a photo of an unusual creature roaming Cass County. The Missouri Department of Conservation confirmed that a photo circulating on social media showing a black bear was legitimate. KCTV reports that the Kansas City area has only had a handful of bear sightings in the past few years, but wildlife officials say the state’s bear population is growing and spreading. Missouri is now home to around 900 bears despite the population nearly dying out a few decades ago. And experts say that in the next decade, the population could double.
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Expulsions, Walkouts, Filibusters: Lawmakers Grapple with Acrimonious Legislative Sessions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawmakers this year have kicked rival colleagues out of office in Tennessee and off the chamber floor in Montana. They have staged walkouts in Oregon and filibusters in Nebraska, where interactions are so fraught that some lawmakers say they’re unsure they can work together anymore.
In a year of outsized acrimony at statehouses, it would be wrong to say tensions have never been worse. Legislatures have seen fistfights, unpopular members hounded from office, mass expulsions and even armed confrontations.
Experts say what’s different now is that politics can reward sparring and punish bipartisanship, making reelection tougher for those who seek compromise. Lawmakers “recognize that the general electorate would prefer that they compromise, but they think that the primary electorate wants them to oppose it,” said Laurel Harbridge-Yong, a Northwestern University political scientist. Civility can crumble when lawmakers draw gerrymandered districts or make voting rules that pick political winners and losers. It also erodes, Harbridge-Yong said, when lawmakers debate hard-to-compromise identity and morality issues, including abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. But lawmakers in districts dominated by one party need to stave off internal challengers rather than satisfy the broader voting public, she said.
In Tennessee, Republicans flexed their supermajority numbers to expel Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two young Black lawmakers, for protesting for gun control on the House floor with a bullhorn after a deadly school shooting in Nashville. They were booted for violating decorum. Though protesters didn't enter the House floor, some Republicans, including the House speaker, labeled it an "insurrection," akin to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach.
The ouster of the since-reinstated Democrats gave their party more exposure in the state than it’s had in years. Jones and Pearson, along with Rep. Gloria Johnson, who escaped expulsion by one vote, traveled a national TV circuit, visited the White House, and hauled in donations. But to political observers the conflict showed further erosion of Tennessee's former reputation for conservative compromisers such as former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker — a key figure in holding President Richard Nixon accountable over Watergate. Republican Gov. Bill Lee, meanwhile, is seeking to keep guns away from people who could harm themselves or others. GOP lawmakers have shown little appetite to consider the plan despite bipartisan appeal in polling.
When majorities grow decisively large, the minority party has no power and can only complain and shout, said John Geer, dean of Vanderbilt University’s arts and sciences school. Meanwhile, the majority doesn't need to bargain and is drawn to extreme policies as primary elections become the key to winning. In a supermajority, the majority and minority parties "are no longer politicians, they become activists," said Geer, also a political science professor. Lately, Tennessee legislative districts have rarely been competitive, even as more than one-quarter of House seats have changed hands since 2020. Only four races, of 116 House and Senate seats on the 2022 November ballot, were decided by 10 percentage points or fewer. Conversely, 61 House and Senate seats were uncontested. Geer said Tennessee is conservative, but the GOP drew districts to widen its partisan advantage further. Democratic lawmakers are almost only elected in major cities.
Division can disrupt an entire legislative session. In Oregon, a Republican Senate walkout began May 3 and could continue through the session's June 25 end. The boycott has prevented the Senate from reaching its required two-thirds quorum. That's preventing a floor vote on a bill to protect abortion rights and transgender health care that GOP senators say is extreme. It's also blocking more than 100 other bills, including a GOP-opposed gun-safety measure that would increase the purchasing age to 21 for semiautomatic rifles. GOP Minority Leader Sen. Tim Knopp says the boycott will end only on the session's last day to pass “bipartisan” legislation and budget bills. Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek has failed to break the impasse, and could have to call a special session if lawmakers don’t approve budgets covering the next two years. Senators walked out despite voters in 2022 deciding lawmakers could not be reelected with 10 or more unexcused absences. Republican senators are likely to sue over the measure if they're not allowed to register as candidates. Republicans also walked out in 2019, 2020 and 2021. On June 1, Democrats cited a state constitutional provision to fine senators $325 every time their absence denies a quorum.
“Senators who do not show up need to start returning the hard-earned tax dollars they do not earn,” said Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber.
In Nebraska, a handful of progressive lawmakers filibustered nearly every bill — even ones they supported — to protest legislation targeting transgender minors. The filibuster revealed lawmakers’ ideological divides, with yelling, name-calling, crying and refusals to even speak to other lawmakers. Nebraska's single-chamber Legislature is officially nonpartisan and had prided itself on avoiding dysfunction. Following Tennessee's expulsions, Montana Republicans voted to ban transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from the House floor for the rest of the now-completed session. Zephyr was initially silenced after telling lawmakers looking to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors that they would have blood on their hands and exiled for participating in a protest for her right to debate in the House.
Discord in statehouses is hardly new.
A white supremacist militia in 1874 attempted to overthrow Louisiana’s Republican government in a New Orleans street battle, retreating only when federal troops arrived. Republicans ejected legislators they claimed weren’t lawfully elected and Democrats established a competing body. White supremacist Democrats took control when federal troops departed in 1877.
Not all rifts were racial. Kansas Republicans and Populists in 1893 seated rival Houses. After Populists locked themselves in the House chamber, Republicans sledgehammered open the door and chased out the Populists. Kansas' Populist governor called up the militia, but mostly Republican militiamen refused to obey. The Kansas Supreme Court eventually sided with the Republicans.
And not all breaches are ancient history. In 1960s Georgia, Civil Rights activist Julian Bond won election to the House three times, but lawmakers refused to seat him, citing Bond’s opposition to the Vietnam War. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling let Bond take office in 1967.
Even considering past upheaval, Harbridge-Yong said tensions today are “very high” and “concerning" for democracy.
"It’s both concerning for how our legislatures function, for people’s trust in the government and their view of policies as they’re determined by government as legitimate,” she said.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.