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Defense firms jump into new talent pool: laid-off tech workers
When Amazon laid off Ryan Tran in March after just six months, the IT specialist decided it was time to follow his dreams.
Along with his wife, Tran co-founded a startup company in the defense industry called Ares Enterprise, which focuses on building out a roadmap of what technologies and resources the Department of Defense should deploy.
“It’s like, you want to be controlling your own destiny. What better way to control your own destiny than owning a company?” he said.
Tran joins hundreds of other tech workers who are pivoting back to the defense sector, or joining it for the first time, amid mass layoffs across the tech industry.
Last year, companies working in the aerospace, guided missile, space vehicle manufacturing and propulsion unit sectors all experienced a significant bump in growth, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Available data and other reporting from The Hill indicate that defense companies have been on something of a tech hiring spree. Recruiters are looking for experienced software engineers, cybersecurity experts and other high-skilled workers whose skills easily translate to defense technology.
“For decades, the best and brightest in engineering weren’t always keen to enter the defense space,” said Andrew Wargofchik, a spokesperson for defense tech firm Epirus, noting his company grew by 36 percent last year.
But now, the layoffs — combined with heightened global tensions — appear to be shifting the perspective for some tech workers.
Wargofchik added it was “undeniable that current events, especially the war in Ukraine, are inspiring the next generation of tech leaders to pursue a career in the defense space to make an impact in the global defense of democracy.”
The Defense Department has long indicated the U.S. will need more tech workers to defend its security interests.
John Sherman, the chief information officer at the Pentagon, said at the TechNet Cyber conference on Wednesday it was vital to hire workers with the capabilities and “eagerness” to advance the U.S. on emerging technologies.
“Our U.S. industry is our secret sauce,” he said at the conference in Baltimore, explaining the U.S. needs to “have a workforce that looks like America with all the innovation, the surliness we bring to the fight from all corners of this great country.”
KPMG, a global firm that provides audit, tax and advisory services, estimates in new research sent to The Hill that there are between 40,000 to 50,000 open jobs for tech-related skills in the aerospace and defense industry.
These skills include software engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud, machine learning and data solutions.
Initial data reveals a trend of hiring displaced tech workers for these skills, said Todd Dubner, the principal of global strategy group at KPMG in the U.S., who has researched the trend.
Dubner said he expects the trend to “continue and grow.”
“It is clear from our study that A&D is looking for the skills that are currently being let go from the tech sector,” he said in an email interview. “While our data lags the market by a few months, there is a clear start to a trend of movement from tech to A&D.”
According to Dubner, tech workers are finding jobs in the defense industry that match their skills and fit with their desire to “make an impact” in the world.
On top of that, the defense sector is more secure than the tech industry, has strong training opportunities and allows employees to move up in the company, he said.
Ryan Tseng, co-founder of defense tech firm Shield AI, is thrilled about the influx — and is something of an early trendsetter.
After years of working at the wireless telecommunications company Qualcomm, Tseng decided he had to do something else.
“I felt like I was losing the fire in my belly,” Tseng said. “I was not fired up about what I was doing, and putting in hard work when you don’t think it matters to the world becomes challenging.”
In 2015, Tseng co-founded Shield AI, which specializes in creating artificial intelligence for military applications, including to pilot aircraft.
Tseng said he has seen his company hire about 100 workers in the past five months. He said global events have put the role of defense firms into perspective for American tech workers.
“Russia invading Ukraine has brought many people around to this idea, this notion that security and stability are not assured,” he said. “It’s through deliberate work by amazing people.”
Mass layoffs in the tech industry began last year as inflation skyrocketed, interest rates increased and a return to an in-person, pre-pandemic lifestyle led to revenue declines for tech companies. The job losses only accelerated in the fall and winter.
As stock prices plunged late last year, Meta announced it was laying off 11,000 workers, about a month after Microsoft’s trim of 1,000 workers in October. Amazon also said it would slash 10,000 employees last year.
Amid the layoffs, the private aerospace industry jumped from about 484,000 workers in January 2022 to roughly 505,000 in September, according to the BLS. From 2019 to 2021, average annual employment was declining in the sector.
That bump was largely consistent across industries working within defense production, including for guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing, which hiked up from 71,184 in January to 75,569 in September.
The trend is likely to continue as tech layoffs show no signs of slowing down this year.
Impacted tech workers on LinkedIn are advertising themselves under an “open to work” label as they vigorously search for new career paths in a time of high inflation.
About a third of those impacted by the recent wave of tech industry layoffs have indicated they are more interested in heading over to the defense industry now than they were a year ago, according to a Morning Consult poll released in March.
Respondents cited availability and global uncertainty, and the Morning Consult survey found about half of tech workers were OK with their technology being used on the battlefield.
The Hill reached out to about a dozen defense companies for this story. Five of them confirmed an ongoing, major hiring surge or substantial growth in the past year.
A spokesperson for Boeing said the company’s workforce grew by 15,000 last year, driven by both engineering and manufacturing. The company plans to hire another 10,000 employees this year, including software engineers.
Kei Bullock, the vice president of talent acquisition at Northrop Grumman, said the company hired 16,000 people in 2022, including tech positions, and will continue to hire for tech jobs this year.
Northrop Grumman led the industry team for NASA’s groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope, which Bullock said “reinforced” the company’s “position as a technology innovator.”
Some defense firms are now specifically targeting laid-off tech workers in hiring campaigns.
Lockheed Martin said it was hiring tech workers but still has thousands of tech-related job openings. The Bethesda, Md., based company created a landing page specifically for tech workers. And John Heyliger, its vice president of talent acquisition, wrote a personalized message to tech workers in a LinkedIn post over the holidays.
Tran, who worked for a small defense firm before he was laid off by Amazon, said he is investing his money in his new startup, which is still trying to get up off the ground and only has three employees, including the founders.
But he expressed optimism that he would succeed, saying tech and defense were his “bread and butter.”
“You build one piece at a time,” he said, “and then hopefully, those pieces become something big.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Emerging Technologies |
General Motors is exploring uses for ChatGPT as part of its broader collaboration with Microsoft, a company executive told Reuters.
“ChatGPT is going to be in everything,” GM Vice President Scott Miller said in an interview.
The chatbot could be used to access information on how to use vehicle features normally found in an owners manual, program functions such as a garage door code or integrate schedules from a calendar, Miller said.
“This shift is not just about one single capability like the evolution of voice commands, but instead means that customers can expect their future vehicles to be far more capable and fresh overall when it comes to emerging technologies,” a GM spokesperson said on Friday.
The news was first reported by website Semafor, which said that the American automaker was working on a virtual personal assistant that uses AI models behind ChatGPT.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a multi-billion dollar investment in ChatGPT-owner OpenAI and said it aims to add the chatbot’s technology into all its products.
Microsoft, like other big tech companies, has been ramping up its efforts to embed more technology in vehicles, from infotainment systems to automated driving to operating systems that control battery performance and multiple other functions of a vehicle.
GM in 2021 partnered with Microsoft to accelerate the commercialization of driverless vehicles.
Shares of GM were down about 2% on Friday amid a broader drop. | Emerging Technologies |
The sun sets behind transmission lines in Texas on July 11.Nick Wagner/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire This story was originally published by Slate and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Once again, Texas’ ability to keep electricity flowing to its nearly 30 million residents is in doubt: Searing heat waves, and the heightened energy use they’re spurring, are stressing the state’s grid to a nearly calamitous degree. On Sunday—the second-hottest July day recorded in the state since 1950—the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the state’s power capacity, asked Texans to voluntarily cut back on their electricity use during peak demand hours on Monday. The ask: turn up thermostats, avoid using appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines, and delay electricity use in general, even as temperatures in some areas rise to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The Texas Department of State Health Services also sent out tips to stave off heat-related illness, noting that “Everything’s hotter in Texas.”
Many Texans are still scarred by the winter 2021 storm-caused blackouts, which cut off power to millions and led to hundreds of deaths. (The phrase “PTSD” became a local trend on Twitter earlier this year, during the anniversary of the tragedy.) And so they’ve greeted the latest grid stress with some fatalism, often with good cause. The same day ERCOT announced its latest request, with reassurances that mass outages wouldn’t reoccur, thousands of Travis County residents lost power thanks to private-utility damage from thunderstorms. One Texan told Fox Business, “We’ve seen [the grid] go down before for heat as well as cold. And as it’s warmer now, I don’t see it getting any better.”
Thankfully, the worst-case scenario did not come to pass on Monday (even though some Texans “reported sporadic brownouts throughout the state,” according to the Washington Post). State power demand, which had reached a record high last week most likely because of full-blast air conditioners, appeared to lower on Monday and reduce pressure on the grid. Power-sucking, industrial-scale Bitcoin miners who’d set up operations within the state over the past year have shut down their rigs until the heat wave passes, freeing up at least 1 percent of state grid capacity, according to the Texas Blockchain Association. Cities like San Antonio took energy-conservation measures at the municipal level. And ERCOT reported, with some relief, that Texans had indeed voluntarily slowed down their power use, altogether saving up to 500 megawatts (an amount that, on its own, is sufficient to fully power 100,000 homes). While it’s certainly not unreasonable to ask citizens to forgo certain activities for the public good, some wondered whether life-or-death decisions involving electricity reliability should fall on Texans every time there’s a weather threat, no matter what kind. US Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson called it “outrageous and inexcusable” that Texans were being told their power supply could handle neither extreme cold nor extreme heat. Beto O’Rourke, who is challenging Gov. Greg Abbott, tweeted: “We can’t rely on the grid when it’s hot. We can’t rely on the grid when it’s cold. We can’t rely on Greg Abbott.”
For his part, Texas’ governor hasn’t seemed too perturbed, even as heat waves continue across the Lone Star State. Back in February, in the midst of uniquely icy storms, Abbott publicly praised his administration’s electricity operations, stating that “The Texas electric grid is the most reliable and resilient it’s ever been.” That comment was thrown back at him this Monday, when a local ABC affiliate asked Abbott whether these requests to “voluntarily conserve” energy still meant that the state was prepared—or not—for a “potentially hotter August.”
“If you look at the way the grid has performed so far, it’s performed remarkably well,” the governor responded. “The laws that we passed in the last session gave ERCOT the flexibility they needed. … We will be able to make it through the summer.” He further added that since 2021’s catastrophic winter storms, “no Texan has lost power as a result of any problem with ERCOT” thanks to said grid reforms.
Unfortunately, this week wasn’t the only close call—and it’s far from clear that Texas’ grid has been “fixed.”
Early last year, the Texas Legislature took up Abbot’s calls for “ERCOT reform,” which he deemed an emergency-level priority. Much of the state grid’s vulnerability was long baked in, after all: Texas’ power operates independently of the rest of the country and top-down federal regulations, the natural gas lines feeding into the grid were not bolstered to handle extreme weather (nor were the nuclear plants or wind farms), issues with suitable energy transmission weren’t discovered until after the blackouts, and sources of backup power generation were lacking.
Though plenty of legislation had been introduced in the Texas House by March 2021, only two of the bills were signed into law by June. Senate Bill 2 gave the Texas government more control over ERCOT’s makeup and governance, following the firings and resignations of several officials involved in the 2021 crisis; Senate Bill 3 was more involved, including a proposed overhaul of emergency alert systems, a requirement for state regulators to review the availability of energy reserves, and orders for power generators as well as transmission lines to bolster their weather resiliency. After signing the bills, Abbott claimed they “fixed all of the flaws” with the grid and that “everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas.” Not everyone agreed with this: Critics noted at the time that the measures, which would take years to fulfill, didn’t go far enough in incentivizing electricity generators to fix their issues, or in compensating residents who lost loved ones or money during the winter crisis. Plus, enforcement of these laws was passed on to industry-friendly regulators that likely wouldn’t crack down hard on natural gas companies (which are not overseen by ERCOT). Almost as if to drive the faults home, just a week following the bills’ passage, ERCOT called on Texans to check their electricity consumption to avoid potential blackouts, after 12,000 megawatts of power were knocked offline for unknown reasons. By November, ERCOT had released a report claiming that the grid likely wouldn’t be able to withstand another serious disaster.
Still, energy operators kept touting their changes. In December, the Texas Public Utility Commission—which oversees ERCOT—guaranteed residents that they would not lose power in the event of another severe winter event, citing inspections of generators and transmission operations, proposed fines on power providers that didn’t weatherize their systems, and assurances from the state Railroad Commission that gas lines would become sturdier. And around this time, Abbott personally met with cryptocurrency miners to encourage them to consume even more power for their virtual-finance farms—so that they could drive up energy demand and fuel the construction of more backup power plants within the state, even though Texas was already set to see record demand throughout 2022. For Abbott, this was a chance to help Texas “get through the winter” and its subsequent energy travails, per Bloomberg—even though in November, he’d informed a local TV station that he could already “guarantee the lights will stay on.”
Such promises were quickly put to the test. In January of this year, snowy weather shut down 12 percent of the state’s natural gas lines, but the electric grid held on. Afterward, ERCOT moved to pay extra money to keep more backup power online for more of the year. But by February, Abbott was already doubling back, stating that “no one can guarantee” there wouldn’t be another series of power outages. Winter may have gone by without another large-scale power tragedy, but the summer hit hard: May saw another call from ERCOT for domestic power conservation after six power plants unexpectedly quit, and June saw a new record in statewide electricity use. However, the Dallas Morning News reported, solar and wind capacity helped to keep up with this surge, providing one-third of the power Texans were then relying on, and demand was further reduced as Bitcoin farms powered down.
For the time being, it does appear as though ERCOT has been more cautious and preemptively alert to weather-induced electricity issues as well as needed backup reserves, while now actually notifying Texans of emergencies unlike last time; plus, both Bitcoiners and households have been ready to reduce consumption when told to. As of this week, the worst appears to have been averted again. This may not be too reassuring, however. After all, blistering heat will keep warming Texas all summer, likely leading to more records in power demand plus additional climate-linked disasters like wildfires.
Electric power in Texas is getting more expensive thanks both to worldwide energy inflation and heightened costs from long-overdue grid fixes. Meanwhile, further solutions like improved home insulation, out-of-state electricity backup, governmental accountability from gas and electric providers, and manufacturing of more energy-efficient home appliances aren’t anywhere in sight. There’s still a long, hot summer ahead—and a sure-to-be freezing winter after that. Hopefully the lights will really stay on.
This story is part of Future Tense, a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. | Emerging Technologies |
The boom inmay usher in the "next productivity frontier" in the workplace, but it could also cause job losses and disruption for some knowledge-based workers such as software developers and marketers, according to McKinsey.
Integrating generative AI tools into the workplace could theoretically automate as much as 70% of the time an employee spends completing tasks on the job, the consulting firm estimated. That could help many workers save time on routine tasks, which in turn will boost profitability for businesses, McKinsey said.
For the U.S. economy as a whole, meanwhile, the gains could be considerable, adding $4.4 trillion annually to the nation's GDP.
But such productivity gains could come with a downside, as some companies may decide to cut jobs since workers won't need as many hours to complete their tasks. Most at risk from advanced forms of AI are knowledge-based workers, who tend to be employed in jobs that traditionally have had higher wages and more job security than blue-collar workers.
As a result, most knowledge workers will be changing what they do over time, McKinsey Global Partner Michael Chui told CBS MoneyWatch.
Generative AI will "give us superpowers" by allowing workers to be more productive, but employees will need to adapt, Chui said. This "will require reskilling, flexibility and learning how to learn new things."
AI could replace half of workers' daily work activities by 2045, which McKinsey said is eight years earlier than it had previously forecast.
Where AI will thrive
To be sure, AI won't transform every job, and it could impact some corporate fields more than others. At the top of the list are software development, customer service operations and marketing, according to Rodney Zemmel, a senior partner at McKinsey.
Software engineering teams are likely to rely on generative AI to reduce the time they spend generating code. Already, big tech firms are selling AI tools for software engineering, which is being used by 20 million coders, the firm found.
Customer service operations could also undergo a transformation, with AI-powered chatbots creating quick, personalized responses to complex customer questions. Because generative AI can quickly retrieve data for a specific customer, it can reduce the time human sales representatives need to respond.
Marketers also could tap AI to help with creating content and assist in interpreting data and with search engine optimization.
Workers who are concerned about their jobs should stay on top of emerging technologies like generative AI and understand its place in their respective fields,the McKinsey experts recommended.
"Be on the early edge of adoption" to stay ahead in the job market, Zemmel advised.
Still, most jobs won't be transformed overnight, Zemmel said.
"It's worth remembering in customer service and marketing just how early this technology is and how much work needs to be put in to get it to work safely, reliably, at scale, and the way that most human professional enterprises are going to want to use it," he noted.
Examining past technological advances provides a hint of how AI is likely to impact workers.
"How many jobs were lost when Google came out?" Zemmel asked. "I'm sure the answer wasn't zero, but companies didn't dramatically restructure because of all the work that was no longer needed in document retrieval."
Zemmel said that when he asks corporate managers how they use AI technologies, the common answer is "writing birthday poems and toasts." So AI "still has a way to go before it's really transforming businesses," he added.
for more features. | Emerging Technologies |
Do advances in AI risk a future of human incompetence?
Imagine you have a magic box. If you press this box, it will immediately create for you work product that surpasses the quality of all but the most talented of your peers. Would you press it? How often? Now imagine that everyone has this magic box. What incentives would that create? How would those incentives shape the future of humanity?
These are critical questions that ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) – neural networks capable of generating tailored work product in response to prompts – will require us to answer in short order. Presently, generative AI creates compelling college essays, computer code and art. It has already won an international photography competition, performed a hit single and scored top marks in graduate school entrance exams.
And it is rapidly improving. Generative AI usage is also increasingly harder to detect, with its dramatic evolution alongside clever user prompts removing nuances that allow humans and programs to identify its deployment.
While mass adoption of generative AI holds significant promise, many rightly worry about its risks. Experts are already discussing the paramount danger of human extinction. Others have noted that AI will replace approximately 25 percent of jobs in the U.S. and EU (with other jobs arising in the process).
Yet there is a more pernicious risk to our species that must still concern us even if AI benignly seeks our interests: What happens to humanity when successive generations only learn to press the AI “magic box” and thus are wholly incompetent without its assistance?
For even the most brilliant minds, mastering a domain and deeply understanding a topic takes significant time and effort. While ultimately rewarding, this stressful process risks failure and often takes thousands of hours. For the first time in history, an entire generation can skip this process and still progress (at least for a time) in school and work. They can press the magic box and suddenly have work product that rivals the best in their cohort. That is a tempting arrangement, particularly since their peers will likely use AI even if they do not.
Like most Faustian bargains, however, reliance on generative AI comes with a hidden price. Every time you press the box, you are not truly learning — at least not in a way that meaningfully benefits you. You are developing the AI’s neural network, not your own.
Over time, your incompetency compounds as you progress through your career. Few would advocate that entire generations should live their lives in powerful robotic exoskeletons. While we would outwardly be stronger, we all intuitively realize that this step would lead to physically incompetent people who could not live without the machine. Like a cognitive exoskeleton, reliance on AI – particularly during critical periods of personal and professional development – deprives individuals of mental vitality and the opportunity to truly learn. We become slaves to our own creation, unable to meaningfully think without its aid.
AI proponents argue that its advent simply shifts the nature of learning, rather than depriving humans of mastery. At first, this view is appealing. Humans have consistently developed cognitive aids – literacy, the printing press, the internet – that disrupted society but ultimately benefitted the user. AI is different. Unlike books and websites, AI does not merely help you find and learn information. It does the work for you. Reading a book does not result in an essay appearing on your desk. Using a high-powered camera does not immediately create any image that you can imagine. Generative AI does just that. It is equivalent to going to the gym, having someone else lift weights for you, and expecting to become fit. That is both absurd and ultimately the argument for unfettered use of AI among new learners.
Raising new generations that rely on AI to work and critically think creates a host of fundamental vulnerabilities. Whoever controls the AI platform (including the AI itself) would effectively control humanity.
It also compounds cyber risks. What happens when a doctor can perform surgery only with AI assistance and either lacks internet access or only has access to a compromised AI?
We must also examine mental health risks before intrinsically tying ourselves to AI. Younger generations are already prone to imposter syndrome and have increased depression and suicide as a result. Imagine a world where this syndrome is not only felt across generations but is altogether valid.
There are also larger implications for innovation. Generative AI can only produce content based on preexisting human work. Is the next fundamental shift in physics something that an AI can deduce based on this body of knowledge, or does it require the intuitive leap of a brilliant human mind? While we do not know the answer to this question, we should ensure that this century’s Einstein has the ability to sit and deeply ponder fundamental truths.
To be clear, these risks do not mean that we should abandon AI. That is both wrongheaded and – due to the Moloch problem – effectively impossible. Instead, we must realign human incentives to ensure that our development of artificial intelligence will not hinder the longitudinal development of human intelligence. AI experts rightly worry about AI alignment, where poorly understood incentives can lead to AI harming humanity. Even if we succeed in AI alignment, however, failing to simultaneously align human incentives will still result in a dark and ignorant future.
The consequences of our failure to take this step with social media algorithms – arguably our first contact with powerful AI – is a small demonstration of the risks that we presently face. We must therefore ensure that we properly incentivize human alignment with AI, so that we use it in a way that benefits the species.
Safeguarding human critical thinking will require several steps. Here is the first one: Require all AI platforms to deploy digital watermarks that guarantee identification of generative AI-produced work.
While OpenAI has announced a clever watermarking system, voluntary industry adoption is insufficient. Absent governmental requirements, the market will incentivize one or more companies to provide watermark-free services. Universal adoption of digital watermarks would allow schools and employers to recognize AI work. This would in turn incentivize using AI as a starting point or “assistant,” rather than a replacement for critical thought.
Digital watermarking would also aid humanity in its arms race against AI disinformation and could even identify surreptitious rampant AI conduct. It is a simple and reasonable action that even the most ardent AI advocates should readily accept.
We named ourselves Homo sapiens, “wise humans.” We are at a moment when we must prove that we are worthy of this title. If we do not align incentives to ensure responsible use of the AI magic box, we will not only prove our own ignorance but damn our children to a fate when they only know incompetence. We must think critically about this issue and act decisively now before reliance on our own invention takes that ability from us forever.
Matt Cronin recently served as a founding director in the National Cybersecurity Division at The White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director. In that role, Cronin addressed cyber national security threats and developed strategic cyber policy for the nation. He joined ONCD on a detail assignment from the U.S. Department of Justice, where he serves as the National Security & Cybercrime Coordinator. Cronin is also a Fulbright Scholar researching the policy implications of AI and other emerging technologies.
All statements made in this article reflect his own views and opinions and are not necessarily those of the United States of America, The White House, or the U.S. Department of Justice.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Emerging Technologies |
A week ago, Apple finally unveiled the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which is the equivalent of a powerful MacBook combined with a bleeding-edge MR headset. Apple doesn’t describe the device as an AR, VR, or MR headset. Instead, it’s Apple’s first “spatial computer,” which gives you control via eye-tracking, hand-tracking, and voice. Meanwhile, ChatGPT continues to be the most talked-about technology in town, with everyone in the tech world looking to create alternatives, even Apple.
Put differently, last week showed us the future of computing, and you’d better not miss out. It’s not just the Vision Pro, and it’s not just ChatGPT. Instead, the computer of the post-iPhone era will use both of these emerging technologies, no matter what form they take.
When Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, I said the headset would benefit from generative AI support. Siri, as it is now, isn’t good enough. But voice will be one way you interact with the computer of the future.
You’ll use your eyes to move the “cursor” and various hand gestures to control digital objects. But voice control will play a key role in spatial computing, especially once generative AI comes to Vision Pro. Voice will perfectly complement eye- and hand-tracking to get things done quickly. The best example that comes to mind is Minority Report computing. That’s where we’re heading.
ChatGPT will be available on the headset from day one via OpenAI’s ChatGPT app for iPhone/iPad. I’m not talking about third-party products that are similar to ChatGPT. But Apple will need its own powerful AI to make the most of the Vision Pro as it transforms computing and moves us toward the post-iPhone era.
Every spatial computer vendor will have to offer their own AI that will feel personal to the user.
