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In the past few years, the Artificial Intelligence industry has made several advancements, making it much harder to tell at first glance what's AI-generated and what's real.
Cpl. Ricky Perkins with the RCMP's Cyber and Financial Crime Unit said certain populations are less aware of AI than others - mainly focused on age. Younger generations have grown up with technology, where AI is an entirely new concept for many seniors.
"There is a generation of people right now that are tech-savvy, grew up with this type of technology and understand it a lot better, but a big part of our population, even for my age, I'm in my mid 40s, we're new to a lot of this stuff, and then there's an even older population that maybe doesn't even really understand what AI is or how we're using it," said Cpl. Perkins.
Even younger generations need to look a bit closer with recent developments in the industry. The Alberta RCMP recently ran a campaign comparing AI-generated images to real ones, noting it's getting a lot harder to tell the difference.
In recent times, and as AI continues to improve, Cpl. Perkins said the Cyber and Financial Crime Unit expects to see a rise in sextortion crimes, especially affecting younger populations, and a rise in AI-assisted scams targeting seniors.
"We're gonna see a lot of things with sextortion, meaning people can take an image of a person from their Facebook or Instagram, and then using their face, put it into a compromising photograph, which looks very realistic...we're also seeing some instances where AI is being used to help recreated voices in grandparents scams, that's more of a complicated thing I think, because getting the voice right for someone that you're trying to target, so I think those are more targeted attacks, where they know who their victim is, and they can use some of their videos or different things from family members to help create that voice," said Cpl. Perkins.
The one big piece of advice Cpl. Perkins has if you're concerned about AI: question everything you see online.
"We have to kind of question almost everything we see, so if it's not from a trusted source like a friend or family member, co-worker, maybe we need to question everything just a little bit more. In AI images for example, there are some imperfections still with those images, like in the hands, or in the background," said Cpl. Perkins.
In a recent push to fight problems for youth caused by AI, Manitoba is moving to ban AI chatbot use for youth under 16.
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West Interlake Watershed District is hosting a Rotational Grazing tour on September 24th at the E-U-R Ranch near Woodlands.
The main focus on the day will be the use of Virtual Fencing Collar technology.
Derek Kaartinen with WIWD says the collars allow livestock producers to set up a virtual boundary for their cattle.
"Which removes the cost of materials and fencing. The way that the collars work is that they are solar powered, and they communicate over a cellular service, as well as the use of long-range wireless radio frequencies. So these allow the collars to communicate with one another, and tell the cattle where the limit is on where they can access the field."
The day begins at 10:30 at the St Laurent Rec Centre, before heading out to the ranch.
It is free to attend, but you are asked to pre-register by end of today in order to secure a spot on the bus and lunch.
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The Province of Manitoba has received reports of, and confirmed, the presence of fully-grown zebra mussels in Lake Winnipegosis and Waterhen Lake, according to a news release.
Jeff Long, Aquatic Invasive Species Director for the Government of Manitoba, said the Province has activated their Aquatic Invasive Species Early Detection Response Plan, and have already taken measures to limit the spread.
"We have notified our local parties of interest, which includes First Nation governments and leaders, and other particular parties of interest. This is important because those [are] the people on the ground who are using those areas...people can't go in unless they do exactly the same thing they would have to do in any other zebra mussel invaded waterbody, you know we have Lake Winnipeg as a control zone, and in that case, you have to clean, drain, dry, and decontaminate your watercraft and water-related equipment before you go into any other waterbody in Manitoba," said Long.
This is the second major waterbody in Manitoba in recent months to have positive reports of zebra mussels. In early July, the Province verified the detection of zebra mussel veligers in Lake of the Prairies, as a result of regular testing. The detection in Lake Winnipegosis and Waterhen Lake is the result of someone directly reporting grown zebra mussels to the government, which was confirmed by testing for veligers.
"Our routine surveillance found the ones at Lake of the Prairies, the one at Lake Winnipegosis was a report from a person who found these on their vessel, so they reported that detection to government," said Long.
Typically, zebra mussels mean no good for a waterbody, but not in the short term - any serious effects take a while to show. Most of the impact that zebra mussels have is on the ecosystem through changes to the food chain, which won't be felt on a large scale for a while.
"Those things usually take time for those to sort of work their way through, because each aquatic ecosystem is different, and the response to an invasion of any aquatic invasive species can be different from another waterbody...those impacts on resource users are driven by the fact there are ecological changes underneath the water that people don't see. Those cause water quality effects and algal effects, macrophyte effects, different changes to the zooplankton community, and consequentially up through to the fish community," said Long.
The Province has also enhanced inspection stations along major routes in the area, and leading to Lake Winnipegosis and Waterhen Lake.
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No charges or tickets are expected after a cyclist collided with a truck on Monday.
At 4:50 p.m., Dauphin RCMP and the Fire Department responded to the collision on 4th Avenue Southwest and Main Street in Dauphin.
A truck turning right onto Main Street was struck by a cyclist riding on the wrong side of the street. The 33-year-old female riding the bike was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The 39-year-old female driver was uninjured.
