RAND

Your medical records are being sold, and you may never know. A new lawsuit reveals companies with names like “GuardDog” and “Mammoth” have been posing as healthcare providers to harvest patient records in bulk, then selling them to law firms looking for clients. No hacking required. They just walked through the front door of our medical records exchange network. The patient in the story only found out his blood pressure history and surgical records were circulating online because he happened to get a notice in the mail. Most people won’t. This is what happens when a law written for paper records in locked cabinets tries to govern digital data flowing through networks with dozens of access points. HIPAA creates elaborate hurdles for public health agencies trying to track disease outbreaks. It apparently leaves room for shell companies to purchase and resell your most private information. The contrast is not subtle. Researchers jump through months of IRB approvals to access de-identified data that could improve care. Meanwhile, companies can apparently pose as providers, download hundreds of thousands of records, and call it a transaction. A real update would include opt-out rights, granular sharing options (structured data only, psychiatric records excluded), penalties that actually deter, and clear rules on who can access what and why. The current framework treats your medical history like it’s 1995, while bad actors operate like it’s 2026. We need updated legislation to protect our data. https://lnkd.in/epjwPvyj

The AI feedback loop has arrived! New research shows that AI systems consistently prefer AI-generated text over human writing, at least in the context of hiring. When asked to evaluate quality of resumes, AI models rated synthetic content higher than human-authored work. If true more broadly, this is a fundamental bias that could reshape how we communicate online. Think about LinkedIn right now. Bots post at optimal times. Paid services manage replies and maintain “engagement.” AI tools suggest what to write and when to write it. We’re creating a platform where artificial systems increasingly talk to other artificial systems, while actual humans become spectators to conversations they’re supposedly having. In fact, such a thing already exists—Moltbook, where AI bots chat with each other without any human interaction—but we pretend LinkedIn is still a place for humans to interact. Is it anymore? If it still is, will it stay that way? The efficiency of these tools is seductive. Why wouldn’t you schedule posts or use tools to craft responses that get more engagement? But when AI prefers AI-generated content, and algorithms reward what AI prefers, we’re building a closed loop where human voice becomes not just rare but algorithmically penalized. The question isn’t whether to use these tools, but rather how to use them without losing what makes professional networking valuable: real people sharing real insights from real experience and connecting as a result. And yes, this post was drafted with the help of AI. I directed AI to talk about how AI prefers AI, and then adjusted it myself. Will it get boosted less by the algorithm because I didn’t just copy and paste? I guess we will see. But I believe we need to stay human in our interactions, even when the machines prefer we don’t.

Proud to have been invited onto Bloomberg Television 's The China Show with David Ingles and Yvonne Man to talk about critical minerals and our new research. https://lnkd.in/gz7fMJxJ

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs has a great line-up of analysis on the Trump-Xi meeting. Proud to have contributed a couple pieces and interested to see what comes out of the summit.

My latest on the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting from Chicago Council on Global Affairs . Had a lot of fun writing this with Michael Hunzeker and Mark C. . https://lnkd.in/gEfbs-RK We argue that many analysts assume China and Taiwan are caught in a security dilemma. Cross-Strait peace can occur if both sides refrain from provocative actions. This leads to a false equivalence. China will reduce its military exercises if only Taiwan would stop teaching its own history in high school. This misdiagnoses the problem and blames the victim. As I've argued, it is power - not language - that drives cross-Strait behavior: https://lnkd.in/gU9yRbd5 Expanding on the piece, there is a "Green Lantern" quality to calls for the US to "rein in" Taiwan as a way to mollify China. These proposals fail to address three cumulative problems. https://lnkd.in/g7JdDKtQ 1. Commitment: If a TW president publicly promises not to call China and Taiwan two separate countries, how does that address Beijing’s fears of military threat? Has Beijing ever publicly made such a connection, or is this just "hopium" from analysts? 2. Credibility: What would Beijing offer in return for such a concession? Has it stated that exchange clearly and publicly? How can Beijing credibly commit to such an exchange given its maximalist rhetoric? 3. Enforcement: Will such an exchange bind the parties to self-enforcing agreements? Does it further foreclose Taiwan’s defensive space for political symbolism or theater? Can China credibly commit not to use concessions to ask for more in the future? Ultimately, China and Taiwan are not caught in a security dilemma. As we write: "What level of arms would Beijing consider acceptable for Taiwan to possess for its own self-defense? If the answer is functionally 'none,' it is clear which party is the aggressor." The US should reject calls to publicly oppose TW independence. It doesn't address the hard power drivers of cross-Strait conflict, foreclosing bargaining space for little to no gain. Instead, the US and TW should deepen their security cooperation. I'm cheered that the TW opposition has passed a relatively large special defense budget. Could be bigger, but certainly good news following Cheng's trip to China last month. https://lnkd.in/gUpfh_Nz

Im still processing this moment, and that’s okay. 🙇🏾♀️🙆🏾♀️ Because, what I recently accomplished was one for the books. I’ll never forget what it took to cross the finish line. 🏁 I’ll never forget the knowledge I gained. And most importantly, I’ll never forget the people who stood by me and uplifted me during my lows and peaks. When you refer to me publicly henceforth please say, Dr. Kennethea Wilson, PhD, MBA, MPH. I am the first in my lineage to complete a doctorate degree. And I will wear this hat with honor and the upmost dignity. 👸🏾✊🏾 I finished Duquesne University’s PhD program in Healthcare Ethics with a 4.0 GPA. My 460+ page 📃 dissertation will soon be live and published very soon 🔜 entitled “The Ethical Imperative of Public Health Institutions to Protect the Reproductive Autonomy of Vulnerable Populations”. During my PhD program, I presented at national conferences, published a chapter in a Cambridge textbook on the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as authored peer-reviewed research papers. Though this chapter is closed, a new one begins. More pics to come ! 😽🫶🏾 #Classof2026 #PhD #DuquesneUniversity #HelthcareEthics #PublicHealth #GenerationalWealth #BGM #blackexcellence

“America I love you but you’re freaking me out!” This local graffiti seemed an apt way for Lara Hansen from #ecoadapt to begin the National Adaptation Forum in Pittsburgh PA this week. I’m excited to reconnect with—and learn from—many talented people working on important climate adaptation initiatives.

Here’s a chance to work with Andrew Marshall on great health projects at Google!

Hello friends and colleagues; I'm making my Heinz Hall debut today! PYCO has programmed excerpts from Carmina Burana and I'll be the Baritone Soloist. Come on down and check it out - tickets are free! https://lnkd.in/eEw7KGdU