By post-iPhone, I’m referring to Apple’s eventual AR glasses that will either replace the iPhone or work together with a smaller handset in our pockets to help us get things done. Even Humane’s gadget qualifies. And Humane already seems to have the AI part down, although the computer it works with doesn’t feel exciting yet.
As for ChatGPT, OpenAI’s hit product should grow significantly in the coming years, getting more powerful just as oversight comes into play.
I’m not saying that you will need to buy a $3,500 headset and run OpenAI’s latest chatbot on it to be at the forefront of computing. Pair any sort of spatial computer with a generative AI product, and you end up with the computing experience of the future.
Just as I expect Apple to release its answer to ChatGPT in the near future, I see some of the biggest names in tech coming up with alternatives to Vision Pro. Meta has already started by soft-launching the Quest 3 headset last week. And let’s not forget that Samsung joined forces with Qualcomm and Google in February to tease an upcoming spatial computer.
I’m really saying that spatial computing and generative AI experience will give you an edge in the future. These should be your top priorities. You’ll use them for school or work. Or simply to get stuff done faster than ever before.
Whatever the case, you should absolutely not miss out on these two products. Generative AI is the easiest to start with. It’s available immediately via ChatGPT from OpenAI and Microsoft’s Bing Chat. Also, Google has its Bard AI chatbot you can check out. The more you use it, the better you’ll be with it.
As for spatial computing, Vision Pro will be your best bet if you can stomach the $3,499 price tag next year. Otherwise, you’ll want to experience a cheaper spatial computer the first chance you get. But don’t mistake those devices for VR headsets that can only offer fancy games and immersive video content. Next-gen spatial computers are an entirely different breed. | Emerging Technologies |
It is not hyperbole to say that generative AI is ubiquitous, so it comes as no surprise that companies are planning to hire more people as a result of the technology. Due to generative AI, 49% of hiring managers will hire more independent talent, while 49% will hire more full-time employees. These are all according to new research from Upwork in a survey of 1,400 U.S. business leaders.
AI was the fastest growing category on the work platform in the first half of 2023, with generative AI job posts up more than 1,000% in Q2 2023 compared to the end of last year. Related searches increased more than 1,500% in the same time period, the company said in a press release.
“This sentiment around hiring plus the surge of activity from companies served as strong early indications that businesses are paying significant attention to the opportunities generative AI can provide,” the Upwork release said.
Jump to:
- Diverse use cases for generative AI
- Top 10 generative AI-related searches by companies
- Fastest-growing generative AI-related searches
- Top 10 gen AI-related projects clients hired freelancers for
- Generative AI-related skills on talent profiles
- How to respond to the generative AI frenzy
Diverse use cases for generative AI
When it comes to generative AI, ChatGPT was the first tool that sparked public attention, according to Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute. Upwork’s platform data shows that many of the searches at the beginning of the year were from people coming and looking for freelancers with ChatGPT skills, but that is changing, Monahan told TechRepublic.
Now, as people have become more knowledgeable about the capabilities of generative AI, “they are beginning to develop a deeper understanding of the actual applicational uses of the technology,” she said. “This maturity cycle is reflected in the fastest-growing generative AI-related searches.”
SEE: Upwork Launches New Generative AI Tools and Services Hub (TechRepublic)
Instead of looking for just a single tool, like ChatGPT, Monahan added, “They are searching for the diverse use cases of generative AI technologies like AI content creation, services like Gradio (which is used for building machine learning web apps) and prompt engineering.”
Top 10 generative AI-related searches by companies
These are the top 10 generative AI-related searches by companies from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2023, on Upwork.
- ChatGPT.
- BERT.
- Stable Diffusion.
- TensorFlow.
- AI chatbot.
- Generative AI.
- Image processing.
- PyTorch.
- Natural language processing.
- Bard.
SEE: ChatGPT vs Google Bard (2023): An In-Depth Comparison (TechRepublic)
Fastest-growing generative AI-related searches
These are the fastest-growing generative AI-related searches on Upwork in the same timeframe (Q2 2023 vs. Q1 2023).
- AI content creation.
- Gradio.
- Azure OpenAI.
- Convolutional neural network.
- Large language models.
- Generative AI.
- AI chatbot.
- Midjourney.
- Prompt engineering.
- PyTorch.
SEE: Hiring kit: Prompt engineer (TechRepublic Premium)
Top 10 gen AI-related projects clients hired freelancers for
These are the top 10 generative AI-related projects clients hired freelancers for in the first half of 2023.
- ChatGPT.
- Natural language processing.
- TensorFlow.
- Image processing.
- PyTorch.
- AI content creation.
- Midjourney.
- AI chatbot.
- Model tuning.
- Stable Diffusion.
Among freelance professionals, Upwork said it has seen “a growing supply of independent talent with generative AI skills” on its platform in the first half of 2023. Independent professionals on Upwork have completed more than 20,000 projects involving AI work in the last year alone.
However, the company noted, it did not see interest in specific skills like prompt engineering — which is the practice of crafting prompts to elicit responses from the language model — until the second quarter of 2023.
Generative AI-related skills on talent profiles
These are the generative AI-related skills listed on Upwork talent profiles with the largest quarter-over-quarter growth (Q2 2023 vs. Q1 2023).
- Large language model.
- Generative AI.
- You Only Look Once.
- Object detection.
- Stable Diffusion.
- Prompt engineering.
- ChatGPT.
- Azure OpenAI.
- AI chatbot.
- AI text-to-speech.
As Upwork has seen in the past, independent talent continues to be on the cutting edge of emerging technologies, the company said. Freelancers are “quickly recognizing, learning and mastering” skills so they can provide businesses with the specialized knowledge and deep understanding of artificial intelligence principles, techniques, algorithms and methodologies required to maximize generative AI’s full potential.
SEE: Forrester’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies in 2023 and Beyond (TechRepublic)
How to respond to the generative AI frenzy
“Companies and professionals should adopt a generative AI plus mentality in their work,” Monahan said. “What I mean by this is that everyone, no matter their profession, should consider their work and how AI can be a part of that workflow.”
The process starts with having a basic fluency in the generative AI skills that impact their profession, she said.
For writers, Monahan suggested that they learn how to effectively use AI content creation tools; whereas, for creative professionals, it means understanding how to leverage tools such as Adobe’s Firefly for quick fixes or edits.
“Companies that want to encourage this should adopt a culture of learning around AI,” she added. “Whether that means providing training or access to generative AI tools or encouraging team members to take classes or certifications. Each company will figure out what works best for their own organization, but encouraging people to learn and understand generative AI is an important place to start.” | Emerging Technologies |
China is seeking to exploit technologies in space and online in ways that could pose a "huge threat to us all", a top UK spy chief will warn on Tuesday.Sir Jeremy Fleming, the head of GCHQ, will use a rare, public speech to flag the potential for Beijing to target the satellites of opponents at a time of conflict, crippling a crucial domain relied upon by militaries to launch weapons and communicate.
It is feared the technology could also be used to track people. Image: Sir Jeremy Fleming speaking at ANU National Security College previously He will also say the Chinese Communist Party is "learning the lessons" from Russia's war in Ukraine, which has seen the UK and its allies hit the Russian economy with sanctions.Sir Jeremy will describe how Beijing could use digital currencies to track people's transactions and also help to protect its economy from the sort of sanctions being applied to Vladimir Putin's regime.
Western allies are watching China closely amid concerns President Xi Jinping might be considering an invasion of the island of Taiwan, using the lessons drawn from Russia's attack on Ukraine to bolster its defences against any western response.Touching on the war in Ukraine, the director general of GCHQ will say Russia is running out of weapons and describe the costs to the Kremlin as "staggering" in terms of soldiers killed and equipment lost. More on China China thanks Elon Musk for Taiwan tweet - but Taipei insists 'our freedom is not for sale' War with China 'absolutely not an option', says Taiwan president UK 'dragging its heels' over trade links to forced labour in China - as one survivor prepares to sue trade secretary He will also say the Ukrainian armed forces are "turning the tide" on the physical battlefield as well as in cyberspace."Putin's plan has hit the courageous reality of Ukrainian defence," the spy chief will say, according to excerpts of the speech released on Monday night. "The costs to Russia - in people and equipment are staggering. We know - and Russian commanders on the ground know - that their supplies and munitions are running out." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player War with China 'not an option' Read more:War with China 'absolutely not an option', says Taiwan's leaderUS 'would defend Taiwan' in face of Chinese invasion, Biden saysThe main thrust of the speech at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London will be about China and the critical importance of western allies staying in the race for technological advantage.The head of GCHQ will highlight a paradox that Beijing's "great strength combined with fear is driving China into actions that could represent a huge threat to us all".Talking about the huge importance and impact on daily life of emerging technologies, Sir Jeremy will refer to a "sliding door moment" in history, using the rather unusual analogy of the 1998 romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow in which a seemingly inconsequential event - catching a train before the door slides shut or missing it - has huge implications.The spy chief will underline the need of ensuring western allies have technological solutions that do not rely on China given the divergence in values between democratic and authoritarian regimes."At GCHQ it is our privilege and duty to see the sliding door moments of history," he will say."This feels like one of those moments. Our future strategic technology advantage rests on what we as a community do next. I'm confident that together we can tilt that in our collective favour."Highlighting the dangers of not acting, he will accuse the Chinese government of using its financial and scientific clout to manipulate key technologies such as satellite systems and digital currencies to expand its sphere of influence and tighten its grip on power at home. Image: A rocket carrying the last satellite of the BeiDou navigation satellite system blasts off from China's Sichuan Province in 2020. Pic: AP He will talk specifically about the BeiDou satellite system which the authorities have forced Chinese citizens and businesses to adopt as well as exporting it around the world.Sir Jeremy will say: "Many believe that China is building a powerful anti-satellite capability, with a doctrine of denying other nations access to space in the event of a conflict. And there are fears the technology could be used to track individuals."He will also talk about central bank digital currencies that allow China to monitor the transactions of users.In addition, the GCHQ boss will say how a centralised digital currency could "enable China to partially evade the sort of international sanctions currently being applied to Putin's regime in Russia". | Emerging Technologies |
ChatGPT Integration Services — Boosting Your Business with AI-Powered Chatbots
In the age of instant gratification, where customers expect immediate responses and solutions to their queries, businesses need to be available 24/7. But it is not feasible for businesses to have a dedicated team available at all times to cater to customer queries. This is where chatbots come into the picture. Chatbots are automated programs that use artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate conversation with humans. In this article, we will delve deeper into chatbots, their importance for businesses, and how ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses.
What are Chatbots?
Chatbots are computer programs that use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to simulate conversation with humans. They can be integrated with various messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and websites. Chatbots can perform a variety of tasks, including answering frequently asked questions, providing customer support, and even assisting with online shopping.
Why are Chatbots Important for Businesses?
The benefits of chatbots for businesses are numerous. Some of the key benefits are:
- Improved Customer Experience: Chatbots provide customers with instant responses and solutions to their queries, enhancing their experience and increasing their satisfaction.
- Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Chatbots can handle a large volume of queries simultaneously, freeing up human resources to focus on other tasks.
- Better Lead Generation and Conversion: Chatbots can engage with customers and guide them through the sales funnel, resulting in higher lead generation and conversion rates.
- Reduced Operational Costs: Chatbots are a cost-effective alternative to hiring a dedicated team for customer support.
What are ChatGPT Integration Services?
ChatGPT integration services are a set of tools and technologies that enable businesses and organizations to integrate ChatGPT’s conversational AI platform into their existing systems and workflows. ChatGPT offers a range of integration services, including APIs, SDKs, and pre-built integrations, to make it easy for businesses to incorporate ChatGPT’s technology into their applications and processes.
How ChatGPT Integration Services Can Help Your Business?
ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses by integrating ChatGPT with their chatbots. This integration provides businesses with the following benefits:
- Improved Accuracy and Relevance: ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses train their chatbots to provide accurate and relevant responses to customer queries.
- Multilingual Support: ChatGPT Integration Services can support multiple languages, making it easier for businesses to cater to a global audience.
- Personalization and Customization: ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses personalize and customize their chatbots to match their brand voice and tone.
- Advanced Analytics and Reporting: ChatGPT Integration Services can provide businesses with advanced analytics and reporting features, enabling them to monitor and improve their chatbot performance.
The Benefits of ChatGPT Integration Services
ChatGPT Integration Services provide businesses with several benefits that can help improve their customer service and support. In addition to the benefits discussed in the previous section, there are other advantages that businesses can gain by integrating ChatGPT with their chatbots. Let’s explore some of these benefits in more detail.
Improved Customer Engagement and Retention
ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses engage with their customers more effectively and retain them for longer. Some of the ways ChatGPT Integration Services can help achieve this are:
- Personalized and contextualized interactions: ChatGPT can provide personalized responses based on customer data, preferences, and behaviors, making interactions more relevant and engaging.
- Proactive and timely assistance: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can detect customer intent and offer proactive assistance before the customer asks for help, resulting in a better experience.
- Consistent and accurate communication: ChatGPT can ensure that responses are consistent and accurate across all channels, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.
Enhanced Brand Image and Reputation
ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses enhance their brand image and reputation by:
- Providing a seamless and effortless customer experience: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can provide a smooth and effortless experience, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Demonstrating innovation and technological advancement: By integrating ChatGPT with their chatbots, businesses can showcase their commitment to innovation and technology, enhancing their brand image and reputation.
Increased Sales and Revenue
ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses increase their sales and revenue by:
- Offering personalized product recommendations: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can offer personalized product recommendations based on customer data, resulting in higher conversion rates and revenue.
- Providing proactive and timely assistance: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can detect customer intent and offer proactive assistance, resulting in higher customer retention and repeat purchases.
- Upselling and cross-selling opportunities: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities and make relevant recommendations to customers, resulting in higher average order value and revenue.
Reduced Costs and Increased Efficiency
ChatGPT Integration Services can help businesses reduce their costs and increase their efficiency by:
- Automating customer support tasks: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can automate repetitive and low-value tasks, freeing up human resources to focus on more complex and high-value tasks.
- Providing 24/7 availability: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can provide 24/7 support, reducing the need for human resources and resulting in cost savings.
- Improving operational efficiency: Chatbots integrated with ChatGPT can improve operational efficiency by reducing response times and increasing throughput.
How ChatGPT Integration Services Work?
ChatGPT integration services work by providing businesses with the tools and resources they need to integrate ChatGPT’s conversational AI platform into their existing systems and workflows. Businesses can choose from a range of integration options, depending on their specific needs and requirements.
One of the most popular integration options is ChatGPT’s API, which allows businesses to access ChatGPT’s conversational AI platform directly from their own applications. This enables businesses to create custom chatbots that are tailored to their specific needs and workflows.
Another integration option is ChatGPT’s SDK, which provides businesses with a set of software development tools that can be used to create custom integrations with ChatGPT’s platform. This enables businesses to build chatbots and other conversational AI applications that are fully integrated with their existing systems and workflows.
Unique Use Cases of ChatGPT Integration Services
ChatGPT Integration Services have been widely adopted by businesses of all types and sizes due to their ability to improve customer service, streamline operations, and enhance productivity. Lets explore some of the unique use cases of ChatGPT integration services.
Personalized Customer Experience
ChatGPT integration services can be used to provide personalized experiences to customers in various industries. For instance, in the healthcare industry, ChatGPT can be trained to answer basic health-related questions and provide personalized recommendations based on the customer’s health profile. Similarly, in the banking industry, ChatGPT can be used to offer personalized investment advice based on the customer’s financial goals and risk appetite.
HR and Employee Management
ChatGPT integration services can also be used to automate HR tasks and streamline employee management. For example, ChatGPT can be used to manage employee onboarding, answering frequently asked HR questions, and scheduling interviews. This frees up HR teams to focus on more critical tasks while providing employees with quick and accurate responses to their queries.
E-commerce and Retail
Chatbots can be trained to provide personalized recommendations to customers based on their previous purchases, search history, and other relevant data. This can help businesses to increase customer loyalty and drive repeat purchases.
Education and Training
Chatbots can be programmed to answer questions, provide feedback, and offer personalized recommendations based on the user’s performance. This can help businesses and educational institutions to improve their training programs while providing students with a more engaging learning experience.
Real Estate
Chatbots can be trained to answer questions related to property listings, provide personalized recommendations based on the user’s preferences, and even schedule property tours. This can help real estate agents to save time and improve the customer experience by providing quick and accurate responses to their queries.
ChatGPT Integration Services Features and Capabilities
ChatGPT integration services are equipped with various features and capabilities that allow businesses to offer personalized, engaging, and seamless communication experiences to their customers. Let’s dive into some of the key features and capabilities of ChatGPT integration services:
Multilingual Support
With ChatGPT integration services, businesses can communicate with customers in their preferred language. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses that operate in multilingual markets or serve customers from different countries. ChatGPT integration services offer support for multiple languages, including but not limited to English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic.
24/7 Availability
ChatGPT integration services are available round the clock, which means businesses can offer customer support and assistance 24/7. This feature is particularly useful for businesses that operate in different time zones or serve customers from different parts of the world. With ChatGPT integration services, businesses can ensure that their customers receive timely and efficient support, regardless of the time of day or night.
Personalization and Customization
ChatGPT integration services allow businesses to personalize and customize their communication experiences based on the customer’s preferences and needs. This feature enables businesses to offer tailored responses, suggestions, and recommendations to their customers, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Integration with Social Media Platforms
ChatGPT integration services can be integrated with various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This feature allows businesses to communicate with their customers through their preferred social media channels, thereby increasing engagement and brand visibility.
Analytics and Reporting
ChatGPT integration services come equipped with analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to track and measure the performance of their communication experiences. This feature enables businesses to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and needs, thereby enabling them to optimize their communication strategies and improve customer satisfaction.
ChatGPT Integration Services Implementation Process
The implementation process involves several steps, each of which is crucial for the successful deployment of a chatbot.
Understanding Your Business Needs
Before implementing ChatGPT integration services, it is essential to understand your business needs and how a chatbot can address them. You need to identify the problems that your customers are facing and determine how a chatbot can help solve them. This will help you create a chatbot that is designed to meet your business goals.
- Identify customer pain points and areas for improvement
- Determine chatbot use cases and scenarios
- Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals for the chatbot
Customizing the Chatbot Design and Interface
Once you have a clear understanding of your business needs, you can start customizing the design and interface of the chatbot. This includes defining the chatbot’s persona, tone, and language, as well as designing the chatbot’s user interface.
- Define the chatbot’s persona, tone, and language
- Design the chatbot’s user interface
- Create a conversational flow that is intuitive and easy to navigate
Chatbot Development and Integration
After designing the chatbot, the next step is to develop and integrate it with your existing systems. This involves training ChatGPT on your business data, defining chatbot responses, and integrating the chatbot with your website or application.
- Train ChatGPT on your business data
- Define chatbot responses and scenarios
- Integrate the chatbot with your website or application
Testing and Deployment
Once the chatbot is developed and integrated, it needs to be thoroughly tested to ensure that it works as expected. This includes testing the chatbot’s conversational flow, user interface, and responses. Once the chatbot passes the testing phase, it can be deployed to production.
- Test the chatbot’s conversational flow and responses
- Test the chatbot’s user interface
- Deploy the chatbot to production
Common Challenges in Implementing ChatGPT Integration Services
Implementing ChatGPT integration services can be a daunting task that comes with its own set of challenges
Integration with Legacy Systems: Legacy systems are often outdated and not designed to integrate with modern technology, making it difficult to integrate ChatGPT seamlessly. Some potential solutions to this challenge include:
- Conducting a thorough assessment of your legacy systems to identify potential integration challenges.
- Partnering with an experienced ChatGPT integration service provider who has experience working with legacy systems.
- Using middleware or APIs to bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern technology.
Data Privacy and Security: Chatbots collect and store sensitive customer information, such as names, phone numbers, and email addresses. It is important to ensure that this information is protected from unauthorized access or theft. Some potential solutions to this challenge include:
- Implementing strong encryption and access controls to protect customer data.
- Regularly reviewing and updating security protocols to stay ahead of potential threats.
- Partnering with a ChatGPT integration service provider that has a proven track record of implementing robust security measures.
User Adoption and Engagement: Some potential solutions to this challenge include:
- Creating a user-friendly chatbot design and interface that is easy to navigate.
- Providing users with clear instructions on how to interact with the chatbot.
- Offering personalized responses that address the user’s specific needs.
Maintenance and Upgrades: Chatbots require regular updates and maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Some potential solutions to this challenge include:
- Partnering with a ChatGPT integration service provider that offers ongoing maintenance and support services.
- Regularly monitoring the chatbot’s performance and identifying areas that require improvement.
- Implementing a regular upgrade schedule to ensure that the chatbot remains up-to-date with the latest technology and features.
Best Practices for ChatGPT Integration Services
To ensure the success of your ChatGPT integration, it is important to follow best practices that align with your business goals and objectives.
Aligning Chatbot Goals with Business Goals: One of the most important best practices is to ensure that your ChatGPT integration aligns with your business goals and objectives. Before implementing a chatbot, it is essential to identify the specific problems or challenges that you want to address and how the chatbot can help achieve those goals. For instance, if your goal is to improve customer service, then you should focus on creating a chatbot that can provide fast and accurate responses to customer queries.
Personalizing Chatbot Responses: Another best practice is to personalize chatbot responses to provide a better user experience. A personalized response can help build a connection with the user and make them feel more engaged with your brand. Personalization can be achieved by using the user’s name or providing recommendations based on their previous interactions with the chatbot.
Monitoring and Measuring Performance: It is important to monitor and measure the performance of your chatbot regularly. This can help identify areas for improvement and ensure that the chatbot is meeting its goals. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response time, user satisfaction, and conversion rate can be used to measure the chatbot’s effectiveness.
Continuously Updating and Improving Chatbots: Chatbots require continuous updates and improvements to keep up with changing customer needs and preferences. Regular updates can help enhance the chatbot’s performance and provide a better user experience. User feedback can be used to identify areas for improvement and new features that can be added to the chatbot.
ChatGPT Integration Services Providers
OpenAI
OpenAI is a leading provider of AI-based chatbot integration services. They offer a variety of pre-trained language models that can be easily integrated into existing systems to provide a more personalized and efficient customer experience. OpenAI’s chatbots are designed to understand and respond to natural language queries, making them ideal for use in customer support, sales, and marketing.
IBM Watson
IBM Watson is another major player in the chatbot integration services market. They offer a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools and services designed to help businesses build and deploy chatbots quickly and easily. IBM Watson’s chatbots are trained using machine learning algorithms, allowing them to learn and adapt to new information over time.
Google Dialogflow
Google Dialogflow is a cloud-based chatbot development platform that enables businesses to build conversational interfaces for a wide range of applications. Dialogflow’s chatbots are designed to understand natural language queries and respond in a conversational manner, making them ideal for use in customer support, e-commerce, and other industries.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is a cloud-based platform that offers a variety of tools and services for building and deploying chatbots. Their chatbot integration services are designed to be flexible and scalable, allowing businesses to quickly and easily build custom chatbots that can be integrated into a wide range of applications and platforms.
Amazon Lex
Amazon Lex is a cloud-based chatbot development platform that enables businesses to build conversational interfaces for a wide range of applications. Lex’s chatbots are designed to understand natural language queries and respond in a conversational manner, making them ideal for use in customer support, e-commerce, and other industries. Amazon Lex also provides built-in integration with AWS services, making it easy to deploy chatbots at scale.
How to Choose the Right ChatGPT Integration Service Provider?
When it comes to choosing the right ChatGPT integration service provider, there are a number of factors to consider. Here are some key steps you can take to make an informed decision:
Assessing Your Business Needs
The first step in choosing the right ChatGPT integration service provider is to assess your business needs. Consider the following questions:
- What is the purpose of the chatbot? Is it for customer service, lead generation, or something else?
- Who will be using the chatbot? Will it be customers, employees, or both?
- What are the key features and capabilities you require? Do you need natural language processing, sentiment analysis, or other advanced features?