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Since 2017, Co-op locations across Western Canada have donated more than $5.6 million to local charities and non-profit organizations through Fuel Good Day.
Locally, the Dauphin Co-op has donated more than $35,000 through the initiative.
Sierra Hadway, marketing and community relations coordinator with Dauphin Co-op, says this event means a ton.
"Yeah, our vision is to enrich the life of our communities. A big way we do that is through supporting and giving back to local organizations throughout the year," said Hadway. "We want to be there for our communities in meaningful ways. Fuel Good Day is a great example of that."
This year, Dauphin Co-op is thrilled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Fuel Good Day. It'll take place on Tuesday. 10 cents from every litre of fuel sold at the Dauphin Co-op Gas Bars will be donated to the Dauphin Friendship Centre's Food for Thought Program.
This includes all diesel fuel and regular gasoline.
"It feels especially important. Food insecurity is a real concern in our community," added Hadway. "We want to make sure children have access to the food and support they need. Supporting our kids today helps build a stronger and healthier community for years to come. It's a very important cause for us and we're proud to be a part of it."
The Food for Thought Program has nearly 1,000 students registered. That adds up to an average of about 900 lunches prepared and delivered.
The donation from Co-op will help the program purchase food, prepare nutritious meals, and continue a program that has been part of the community for decades.
In addition to 10 cents per litre, $2 from every Extreme Car Wash will be donated to the Food for Thought Program. Five cents from every pound of propane sold on September 15 will also be donated.
In addition, there will be a fundraising BBQ from 11:30 to 1:00 at both Gas Bars. Proceeds also support the Food for Thought Program.
Players from the Dauphin Kings will be at both Gas Bars on September 15 serving up some great grub.
Hadway said they appreciate the support from the Kings.
"Oh yeah, they're always willing to help out at our events," said Hadway. "We're very fortunate to have them. It's great. We're always helping each other out and giving back."
Fuel Good Day returns to Dauphin on Tuesday.
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Another edition of Dauphin Culture Days kicks off later this week.
It begins on Thursday withe monthly third-Thursday music night at the Dauphin Public Library.
Organizer Jean-Louis Guillas says that will be followed up by the Under the Stars Makers Market on Friday night.
"There are so many good makers in town. Just an amazing number of people who are making a living in their basements or as a side hustle. And they are all going to be there from 5 until 10 pm on the grounds at Obsolete, just around the corner from the Street Fair. It is fantastic for us to be able to have that celebration tghis year."
A total of 17 events will take place over the course of 2-1/2 weeks.
A full list of events can be found by following Dauphin Culture Days on Facebook, or going to CultureDay.ca, and clicking on Dauphin events.
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A 21-year old man from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation is dead following an animal attack in that community.
Swan River RCMP say the death occured on September 9th on a community road.
Following an autopsy, the cause of death was determined to be an animal attack.
Police say the type of animal has not been determined, but one email from a community member said the animal was a bear.
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After months of planning, the construction of new trails into the north end of Riding Mountain National Park is underway.
In a Facebook post, Riding Mountain National Park says the new project will enhance the Crawford Creek Trail area with sustainable year-round trails, and will expand the Park's connectivity with the Northgate Trails system.
The project is the first of its kind in Canada - a partnership between an independent organization, municipal governments, a provincial government, and Parks Canada. Representatives of both Northgate Trails and the City of Dauphin have said there has been lots of communication between all of the involved parties, to a very effective and helpful level.
During the construction of the new trail system within the Park, there are a few closures to keep in mind. The Crawford Creek and Edwards Creek trail areas have temporary closures in place, and the Crawford Creek trailhead parking lot is closed as well. The Park asks visitors to pay attention to all signage, and thanks visitors for their patience during construction.
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MacKenzie Middle School in Dauphin is looking forward to a month full of fundraising.
The school was chosen to take part in Indigo's Adopt-a-School Program. It's a fundraising campaign and grant initiative that partners local Indigo, Chapters, and Coles Stores with schools across the country to support literacy.
Until October 4, you can help.
Pamela Adams says they're thrilled to be chosen.
"We're really excited. We're kind of the only Middle School in MVSD. We're only grades six to eight," said Adams. "We're really excited to be chosen. Our kids are pumped. It's that age group where they're just getting into becoming avid readers and having that independence to pick their own books."
As part of their application, MacKenzie Middle School had to submit their needs, the benefits of literacy, and how that would support the school.
The next time you're in Brandon, stop by Coles in the Shoppers Mall. You can donate directly to MMS. All donations will go towards new library books for the school and science resources.
If you're not heading to Brandon, but still want to donate, you're in luck. An online option is available here.
The campaign is off to a great start, and you can help keep the momentum going.
As Adams said, the kids are all in.
"Our student voice committee have already designed some bookmarks," said Adams. "We're giving those as a thank you to members of the community who have donated. We're also going to give some to the bookstore to give away. After someone donates, they get a handmade bookmark from a student in our school."
When they were first selected, staff from MMS hand-delivered cinnamon buns to Coles in Brandon as a thank you.
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