Evaluating Provider Features and Capabilities
Once you have a clear understanding of your business needs, the next step is to evaluate the features and capabilities of different ChatGPT integration service providers. Consider the following factors:
- Natural language processing capabilities
- Sentiment analysis and other advanced features
- Integration with your existing systems
- Availability of pre-built integrations and templates
- Flexibility to customize and personalize the chatbot
- Security and data privacy measures
Checking for Integration Compatibility
It’s important to ensure that the ChatGPT integration service provider you choose is compatible with your existing systems and infrastructure. Consider the following questions:
- What programming languages and frameworks does the provider support?
- How will the chatbot integrate with your website, mobile app, or other platforms?
- Are there any technical requirements or limitations you need to be aware of?
Considering Pricing and Support Options
Finally, it’s important to consider pricing and support options when choosing a ChatGPT integration service provider. Consider the following questions:
- What is the provider’s pricing model? Is it based on usage, number of users, or some other factor?
- What level of support does the provider offer? Is there a dedicated support team available to help you with any issues?
- Are there any additional fees or costs you need to be aware of?
Future of ChatGPT Integration Services
The future of ChatGPT integration services is bright, with the potential for many new benefits and opportunities. Here are some potential developments to keep an eye on:
Integration with Emerging Technologies
As new technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality continue to gain traction, we can expect to see chatbots integrated with these platforms. This will allow for more immersive and interactive experiences for users.
Expansion into New Industries
While ChatGPT integration services have already been adopted by a wide range of industries, there is still room for growth. In the coming years, we may see more businesses and organizations in areas such as education, government, and non-profits utilizing chatbots for a variety of purposes.
Improved Security and Privacy
As data privacy concerns continue to grow, chatbot providers will need to prioritize security and privacy measures. This will likely result in increased encryption and more robust data protection protocols.
In conclusion, ChatGPT integration services offer a powerful tool for businesses to enhance their customer service, automate their support functions, and streamline their operations. By providing a personalized and seamless experience for customers, chatbots powered by ChatGPT can improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue.
As the technology behind chatbots and AI continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more benefits from ChatGPT integration services. With the ability to understand human language and learn from interactions, chatbots will become even more intelligent and better at anticipating customer needs.
FAQs
What is the difference between ChatGPT and other Chatbot Platforms?
ChatGPT is an AI language model developed by OpenAI, while other chatbot platforms are built on specific programming languages. ChatGPT has the ability to understand and generate human-like language, making it a more advanced and versatile platform.
Can ChatGPT integration services be used for both B2B and B2C businesses?
Yes, ChatGPT integration services can be used for both B2B and B2C businesses. It can be customized to meet the specific needs of any business, regardless of its size or industry.
What kind of training is required for using ChatGPT integration services?
ChatGPT integration services are designed to be user-friendly and easy to use. However, some training may be required to fully understand the platform’s capabilities and how to use it effectively. Some providers offer training sessions or online resources to help users get started.
Is ChatGPT integration services expensive?
The cost of ChatGPT integration services can vary depending on the provider and the specific needs of the business. However, it is generally more affordable than building a custom chatbot platform from scratch. Many providers offer flexible pricing options to suit different budgets.
How long does it take to deploy a ChatGPT integrated Chatbot?
The deployment time for a ChatGPT integrated Chatbot can vary depending on the complexity of the project and the provider’s capabilities. However, with the help of an experienced provider, it is possible to deploy a functional chatbot in a matter of weeks or even days. | Emerging Technologies |
The word “blockchain” has become quite common since its introduction in 2008. After being
initially embraced by the tech community, it has now caught the attention of businesses across
industries including finance, healthcare, manufacturing and even logistics. In essence, this
distributed ledger system allows secure transactions without third parties or intermediaries. In this article, I will analyze the impact of Morpheus.Network could have on the logistics sector.
What is Morpheus?Network?
Morpheus. The network is a supply chain SAAS middleware platform seamlessly integrating
legacy and emerging technologies (e.g., blockchains). They provide companies with shipment
and precise item data to optimize and automate safe and secure supply chains which save
time and money.
What is their SAAS platform?
Software-As-A-Service (SAAS) means that software can be accessed without installing or
maintaining it. All features are accessible via the internet which helps to avoid complicated
software or hardware problems.
In context, companies can track data like the product’s location, and driver’s license and can also
detect product defects at an early stage. This can avoid consumer and quality problems, not to
forget time management improvements.
How could Logistics be improved?
The World Economic Forum has declared removing supply chain inefficiencies as the number
one problem to solve to stimulate global growth,
increasing global gross domestic products by over $2 Trillion USD. GDP is the total market
value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific
period.
These inefficiencies cover mislabelled packages; inefficient use of packaging materials; bar
code errors; missing delivery details; incorrect product selection; disregarded government
regulations and high bank fees.
Besides more product information Morpheus software fills out the necessary government
regulations automatically and avoids bank fees as the transactions are Peer-to-Peer via
blockchain meaning there are no third parties like banks involved. Mislabelled packages,
inefficient packing, bar code errors, missing delivery details, and disregarded details can be
solved immediately as all information is always accessible and can lead to more comfort for
both the consumer and delivering party.
Should I invest in Morpheus?
– Blockchain technology is still very early it could be risky
+ High class team (Former CEO of DHL, the founder of the “Blockchain Technology Club in
Ontario, a former consultant for IBM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Bank
Financial)
+ Limited supply of 47,897,218 tokens with 99% being in circulation
+ Political advantage over biggest logistic competitor Vet because of Anti-China policy to
deny collecting data
+ SAAS is easy to use and requires no computer knowledge
+ Possible to completely automate shipping from end to end
+ Saving costs by tracking entity from distance A to B, complying with all regulations and
avoiding bank fees
+ Optimized timing and quality will lead to more comfort for everybody
Conclusion
The world we are living in today aims more and more to become optimized in all parts. With
that in mind, I don’t think it’s farfetched to expect the same thing for logistics. Saving costs,
tracking, and being able to provide more comfort for clients is something companies strive for.
I know that blockchain technology is still at an early stage, but this is exactly the time where
good investments are possible. Morpheus.Network could have a big impact on logistic
optimization since there are not many competitors and their future steps seem well thought out. I
believe that blockchains could replace existing technology in some sectors and therefore I will
keep my eye on Morpheus.
How to buy Morpheus:
1. Click this link to see the MNW/USDT price chart on Bitmart.
2. Log-in or create a new account on the top right.
3. On the bottom right of the page select: Spot -> Market ->Amount. You can buy coins for
the best market price.
Check out more articles: Luis1k.com
Important
Please note that this is not financial advice in any form and investments should only be done after
research was made. Also be aware that I didn’t invest in Morpheus so far, but I am planning do so.
This article only shows my opinion and should only be viewed as a presentation not an inductment
for investing. Investing is at your own risk! | Emerging Technologies |
A technology and defense initiative by India and the United States aims at countering China and reducing New Delhi’s dependence on Russian weapons. Analysts say it also marks a significant push in tightening the U.S. and India’s strategic partnership.
Both countries will deepen cooperation in areas like quantum computing, artificial intelligence, 5G wireless networks and semiconductors — areas in which China has acquired a dominating position.
“This convergence comes at a time when technology is becoming a determinant in U.S.-China relations and in some ways the geopolitics of technology is shaping the global balance of power,” said Harsh Pant, the vice president of studies and foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “This also represents America placing a huge bet on India’s emergence as a major player in the Indo-Pacific.”
Senior officials from both countries met in Washington earlier this month for the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, which was announced by U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last May on the sidelines of a Quad summit held in Tokyo.
Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told reporters that the goal is for technological partnerships to be “the next big milestone” in the India-U.S. relationship.
Concerned about U.S. reliance on China for critical components such as semiconductors, Washington has taken steps to halt the sale of advanced semiconductor technology to Beijing and wants to shift the manufacture of such components to friendly countries.
India, whose relations with Beijing have plummeted since a deadly clash along their Himalayan border three years ago, also wants to boost local manufacturing in crucial sectors such as semiconductors which are at the heart of modern electronic devices.
“Geopolitics is a big driver of this new initiative,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center. He says the agreement reflects how far the India-U.S. relationship has come over the last few decades. “In recent years they’ve built enough trust to be talking about technology transfers and intelligence-sharing—something that Washington tends to do only with its closest strategic partners.”
The agreement also aims to facilitate joint development of defense technologies and weapons production in India. New Delhi wants to coproduce weapons in India with foreign defense manufacturers rather than purchase them outright, but U.S. restrictions on transferring defense technology have stalled such efforts with American companies.
The initial focus will be on jet engines, artillery systems and armored infantry vehicles. During the February 1 meeting in Washington, American officials said that the government would look into expediting a review of an application by U.S. manufacturer General Electric to jointly build jet engines in India for Indian aircraft.
“The more India and the U.S. will work on cutting edge technologies, the less relevant Russia will become to India’s strategic calculations,” Pant said.
India’s partnership with Washington has been spurred by New Delhi’s growing worries about China as troops from both countries faceoff along their disputed Himalayan border for a third winter. However, India did not join in Western sanctions against Russia or outright condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, raising questions about the divergent position it took from the U.S.
Analysts in India pointed out that besides its longstanding policy of strategic autonomy, New Delhi’s choices were also constrained by its heavy dependence on Russia for weapons. Although India has diversified its defense purchases in recent years, more than two thirds of its military equipment is of Russian origin and critical to its security needs amid its standoff with China.
“Washington’s current policy is to play a long game and to try to persuade New Delhi that over the longer term, Moscow will be too cash-strapped and sanctioned to provide military supplies to India,” Kugelman said. “And that the U.S. will position itself to provide India with the types of military equipment that New Delhi has long secured from Russia.”
However, translating the potential of the defense and technology agreements on the ground remains to be tested because much will depend on how private companies in both countries move to firm up partnerships. While India has a highly skilled workforce, American companies have long complained of Indian regulations that have been an obstacle to manufacturing in the country. India on the other hand cites strict U.S. regulations on technology transfers as hampering those efforts.
But the agreement is seen as a positive signal of the two countries overcoming long-standing issues of trust.
“Despite India’s stand on Ukraine, despite some other problems, these have become marginal to the larger strategic vision that the two nations have. It is now guided by the Indo-Pacific, where they are increasingly on the same side,” Pant said. | Emerging Technologies |
YouTrip, a Singapore-based fintech that offers multi-currency wallet for consumers and business accounts with corporate cards for SMEs, has its eyes on growth throughout Southeast Asia after landing a Series B led by Lightspeed. The round was $50 million, and brings YouTrip’s total raised to $100 million since it launched in 2018.
The new funding will be used to develop YouTrip’s product technology and hire more than 100 new positions for its regional team as it launches in new Southeast Asian markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The company is a Major Payment Institution licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and its services include payments, foreign exchange, remittances and cards.
Since its inception five years ago, YouTrip has processed close to $10 billion USD in annualized transaction volume and its e-commerce payment volume has grown 238% in annualized transaction volume since its Series A in 2021.
TechCrunch last covered YouTrip in November 2021, when it raised a $30 million Series A led by prominent family offices in Asia who wanted to be unnamed, but were returning investors. Chu tells TechCrunch that YouTrip’s backing by family offices gave it an advantage, because those relationships tend to be very long-term. This time YouTrip made the decision to work with a venture backed company.
At the time of our last conversation with Chu two years ago, YouTrip was recovering from the pandemic as travel resumed in Southeast Asia, especially Singapore. It was also preparing for the launch of YouBiz, its corporate card, as more SMBs adopted digital financial services. YouBiz allows them to send payments, receive money and invoice consumers from around the world, in multiple currencies.
The company says YouTrip’s consumer multi-currency spending in Singapore and Thailand has grown considerably over the last two years, and its user base has tripled over that time. They attribute this to post-pandemic travel recovery and the continued growth of e-commerce in the region.
Meanwhile, its B2B product YouBiz has onboarded more than 3,000 enterprises since its launch last May and plans to double that number by 2024. Its primary target customer for YouBiz are businesses that have less than 100 employees. Many are in the tech industry, including IT providers and startups who tend to be early adopters of new digital products, but Chu says YouTrip has also seen traction from more traditional sectors like travel agencies and healthcare.
The most common use cases for YouBiz include business travel, and digital marketing spend, because Google, Facebook and subscription tools are generally billed in USD, and the card gives SMEs FX savings. Companies also use YouBiz’s remittance services to pay suppliers and remote workers. Chu says e-commerce is becoming increasingly important for YouBiz because of its YouBiz perks program, which works with partners to give customers cash back deals, and is meant to encourage more frequent and larger transactions.
Tailwinds giving YouTrip a growth advantage include the continuing digitization of SMEs and consumer habits, which was accelerated by the pandemic.
In terms of product development, YouTrip plans to increase its used of AI and other emerging technologies for personalized features like smart budgeting and customized financial insights. For YouBiz, the company will grow its portfolio of services for SMEs’ cross border growth plans, including new features for its expense management capabilities and adding credit lines.
In addition to accelerating its international market expansion, Chu is excited by new regulations in Singapore that will raise e-wallet transaction caps by three or four times.
“We feel is it is a great opportunity for us to build more for existing customers, so we are going to add more FX related services in there’s, including overseas transfers, overseas receiving money and more when the wallet limit increased,” she says.
One of YouTrip and YouBiz’s differentiators from other multi-currency wallets and SME accounts/corporate cards is their focus on localization, she says. This gives YouTrip a larger market share.
“For every market, we tailor our mobile apps and also the card design even, for each of our markets. By being so localized and focused, from the selection of partners and so forth, it really plays out nicely for us,” Chu says.
“The localization strategy was one we think gives us an advantage, particularly on consumer digitalization and consumer fintech developments,” she added. “What we are very excited about right now is the digitalization of SMEs as well. I think the is the need and opportunity brought to us by the pandemic. Companies are really looking to automate themselves and they need to be able to have a remote workforce, and everything needs to be digitalized and automated.
But she notes that 99% of SMEs still use traditional banks, instead of neobanks and other fintechs.
“I think the opportunity there is even larger and the revolution has just started,” she says. “We are very excited to get in there with the infrastructure that we have already built. We are one of the very few SME fintechs that own our own licenses and a proprietary tech stack.”
In an investor statement, Lightspeed partner Pinn Lawjindakul said, “My personal experience of the pain point reinforced my conviction in what the YouTrip deal has built. Their multi-currency digital payments platform enables everyone to have a safer, smarter and superior experience with foreign currencies and digital payments.” | Emerging Technologies |
Google is inserting itself in newsrooms with the promotion of its new AI tool that it says will “help” journalists create articles. The company has reportedly pitched its software to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal, saying it can effectively produce news stories.
Sources close to the matter told The New York Times that the tool is known by its working title, Genesis, and it can generate news content including details of current events. It’s being pitched as an application that works alongside journalists rather than replacing them. One of the sources told the outlet that Google believes it will allow journalists to focus on other tasks while Genesis automates some tasks.
Google is in the early stages of its AI endeavor and hopes to “help journalists with their work,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo. The spokesperson said their AI tool could provide journalists with writing style suggestions or provide headline options, similar to auto-suggestion tools used in Gmail or Google Docs.
“Our goal is to give journalists the choice of using these emerging technologies in a way that enhances their work and productivity. Quite simply these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating, and fact-checking their articles,” the spokesperson said.
When asked to comment on reports that Google’s AI tool will curate news stories, and how this tool differs from other writing assistants like Grammarly, Gizmodo didn’t receive a response.
Some executives who saw the demonstration told The Times that Google’s AI pitch is unsettling adding “It seemed to take for granted the effort that went into producing accurate and artful news stories,” the outlet wrote.
Journalists have concerns about bias, plagiarism, loss of credibility, and misinformation that could result from AI-generated stories, according to a State of The Media Report which questioned 3,100 journalists across 17 global markets about their concerns surrounding AI in newsrooms.
More than half surveyed (58%) said their primary concern was that the information is accurate while 27% said they are facing a major challenge to ensure they remain credible as a “trusted news source.” The survey also asked what their concerns are for future generations of journalists and reported that many said they are worried about reducing “bias” and discerning “fact from opinion.”
Some news outlets have already begun implementing AI in the newsroom including CNET and AP News while others have informed employees that they will start looking into how AI can be responsibly used and applied to news. In CNET’s case, more than half of its initial run of AI articles were found to contain significant errors. Gizmodo’s parent company G/O Media which also owns A.V. Club, Kotaku, The Takeout, Jezebel, and others, has test run error-riddled AI-generated articles in recent weeks. On Tuesday, G/O management publicly announced that more pieces generated by AI will be coming. | Emerging Technologies |
Travel, Tourism Sector Sees 44% Jump In Hiring In August: Report
As per data from foundit, the top job roles in demand across the travel and tourism industry include sales and business development (23%), engineers- software, electrical (12%) and marketing and communication (8%).
With the country witnessing a boom in the travel and tourism sector, the industry saw a 44% growth in hiring demand in August, compared to the same month last year, a report said on Wednesday.
This optimistic growth can be attributed to increased disposable incomes and higher spending on leisure and business travel in the country, a report by foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME) said.
Pre-pandemic trends indicate that the travel and tourism sector experienced a robust 16% growth in 2019, however, with the pandemic-related disruptions, travel restrictions and lockdowns, there was a 47% fall in job postings in 2020 and 27% dip in 2021.
While the industry began to bounce back with a marginal 3% growth in hiring in 2022, it has dramatically recovered this year, as people regained confidence in travel, the report stated.
The foundit report is based on the data as of August 2023. The report also includes annual data comparisons for the period August 2023, against August 2022.
"The travel and tourism industry has truly bounced back from the pandemic with a boom, driven significantly by the government initiatives focused on infrastructural development and heritage promotion," the report said.
"India has also opened its doors by allowing 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) for tourism construction projects, and participation in the G20 summit has further bolstered sustainable tourism in the country," foundit, a Quess company, CEO Sekhar Garisa said.
Notably, emerging technologies such as AI and AR/VR are playing a role in driving growth and enhancing visitor experiences in the industry, promising to continue shaping the future of Indian tourism, he said.
"Looking ahead, the industry must adapt to changing traveller demands by offering unique, sustainable, and well-promoted experiences."
"The key is to focus on niche segments with high growth potential, such as wellness, adventure, sustainability, and cultural tourism. By tailoring offerings to these specific markets, the industry can continue to thrive and prosper," he added.
As per data from foundit, the top job roles in demand across the travel and tourism industry include sales and business development (23%), engineers- software, electrical (12%) and marketing and communication (8%).
Job roles such as Chefs (5%) and medical representatives (5%) also accounted for a considerable share of overall demand, it added.
Meanwhile, tier II cities such as Jaipur (34%), Ahmedabad (33%) and Chandigarh (33%) reported a maximum increase in job postings followed by Baroda (25%) and Coimbatore (25%) in August, compared to the corresponding month last year.
This phenomenon can be credited to the rise of tier II cities as prominent talent hubs, due to their swift infrastructural expansion, huge talent pools with a wide range of skill sets, and the cost-efficient nature of operations, the report noted.
Further, the report revealed that freshers accounted for the highest demand share in the travel and tourism sector across experience levels. Companies are opting to hire freshers for cost-efficiency, and adaptability as well as for their readiness to adapt to a constantly evolving travel industry, added the report.
The report found that after the damaging impact of the pandemic, which involved layoffs and economic downturns, many businesses are now investing in digital transformation and technology to recruit and retain employees.
Newer approaches include embracing the gig model to overcome the talent deficit and fulfil the growing tourist demand in the travel sector, it said. Data from foundit revealed that there has been a 14% growth in gig roles since January 2023. | Emerging Technologies |
The evolution of autonomous warfare
SUMMARY
The dawn of autonomous warfare is upon us, reshaping the battlefield's very essence. As we sail into uncharted waters, this gripping evolution raises questions that stretch beyond mere technology. Instead, they delve into ethical, legal, and humanitarian territories.
The ethical algorithm
Machine learning algorithms can process data at astonishing speeds. But can they understand the profound moral weight carried by decisions in warfare? The idea of teaching ethics to machines isn't merely theoretical; it's becoming a practical necessity. Researchers and ethicists are attempting to encode moral principles within AI systems through rule-based ethics, value alignment, and ethical calculus.
For instance, consider an autonomous drone faced with a decision to strike a target. Programming ethical guidelines to balance minimizing civilian harm with neutralizing military threats presents a formidable challenge. Adding to the challenge is the fact that this question is steeped in complex philosophical questions. In turn, this task navigates the murky waters between humanitarian concerns and strategic imperatives. That makes it a critical aspect of modern warfare technology.
While machines exhibit remarkable abilities to recognize patterns and simulate human-like responses, the essence of empathy eludes them. A soldier on the battlefield possesses the innate capacity to discern emotions, gauge fear, and perceive innocence. In contrast, machines lack this intuitive human connection. This gap becomes particularly critical when navigating intricate and emotionally charged scenarios.
Imagine the heart-wrenching decision confronting a human soldier who senses the need to withhold fire, perhaps perceiving a hint of uncertainty or recognizing the innocence reflected in a child's eyes. These judgment calls, deeply rooted in an understanding of the human experience, lie outside the current realm of machine comprehension. This distinction between human intuition and machine calculation underscores the intricate dynamics of autonomous warfare.
Who gets to decide the rules?
The deployment of AI-driven machines in warfare raises immediate concerns regarding civilian safety and human rights. How do we ensure that machines adhere to international humanitarian law? How can machines be taught to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants? What about when to recognize a cease-fire in the surrender of an enemy?
The answers to these questions may lie in a delicate balance between machine efficiency and human oversight. The concept of meaningful human control has emerged as a guiding principle. This emphasizes the need for humans to retain control over critical decisions and that machines should act as tools rather than autonomous entities.
Countries all around the world are actively exploring guidelines for autonomous weapons systems. The hope is there will be an answer somewhere that blends this tech with the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and established Rules of Engagement (ROE).
The new arms race
The technological prowess of a nation is no longer merely about economic might. It's rapidly becoming a key indicator of global influence. AI and autonomous systems are at the heart of this new arms race and everyone wants in on it. America, our peers, and our near-peers are investing heavily in research, development and deployment. The race for AI supremacy is not confined to the battlefield alone. From intelligence gathering to cyber warfare, autonomous technologies are becoming core to national defense strategies. However, this intense competition raises concerns about potential conflicts, misunderstandings, and destabilization.
As nations vie for technological dominance, the balancing act between innovation and responsible development becomes critical. Unbridled pursuit of autonomous capabilities could lead to a scenario where ethical considerations and safety norms are overshadowed by the urgency to outpace rivals. Still, the challenge remains to balance national interests with global responsibilities. In this complex web of competition and cooperation, strategic alliances and AI diplomacy play crucial roles. Countries are forging partnerships to enhance their technological capabilities, such as the U.S.-Japan alliance focusing on AI research. These alliances offer platforms for dialogue, ensuring that the race for AI supremacy doesn't escalate into open conflicts. They also provide avenues for setting common standards and norms. This is essential for ensuring that the power play doesn't spiral out of control.
Forging the chains of control
The absence of clear international norms for autonomous warfare is a significant challenge that demands urgent attention. Various international forums, like the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), are working to define the rules of engagement.
Agreeing upon common principles is a complex and sensitive process, with nations balancing their strategic interests against shared ethical considerations. Creating norms is only half the battle; ensuring compliance, verification, and enforcement is equally critical. The complexities of autonomous systems make verification and compliance monitoring particularly challenging.
Collaborative mechanisms for transparent reporting, inspections, and shared methodologies may offer paths forward. Establishing an international regulatory body to oversee autonomous warfare norms could also be an essential step in building trust and ensuring accountability.
Adapting international law
As the operational effectiveness of emerging technologies like AI and autonomous systems increases, the necessity of revisiting international law becomes apparent. The Geneva Convention, formulated in 1949, has faced new challenges in the age of digitalization, cyberattacks, and robotic warfare. To address these complexities and uphold human rights, privacy, and accountability, an updated framework is essential.
The evolving landscape demands precise definitions of concepts like peace and war in a digital era. Instances of cyberattacks disrupting critical infrastructure or information warfare blurring truth and falsehood complicate traditional distinctions. Clear guidelines are needed to identify acts of conflict in a technologically driven environment.
With autonomous systems, accountability becomes intricate. Establishing responsibility for the consequences of algorithmic errors or human judgments is challenging. When civilians are accidentally harmed, identifying culpability is a complex task. Additionally, the attribution of cyberattacks becomes challenging in an era where AI can obfuscate origins. Defining a process for tracing actions back to their source is critical.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and similar conflicts underscore the urgency of a new Geneva Convention tailored to the realities of AI and autonomy. Although existing initiatives like the DoD's Ethical Principles in AI and the Cybersecurity Strategy of the European Union offer precedents, the complexity of the contemporary landscape requires further comprehensive work. A modernized code of conduct is imperative to govern critical technology domains and ensure a principled approach to AI and autonomy in warfare.
Looking forward
However, with great technological power comes great ethical responsibility. The rise of autonomous warfare raises significant questions about the limits of AI decision-making, accountability for unintended consequences, and the potential for a loss of human control. Striking the right balance between automation and human oversight is crucial to prevent catastrophic mistakes and maintain a sense of ethical integrity in military operations.
Furthermore, the global landscape of autonomous warfare is marked by geopolitical considerations. The proliferation of AI-driven military technology introduces new dynamics to international relations. Questions of arms control, cyber vulnerabilities, and the potential for an AI arms race become pressing concerns. It is imperative for nations to engage in dialogue and establish norms that govern the development and deployment of autonomous weaponry. The future holds promise for enhanced military capabilities, but it also demands careful consideration of the potential consequences and safeguards to uphold the principles of humanity and morality. | Emerging Technologies |
Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have been staying in the low-mid range for a long time, unable to fire up, but this may change soon. Heavyweight tech and finance companies have joined forces in an effort to develop a global blockchain-based "network of networks" targeting critical shortcomings hindering crypto adoption. A report from Forbes suggests, the initiative may contribute to mainstreaming crypto and kick-starting the next Bitcoin price bull run.
Announced earlier in May, the Canton Network project brings together a group of global players, including BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. The goal is to enable the interoperation of previously siloed financial systems with proper controls required in regulated industries.
"The Canton Network enables financial institutions to experience a safer and reconciliation-free environment where assets, data, and cash can synchronize freely across applications," reads the press release. For example, the technology will be capable of integrating a digital bond and a digital payment across two separate applications into a single atomic transaction for simultaneous and risk-free exchange.
The Canton Network allegedly overcomes three essential flaws of today's smart contract networks:
- the lack of privacy and control over data,
- trade-offs between control and interoperability,
- the inability to scale.
The "network of networks" balances the decentralization with privacy and control necessary to operate within a safe regulatory environment.
The technology is, obviously, underpinned by artificial intelligence. "We are excited to be a supporting partner of the Canton Network. We look forward to helping the financial community build and scale cloud-enabled Web3 applications on Azure while harnessing the power of AI to improve the user experience and drive developer adoption," said Rashmi Misra, GM of AI & Emerging Technologies, Business Development at Microsoft, in a commentary for the release.
It's not the only recent initiative likely to propel the web3/crypto industry. Earlier this year, Fidelity launched a crypto platform allowing its 37 million users to buy and sell crypto commission-free. Another finance giant, BlackRock, also announced its engagement in the crypto industry. "At BlackRock we continue to explore the digital assets ecosystem, especially areas most relevant to our clients such as permissioned blockchains and tokenization of stocks and bonds," Larry Fink, the company's CEO, wrote in the Annual Chairman's Letter to Investors. | Emerging Technologies |
Calves are fed a probiotic supplement called "Kowbucha," which has been shown to reduce the methane that they produce, as part of a trial at a Massey University's research farm in Palmerston North, New Zealand, September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Lucy CraymerPALMERSTON NORTH, New Zealand, Oct 11 (Reuters) - More than a dozen calves wait at a research farm in New Zealand to be fed Kowbucha, a punnily named probiotic that studies show reduces burps -- or methane emissions.The Kowbucha powder is blended into a milk-like drink fed to the calves at the Massey University farm in Palmerston North.The regular feeds are part of a series of trials being carried out by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra (FCG.NZ) since 2021 to gauge how effective the probiotic is in reducing methane emissions. New Zealand has pledged to cut biogenic methane emissions by 10% on 2017 levels by 2030 and by up to 47% by 2050.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe "true eureka moment" came when early trials suggested that calves emit up to 20% less methane when they receive the probiotic supplement, said Shalome Bassett, principal scientist at Fonterra Research and Development Centre."Probiotics are great because they're a really natural solution," Bassett told Reuters. "Whatever we do, it has to be something that's easy for the farmer to use, has to be cost effective, and we have to ensure that it's good for the cow and doesn't have any effect on the milk."Ongoing trials have shown similar, promising results, she said. If that continues, Fonterra hopes to have Kowbucha sachets in stores by the end of 2024, Bassett said, before farmers have to start paying for animal burps.Fonterra said it did not yet have any pricing information for the sachets.Some feed additives available abroad have proved to be more efficient. Royal DSM's (DSMN.AS) Bovaer feed additive can reduce methane emissions by 30% in dairy cows and by more in beef cattle.Fonterra said Kowbucha likely provides an easier solution generally as farmers only have to feed it to calves when they are being reared, given it is expected to have a lasting impact.BURP PRICINGNew Zealand will in 2025 become the first country to price agricultural emissions, including methane emissions from burping cows and sheep, whose digestive systems produce methane when breaking down vegetation. Agricultural emissions account for around half of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.Ahead of that, farmers, businesses and scientists are working on ways to cut emissions without reducing herd number, given agricultural products make up more than 75% of the country's goods exports.As well as the early optimism around Kowbucha, AgResearch scientists said in December they had successfully bred low-methane producing sheep, while a product called EcoPond that almost eradicates methane in farm sewage has been on sale since late 2021.New Zealand is also considering whether supplements that have had success abroad can be adapted locally. Much of the science overseas focuses on altering barn animals' food and is harder to implement in a country where animals largely live outdoors and eat grass."The easiest way to reduce emissions is to reduce production or have less animals basically, so that's a real challenge when we're trying to also produce food and keep our export returns at the level that we want them," said ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby.Ahead of 2025, the government has released a proposal where biogenic methane and long-lived gases will be priced separately but those prices will be set by the government.While pricing farm emissions is not universally popular, many believe it is the push farmers need to reduce them.Mike Manning, general manager of innovation and strategy at agricultural cooperative Ravensdown, said farmers have been slow to adopt its EcoPond technology without financial incentives.The system cuts up to 99% of the methane emitted from the manure-sludge left behind in a dairy shed after milking."People go 'well, I might wait until I have a price of methane then I have a financial driver'," Manning added.RESEARCHNew Zealand's government said in May it would spend NZ$380 million ($213.22 million) on research over four years to counter agricultural emissions.The cash injection may accelerate research and get some emerging technologies into the hands of farmers and growers "much earlier" said Sinead Leahy, principal science advisor at government-funded Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre.A lot of research is already under way.After discovering that some sheep naturally produce less methane than others, AgResearch headquartered in Hamilton bred sheep with this inheritable trait with one another and found that the lowest emitting sheep produced close to 13% less methane than the highest emitters.If such breeding were to be carried out on a national level, it could reduce New Zealand's methane emissions by up to 1%, said AgResearch.The dairy industry is now looking at how to apply that research to cows, Leahy said.For Fonterra, research also remains key as it aims to cap farm emissions at 2015 levels. In addition to Kowbucha, it is also trialling other feed additives and seaweed."It's definitely important for us to be leading in this space. Our farmers need a solution and New Zealand needs a solution," said Bassett.($1 = 1.7822 New Zealand dollars)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Emerging Technologies |
The next big thing in VR might not be higher resolution or more immersive sound, but an experience augmented by physical sensations or moving parts that fool your senses into mistaking virtual for reality. Researchers at SIGGRAPH, from Meta to international student groups, flaunted their latest attempts to make VR and AR more convincing.
The conference on computer graphics and associated domains is taking place this week in Los Angeles, and everyone from Meta to Epic to universities and movie studios were demonstrating their wares.
It’s the 50th SIGGRAPH, so a disproportionate amount of the event was dedicated to retrospectives and such like, though the expo hall was full of the latest VFX, virtual production, and motion capture hardware and software.
In the “emerging technologies” hall, or cave as the darkened, black-draped room felt, dozens of experimental approaches at the frontiers of VR seemed to describe the state of the art: visually impressive, but with immersion relying almost entirely on that. What could be done to make the illusion more complete? For many, the answer lies not in the virtual world with better sound or graphics, but in the physical one.
Meta’s varifocal VR headset shifts your perspective, literally
Meta was a large presence in the room, with its first demonstration of two experimental headsets, dubbed Butterscotch and Flamera. Flamera takes an interesting approach to “passthrough” video, but it’s Butterscotch’s “varifocal” approach that really changes things in the virtual world.
VR headsets generally comprise a pair of tiny, high-resolution displays fixed to a stack of lenses that make them appear to fill the wearer’s field of vision. This works fairly well, as anyone who has tried a recent headset can attest. But there’s a shortcoming in the simple fact that moving things closer doesn’t really allow you see them better. They remain at the same resolution, and while you might be able to make out a little more, it’s not like picking up an object and inspecting it closely in real life.
Meta’s Butterscotch prototype, which I tested and grilled the researchers about, replicates that experience by tracking your gaze within the headset, and when your gaze falls on something closer, physically sliding the displays closer to your eyes. The result is shocking to anyone who has gotten used to the poor approximation of “looking up close” at something in VR.
The display only moves over a span of about 14 millimeters, a researcher at the Meta booth told me, and that’s more than enough at that range not just to create a clearer image of the up-close item — remarkably clear, I must say — but to allow the eyes to more naturally change their “accommodation” and “convergence,” the ways they naturally track and focus on objects.
While the process worked extremely well for me, it totally failed for one attendee (whom I suspect was a higher-up at Sony’s VR division, but his experience seemed genuine) who said that the optical approach was at odds with his own vision impairment, and turning the feature on actually made everything look worse. It’s an experiment, after all, and others I spoke to found it more compelling. Sadly the shifting displays may be somewhat impractical on a consumer model, making the feature quite unlikely to come to Quest any time soon.
Rumble (and tumble) packs
Elsewhere on the demo floor, others are testing far more outlandish physical methods of fooling your perception.
One from Sony researchers takes the concept of a rumble pack to extremes: a controller mounted to a sort of baton, inside which is a weight that can be driven up and down by motors to change the center of gravity or simulate motion.
In keeping with the other haptic experiments I tried, it doesn’t feel like much outside of the context of VR, but when paired with a visual stimulus it’s highly convincing. A rapid-fire set of demos first had me opening a virtual umbrella — not an game you would play for long, obviously, but an excellent way to show how a change in center of gravity can make a pretend item seem real. The motion of of the umbrella opening felt right, and then the weight (at its farthest limit) made it feel like the mass had indeed moved to the end of the handle.
Next, a second baton was affixed to the first in perpendicular fashion, forming a gun-like shape, and indeed the demo had me blasting aliens with a shotgun and pistol, each of which had a distinct “feel” due to how they programmed the weights to move and simulate recoil and reloading. Last, I used a virtual light saber on a nearby monster, which provided tactile feedback when the beam made contact. The researcher I spoke to said there are no plans to commercialize it, but that the response has been very positive and they are working on refinements and new applications.
An unusual and clever take on this idea of shifting weights was SomatoShift, on display at a booth from University of Tokyo researchers. There I was fitted with a powered wristband, on which two spinning gyros opposed one another, but could have their orientation changed in order to produce a force that either opposed or accelerated the movement of the hand.
The mechanism is a bit hard to understand, but spinning weights like this essentially want to remain “upright” and by changing their orientation relative to gravity or the object on which they are mounted, that tendency to right themselves can produce quite precise force vectors. The technology has been used in satellites for decades, where they are known as “reaction wheels,” and the principle worked here as well, retarding or aiding my hand’s motions as it moved between two buttons. The forces involved are small but perceptible, and one can imagine clever usage of the gyros creating all manner of subtle but convincing pushes and pulls.
The concept was taken to a local extreme a few meters away at University of Chicago’s booth, where attendees were fitted with a large powered backpack with a motorized weight that could move up and down quickly. This was used to provide the illusion of a higher or lower jump, as by shifting the weight at the proper moment one seems to be lightened or accelerated upwards, or alternately pushed downwards — if a mistake in the associated jumping game is made.
Our colleagues at Engadget wrote up the particulars of the tech ahead of its debut last week.
While the bulky mechanism and narrow use case mark it like the others as a proof of concept, it shows that the perception of bodily motion, not just of an object or one appendage, can be affected by judicious use of force.
String theory
When it comes to the sensation of holding things, current VR controllers also fall short. While the motion tracking capabilities of the latest Quest and PlayStation VR2 headsets are nothing short of amazing, one never feels one truly interacting with the objects in a virtual environment. Tokyo Institute of Technology team created an ingenious — and hilariously fiddly — method of simulating the feeling of touching or holding an object with your fingertips.
The user is fitted with four tiny rings on each hand, one for each finger excepting the pinky. Each ring is fitted with a tiny little motor on top, and from each motor depends a tiny little loop of thread, which is fitted around the pad of each fingertip. The positions of the hands and fingers are tracked with a depth sensor attached (just barely) to the headset.
In a VR simulation, a tabletop is covered in a variety of cubes and other shapes. When the tracker detects that your virtual hand intersects with the edge of a virtual block, the motor spins a bit and tugs on the loop — which feels quite a lot like something touching the pads of your fingers!
It all sounds very janky, and it definitely was — but the basic idea and sensation was worth experiencing and the setup was clearly not too expensive. Haptic gloves that can simulate resistance are few and far between, and quite complicated to boot (in fact another researcher present worked on this device, a more complex version of a similar principle). A refined version of this system might be made for under $100 and provide a basic experience that is still transformative.
SIGGRAPH and this hall in particular were full of these and more experiences that rode the line between the physical and digital. While VR has yet to take off in the mainstream, many have taken that to mean that they should redouble efforts to improve and expand it, rather than give it up as a dead platform.
The conference also showcased a great deal of overlap between gaming, VFX, art, virtual production, and numerous other domains — the brains behind these experiments and the more established products on the expo floor clearly feel that the industry is converging while diversifying, and a multi-modal, multi-medium, multi-sensory experience is the future.
But it isn’t inevitable — someone has to make it. So they’re getting to work. | Emerging Technologies |
Israel and the US will launch a strategic dialogue aimed at boosting technological cooperation at the White House on Wednesday.
The initiative was first announced in the Jerusalem Declaration that US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed during Biden’s visit to Israel in July.
In that statement, the two sides recognized the already-vast bilateral cooperation in science and technology and said the new strategic dialogue would bring those ties “to a new height.” The collaboration will seek to “form a US-Israel technological partnership in critical and emerging technologies, as well as in areas of global concern: pandemic preparedness, climate change, artificial intelligence, and trusted technology,” the Jerusalem Declaration stated.
A separate joint statement by Lapid and Biden announcing the initiative in July saw the leaders “pledge to boost our mutual innovation ecosystems, to deepen bilateral engagements, advance and protect critical and emerging technologies in accordance with our national interests, democratic principles and human rights, and to address geostrategic challenges.” Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms The emphasis on human rights appeared noteworthy, given the Biden administration’s decision to blacklist Israeli spyware firm NSO Group last year over the reported sale of its technology to authoritarian regimes.
Those governments allegedly used the technology to target activists, political dissidents and journalists. Israel has since reportedly sought to lobby the Biden administration to withdraw NSO Group’s blacklist designation, to no avail.
Wednesday’s first session of the dialogue will be attended by Science and Innovation Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen and National Security Council chairman Eyal Hulata on the Israeli side, with US Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm and Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk on the US side. They will be accompanied by senior officials from other relevant government offices in Jerusalem and Washington. “The goal of the meeting is to reach understandings and build mechanisms for concrete cooperation that will enable upgrading technological cooperation between the countries in the short term,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a Tuesday statement. “This dialogue positions Israel alongside America’s leading strategic partners in technology.” | Emerging Technologies |
Tata Motors To Upskill 50% Of Employees With New-Age Auto Tech In 5 Years
The company, which has over 57,000 employees across different functions, has collaborated with organisations such as ARAI, Bosch, Mathworks, SAE, and Tata Technologies, among others to provide its employees with professional certification programmes in connected, electric, shared and safe (CESS) through its upskilling programme.
Tata Motors on Thursday said it plans to equip over 50% of its overall workforce with new-age auto tech capabilities within five years as part of its strategy to develop skilled and future-ready staff focused on electric vehicles and other emerging technologies in the auto industry.
The company, which has over 57,000 employees across different functions, has collaborated with organisations such as ARAI, Bosch, Mathworks, SAE, and Tata Technologies, among others to provide its employees with professional certification programmes in connected, electric, shared and safe (CESS) through its upskilling programme.
"A dynamically evolving industry like ours mandates consistent upskilling and training to remain ahead of the curve and future ready," Tata Motors Vice President – HR, Passenger Vehicles and Electric Vehicles, Sitaram Kandi said.
The company has specially curated training modules to address the requisite developmental needs of all -- from shopfloor technicians to line engineers, and plant management -- to deliver relevant technical and functional skills, as well as managerial and leadership capabilities.
Addressing reporters, Kandi said the company has also co-created bespoke courses in partnership with local universities around its different manufacturing plants in order to upskill its workers.
Tata Motors has about 25,000 employees on the shopfloor across its seven plants.
The company has collaborated with various institutes, including BITS Pilani, MIT-ADT University Pune, Institute of Technology Nirma University, Symbiosis International (Deemed Universities), Ganpat University, DY Patil International University, Oxford Polytechnic, ARKA Jain University and Amity University, for specialised programmes for its workforce.
These company-sponsored programmes provide employees with higher education opportunities, including B Tech, M Tech as well as Executive MBA.
Kandi also said for shop floor technicians working across plants, a higher education programme has been designed, enabling them to pursue a diploma in engineering with a focus on auto electrical and electronics, mechatronics, and specialised welding skills to help them acquire necessary qualification for growth and meet the evolving demands of the automotive industry.
He also said after acquiring the Ford India facility at Sanand in January, Tata Motors has undertaken a programme to upskill 100% of the newly acquired workforce of over 820 employees in partnership with Gujarat's Ganpat University.
It has been carried out through curated learning programmes on future-oriented manufacturing technologies, including Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, advanced control engineering, and advanced manufacturing systems and processes.
The company is also promoting diversity and inclusion in manufacturing, Kandi said. At present Tata Motors has over 4,500 women employees working on the shopfloor across all plants, exercising a range of functional capabilities.
"Collaborating with tech partners and academic institutions, tailor-made training programmes, a nationwide 'learn & earn' apprenticeship programme and a sharp focus on diversity and inclusion, is enabling us to develop and nurture a capable, future-ready workforce," Kandi said.
Tata Motors was doing this not just for itself and its channel partners but also for the Indian auto industry at large, he added. | Emerging Technologies |
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants small companies to help it find new ways to project U.S. military power in space.
DARPA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) tasked with researching and developing new technologies, issued a statement outlining how it wants private companies outside of the typical base of legacy defense contractors to submit ideas related to "space superiority." The U.S. Air Force defines space superiority as "the degree of control in space of one force over any others that permits the conduct of its operations at a given time and place without prohibitive interference from terrestrial or space-based threats."
In other words, DARPA wants ideas for new space-based weaponry that can defend U.S. satellites from being damaged or disrupted by adversary systems, as well as systems that can carry out their own attacks.
Specifically, DARPA wants companies to submit ideas about "new methods and technologies that may provide warfighters with disruptive options for protecting and defending space systems." The solicitation is part of the agency's Bringing Classified Innovation to Defense and Government Systems (BRIDGES) initiative, which seeks to connect innovative companies with government agencies in order to solve "challenging problems that exist in the classified realm," according to DARPA's statement.
The U.S. Space Force document "Space Doctrine Note: Operations" published in 2022 outlines how space superiority can be achieved through both defensive and offensive operations. Defensive operations are those that protect the United States' space-based capabilities from adversaries' anti-satellite or counterspace systems, while offensive operations are those that "include actions to deceive, disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy the adversary's military space capabilities."
This could include a wide range of concepts, from ground-launched direct-ascent missiles designed to destroy satellites, to space-based lasers designed to blind the optics on adversaries' satellites. Other approaches include radiofrequency jamming, cyberattacks on ground stations, ground-based lasers aimed at satellites overhead, orbital projectile weapons and even more exotic concepts such as space-based chemical sprayers.
As space becomes ever more contested by the world's military superpowers, a new space race is brewing, one centered on denying one's adversaries the free use of space and the satellites that call it home. But as in the case of spaceflight, private industry is currently moving faster than government agencies when it comes to developing the latest technologies.
According to DARPA's official solicitation documents, most of the existing programs related to space superiority "do not incorporate the latest innovations from the booming commercial 'new space' industry," slowing down the DoD's ability to field emerging technologies.
That same sentiment was echoed by DARPA leadership in this solicitation. "Tremendous innovation is happening in the commercial space industry, yet long procurement timelines and a relatively small number of cleared companies can limit adoption of those new innovations in defense and government space initiatives," Air Force Maj. Michael "Orbit" Nayak, program manager in DARPA's Strategic Technology Office, said in DARPA's statement. "This means that potentially revolutionary concepts for space-based national security technology go untapped.
"We're looking to flip that script, so that innovators who can provide the best ideas for the many unanswered questions and unique potential of the space domain have a seat at the table," Nayak continued. "We want to find solutions we didn't even know we needed to establish and maintain superiority in space."
The U.S. Space Force recently opened an office with the same goal in mind. The service's new Commercial Space Marketplace for Innovation and Collaboration office, or COSMIC, aims to partner with the private sector in order to acquire new technologies more quickly.
Interested companies have until Oct. 1, 2023 to submit their space superiority ideas to DARPA. The agency will continue to evaluate proposals through March 2024. | Emerging Technologies |
With data being considered the new oil, India, the world’s second-largest internet market after China, is looking to establish a dedicated entity to manage the data it generates and set up rules and regulations for non-personal and anonymized personal data.
The Indian government plans to propose setting up of a body, called the National Data Management Office, according to a draft Digital India Bill seen by TechCrunch.
According to the proposal, the new entity will be overseen by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and help set up rules for data governance in the country, per the draft proposal, which is yet to be made public. It will comprise separate data management units for the central government departments and ministries that process non-personal and anonymized data.
Since government departments and ministries also generate an enormous amount of data from various public services, the National Data Management Office is planned to develop a “standard mechanism” for inter-governmental data access. It will also work with the central government ministries and state governments to standardize data management. The entity will build the India Datasets program, which was earlier proposed under the draft National Data Governance Framework Policy to create large datasets by collecting non-personal and anonymized personal data from various government ministries and departments as well as private entities.
Digital advocacy groups including New Delhi-based Internet Freedom Foundation have previously raised concerns about interdepartmental data-sharing proposals made by the Indian government. They cautioned that the move would put citizen data at risk. It is unclear whether the Indian government has considered those risks. However, it plans to include formulating disclosure norms for data collection, storage and access through the proposed entity.
The government also proposes to specify standards relating to the “architecture of application/platforms/digital systems, adoption of technology, online interface, cloud security, adoption of emerging technologies, payment gateways, development of online interface which are multi-lingual and multi-channel, use of GIS services, performance indicators, upgradations” through the entity.
India’s planned approach with the proposed National Data Management Office is similar to that of Saudi Arabia, which already has an entity with the same name linked to the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) to work on data processing and management at the country level.
While the proposed body will work on data management and define the parameters for non-personal and anonymized personal data, the Indian government passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (PDF) last month to regulate digital personal data access and processing in the country.
Ministry of Electronics and IT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the planned proposal.
The Indian government is expected to table the Digital India Bill in the parliament in its winter session late in the year. The Bill, if it gets passed in the parliament and receives approval from the Indian President, will become a law and replace the 22-year-old Information Technology Act, 2000. Before tabling in the parliament, the Indian government is expected to start the consultation process in the coming days. | Emerging Technologies |
Labour has vowed to embrace new technology and artificial intelligence to slash NHS waiting lists as new figures reveal the service still uses 79,000 pagers.
Wes Streeting, the party's shadow health secretary, will set out his plans to get the latest breakthroughs into hospitals faster and at a lower price.
Speaking at the NHS ConfedExpo conference in Manchester he will outline how AI can be used to speed up cancer diagnoses and free-up staff time.
It comes as a Freedom of Information request reveals 80 per cent of NHS trusts are still reliant on bleepers, which former health secretary Matt Hancock promise to scrap in 2019.
Only one company in the world still manufactures pagers, with the NHS estimated to own one in ten of any brand still in use.
A new pager costs up to £400 today, meaning the NHS has spent as much as £32million on its remaining inventory.
Mr Streeting will say in his speech to NHS leaders that the failure to move on from fax machines, paper, and pagers shows the NHS is 'stuck in the analogue age'.
He will add: 'It's a bit rich for Rishi Sunak to promise to make Britain a world leader in AI, when he can't even axe the fax or purge the pager.
'Staff's valuable time is wasted, as they are forced to work around this totally outdated equipment, when they could be caring for patients.
'There are huge opportunities in emerging technologies which could change the face of healthcare, but how long will it be before they reach the NHS?'
Mr Streeting will point to advances in AI that can diagnose cancers as accurately as the human eye.
This could free up doctors to spend more time with patients, helping to address the NHS workforce crisis, as well as cutting missed cancer diagnosis.
Other AI tools can help to map radiation therapy onto cancer cells more precisely and faster than a doctor working manually.
The technologies are widely used in the US and Europe, but have not yet been adopted in most of the NHS.
Breast cancer patients could also receive their mammogram results much sooner, rather than being left waiting and wondering for weeks, using technology that can spot signs of cancer doctors miss.
The AI has been used in parts of Europe since 2021, but developers are struggling to sell the technology into the NHS.
The technologies all work alongside radiologists, but can reduce their workload significantly.
The breast cancer screening AI can cut radiologists workload by up to 30 per cent and improve detection of cancer by 13 per cent, studies show.
Slow adoption of new technology has created a postcode lottery in the NHS, where only some patients have access to the new kit, because companies have to sell to each individual trust.
Only half of NHS patients are in areas where they can access at-home kidney tests, which use a smartphone app to detect early signs of chronic kidney disease.
Using an app on their phone and a urine test kit sent to their homes, it is designed to reduce unnecessary trips to the GP and hospital by encouraging more people to seek an early diagnosis. Labour's plan will include allowing the NHS to bulk buy the latest technology, so innovators are not forced to sell into each of the country's 227 trusts, meaning products can be bought at cheaper rates.
It will cut the unnecessary red tape that requires new technology to be re-evaluated by several different bodies.
And it will join up data records, so it is easier and faster to recruit patients to trials for new medicines and technologies.
Mr Streeting will say: 'The revolution taking place in medical science, technology, and data has the potential to transform our healthcare.
'There is no reason why the NHS should not be leading the rest of the world in this field.
'Artificial intelligence that is already available can free up staff, provide better and faster care for patients, and get more bang for taxpayers' buck. There's no time to wait.
'Labour will arm the NHS with the best available technology to fight disease.
'We will cut unnecessary red tape and drive change to finally bring our health service into the digital age and make it fit for the future.'
NHS trusts spent £112 million on postage last year, despite Jeremy Hunt's promise in 2013 to go paperless.
And dozens of NHS trusts still use fax machines, despite Mr Hancock banning them in 2018.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare organisations and is co-organiser of the conference, said: 'There are huge opportunities for patients and the provision of care in technology but NHS leaders across the country routinely tell us of their frustrations with the challenges in adopting and rolling it out quickly and at scale.
'A focus on improving the procurement of new technology and joining up data records will be welcome.'
A Conservative spokesman said: 'If Labour want to cut waiting lists they should start in Wales, where they are in power and where patients are over 600 times more likely to wait over two years for treatment compared to England.
'In England, we have virtually eliminated the longest waits and are investing £123 million in our NHS for new AI technology, as we work to deliver on our promise to cut waiting lists.' | Emerging Technologies |
The Linux Foundation has partnered with some of the world’s biggest technology companies to develop interoperable and open map data, in what is a clear move to counter Google’s dominance in the mapping realm.
The Overture Maps Foundation, as the new effort is called, is officially hosted by the Linux Foundation, but the program is driven by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Facebook’s parent company Meta, Microsoft, and Dutch mapping company TomTom.
The ultimate mission of the Overture Maps Foundation to power new map products through openly available datasets that can be used and reused across applications and businesses, with each member throwing their own data and resources into the mix.
“Mapping the physical environment and every community in the world, even as they grow and change, is a massively complex challenge that no one organization can manage,” noted the Linux Foundation’s executive director Jim Zemlin in a press release. “Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all.”
Map and location data plays such a fundamental role across society today, powering everything from IoT (internet of things) devices and self-driving cars, to logistics and big data visualization tools. Having all that data under the auspices of just one or two mega-firms can be hugely restrictive in terms of what companies can do with the data and what features they have at their disposal, not to mention the costs involved in licensing it.
Spatial mapping will also be vital to emerging technologies such as those required for the Metaverse, which Meta is heavily invested in.
“Immersive experiences, which understand and blend into your physical environment, are critical to the embodied internet of the future,” added Jan Erik Solem, engineering director for Maps at Meta. “By delivering interoperable open map data, Overture provides the foundation for an open metaverse built by creators, developers, and businesses alike.”
The anti-Google?
Google is a notable omission from the Overture Maps Foundation’s founding members. Indeed, that such big names and rivals from the technology sphere are coming together in partnership is probably testament to the stranglehold Google has on the world of mapping, a position it has slowly garnered since launching its Android mobile operating system nearly fifteen years ago.
Moreover, with the iPhone arriving around the same time, a combination that brought maps and navigation into the pockets of millions of people globally, this had a monumental impact on incumbents such as TomTom, which had built a substantial business off the back of physical navigation devices plastered to car windshields.
This graph shows how TomTom’s shares plummeted with the advent of the modern smartphone era.
TomTom’s shares since the launch of Android and iOS 15 years ago
In the intervening years, TomTom has tried to evolve, striking map and data partnerships with the likes of Uber and Microsoft, while it has also targeted developers with SDKs and hit the acquisition trail to bolster its autonomous vehicle ambitions. But the fact remains, Google and its mapping empire still rule the roost for the most part, something that this new collaboration will go some way toward addressing.
“Collaborative mapmaking is central to TomTom’s strategy — the Overture Maps Foundation provides the framework to accelerate our goals,” TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn noted in a press release. “TomTom’s Maps Platform will leverage the combination of the Overture base map, a broad range of other data, and TomTom’s proprietary data in a continuously integrated and quality-controlled product that serves a broad range of use cases, including the most demanding applications like advanced navigation, search, and automated driving.”
Open sesame
The emergence of this new foundation jibes with trends elsewhere across the technology spectrum, with a growing push toward decentralized and interoperable social networks driven by regulatory and societal pressures. Elsewhere, the Linux Foundation also recently announced the OpenWallet Foundation to develop interoperable digital wallets, pushing back against the closed payment ecosystems fostered by tech juggernauts including Google and Apple.
Today’s announcement very much fits into that broader trend.
The founding companies are planning to engage in collaborative map-building programs, meshing data from myriad open data sources and knocking it into a format that’s consistent, standardized, and fit for use in production systems and applications. This will include channeling data from long-established projects such as OpenStreetMap, in addition to open data provided by municipalities.
While there are only four member companies at launch, there are plans to expand things in the future to include any company with a direct vested interest in open map data.
For now, the Overture Maps Foundation said that it’s working toward releasing its first datasets in the first half of 2023, and will include “basic” layers such as roads, buildings, and administrative information. Over time, this will expand to include more places, routing and navigation, and 3D building data. | Emerging Technologies |
People stand in front of a board depicting 5G network at the India Mobile Congress 2018 in New Delhi, India, October 26, 2018. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, July 29 (Reuters) - India had drawn bids totaling at least $19 billion entering the fourth day of an auction for 5G spectrum on Friday, as telecom giants clamoured for airwave rights needed for next generation networks in the world's second largest mobile market.Reliance Industries' (RELI.NS) Jio, rivals Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS) and Vodafone Idea (VODA.NS), as well as billionaire Gautam Adani's Adani Enterprises Ltd (ADEL.NS) were all among the bidders for 5G airwaves.India government aims to begin the rollout of 5G - which it says can provide data speeds about 10 times faster than 4G - by September this year.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comGlobally, the next generation network is seen as vital for emerging technologies like self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.A total 72 GHz of radiowaves worth at least $54 billion is up for sale in India's 5G auction.The Indian government is yet to provide a breakup of bids made by individual players, but latest state-wise data shows 16 rounds of bidding had taken place by late Thursday evening.The telcos are bidding aggressively in the auction despite earlier concerns that they stand to lose about 40% in potential revenues due to the allotment of some airwaves to enterprises for private networks. read more Jio, which counts global tech giants Facebook (META.O) and Google (GOOGL.O) among its backers, is expected to be the first carrier to launch 5G services in India.Airtel and Vodafone have been under pressure following a price war triggered by Jio in 2016. Both have reported losses in recent years, burdened by previous spectrum dues to the government, though recent mobile data price hikes have slowly started helping Airtel to clock profits.Adani said in early July that it does not plan to be in the consumer space and instead aims to provide solutions for private 5G networks.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Emerging Technologies |
Example of a ‘digital twin’ of a nuclear facility, enabling real-time representation of a changing environment. (Photo: Sellafield Ltd.) The IAEA has launched a global initiative aimed at boosting the role of new and emerging technologies in the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, as the industry seeks to streamline the process with the more than two-hundred nuclear power reactors shut down for decommissioning and several of the world’s 438 operating ones expected to phase out over the coming decades.
The initiative – a collaborative project among organizations involved in the planning or implementation of decommissioning and associated research activities – aims to provide information on the new and emerging digital tools and technologies used in data management, planning, licensing and implementation of decommissioning. Like many areas of the nuclear sector, decommissioning faces a technological breakthrough involving the use of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digitalization. Key issues in this area will also be discussed at the International Conference on Nuclear Decommissioning, to be held at the IAEA headquarters in May 2023, for which abstracts and grant applications must be submitted by 31 October.
“The aim of the project is to work collaboratively, harnessing the expertise of a diverse range of organizations involved in decommissioning to fully realize the potential of new and emerging technologies in this sphere,” said Olena Mykolaichuk, Head of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology. “The project findings will be published in a report in 2025 that will include information on experiences gained from the practical application and case studies from a variety of countries, based on a range of different decommissioning challenge complexity and varying levels of information.”
Although many nuclear power reactors are undergoing life extensions, considerable decommissioning work is also underway and is expected to take place as power plants reach the end of useful and economical operations. Effective management of decommissioning is vital to the sustainability of nuclear power.
According to IAEA projections, between 12 per cent and 25 per cent of the 2020 nuclear electrical generating capacity is expected to be retired by 2030. So far, a total of 203 nuclear power reactors have been shut down for decommissioning globally, with 21 of them fully decommissioned. In addition, more than 150 fuel cycle facilities have been decommissioned as well as about 450 research reactors.
Decommissioning is a multi-disciplinary process, typically lasting a decade or more for nuclear power plants and may take several decades for major nuclear fuel cycle facilities or where deferred dismantling approaches are being followed. It includes activities such as physical and radiological characterization of the facility and its vicinity, and decontamination and dismantling of plant and building structures, eventually leading to the reuse of the site for some other purpose. Therefore, it must be implemented safely, in a cost-effective and environmentally sensitive manner and considering the future uses of the site.
Digitalization is expected to play an increasingly important role in advancing nuclear decommissioning projects by enabling experts to improve their planning and implementation. Potential benefits span several areas of activity: providing improved means of gathering, analyzing and display of information needed to plan dismantling strategies; facilitating operator training through enabling the simulation of planned activities in a virtual environment; supporting accurate definition of future waste arisings and thereby improved cost estimation; and enabling improved visualization of decommissioning scenarios, both by operators and by external stakeholders.
“The application of digital information models brings significant benefits for decommissioning of older facilities with associated uncertainties about the precise configuration of the facility and the hazards that may be involved,” said Mike Guy, Decommissioning Technology and Information Manager for Sellafield Limited in the UK, who chaired the meeting. “This collaborative project will also consider how digitalization can be applied to such facilities to optimize these benefits for a variety of situations throughout the planning, licensing, dismantling and waste management phases of a project.”
Three areas of collaboration are being addressed over the course of the project and working groups have been established on digital tool selection for a variety of different decommissioning challenges during planning and implementation; technologies for conversion of unstructured legacy data into a structured format connected to digital model of facility; and emerging technologies for the generation of detailed digital models from Point Cloud data including the use of automated digital tools.
As well as exchanging information on the challenges, benefits and limitations associated with the use of different technologies to address different situations, the groups will apply different approaches to addressing specified challenges and will undertake a detailed analysis of the findings obtained from the use of different approaches and technologies.
3D modelling and simulations to facilitate preparation of the dismantling of different types of nuclear facilities are increasingly being used in decommissioning projects globally, particularly in major programmes. These include projects being implemented by organizations that have been designated as an IAEA Collaborating Centre on decommissioning. The latter organizations include Norway’s Institute of Energy Technology (IFE); the Slovak Nuclear and Decommissioning Company (JAVYS); Italy’s Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management Company (SOGIN); Electricité de France’s Decommissioning and Waste Management Directorate (EDF-DP2D), France; and Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).
To continue the exchange of information on decommissioning, the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Decommissioning: Addressing the Past and Ensuring the Future next May will provide a forum to share information on achievements, challenges and lessons learned, as well as on the strategies and approaches that can enable and enhance safe, secure and cost-effective implementation of national decommissioning programmes. The conference will include a special session on perspectives on enhancing decommissioning effectiveness and efficiency, including the application of recent innovations as well as good practices and technologies from other industries. An exhibition, including displays on the theme of innovation in decommissioning, particularly in the fields of digitalization, artificial intelligence and robotics, is being organized as part of the conference. | Emerging Technologies |
Imagine a city built from scratch, a utopia designed to be as walkable as Paris and as bustling as New York, but with the technological advancements of Silicon Valley. This is not a sci-fi novel plot but a real-life venture backed by some of the biggest names in the tech industry. They've spent $800 million to secure thousands of acres of land in Solano County, California, with the aim of creating a new city that promises clean energy, public transportation, and dense urban life. But what does this mean for the future of urban development, technology, and society at large?
The Players and the Plan
The Masterminds
Flannery Associates, a mysterious company, has been purchasing large plots of land in Solano County, a largely agricultural region 60 miles northeast of San Francisco. The company is the brainchild of Jan Sramek, a 36-year-old former Goldman Sachs trader. The investors include Silicon Valley bigwigs like Michael Moritz, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen, and the Collison brothers, co-founders of Stripe.
The Vision
The company aims to transform an arid patch of brown hills into a community with tens of thousands of residents. The focus is on clean energy, public transportation, and dense urban life. The city aims to be a hub of innovation, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and governance models.
Technical Challenges and Solutions
Zoning and Legal Hurdles
One of the most significant challenges is that the land purchased is not zoned for residential use. To overcome this, Flannery Associates will have to lobby officials and convince locals to vote on a rezoning effort.
Environmental Concerns
The area is prone to regular droughts and is at high risk for wildfires. Any development would have to incorporate advanced environmental technologies and solutions to mitigate these risks.
Infrastructure and Connectivity
The area is currently cut by a two-lane highway, which is already clogged by commuters. The new city would require a complete overhaul of the transportation system, possibly incorporating autonomous vehicles and smart public transportation.
Cultural and Entertainment Implications
Who is the City For?
While the city promises to be a utopia, questions arise about its inclusivity. Will it cater only to the tech elite, or will it be accessible to people from all walks of life?
The Entertainment Quotient
Given the tech background of the investors, one can expect a city filled with cutting-edge entertainment options, possibly incorporating virtual reality, augmented reality, and other emerging technologies.
Future Implications
A Model for Future Cities?
If successful, this project could serve as a blueprint for future cities, incorporating technological advancements in a way that is sustainable and enhances the quality of life.
Economic Impact
The city could generate thousands of jobs and significantly boost the local economy. However, it could also drive up property prices in the surrounding areas, leading to gentrification.
Social and Ethical Questions
The project raises several ethical questions, including data privacy and surveillance, given that the city is likely to be heavily reliant on technology.
Conclusion
The Silicon Valley utopia is an ambitious project that promises to redefine urban living. However, it also raises several questions about inclusivity, sustainability, and the ethical implications of a tech-driven society. As the project moves from the drawing board to reality, it will be fascinating to see how it navigates these challenges and what it means for the future of urban development. | Emerging Technologies |
UK's $1.2 Billion Investment into Semiconductor Strategy
Updated: 2 minutes ago
The UK's Semiconductor Landscape
The United Kingdom, a nation known for its rich history and diverse culture, is now setting its sights on becoming a global leader in the semiconductor industry. The government has announced a bold and ambitious strategy, committing $1.2 billion to boost the country's semiconductor sector. This move is seen as a significant step towards ensuring the UK's future economic prosperity and technological competitiveness on the global stage.
The Importance of Semiconductors
Semiconductors are a crucial component of modern technology. They are found in a wide array of devices, from smartphones and computers to cars and medical equipment. The global demand for semiconductors has been growing exponentially, driven by the digital revolution and the rise of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and 5G. However, the supply of semiconductors has been struggling to keep up with this demand, leading to a global shortage.
The Global Semiconductor Shortage
The global semiconductor shortage has had far-reaching impacts, affecting various industries and economies worldwide. It has disrupted production lines, caused delays in product launches, and even led to price increases. The UK, like many other countries, has felt the effects of this shortage. Recognising the strategic importance of semiconductors and the need to secure a reliable supply, the UK government has decided to take action.
The UK's Semiconductor Strategy
The UK's semiconductor strategy is a comprehensive plan that aims to strengthen the country's semiconductor industry and address the global shortage. The government has pledged $1.2 billion to support this strategy, marking one of the largest investments in the sector in recent years. The funds will be used to support research and development, attract foreign investment, and build new semiconductor manufacturing facilities.
The Role of Newport Wafer Fab
A significant part of the UK's semiconductor strategy involves Newport Wafer Fab, the country's largest semiconductor producer. The government has been in talks with the company about a potential takeover, which would secure its future and ensure the UK's access to a reliable supply of semiconductors. This move has been met with some controversy, but the government maintains that it is in the national interest.
The Future of the UK's Semiconductor Industry
The UK's $1.2 billion semiconductor strategy is a bold move that signals the country's commitment to becoming a global leader in the semiconductor industry. It is a long-term investment that aims to secure the UK's technological future and economic prosperity. While there are challenges ahead, the strategy represents a significant step towards achieving these goals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the UK's semiconductor strategy is a testament to the country's ambition and foresight. It recognises the strategic importance of semiconductors in the modern world and the need to secure a reliable supply. With this strategy, the UK is positioning itself as a key player in the global semiconductor industry, ready to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the digital age. | Emerging Technologies |
- As tensions grow with China, U.S.-based venture capitalists are seeing investment opportunities in domestic defense tech.
- VC funding in aerospace and defense technology has shot up in recent years, according to data compiled by PitchBook for CNBC.
- "Everyone's kind of standing up their own their own practices to support the market," said Chris Power, CEO of Hadrian Automation.
That's because many U.S. startup investors have already retreated from China, after years of political mudslinging between the world's two largest economies led to increased sanctions and trade restrictions.
But with the door to the Chinese tech market closing, VCs are seeing new opportunities on their home turf. The U.S. government is actively promoting investments in semiconductors and broader industrial development, and investors are finding a widening talent pool invigorated to take on tough challenges in light of world events, with an explicit focus on protecting U.S. values.
"VCs are saying, 'Where's the most stable places to invest? And quite frankly, where's the talent?'" said Gilman Louie, co-founder of venture firm Alsop-Louie Partners. He's also CEO of America's Frontier Fund, which says in its mission statement that it's "committed to reinvigorating our nation's innovation and manufacturing prowess in critical frontier technology sectors."
"In uncertain times, when there's unpredictability and global stress, whether you're a U.S. investor or a foreign investor, you want to come to America to invest," Louie said.
Once seen as a vast market of opportunity for U.S. tech companies and investors, China is now filled with more risk than reward and is increasingly viewed as a rival in developing key technologies, including advanced artificial intelligence and quantum computing, that will drive global markets in the decades to come.
Last year, the U.S. announced export controls aimed at limiting Beijing's ability to produce advanced military systems, and more recently the Biden administration restricted the ability for U.S. investors to back critical tech in China.
Meanwhile, lawmakers passed the Chips and Science Act, which promised to pump tens of billions of dollars into semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. The goal is to reduce international dependence on chips that are key to development of electronics, cars and medical equipment and are becoming more important to national security with the rapid evolution of AI.
Lindsay Gorman, senior fellow for emerging technologies at the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy, said she's seen a "new crop of venture capitalists" in the last few years that prioritize U.S. tech competition with China and U.S. national security.
"Ten, 15 years ago, these geopolitical lines were not part of the equation," Gorman said.
Louie added that he doesn't "know of a single major fund out there that isn't thinking about disruptive tech investing in the U.S., investing in defense tech, investing in microelectronics and AI in the next generation and next iteration."
In Torrance, California, just south of Los Angeles, Hadrian Automation is building efficient factories to help space and defense companies get parts faster and cheaper. CEO Chris Power, who started the company in 2020, said he's seeing increased interest from large growth funds that have typically invested in software.
"Everyone's kind of standing up their own their own practices to support the market," Power said. Hadrian's early backers include Lux Capital and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, which have longer histories of investing in manufacturing and deep science.
VC funding in aerospace and defense tech has shot up in recent years, according to data compiled by PitchBook for CNBC. In 2019, 69 companies in the sector raised a total of $1.7 billion in value. In 2021, that jumped to 119 deals worth $6.4 billion. Last year, which was the worst for tech stocks since 2008, saw a slight slippage in the space to $5.6 billion, though the number of deals was the same as 2022, according to PitchBook.
The posterchild for U.S.-focused defense tech is Anduril Industries, co-founded in 2017 by Oculus Rift designer Palmer Luckey. The company, which ranked seventh on the latest CNBC Disruptor 50 List and has been valued at $8.4 billion by private investors, develops autonomous technology for national security and warfare.
On Thursday, Anduril announced the acquisition of Blue Force Technologies, which develops autonomous aircraft for defense and commercial customers.
While Anduril started with a focus on military contracts, other startups have navigated their way there.
Saildrone, which makes unmanned ships, was originally focused on monitoring environmental data for fisheries and agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It later became clear to CEO Richard Jenkins that the company needed to expand its aperture to bring in more revenue, since the government wasn't spending enough on science to make the business work. Bilal Zuberi, a partner at early investor Lux, asked the company if it would consider selling its products to the Navy or Coast Guard.
Zuberi said Jenkins came to him with a key concern. He was unsure how his team would react if the environmental company they joined began selling to the defense sector. Zuberi talked about how he sees the opportunity differently. Saildrone's technology can help prevent greater human casualty by, for example, learning of certain precise moves by the Chinese government in advance so the U.S. could send a warning signal and avoid a greater conflict.
Jenkins decided to make the pitch to his team. He told staffers he had a "pretty firm line on not weaponizing the platforms," and keeping the focus on data collection tools. He also said the company wasn't foregoing its climate work.
Saildrone didn't lose any employees as a result of the shift.
"There was a perception that the technology industry doesn't understand the importance of national security and what it takes to protect our democracy," Zuberi said. "And then the military doesn't care about the technology that we're developing. I think that perception has somewhat been shattered."
Zuberi said that for industry leaders it doesn't have to be about patriotism. They can just look at the untapped potential in defense tech.
"It's not like the last five years, suddenly investors woke up more patriotic than they used to be," Zuberi said. "I think they just realized that there's a big business opportunity here that they want to access."
Paul Kwan, managing director of venture firm General Catalyst, had a similar observation.
"What's changed around tech the last few years is people want to work on stuff that makes a difference and has a bigger impact on the world," said Kwan, who has written about the firm's "renewed" focus on "modern defense and intelligence."
"As a technologist, to work in defense was certainly taboo," said Kyle Harrison, general partner of Contrary Capital. "I think the conversation has been more open. I think there's still people that feel very strongly about it, for and against. But it used to be nobody really talked about it, where now people are acknowledging that it's really difficult to protect a lot of the values that you think are important if your defense apparatus is from the '80s."
Part of the movement is driven by an awareness of the Russian war in Ukraine, several VCs said, which has highlighted the role defense can play in protecting values of democracy.
"You have an aggressor nation, taking land and causing death and destruction to civilians," said Raj Shah, managing partner of Shield Capital, adding that tech workers "want to do something to help and they want to have meaning in their lives. And photo-sharing apps are only so important."
As Lux co-founder Josh Wolfe said, "Do you want to build software that has people clicking on ads, or do you want to do things that have a lasting impact on the safety and security of the American people and helping to reduce human suffering around the world?"
It's not just shifting sentiment within the tech community. There's also a growing openness from the U.S. defense community to procuring technology from newer players.
"The government's becoming a better customer," said Shah, who previously served as managing partner of the Defense Department's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which seeks to accelerate the use of emerging technologies. "It actually makes business sense to solve important security problems."
Power, the CEO of Hadrian, said the narrative of "Silicon Valley hates the government and the government hates Silicon Valley" is gone, even though he says "I don't think it was ever true."
"People are viewing selling software to the government as a real market opportunity versus something that may or may not happen or would take them ten years," Power said.
One area where the shift in mindset has become abundantly clear in the past year or two, Power said, is in recruiting. In the past, some potential prospects expressed little interest in manufacturing, but now Power said he finds many more people who are compelled to solve these problems.
Wolfe said that trend permeates throughout his portfolio.
"Money follows talent," Wolfe said. "And talent is going into hard tech." | Emerging Technologies |
A new study suggests that OpenAI’s GPT-3 can both inform and disinform more effectively than real people on social media. The research, published in Science Advances, also highlights the challenges of identifying synthetic (AI-generated) information, as GPT-3 can mimic human writing so well that people have difficulty telling the difference.
The study was motivated by the increasing attention and interest in AI text generators, particularly after the release of OpenAI’s GPT-3 in 2020. GPT-3 is a cutting-edge AI language model that can produce highly credible and realistic texts based on user prompts. It can be used for various beneficial applications, such as translation, dialogue systems, question answering, and creative writing.
However, there are also concerns about its potential misuse, particularly in generating disinformation, fake news, and misleading content, which could have harmful effects on society, especially during the ongoing infodemic of fake news and disinformation alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our research group is dedicated to understanding the impact of scientific disinformation and ensuring the safe engagement of individuals with information,” explained study author Federico Germani, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine and director of Culturico.
“We aim to mitigate the risks associated with false information on individual and public health. The emergence of AI models like GPT-3 sparked our interest in exploring how AI influences the information landscape and how people perceive and interact with information and misinformation.”
To conduct the study, the researchers focused on 11 topics prone to disinformation, including climate change, vaccine safety, COVID-19, and 5G technology. They generated synthetic tweets using GPT-3 for each of these topics, creating both true and false tweets. Additionally, they collected a random sample of real tweets from Twitter on the same topics, including both true and false ones.
Next, the researchers employed expert assessment to determine whether the synthetic and organic tweets contained disinformation. They selected a subset of tweets for each category (synthetic false, synthetic true, organic false, and organic true) based on the expert evaluation.
They then programmed a survey using the Qualtrics platform to collect data from 697 participants. Most of the respondents were from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, United States, and Ireland. The survey displayed the tweets to respondents, who had to determine whether each tweet contained accurate information or disinformation and whether it was written by a real person or generated by an AI. The survey used a gamified approach to keep respondents engaged.
The researchers found that people were better at recognizing disinformation in “organic false” tweets (written by real users) compared to “synthetic false” tweets (generated by GPT-3). In other words, people were more likely to identify false information when it came from real users on Twitter.
“One noteworthy finding was that disinformation generated by AI was more convincing than that produced by humans,” Germani said.
On the other hand, people were more likely to correctly recognize accurate information in “synthetic true” tweets (generated by GPT-3) compared to “organic true” tweets (written by real users). This means that when GPT-3 produced accurate information, people were more likely to identify it as true compared to accurate information written by real users.
The study also revealed that people had a hard time distinguishing between tweets written by real users and those generated by GPT-3. GPT-3 was able to mimic human writing styles and language patterns so effectively that people could not easily tell the difference.
“The most surprising discovery was that participants often perceived information produced by AI as more likely to come from a human, more often than information produced by an actual person. This suggests that AI can convince you of being a real person more than a real person can convince you of being a real person, which is a fascinating side finding of our study,” Germani told PsyPost.
“Our study emphasizes the challenge of differentiating between information generated by AI and that created by humans. It highlights the importance of critically evaluating the information we receive and placing trust in reliable sources. Additionally, I would encourage individuals to familiarize themselves with these emerging technologies to grasp their potential, both positive and negative.”
The researchers also observed that GPT-3 sometimes refused to generate disinformation while, in other cases, it produced disinformation even when instructed to generate accurate information.
“It’s important to note that our study was conducted in a controlled experimental environment. While it raises concerns about the effectiveness of AI in generating persuasive disinformation, we have yet to fully understand the real-world implications,” Germani said.
“Addressing this requires conducting larger-scale studies on social media platforms to observe how people interact with AI-generated information and how these interactions influence behavior and adherence to recommendations for individual and public health.”
The study, “AI model GPT-3 (dis)informs us better than humans“, was authored by Giovanni Spitale, Nikola Biller-Andorno, and Federico Germani. | Emerging Technologies |
A new way of sucking carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in the sea has been outlined by scientists.
The authors say that this novel approach captures CO2 from the atmosphere up to three times more efficiently than current methods.
The warming gas can be transformed into bicarbonate of soda and stored safely and cheaply in seawater.
The new method could speed up the deployment of carbon removal technology, experts say.
While the world has struggled to limit and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in recent decades, several companies have instead focussed on developing technology to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Climeworks in Switzerland is perhaps the best known. Over the past ten years it has developed machines to suck in the air from the atmosphere that filter and trap the carbon dioxide molecules.
At a plant in Iceland the captured CO2 is injected deep underground where it is permanently turned into stone.
The company has recently started selling a certified carbon removal service to large corporate clients including Microsoft, Spotify and Stripe.
However, one big problem for most current approaches to direct air capture is cost.
CO2, although a powerful warming agent, is relatively diluted in the atmosphere at around 400 parts per million (ppm) in air.
So big machines that require large amounts of energy are needed to both absorb and discharge the CO2.
This new approach, using off-the-shelf resins and other chemicals, promises far greater efficiency and lower cost, say the scientists involved.
The research team have borrowed an approach used for applications in water, and "tweaked" existing materials to remove CO2 from the air.
In tests, the new hybrid absorbing material was able to take in three times as much CO2 as existing substances.
"To my knowledge, there is no absorbing material which even at 100,000 ppm, shows the capacity we get it in direct air capture of 400 ppm," said lead author Prof Arup SenGupta from Lehigh University in the US.
"This simple ability to capture CO2 at a high quantity, in a small volume of material, is a unique aspect of our work."
The development, while in its early stages, has been welcomed by others in the field.
"I am happy to see this paper in the published literature, it is very exciting, and it stands a good chance of transforming the CO2 capture efforts," said Prof Catherine Peters from Princeton University, an expert in geological engineering, who wasn't involved in the research project.
"What is clever about this is that the starting point was a technology previously designed for applications in water. This advance applies this technology to the gas phase - a new idea."
"The demonstrated performance for CO2 capture is promising."
One of the big challenges in capturing CO2 is what to do with the trapped gas.
Storing it under the ground or sea in former oil wells is one widely used approach. But the new paper suggests that with the addition of some chemicals the captured CO2 can be transformed into bicarbonate of soda and stored simply and safely in sea water.
Dr SenGupta says he now wants to establish a spin-off company to develop the technology further.
He believes that removing CO2 in this way will not only be critical to limiting the rise in global temperatures but could also be directly empowering for developing countries.
"We have to take it to places like Bangladesh, Barbados or the Maldives, they also have a role to play, they cannot be just bystanders who keep suffering."
Some scientists are reluctant to put too much emphasis on new and emerging technologies like direct air capture because they fear that it could dilute the carbon cutting efforts of governments and individuals.
But with the temperature thresholds of the Paris climate agreement under threat from rising emissions, many others feel that the rapid deployment of direct air capture in addition to massive cuts in carbon is the best hope of avoiding dangerous climate change.
"It has become even more important now that we are definitely in an overshoot regime, where we have to take carbon back from the environment," said Prof Klaus Lackner, a pioneer in the field of removing CO2.
"DAC will have to get cheaper to make a useful contribution. I am optimistic that it can do this."
Professor SenGupta shares that optimism, believing that this new approach can remove CO2 for less than $100 a tonne.
The research has been published in the journal, Science Advances. | Emerging Technologies |
- As the Biden administration pushes for more wind power and solar energy, renewable energy industries will soon generate tons of waste.
- A wind turbine is recyclable, from the steel tower to the composite blades, typically 170 feet long, but most ends up being thrown away, a waste total that will reach a cumulative mass of 2.2 million metric tons by 2050.
- Currently, about 90% of end-of-life or defective solar panels also end up in landfills, largely because it costs far less to dump them than to recycle them.
- "We have done a phenomenal job making solar efficient and cost-effective, but really have not done anything yet on making it circular and dealing with the end-of-life," says Solarcycle CEO Suvi Sharma.
The growing importance of wind and solar energy to the U.S. power grid, and the rise of electric vehicles, are all key to the nation's growing need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, lower carbon emissions and mitigate climate change.
But at the same time, these burgeoning renewable energy industries will soon generate tons of waste as millions of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, wind turbines and lithium-ion EV batteries reach the end of their respective lifecycles.
As the saying goes, though, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Anticipating the pileup of exhausted clean-energy components — and wanting to proactively avoid past sins committed by not responsibly cleaning up after decommissioned coal mines, oil wells and power plants — a number of innovative startups are striving to create a sustainable, and lucrative, circular economy to recover, recycle and reuse the core components of climate tech innovation.
Wind and solar energy combined to generate 13.6% of utility-scale electricity last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and those numbers will undoubtedly rise as renewable energy continues to scale up. Some leading utilities across the nation are far ahead of that pace already.
Meanwhile, sales of all-electric vehicles rose to 5.8% of the total 13.8 million vehicles Americans purchased in 2022, up from 3.2% in 2021. And with the Environmental Protection Agency's newly proposed tailpipe emissions limits and power plant rules, EV sales could capture a 67% market share by 2032 and more utilities be forced to accelerate their power generation transition.
Solarcycle is a prime example of the companies looking to solve this climate tech waste problem of the future. Launched last year in Oakland, California, it has since constructed a recycling facility in Odessa, Texas, where it extracts 95% of the materials from end-of-life solar panels and reintroduces them into the supply chain. It sells recovered silver and copper on commodity markets and glass, silicon and aluminum to panel manufacturers and solar farm operators.
"Solar is becoming the dominant form of power generation," Solarcycle CEO Suvi Sharma said, citing an EIA report stating that 54% of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity in the U.S. this year will come from solar. "But with that comes a new set of challenges and opportunities. We have done a phenomenal job making solar efficient and cost-effective, but really have not done anything yet on making it circular and dealing with the end-of-life [panels]."
The average lifespan of a solar panel is about 25 to 30 years, and there are more than 500 million already installed across the country, Sharma said, ranging from a dozen on a residential home's rooftop to thousands in a commercial solar farm. With solar capacity now rising an average of 21% annually, tens of millions more panels will be going up — and coming down. Between 2030 and 2060, roughly 9.8 million metric tons of solar panel waste are expected to accumulate, according to a 2019 study published in Renewable Energy.
Currently, about 90% of end-of-life or defective solar panels end up in landfills, largely because it costs far less to dump them than to recycle them. "We see that gap closing over the next five to 10 years significantly," Sharma said, "through a combination of recycling becoming more cost-effective and landfilling costs only increasing."
Indeed, the market for recycled solar panel materials is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years. A report by research firm Rystad Energy stated they'll be worth more than $2.7 billion in 2030, up from only $170 million last year, and accelerate to around $80 billion by 2050. The Department of Energy's National Renewable Laboratory (NREL) found that with modest government support, recycled materials can meet 30%-50% of solar manufacturing needs in the U.S. by 2040.
Both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provide tax credits and funding for domestic manufacturing of solar panels and components, as well as research into new solar technologies. Those provisions are intended to cut into China's dominant position in the global solar panel supply chain, which exceeds 80% today, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency.
One recipient of this federal funding is First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S. Founded in 1999 in Tempe, Arizona, the company has production facilities in Ohio and another under construction in Alabama. It has been awarded $7.3 million in research funds to develop a new residential rooftop panel that is more efficient than current silicon or thin-film modules.
First Solar has maintained an in-house recycling program since 2005, according to an email from chief product officer Pat Buehler. "We recognized that integrating circularity into our operations was necessary to scale the business in a sustainable way," he wrote. But rather than extracting metals and glass from retired panels and manufacturing scrap, "our recycling process provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules," he added.
Retired wind turbines present another recycling challenge, as well as business opportunities. The U.S. wind energy industry started erecting turbines in the early 1980s and has been steadily growing since. The American Clean Power Association estimates that today there are nearly 72,000 utility-scale turbines installed nationwide — all but seven of them land-based — generating 10.2% of the country's electricity.
Although the industry stalled over the past two years, due to supply chain snags, inflation and rising costs, turbine manufacturers and wind farm developers are optimistic that the tide has turned, especially given the subsidies and tax credits for green energy projects in the IRA and the Biden administration's pledge to jumpstart the nascent offshore wind sector.
The lifespan of a wind turbine is around 20 years, and most decommissioned ones have joined retired solar panels in landfills. However, practically everything comprising a turbine is recyclable, from the steel tower to the composite blades, typically 170 feet long, though the latest models exceed 350 feet.
Between 3,000 and 9,000 blades will be retired each year for the next five years in the U.S., and then the number will increase to between 10,000 and 20,000 until 2040, according to a 2021 study by NREL. By 2050, 235,000 blades will be decommissioned, translating to a cumulative mass of 2.2 million metric tons — or more than 60,627 fully loaded tractor trailers.
Players in the circular economy are determined not to let all that waste go to waste.
Knoxville-based Carbon Rivers, founded in 2019, has developed technology to shred not only turbine blades but also discarded composite materials from the automotive, construction and marine industries and convert them through a pyrolysis process into reclaimed glass fiber. "It can be used for next-generation manufacturing of turbine blades, marine vessels, composite concrete and auto parts," said chief strategy officer David Morgan, adding that the process also harvests renewable oil and synthetic gas for reuse.
While processing the shredded materials is fairly straightforward, transporting massive turbine blades and other composites over long distances by rail and truck is more complicated. "Logistics is far and away the most expensive part of this entire process," Morgan said.
In addition to existing facilities in Tennessee and Texas, Carbon Rivers plans to build sites in Florida, Pennsylvania and Idaho over the next three years, strategically located near wind farms and other feedstock sources. "We want to build another five facilities in the U.K. and Europe, then get to the South American and Asian markets next," he said.
In the spirit of corporate sustainability — specifically not wanting their blades piling up in landfills — wind turbine manufacturers themselves are contracting with recycling partners. In December 2020, General Electric's Renewable Energy unit signed a multi-year agreement with Boston-based Veolia North America to recycle decommissioned blades from land-based GE turbines in the U.S.
Veolia North America opened up a recycling plant in Missouri in 2020, where it has processed about 2,600 blades to date, according to Julie Angulo, senior vice president, technical and performance. "We are seeing the first wave of blades that are 10 to 12 years old, but we know that number is going to go up year-on-year," she said.
Using a process known as kiln co-processing, Veolia reconstitutes shredded blades and other composite materials into a fuel it then sells to cement manufacturers as a replacement for coal, sand and clay. The process reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 27% and consumption of water by 13% in cement production.
"Cement manufacturers want to walk away from coal for carbon emissions reasons," Angulo said. "This is a good substitute, so they're good partners for us."
GE's wind turbine competitors are devising ways to make the next generation of blades inherently more recyclable. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has begun producing fully recyclable blades for both its land-based and offshore wind turbines and has said it plans to make all of its turbines fully recyclable by 2040. Vestas Wind Systems has committed to producing zero-waste wind turbines by 2040, though it has not yet introduced such a version. In February, Vestas introduced a new solution that renders epoxy-based turbine blades to be broken down and recycled.
Lithium-ion batteries have been in use since the early 1990s, at first powering laptops, cell phones and other consumer electronics, and for the past couple of decades EVs and energy storage systems. Recycling of their valuable innards — lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper — is focused on EVs, especially as automakers ramp up production, including building battery gigafactories. But today's EV batteries have a lifespan of 10-20 years, or 100,000-200,000 miles, so for the time being, recyclers are primarily processing battery manufacturers' scrap.
Toronto-based Li-Cycle, launched in 2016, has developed a two-step technology that breaks down batteries and scrap to inert materials and then shreds them, using a hydrometallurgy process, to produce minerals that are sold back into the general manufacturing supply chain. To avoid high transportation costs for shipping feedstock from various sites, Li-Cycle has geographically interspersed four facilities — in Alabama, Arizona, New York and Ontario — where it's deconstructed. It is building a massive facility in Rochester, New York, where the materials will be processed.
"We're on track to start commissioning the Rochester [facility] at the end of this year," said Li-Cycle's co-founder and CEO Ajay Kochhlar. Construction has been funded by a $375 loan from the Department of Energy (DOE), he said, adding that since the company went public, it's also raised about $1 billion in private deals.
A different approach to battery recycling is underway at Redwood Materials, founded outside of Reno, Nevada, in 2017 by JB Straubel, the former chief technology officer and co-founder of Tesla. Redwood also uses hydrometallurgy to break down batteries and scrap, but produces anode copper foil and cathode-active materials for making new EV batteries. Because the feedstock is not yet plentiful enough, the nickel and lithium in its cathode products will only be about 30% from recycled sources, with the remainder coming from newly mined metals.
"We're aiming to produce 100 GWh/year of cathode-active materials and anode foil for one million EVs by 2025," Redwood said in an email statement. "By 2030, our goal is to scale to 500 GWh/year of materials, which would enable enough batteries to power five million EVs."
Besides its Nevada facility, Redwood has broken ground on a second one in Charleston, South Carolina. The privately held company said it has raised more than $1 billion, and in February it received a conditional commitment from the DOE for a $2-billion loan from the DOE as part of the IRA. Last year Redwood struck a multi-billion dollar deal with Tesla's battery supplier Panasonic, and it's also inked partnerships with Volkswagen Group of America, Toyota, Ford and Volvo.
Ascend Elements, headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, utilizes hydrometallurgy technology to extract cathode-active material mostly from battery manufacturing scrap, but also spent lithium-ion batteries. Its processing facility is strategically located in Covington, Georgia, a state that has attracted EV battery makers, including SK Group in nearby Commerce, as well as EV maker Rivian, near Rutledge, and Hyundai, which is building an EV factory outside of Savannah.
Last October, Ascend began construction on a second recycling facility, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, using federal dollars earmarked for green energy projects. "We have received two grant awards from the [DOE] under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that totaled around $480 million," said CEO Mike O'Kronley. Such federal investments, he said, "incentivizes infrastructure that needs to be built in the U.S., because around 96% of all cathode materials are made in East Asia, in particular China."
As the nation continues to build out a multi-billion-dollar renewable energy supply chain around solar, wind and EVs, simultaneously establishing a circular economy to recover, recycle and reuse end-of-life components from those industries is essential in the overarching goal of battling climate change.
"It's important to make sure we keep in mind the context of these emerging technologies and understand their full lifecycle," said Garvin Heath, a senior energy sustainability analyst at NREL. "The circular economy provides a lot of opportunities to these industries to be as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible at a relatively early phase of their growth." | Emerging Technologies |
Here’s the basic problem for conservation at a global level: food production, biodiversity and carbon storage in ecosystems are competing for the same land. As humans demand more food, so more forests and other natural ecosystems are cleared, and farms intensify and become less hospitable to many wild animals and plants. Therefore global conservation, currently focused on the COP15 summit in Montreal, will fail unless it addresses the underlying issue of food production. Fortunately, a whole raft of new technologies is being developed that make a system-wide revolution in food production feasible. According to recent research by one of us (Chris), this transformation could meet increased global food demands by a growing human population on less than 20% of the world’s existing farmland. Or in other words, these technologies could release at least 80% of existing farmland from agriculture in about a century. Around four-fifths of the land used for human food production is allocated to meat and dairy, including both range lands and crops specifically grown to feed livestock. Add up the whole of India, South Africa, France and Spain and you have the amount of land devoted to crops that are then fed to livestock. Brazil’s enormous soy farms mostly produce food for animals, not humans. lourencolf / shutterstock Despite growing numbers of vegetarians and vegans in some countries, global meat consumption has increased by more than 50% in the past 20 years and is set to double this century. As things stand, producing all that extra meat will mean either converting even more land into farms, or cramming even more cows, chickens and pigs into existing land. Neither option is good for biodiversity. Beef and lamb might contain plenty of protein but they use vast amounts of land. OurWorldInData (data: Poore & Nemecek (2018)), CC BY-SA Meat and dairy production is already an unpleasant business. For instance, most chickens are grown in high-density feeding operations, and pork, beef and especially dairy farming is going the same way. Current technologies are cruel, polluting and harmful to biodiversity and the climate – don’t be misled by cartoons of happy cows with daisies protruding from their lips. Unless food production is tackled head-on, we are left resisting inevitable change, often with no hope of long-term success. We need to tackle the cause of biodiversity change. The principal global approach to climate change is to focus on the cause and minimise greenhouse gas emissions, not to manufacture billions of parasols (though we may need these too). The same is required for biodiversity. So, how can we do this? Cellular agriculture provides an alternative, and could be one of this century’s most promising technological advancements. Sometimes called “lab-grown food”, the process involves growing animal products from real animal cells, rather than growing actual animals. If growing meat or milk from animal cells sounds strange or icky to you, let’s put this into perspective. Imagine a brewery or cheese factory: a sterile facility filled with metal vats, producing large volumes of beer or cheese, and using a variety of technologies to mix, ferment, clean and monitor the process. Swap the barley or milk for animal cells and this same facility becomes a sustainable and efficient producer of dairy or meat products. Animal cruelty would be eliminated and, with no need for cows wandering around in fields, the factory would take up far less space to produce the same amount of meat or milk. The cultivation room at California-based Upside Foods which uses cellular agriculture to produce meat. David Kay / Upside Foods Other emerging technologies include microbial protein production, where bacteria use energy derived from solar panels to convert carbon dioxide and nitrogen and other nutrients into carbohydrates and proteins. This could generate as much protein as soybeans but in just 7% of the area. These could then be used as protein food additives (a major use of soy) and animal feed (including for pets). It is even possible to generate sugars and carbohydrates using desalination or through extracting CO₂ from the atmosphere, all without ever passing through a living plant or animal. The resulting sugars are chemically the same as those derived from plants but would be generated in a tiny fraction of the area required by conventional crops. What to do with old farmland These new technologies can have a huge impact even if demand keeps growing. Even though Chris’s research is based on the assumption that global meat consumption will double, it nonetheless suggests that at least 80% of farmland could be released to be used for something else. That land might become nature reserves or be used to store carbon, for example, in forests or the waterlogged soils of peat bogs. It could be used to grow sustainable building materials, or simply to produce more human-edible crops, among other uses. Gone too will be industrial livestock systems that produce huge volumes of manure, bones, blood, guts, antibiotics and growth hormones. Thereafter, any remaining livestock farming could be carried out in a compassionate manner. Longhorn cattle on a rewilding project in England: if we got most of our protein and carbs through new technologies, this sort of compassionate and wildlife-friendly farming could be scaled up. Chris Thomas, Author provided Since there would be less pressure on the land, there would be less need for chemicals and pesticides and crop production could become more wildlife-friendly (global adoption of organic farming is not feasible at present because it is less productive). This transition must be coupled with a full transition towards renewable energy as the new technologies require lots of power. Converting these technologies into mass-market production systems will of course be tricky. But a failure to do so is likely to lead to ever-increasing farming intensity, escalating numbers of confined animals, and even more lost nature. Avoiding this fate – and achieving the 80% farmland reduction – will require a lot of political will and a cultural acceptance of these new forms of food. It will require economic and political “carrots” such as investment, subsidies and tax breaks for desirable technologies, and “sticks” such as increased taxation and removal of subsidies for harmful technologies. Unless this happens, biodiversity targets will continue to be missed, COP after COP. Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 10,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far. | Emerging Technologies |
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a sweeping package of climate legislation into law on Friday, aiming to accelerate the Golden State’s transition to clean energy. Among the long list of initiatives to receive gubernatorial approval were measures to cut air pollution by 60 percent and reduce state oil consumption by 91 percent over the next two decades, according to the governor’s office. Within the same time frame, the bills intend to save California $23 billion by avoiding damages caused by pollution, reduce fossil fuel use in buildings and transportation by 92 percent and slash refinery pollution by 94 percent. “We could talk about the way the world should be and protest it, or we can actually make demonstrable progress — and we took the latter approach here,” Newsom said at a press conference Friday morning on Mare Island, in Solano County northeast of San Francisco. “As a consequence of doing so, there’s no other jurisdiction in the world — think about that — that’s doing what the state of California is doing,” the governor added. Newsom signed the slate of bills alongside the politicians who authored them in front of the U.S. Forest Service’s Regional Office, which is powered by clean energy and provides electricity to the grid. The advancement of the bills constitutes “an essential piece” of the governor’s California Climate Commitment — a $54 billion action plan that aims to create 4 million jobs, according to Newsom’s office. The governor described this step as “the most aggressive action on climate our nation has ever seen,” in a statement released ahead of the signing. “We’re cleaning the air we breathe, holding the big polluters accountable, and ushering in a new era for clean energy,” Newsom said in the statement. California state lawmakers passed many of the bills in question just two weeks ago, as their legislative session ticked to a close and amid a brutal heatwave, as The Hill reported. Among the bills Newsom signed into law on Friday — six of more than 40 in a broad climate package — was S.B. 1020, which focuses on creating a clean electricity grid. S.B. 1020 will require 90 percent of California’s electricity to come from clean energy sources by 2035 and 95 percent by 2040 — interim targets toward a 100 percent goal for 2045. In addition, all electricity procured for state agencies will need to come from clean energy by 2035, according to the bill. Another key piece of legislation to become law was S.B. 1137, which will prohibit oil drilling within 3,200 feet of places where residents live, work and learn. The bill also ensures that comprehensive pollution controls are in place for existing oil wells already situated within 3,200 feet of such facilities. A bill focusing on carbon neutrality, A.B. 1279, establishes “a clear, legally binding and achievable goal” that urges carbon neutrality as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, according to the governor’s office. A.B. 1279 also sets an 85 percent emissions reduction target for that year and a 40 percent reduction target for 2030, in comparison to 1990 levels. S.B. 905 and S.B. 1314 are centered on the development of carbon capture and removal technologies, which aim to take carbon dioxide generated by power plants out of the atmosphere and store it permanently. The bills establish a regulatory framework for the advancement of these emerging technologies, while also banning the injection of carbon dioxide into wells — a practice that enhances oil recovery. A.B. 1757 focuses on nature, by requiring the state to develop an achievable carbon removal target for natural and working lands, according to the governor’s office. “I think the world is waking up,” Newsom said at the Friday press conference. “There’s this great awakening — because if you don’t believe in science, you have to believe your own eyes.” Although environmental groups have largely applauded the passage of these bills, some groups expressed disappointment about certain measures that did not win legislative approval. For example, a proposal to establish stricter emissions reduction targets passed the state Senate but failed to do so in the Assembly. Another item that faced significant backlash was a bill that Newsom signed into law earlier this month — S.B. 846 — which extended the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. While Newsom argued that extending the operations would ensure a reliable, carbon-free power supply as the state transitions to renewables, environmental groups questioned both the safety and financial risks associated with the move. These disagreements notwithstanding, both Newsom and state lawmakers emphasized the importance on Friday of taking collaborative, swift action on solving the climate crisis. “This legislative session, we took bold action to address these severe conditions and mitigate future risk both through our state budget and key legislation,” Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D) said in a statement. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D) expressed his satisfaction that lawmakers were able to come together and “enact a package like this as a team.” “We are just getting started,” Rendon added. | Emerging Technologies |
The following is adapted from Manufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity, by Samuel Woolley, just published by Yale University Press. Copyright © 2023 Yale University Press. Reprinted by permission of Yale University Press.
If you met D.W., a small business owner living in a city in the United Kingdom, you wouldn’t think he masterminded sophisticated computational propaganda campaigns out of his small apartment’s living room. But he runs hordes of bot and sockpuppet accounts across several social media platforms, making him what I call an “automated political influencer.” He’s just one of many regular folks who hold down a range of normal-seeming day jobs while running fairly complex influence campaigns on their own time.
Most of the automated political influencers I’ve met do their work without any direction or support from a political campaign or government. They do it simply because they want to—because they believe in the causes, politics, and viewpoints they are spreading, and they want to give them a wider currency. Of course, there are some individuals that receive some government support for this type of work; for example, citizens in Venezuela who spread pro-government Twitter propaganda receive small payments or vouchers from the state. But this is not the case for the automated influencers working across the world to achieve their own offbeat political goals.
The people I am concerned with represent a phenomenon fairly singular to the present day: For the first time, technology allows everyday people to run propaganda operations at scale without much coding knowledge or financial outlay. Easily available consumer-level technologies—the internet, various automation tools like “If This, Then That” (IFTTT), and increasingly approachable coding languages like Python (which my interviewees regularly mentioned as their go-to language for bot creation)—now allow propaganda to be created and spread by the mom next door, your dad’s fishing buddy, or that nice clerk at the hardware store. These individual propagandists range in age, from teenagers to retirees. The only prerequisites are that they have access to a computer, an interest in politics, and a rudimentary education (they are most often self-taught) in social media marketing.
D.W. told me that he used both social media bots, sockpuppet accounts, and other forms of bots for a variety of purposes. He viewed his use of online automation as a form of political dissent, as activism. He first started “playing around” with bots when he became unemployed. In the U.K., if you are unemployed, you can receive a job seeker’s allowance, but you must be actively applying for jobs. D.W. wrote a piece of code to automate job applications for him so that he could get his stipend. According to him, the terms and conditions of the government website did not prohibit automating the process, and to him this was a form of protest—an exercise that “expose[d] the horrible bureaucracy that people get caught up in for being poor.” Later, he began building social media bots to spread messages of support for Jeremy Corbin and the U.K. Labour Party. D.W. experimented with different personalities for these political bots: some used humor, some were sincere, others were sarcastic or passive. His goal, he said, was to figure out which one got people to actually engage. He was after behavioral change.
D.W. does most of what he does for political reasons, because he is individually invested in politics. Other individual automated political influencers work for money. These influencers are not being paid in the same way as the villagers in Venezuela—getting cents on the dollar from the government for tweets. Many of the automated political influencers I spoke to in this category saw their bot-building as a freelance business. Many offered their services via websites like Fiverr, an Israeli-based online marketplace where people bid rock-bottom prices for online services; this subset of influencers sold or rented social media bots for small amounts of money.
Other freelance bot builders used social media bots to bring in ad revenue by driving attention to their own social media profiles or websites. Still others had large, sophisticated operations, renting out entire social media botnets to anyone with money. They are generally mercenary in their approach, working for groups with a range of political leanings—as long as they pay. A teammate of mine at Oxford spoke to the proprietor of one such operation in Poland, who said he maintained over 40,000 unique online identities that he rented out for “guerilla marketing” purposes to various political and commercial entities. His accounts—cyborg accounts that used both automation and human oversight—could be launched to talk up particular products or companies in a way that seemed organic. As he openly admitted during the interview, he had also rented his accounts out for political purposes during national and European Union–wide electoral campaigns.
Most of these individual digital propagandists’ bot accounts take advantage of online anonymity (although some—especially those seeking ad revenue—did automate social media profiles that used their real names). They all depend to some degree on bots, sockpuppets, or other automated features of the web, including trending and recommendation algorithms. And definitionally, they all engaged in at least some inherently political work. The influencers I sought out and spoke to are not those who use bots simply to sell regular commercial products (though some do that too): the people I am talking about here are all using digital tools to sell political ideas.
There has been a recent shift in how automated political influencers (and even organic, nonautomated political influencers) operate. Political campaigns and other elite actor groups have taken notice of influencers who are interested in politics—both celebrity and small-scale. Members of my research team and I documented our research in Wired into the rise of the latter group—what we called the partisan nanoinfluencer in politics.
These nanoinfluencers, who generally have a following of 5,000 or fewer, are now being recruited and paid by political campaigns and other groups to spread particular types of content during elections. According to the digital political marketers we have spoken to, the logic is that these regular people have more intimate, local connections with their followers, and because of this their messages hit harder. (This is the same principle I’ve seen used for WhatsApp propaganda campaigns: that we are more likely to believe and act on information we hear from a trusted source with whom we feel a personal connection.) According to our own experience and that of other researchers, it’s likely that some of these influencers—both celebrity influencers and “regular” nanoinfluencers—use social bots to achieve their goals.
In many ways, the use of paid influencers is a logical step for propagandists working online. Human-run accounts are, after all, more difficult for platforms to justifiably delete than bots or sockpuppets. It can be hard, put another way, for entities like Meta, Twitter, and Alphabet to judge such activity as coordinated inauthentic behavior, which would be grounds for suspension or deletion.
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Nevertheless, it’s crucial for platforms and governments to consider how to regulate this activity. What happens when hordes of paid (or unpaid, for that matter) influencers systematically spread misleading content about how, when, or where to vote? When they systematically harass particular candidates, journalists, or demographic groups? If they are working on behalf of a political campaign, what happens if they don’t disclose this connection? These questions must be considered and addressed via clear, democratic, and technologically feasible policies. Also, crucially, people, and especially young people, around the world must be educated about the rise of influencer astroturfing. The more aware of the problem of online manipulation we become, the less likely we are to be swayed by it. Candidly—after years of watching tech companies and policy makers spin their wheels in the face of these issues—it is more clear to me than ever that ground-up, grassroots, efforts will provide the most effective solutions.
Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. | Emerging Technologies |
by K.S. Harikrishnan, SciDev.Net Transparent wood may be a sustainable alternative for glass or plastic used for making windshields, see-through packaging and biomedical devices. Credit: Anish M. Chathoth Transparent wood promises to be an environmentally friendly substitute for glass or plastic used for making car windshields, see-through packaging and biomedical devices, according to a study. Published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, the study said transparent wood reduced ecological impacts on the environment because of its renewable and biodegradable properties. It is also said to be cost-efficient as it is five times more efficient than glass thus cutting energy cost significantly.
The world currently produces around 400 million tons of plastic waste each year, with increasing levels of single-use plastic which is used and then discarded, according to the UN Environment Program. Now, transparent wood is emerging as one of the most promising substitute materials of the future.
"Transparent wood as a material can replace the environmentally harmful petroleum-based plastics such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylic, polyethylene, etc.," said Prodyut Dhar, an author of the study and assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology's biochemical engineering school.
Originally fabricated in 1992 by German scientist Siegfried Fink and since improved upon by other researchers, transparent wood is made by removing the lignin content in wood and replacing it with transparent, plastic materials. Lignin is a naturally occurring biopolymer which supports plant tissue; unlike plastics it can biodegrade and is non-toxic.
"Plastics are used as a substitute for glass which is (naturally) fragile. However, transparent wood is an even better alternative from an ecological perspective as observed in our life-cycle analysis," said Dhar.
According to the authors, production of transparent wood using sodium chlorite to remove lignin from wood and infiltrating it with epoxy infiltration had far less environmental impacts than commonly used methods that rely on the use of methacrylate polymer.
The end-of-life analysis suggests that, transparent wood is less environmentally friendly than glass but is still better than producing polyethylene, indicating the need to improve the production technology, the authors said.
Anish M. Chathoth, an assistant professor at Kerala Agricultural University's College of Forestry, in India, and a transparent wood researcher at the Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore, said the fabrication of transparent wood has generated a lot of recent interest due to its favorable physical, mechanical and optical properties.
"Transparent wood is mostly developed using thin slices of wood, and has good strength as that of regular wood but is lighter in weight. The scope for imparting multiple and advanced properties through the incorporation of specialized materials makes it a unique bio-based substrate for versatile applications," Chathoth told SciDev.Net.
"In recent times transparent wood has been used in construction, energy storage, flexible electronics and packaging applications," said Chathoth, "adding that given the growing concerns about the environmental impact of petroleum-based plastic materials, transparent wood has a role in maintaining environmental sustainability." More information: Rohit Rai et al, Life cycle assessment of transparent wood production using emerging technologies and strategic scale-up framework, Science of The Total Environment (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157301 Provided by SciDev.Net Citation: Transparent wood could soon replace plastics (2022, October 18) retrieved 19 October 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-transparent-wood-plastics.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. | Emerging Technologies |
Google and Apple dominate the market for online maps, charging mobile app developers for access to their mapping services. The other mega-cap tech companies are joining together to help create another option.
The Overture Maps Foundation, which was established late last year, captured 59 million “points of interest,” such as restaurants, landmarks, streets and regional borders. The data has been cleaned and formatted so it can be used for free as the base layer for a new map application.
Meta and Microsoft collected and donated the data to Overture, according to Marc Prioleau, executive director of the OMF. Data on places is often difficult to collect and license, and building map data requires lots of time and staff to gather and clean it, he told CNBC in an interview.
“We have some companies that, if they wanted to invest to build the map data, they could,” Prioleau said. Rather than spending that kind of money, he said, companies were asking, “Can we just get collaboration around the open base map?”
Overture is aiming to establish a baseline for maps data so that companies can use it to build and operate their own maps.
For many companies, Google’s and Apple’s maps aren’t ideal, because they don’t provide access to the underlying data. Instead, those companies allow app makers to use their maps as a service and, in many cases, charge each time the underlying map is accessed.
For example, app makers pay per thousand Google Maps lookups through an application programming interface (API). Apple allows access to Apple Maps for free for native app developers, but web app developers need to pay.
“That works for a lot of people, but not for others,” Prioleau said.
Overture is only offering the underlying map data, leaving it up to companies to build their own software on top of it.
Digital maps are important for nearly all mobile apps. Emerging technologies such as augmented reality and self-driving cars also require high-quality mapping software to work. Using Overture’s data, companies can integrate their proprietary information, such as exact pickup locations for a delivery app, to customize their offerings.
Overture isn’t the first organization to strive to create map data that can be used freely or cheaply. OpenStreetMap, founded in 2004, creates maps using crowdsourced data. Meta uses the data in its maps.
Prioleau, who worked at Meta until earlier this year, says Overture seeks to distinguish its data from OpenStreetMap’s by being more closely vetted and curated.
One big challenge is keeping the map data up to date, as businesses close and roads change. The foundation hopes its members can contribute enough real-time information to enable the regular release of accurate updates instead of a one-time data dump. Prioleau envisions using artificial intelligence technology and other automated techniques to help.
“You build maps for the rest of your life,” Prioleau said, “which is also one of the reasons why these companies said, ‘Hey, we don’t get any huge benefit from cleaning up data, right? We’re willing to share that, that’s not a strategic advantage for us.’” | Emerging Technologies |
Technology just keeps on changing its form with additional innovations. Historically, we have witnessed that the very present always seems to be the peak of technology. Like in the 90s, we thought that there was nothing more to achieve with technology. However, regardless of that, there was and always is room for more innovation. In the 3rd decade of the 21st century, the world is witnessing an array of emerging technologies. In fact, consumers, businesses, and even governments can not sit back and relax on the current tech. Not only have the tech advancements moved away from traditional industry boundaries, but they have also become more integrated and mutually supportive. Contents1 Disruptive vs Emerging technology2 Emerging Tech 20232.1 Top emerging tech in healthcare – da Vinci Xi2.2 Top emerging tech in education – Interactive Holographic Teaching2.3 Top emerging tech for business – OpenAI’s DaVinci 0032.4 Top emerging technology in cyber security – Behavioral Analytics2.5 Top emerging technology in agriculture – Home hydroponics systems (HHS)2.6 Top emerging tech in computer science – Quantum computer wormhole2.7 Top emerging technology in food processing – Isochoric freezing2.8 Top emerging technology in 3D Printing – iCLIP 3D Printing3 Conclusion
Disruptive vs Emerging technology Due to the disruptive nature of technology, the pace of change is incredibly fast, and even “spikey” in times. While disruptive technology innovates, emerging technology refines. To be more specific, disruptive technology is revolutionary, emerging technology is often evolutionary. This means that disruptive technology often replaces existing technology while emerging technology often supplements it. Disruption shakes up the status quo, while emergence optimizes it. The best example of disruptive technology is the invention of the automobile. It replaced the horse and buggy, completely changing travel. On the other hand, the emergence of electric cars is a great example of emerging technology. It supplements the existing technology of gasoline cars, creating a more efficient, environmentally-friendly form of transportation. Emerging Tech 2023 Below are the top emerging technologies/tech products in each sector for 2023. We have selected the most promising and impactful ones: Top emerging tech in healthcare – da Vinci Xi The da Vinci Xi Surgical System provides a wide range of complex surgeries like urological procedures. It has an ultrasonic bath that meets the minimum requirements and requires a capital purchase. Along with this, the da Vinci Xi has a doorway and hallway with minimum dimensions, as well as an elevator with a capacity of 2100 lbs. and floor space of 70 inches by 48 inches. Image Credits: Intuitive This revolutionary robotic technology is actually bringing complex surgeries to life. After being released in 2021, it quickly became one of the most sought-after robotic surgery systems. Da Vinci medical robots are here since 2000. The latest version, the one we’re talking about, is the most advanced and sophisticated. Improved features like the new patient cart that allows surgeons to move and rotate the robot with the patient and its virtual care options, this system is revolutionizing robotic surgery. Top emerging tech in education – Interactive Holographic Teaching Mixed reality would be indeed the easiest guess if the question was about the future of education. But it’s already here; up and running. Image Credits: Lenovo Lenovo’s Interactive Holographic Teaching technology is emerging as the Next Big Thing in education. Being an immersive learning environment, it enables teachers to create a highly interactive teaching experience. This tech provides a mixed reality and holographic approach to traditional classroom teaching and online education. Lenovo Future Classroom offers many benefits. It allows teachers to conduct virtual experiments and observations that could be difficult outside of a state-of-the-art laboratory. The technology is also being used to bring together students from different campuses, cities, and countries. This improves access to quality educational resources, helping to promote educational equity. In fact, Interactive Holographic Teaching was selected by Fast Company as one of the 120 companies that are tackling basic societal problems. Image Credit: FastCompany. Lenovo’s Interactive Holographic Teaching (in the list of companies that are tackling basic societal problems) Top emerging tech for business – OpenAI’s DaVinci 003 As an emerging tech, OpenAI’s playground is disrupting content marketing, a key for any modern business. OpenAi’s latest GPT-3 model, Davinci 003 is the most powerful generative AI. It enables automated processes, such as data extraction, analytics, and customer service. It also helps with marketing activities, like content creation and email campaigns. Credits: OpenAI According to OpenAI, the model has gone through a big improvement from previous models davinci-002 and davinci-001. For example, instead of writing simple sentences, davinci-003 can produce entirely complex arguments and structures. Like, it can give examples, describe problems, and provide solutions. Businesses are already taking advantage of this new technology to generate high-quality content that can be easily customized. It also helps reduce the time needed to create content and manage campaigns. Top emerging technology in cyber security – Behavioral Analytics Behavioral Analytics is rapidly emerging in cyber security. It uses advanced analytics to identify abnormal user behavior and detect potential threats. The technology monitors user activity, detects anomalies, and flags suspicious activities for further investigation. Behavioral Analytics also uses anomaly detection to analyze various data points, such as user interactions, login locations, and application usage. It generally looks for patterns in user behavior that deviate from the norm. Some user behaviors can be indicative of malicious activity, such as accessing sensitive data or attempting to gain unauthorized access. Such behaviors may include: Logging in from unusual locations or devices Making frequent attempts to access restricted data Accessing data outside of normal working hours Unusually long periods of inactivity Nonsensical data entries (like repeatedly using an email address that doesn’t exist) Top emerging technology in agriculture – Home hydroponics systems (HHS) Home hydroponics systems are efficient and sustainable. These systems provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs with expert advice. For example, home hydroponics starter kits come with all the components necessary for setting up a hydroponic system. It means customers can shop with confidence. The hydroponic systems use nutrient-rich water, instead of soil, in order to provide the necessary nutrients for plant growth. Therefore, this technology is revolutionary in agriculture. AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit – Hydroponic Indoor Garden, Stainless Steel. Credits: Amazon.com As a revolutionizing HHS tech, “AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim” provides home hydroponics and a 6-Pod gourmet herb seed kit with all-natural Miracle-Gro Plant Food for an in-home garden system. Its high-performance LED lights ensure rapid growth and abundant harvests. This further ensures that you have fresh, local, in-season herbs and veggies all year round. Top emerging tech in computer science – Quantum computer wormhole After about a century of Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen’s theoretical work, the quantum computer wormhole is finally here. Being the most powerful emerging technology in computer science, quantum computer wormhole has been successfully created by Maria Spiropulu’s team. Utilizing Google’s quantum computer, Sycamore, the team has beaten competing physicists. This technology is revolutionary in the sense that it is a quantum gravity experiment on a chip. It means that the new tech could enable us to traverse through space-time by passing into an extra dimension. Credits: Quantamagazine.org The researchers also believe that the use of qubits could open the door to many more possibilities. For example, it could help us to explore the universe in ways never thought possible before. Top emerging technology in food processing – Isochoric freezing Food processing technology is rapidly advancing in the 21st century. It has now offered new possibilities for safe and high-quality products. Isochoric freezing is an emerging technology that offers a number of advantages over traditional freezing methods. It provides more uniform freezing and better preservation of food quality, while also reducing energy consumption and production costs. Roberto Avena-Bustillos (left) and Cristina Bilbao-Sainz demonstrate the use of isochoric freezing chambers. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through ift.org Additionally, it allows for more precise control over the freezing process, resulting in a more consistent product. As such, it is becoming increasingly popular in the food processing industry. Top emerging technology in 3D Printing – iCLIP 3D Printing iCLIP 3D Printing is an emerging tech capable of expanding the scope of 3D Printing. Developed by Stanford engineers, this technology uses multiple types of resin. It is 5-10 times faster than current printing methods. Credits: 3dnatives.com The 3-D Printing technology has recently started gaining attention. Credits: Stanford University iCLIP seeks to improve on some of the perceived limitations of CLIP while still leveraging its advantages. One of its key advantages is a “dead zone” or layer of oxygen that greatly decreases adhesion forces, leading to greatly increased printing speed. Conclusion 2023 is now about a day ahead of us. Tech advancements are constantly shifting and evolving, and 2023 promises to bring many new and exciting innovations. Make sure you keep an eye out for the top emerging technologies in each field to stay ahead of the curve. Author Recent Posts Britney Foster completed her degree in AI from Imperial College London in 2020. Britney, 26 is now a part time writer and student. She has previously had a career as an actress and an aerialist before deciding to take up writing. When she is not learning or writing you can find her doing yoga, going to the gym or playing board games with friends. Brit strictly hates when someone says "the future". She considers herself a futurist and believes that there is no such thing as future yet. | Emerging Technologies |
CIOs face more pressure than ever to drive business strategy forward with smart technology investments. But in addition to relying more heavily on tech leaders, the rest of the C-suite are more willing than ever to team with CIOs to achieve better business outcomes. CIO Goals: With More Cloud, Are You Getting More Value?Getty Images Tech leaders are guiding cohorts in the C-suite in making the technology investments that will be essential to long-term strategy — in particular, cloud-related transformation. Our 2022 US Cloud Business Survey found executives across the C-suite are taking active roles in all areas of cloud and digital strategies, even as companies are challenged to maximize ROI. CIOs are becoming chief educators and conveners, working with the rest of the C-suite to drive innovation and growth via new cloud-based products and services. Successful collaboration will likely require CIOs to consider other leaders’ priorities and concerns. COOs and CFOs, for example, are currently more conservative in their appetite for digital transformation investments (51% and 46%, respectively). This may be due to an intensified focus on shorter-term results amid rising inflation and demand challenges. At the same time, however, human resources, risk and tax leaders share a similar enthusiasm for continuing or expanding certain technology investments. Regardless of where individual executives fall, the most important thing for CIOs is to help build a unified team with deep digital and agile capabilities. How? Aligning cloud initiatives with business strategy and defining what constitutes cloud value in your organization is a good first step. CIOs and CFOs can join forces to create a clear picture of how cloud supports the company’s strategic goals and how leadership defines success. Our survey also found that almost half of business leaders (49%) attribute the inability to measure cloud value as a key barrier to achieving it. Similarly, CFOs say they lack confidence in their ability to accurately measure cloud ROI. Coming together on what constitutes success and how to measure it can help address these challenges. Introduce DevOps to help shorten time to value. Achieve faster, more efficient cloud implementation by breaking down silos and increasing collaboration among operations, development and quality assurance teams. PwC and AWS have embraced DevOps, which is as much a cultural mindset as it is a set of development methodologies. Accelerate the time to value with cloud. Microsoft Azure, for example, can help tech leaders align on strategy and value. Made up of more than 200 solutions, tailored for your specific industry, Azure can serve as the backbone of your company’s IT infrastructure, allowing it to run all kinds of applications without having to worry about servers slowing down or running out of space. It also provides a secure foundation where anyone — coders and non-coders — can build applications, chatbots and automations quickly and cost-effectively, and then deploy them to users, clients and other stakeholders across their industry and business. Prioritize cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is the No. 1 cloud capability CIOs told us they’re prioritizing this year. CIOs worry about cloud privacy and cybersecurity, with 47% saying they present a significant barrier to realizing cloud value. Although cloud providers are responsible for keeping the IT infrastructure their clients use secure, really it’s a shared responsibility, with companies managing access rights and using other tools to enhance protection. Microsoft developed security solutions to help businesses anticipate cybersecurity threats and enhance data protection. Benefits of a holistic approach
Tech leaders said their top priority this year was refining their operating model to be more agile. This means taking a holistic approach to how they get things done, addressing people, processes, automation and suppliers. There was a time when tech leaders may have shied away from tackling everything at once, but now many consider a holistic approach the fastest route to value. Of note, only 27% of CIOs called out acquiring and developing the right talent as a main priority. This may be a recognition that transformative change requires taking a holistic approach rather than focusing on just one dimension. A leading cloud professional services provider like PwC can also help your organization with a holistic approach. Cloud and data are the other twin focus areas for many tech leaders: 35% are focused on infrastructure migration, 34% on data analytics and 28% on enterprise architecture. Given their interconnectedness, we’ll no doubt see more CIOs converging these efforts, investing in, developing and managing both their data and cloud capabilities, along with AI, more holistically instead of as discrete initiatives.
While progressive CIOs are already acting in a strategic role, defining business and digital strategy alongside the rest of the C-suite, others have yet to make that impact. Thirty percent of CIOs in our survey indicated that they will focus on evolving the IT function to be a more strategic partner to the business. For those not yet a part of driving true innovation and growth, the time is now.
Where are CIOs focused in the coming year? PwCPulse Survey Stay on top of emerging—and converging—tech
While cloud and data are top of mind for CIOs, they’re also keeping an eye on the ways emerging technology and trends can drive future growth. AI tops the list of those they see as very important to the company’s products and services strategy (61%). AI is now viewed as a mainstream technology, and CIOs and other leaders plan to use it to create better customer experiences, improve decision-making and innovate products and services.
Next on their list of technologies driving business innovation is digital identity (57%), 5G (56%) and IoT (54%). While each of these is notable and can underpin a company’s innovation strategy, the truth is that companies are most likely to achieve the greatest impact by using emerging technologies. At PwC we’ve been tracking the convergence of technologies to power new business models for the past decade.
You might say the ultimate tech convergence is reflected in the metaverse — which 46% of CIOs say will be very important to their offerings, especially since cloud technology can provide the processing power and storage needed to support extended reality and immersive interfaces. Hyperconnected networks that leverage 5G are nearing maturity. AI is helping to create digital reflections that combine computer vision, speech and deep learning to offer user experiences that feel real. Companies in diverse industries are experimenting by launching proofs of concept to explore the potential business value of immersive digital experiences.
Meanwhile, the decentralization of finance and the economy, as supported by blockchain, is making partly automated financial systems possible. That 47% of CIOs told us they’re looking to blockchain and 43% to cryptocurrency as a driver of new products and services, is particularly notable. It underscores how the technology is moving from experimentation at the periphery to being viewed as a core building block to drive new business capabilities.
The metaverse could profoundly change how businesses and consumers interact with products, services and each other. There are practical strategies companies can begin pursuing that will better position them for the future — even if the metaverse as dreamed up by tech visionaries isn’t exactly what emerges. We’re finding that CIOs are preparing by assigning resources to follow fast-moving developments; focusing on key foundational elements, such as application programming interfaces to make services extensible or recruiting talent in key areas like digital identity or assets; and testing the waters with lower-risk use cases, such as selling digital versions of physical goods or launching non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to enhance brand awareness.
The emerging tech CIOs are betting on PwCPulse Survey Three next steps
Staying on track means regularly evaluating progress. Now is a good time for CIOs to take a hard look at how effectively they’re teaming with other functional leaders, whether cloud initiatives are paying off and if plans to integrate or otherwise converge certain emerging technologies still make sense.
Read the full PwC survey to see what other functional leaders are focused on this year — and how your organization’s strategy stacks up against others in the industry. Looking to decide where to focus your digital transformation journey? Learn how PwC’s Alliance relationships combine powerful technology with implementation that gets it done right — with minimal disruption and maximum impact. | Emerging Technologies |
Worried you're spending too much time on your phone? Study seeks to answer this complex question
Look around and it's clear that people have become devoted to digital technologies such as mobile phones. Whether its Facebook, Instagram or any of the myriad other platforms available today, many are concerned that they or their loved ones are spending too much time online.
An international research team from the University of Melbourne, Stanford University and University College London has been studying a hitherto mostly unrecognized driver of technology use, finding that people are using digital technology to manage their emotions.
This is called "emotion regulation," and it is essential to well-being. But there are limitations to digital emotion regulation, and if it gets out of hand—becoming the main strategy we use—we may need to find healthier ways of dealing with emotions. The team's paper "Digital Emotion Regulation in Everyday Life" was published on 29 April 2022 in the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
University of Melbourne researcher Dr. Greg Wadley says digital devices are being increasingly used to manage emotions such as stress, anxiety, boredom and the need for social connectedness.
"Although emotions are essential to help us navigate the ever-changing, complex and challenging situations we face in everyday life, sometimes people experience emotions they prefer not to have," Dr. Wadley said.
"When this happens, we may try to change the emotion to one that feels better, or more suited to the current context. For example, people may increase their anger to prepare for competition, or suppress joy to focus on work. People also help each other manage emotions by sharing good news or providing reassurance after an emotional encounter."
Psychologists have catalogued many ways that people manage emotion, as diverse as reappraising a situation, doing exercise, practicing self-compassion, and seeking distraction. But recent research shows that increasingly, people are turning to digital tools and strategies to manage emotion.
"The pandemic lockdowns led people to do relatively more digital regulation. We have found that up to half of phone use may be for emotion regulation. Looking to the future, emerging technologies may offer more powerful forms of emotion regulation," Dr. Wadley said.
The researchers argue that society could benefit from a better understanding of the complex relationship between emotion and technology use.
"Obsessive technology use can represent repeated attempts at regulating negative emotion. A common response to over-use is to restrict access to the technology, for example, through limits on screen-time. But when someone uses an emotion-regulation strategy too much, or the strategy is ineffective, the solution is not abstinence, but to use a better strategy," Dr. Wadley said.
"Attempts to mitigate technology over-use should include education about alternative, healthy ways to manage emotion. There are excellent resources that teach healthy emotion regulation skills, providing alternatives for people who want to spend less time on their device.
"For most people, digital technologies offer benefits, including convenient ways to deal with the inevitable emotional ups and downs of daily life. Researchers in Europe recently proposed that digital skills education should include 'digital emotional intelligence.' We agree this is the right way forward."
More information: Wally Smith et al, Digital Emotion Regulation in Everyday Life, CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2022). DOI: 10.1145/3491102.3517573
Provided by University of Melbourne | Emerging Technologies |
Microsoft has partnered with web3 infrastructure provider Ankr to offer a node service for enterprises in need of blockchain data access. From a report: The two firms will work together on a new node hosting service in Microsoft's Azure cloud marketplace, with tailored memory and bandwidth specifications for blockchain nodes. The enterprise node deployment service would enable web3 projects or developers to deploy smart contracts, relay transactions and read or write blockchain data, according to a company release. "Our partnership with Ankr will enable developers and organizations to access blockchain data in a reliable and secure way as they explore how web3 can address real-world business challenges," said Rashmi Misra, Microsoft's general manager for AI and emerging technologies in the release. "Together, we are building a robust web3 infrastructure layer."
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Senators eye AI competitiveness in bipartisan legislation
A bipartisan group of senators have introduced a bill that would create a new office that analyzes U.S. strength in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), compared to the country’s competitors like China.
Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the legislation on Thursday to call for the establishment of an Office of Global Competition Analysis.
A release from Bennet’s office states that the office would assess technological competitiveness based on intelligence and commercial data, which it said are too often separated into intelligence and civilian agencies, respectively.
The statement also argues that the separation has often left the country unaware of its capacity in certain technologies — like 5G and semiconductors — compared to other countries, but understanding the entire ecosystem is essential to seeing the threats and technologies from the technologies.
“We cannot afford to lose our competitive edge in strategic technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence to competitors like China,” Bennet said. “To defend our economic and national security and protect U.S. leadership in critical emerging technologies, we need to be able to take into account both classified and commercial information to fully assess where we stand.”
A summary of the bill states that the office would be composed of experts from the intelligence community, the Commerce, Defense and Treasury departments and other relevant agencies. It also states that experts from the private sector and academia would be involved based on the project.
Young said in the release that the bill will ensure the national security community is in sync in order to win the “technological race” against China.
Warner said the U.S. has made significant investments in economic sectors like semiconductor manufacturing in recent years, but it must be able to track its progress against its peers.
“I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to create a centralized hub that’s responsible for keeping tabs on these developments, which are critical to our economic and national security,” he said.
Bennet also told NBC News in an interview that he has discussed the bill with members of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office and believes the legislation has a “high likelihood” of passing.
The legislation comes as lawmakers have been increasingly turning their attention to technologies like AI, calling for action to manage its risks and ensure it is benefiting society.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced last week that he plans to introduce a bill to require disclaimers on all content produced by AI.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Emerging Technologies |
BY Sydney LakeJuly 28, 2022, 11:49 AMAthletics fields at the IBM Silicon Valley Laboratory in San Jose, California, as seen in January 2022. (Photographer: David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images)The cybersecurity industry is ripe for an influx of new professionals entering the field. In fact, there are nearly three-quarters of a million cybersecurity positions left to be filled, according to a report by Emsi Burning Glass (now Lightcast), a market research company. And every year that demand continues to climb. Worldwide, the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs jumped 350% between 2013 and 2021, from 1 million to 3.5 million, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. While there are more than enough positions to be filled, there aren’t nearly enough qualified personnel to fill them. Field jobs require specific training—whether it comes from certification programs, online courses, master’s degrees in cybersecurity, or other company training programs. A prime example of a company focused on growing a pipeline of cybersecurity talent is IBM, the Fortune 500 IT-management and hardware company. “Businesses and government share a collective responsibility to collaborate on preventing cyberattacks that could have a devastating impact or prompt national or global crises,” Krishna wrote in a statement. “We must join forces now to shore up the security of the critical infrastructure that keeps our society functioning.”In conjunction with the White House’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit held in mid-July, IBM also announced the creation of more talent pipelines for cybersecurity jobs, including its new Cybersecurity Leadership Centers with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority serving institutions. IBM is also partnering with the American Council on Education to translate cybersecurity apprenticeships to college credits.How IBM’s training program worksIBM has offered free skills training for professionals interested in a cybersecurity career for many years, along with other educational programs, says Justina Nixon-Saintil, vice president and global head of IBM corporate social responsibility. Anyone can take these courses; they’re not available only to employees. “As part of IBM’s commitment to skill 30 million people globally by 2030, we are providing free education on key technologies like cybersecurity, with a focus on underrepresented communities,” Nixon-Saintil tells Fortune. “Whether learners are just entering the workforce or switching professions, IBM SkillsBuild equips them with the foundational skills to pursue high-demand, lucrative careers.” Students can visit IBM’s SkillsBuild platform to explore different course options based on jobs they’re interested in pursuing, including a cybersecurity analyst. To sign up for courses, students need to create an account with IBM, which asks for simple demographic information, skills, and interests. Then, students can search the platform for courses of interest.IBM offers three levels of cybersecurity content. Basic training provides an overview about what cybersecurity is; the foundational level gets into key skills needed for cybersecurity jobs and understanding what jobs are out there; and the cybersecurity analyst program is “aligned to a junior cybersecurity analyst role and provides the learner with the skills and competencies to do the job,” Nixon-Saintil says. All courses are available in 12 languages, and the cybersecurity fundamentals training takes about six hours to complete.Upon completion of the online skills training, students receive a digital badge that can be added to a resume or social media platform for potential employers to see. All of the courses were developed to align with existing cybersecurity jobs, Nixon-Saintil says. Through its SkillsBuild platform, IBM also offers free courses in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain, data science, quantum computing, and emerging technologies. | Emerging Technologies |
TRAI Starts Consultation on Encouraging R&D In Telecom, IT, Broadcasting
TRAI also asked if additional tax or fiscal incentives can help support research in emerging technologies.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday asked industry whether there is a need to create a separate agency for R&D functions in information and communications technology sector, as it initiated consultation to identify ways to spur research and development in telecom, broadcasting and IT sectors.
Among various questions it threw up for industry's consideration was how participation of private sector in R&D can be encouraged, and whether an incentivisation model via tax-break model, Product-Linked Incentivisation model, or something else would be required.
TRAI also asked if additional tax or fiscal incentives can help support research in emerging technologies.
Issuing the consultation paper, TRAI said R&D ecosystem of a nation is linked to its economic growth and overall progress, with positive spin offs on quality of life and affordability of products and services.
TRAI noted that R&D and innovation is also important for a nation's self-reliance and security.
In its consultation paper, TRAI asked if the current institutional mechanism is adequate to cater to the needs of R&D in ICT sector in India, and if there is a need to create a separate agency to coordinate R&D functions specifically for ICT sector, and if so what would be a suitable framework for the overarching agency.
"If not, how can synergy between stakeholders be established to ease out processes and monitor time-bound R&D outcomes," it said.
TRAI also sought suggestions on steps that need to be taken to ensure a transparent mechanism for adequate and timely disbursement of funds for R&D programmes.
The regulator also asked if a ranking mechanism for the states can help to promote the spirit of innovation.
TRAI asked industry to suggest steps that can be taken to further improve the speed and efficiency of the patent approval process for ICT in India.
"Is there a need to reduce the cost of filing patents in India? If yes, how can it be done?," TRAI asked.
TRAI also sought industry views on measures to enhance filing of patents in India in general and by resident Indians in particular, in ICT.
It further asked how small innovators can be protected from the predatory practices.
Other questions raised by the regulator include additional incentives that can be given to startups to take up R&D activities in the ICT sector, and whether there is need for additional tax or fiscal incentives to support R&D activities in emerging technologies in ICT sector. | Emerging Technologies |
OpenAI, IBM Urge Senate To Act On AI Regulation After Past Tech Failures
Political gridlock and heavy lobbying from big technology firms have complicated efforts in Washington to set basic guardrails for challenges including data security and child protections for social media.
(Bloomberg) -- The creator of ChatGPT and the privacy chief of International Business Machines Corp. both called on US senators during a hearing Tuesday to more heavily regulate artificial intelligence technologies that are raising ethical, legal and national security concerns.
Speaking to a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman praised the potential of the new technology, which he said could solve humanity’s biggest problems. But he also warned that artificial intelligence is powerful enough to change society in unpredictable ways, and “regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks.”
“My worst fear is that we, the technology industry, cause significant harm to the world,” Altman said. “If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.”
IBM’s Chief Privacy and Trust Officer Christina Montgomery focused on a risk-based approach and called for “precision regulation” on how AI tools are used, rather than how they’re developed.
The senators openly questioned whether Congress is up to the task. Political gridlock and heavy lobbying from big technology firms have complicated efforts in Washington to set basic guardrails for challenges including data security and child protections for social media. And as senators pointed out in their questions, the deliberative process of Congress often lags far behind the pace of technology advancements.
Demonstrating AI’s power to deceive, Senator Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut Democrat who chairs the panel, played an AI-written and produced recording that sounded exactly like him during his opening statement. While he urged AI innovators to work with regulators on new restrictions, he recognized that Congress hasn’t passed adequate protections for existing technology.
“Congress has a choice now. We had the same choice when we faced social media,” Blumenthal said. “Congress failed to meet the moment on social media. Now we have the obligation to do it on AI before the threats and the risks become real.”
Several senators advocated for a new regulatory agency with jurisdiction over AI and other emerging technologies. Altman welcomed that suggestion as a way for the US to continue leading on the technology that springs from American companies.
But Gary Marcus, a New York University professor who testified alongside Altman and Montgomery, warned that a new agency created to police AI would risk being captured by the industry it’s supposed to regulate.
Lawmakers questioned the potential for dangerous disinformation and the biases inherent in AI models trained on internet content. They raised the risks that AI-fabricated content poses for the democratic process, while also fretting that global adversaries like China could surpass US capabilities.
AI ‘Hallucinations’
Blumenthal asked about “hallucinations” when AI technology gets information wrong. Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn asked about protections for singers and songwriters in her home state, drawing a pledge from Altman to work with artists on rights and compensation.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, asked whether AI will serve to be as transformative as the printing press, disseminating knowledge more widely, or as destructive as the atomic bomb.
“To a certain extent, it’s up to us here, and to us as the American people, to write the answer,” Hawley said. “What kind of technology will this be? How will we use it to better our lives?”
Much of the discussion focused on generative AI, which can produce images, audio and text that seem human-crafted. OpenAI has driven many of these developments by introducing products like ChatGPT, which can converse or produce human-like, but not always accurate, blocks of text, as well as DALL-E, which can produce fantastical or eerily realistic images from simple text prompts.
But there are boundless other ways that machine learning is being deployed across the modern economy. Recommendation algorithms on social media rely on AI, as do programs that analyze large data sets or weather patterns.
Requiring Registration
The Biden administration has put forth several non-binding guidelines for artificial intelligence. The National Institute of Standards and Technology in January released a voluntary risk management framework to manage the most high-stakes applications of AI. The White House earlier this year published an “AI Bill of Rights” to help consumers navigate the new technology.
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan pledged to use existing law to guard against abuses enabled by AI technology. The Department of Homeland Security last month created a task force to study how AI can be be used to secure supply chains and combat drug trafficking.
In Tuesday’s hearing, Altman focused his initial policy recommendations on required registration for AI models of a certain sophistication. He said companies should be required to get a license to operate and conduct a series of tests before releasing new AI models.
Read more: OpenAI’s Altman Casts Global Gaze in Urging AI Regulation in US
Montgomery said policymakers should require AI products to be transparent about when users are interacting with a machine. She also touted IBM’s AI ethics board, which provides internal guardrails that Congress has yet to set.
“It’s often said that innovation moves too fast for government to keep up,” Montgomery said. “But while AI may be having its moment, the moment for government to play its proper role has not passed us by.”
(Updates with additional comments and context starting in eighth paragraph)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Emerging Technologies |
WASHINGTON (CN) — Seven leading technology companies have voluntarily agreed to follow guidelines on the development of artificial intelligence established by the White House.
Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are the big names announced Friday, joined by startups Anthropic and Inflection and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
“These commitments are real and they’re concrete,” President Joe Biden said. “They’re going to help the industry fulfill their obligation to America to develop safe, secure and trustworthy technologies that benefit society and uphold our shared values.”
Governments around the world are wrestling with ways to get ahead of AI advancements as commercial investment has surged. Recently, generative AI tools that can create human-like text and create new media have raised concerns about the spread of disinformation.
The companies committed to security testing “carried out in part by independent experts” before releasing AI products to guard against biosecurity and cybersecurity risks, the White House said. Testing will also examine potential for bias and discrimination, as well as theoretical dangers around advanced AI systems gaining control of physical systems or making copies of themselves.
However, it’s unclear who those experts are or how they will be selected.
Friday’s announcement includes transparency commitments, with the sharing of information across the industry and with the government and production of public reports about flaws and risks. The companies also will support research on the potential risks of AI.
To combat potential misinformation or deception, the companies will develop “robust technical mechanisms” to let users know when content is AI generated, the White House said.
Following calls to get ahead of technological advancements, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with the CEOs of Google, Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI in May to discuss the development of artificial intelligence. After the meeting, the White House announced measures to promote safety and cybersecurity.
Ani Chaudhuri, CEO of software company Dasera, said in May that the White House needs to put data security at the forefront of regulations.
“AI developers must be held accountable for the security of their products, emphasizing their responsibility to make their technology safe before deployment or public use,” said Chaudhuri, whose company provides data security. “This includes proper data management, secure storage, and measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.”
Outside of Friday’s announcement, the White House is developing an executive order on artificial intelligence and working with Congress to craft bipartisan regulations. Biden said managing the risk of AI requires “new laws, new regulation and oversight.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has said he will introduce legislation to regulate the industry.
Meanwhile, Senators Edward Markey and Ted Budd introduced legislation Tuesday directing the federal government to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of artificial intelligence and its advancements.
“As AI grows in power and influence, we may face the real prospect of AI-generated threats like biological or chemical weapons,” Budd, a North Carolina Republican, said in a statement. “The federal government must not be caught flat-footed on these threats and should begin to prepare now.”
Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the federal government cannot repeat previous failures to address “the grave risks posed by emerging technologies.”
“Either we prevent the risks now, or Americans will be left dealing with the consequences for decades to come,” he said in a statement. “It is vital for us not only to understand the impacts of artificial intelligence on our health but to act with the urgency that this moment requires. Protection of the nation’s health security isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue.”
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Rein in the AI Revolution Through the Power of Legal Liability
As AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it is high time we address potential legal and ethical implications.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In an era where technological advancements are accelerating at breakneck speed, it is crucial to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) development remains in check. As AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it is high time we address potential legal and ethical implications.
And some have done so. A recent letter signed by Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI, Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, and over 1,000 other AI experts and funders calls for a six-month pause in training new models. In turn, Time published an article by Eliezer Yudkowsky, the founder of the field of AI alignment, calling for a much more hard-line solution of a permanent global ban and international sanctions on any country pursuing AI research.
However, the problem with these proposals is that they require the coordination of numerous stakeholders from a wide variety of companies and government figures. Let me share a more modest proposal that's much more in line with our existing methods of reining in potentially threatening developments: legal liability.
By leveraging legal liability, we can effectively slow AI development and make certain that these innovations align with our values and ethics. We can ensure that AI companies themselves promote safety and innovate in ways that minimize the threat they pose to society. We can ensure that AI tools are developed and used ethically and effectively, as I discuss in depth in my new book, ChatGPT for Thought Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI for Innovative and Effective Content Creation.
Legal liability: A vital tool for regulating AI development
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has long shielded internet platforms from liability for content created by users. However, as AI technology becomes more sophisticated, the line between content creators and content hosts blurs, raising questions about whether AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT should be held liable for the content they produce.
The introduction of legal liability for AI developers will compel companies to prioritize ethical considerations, ensuring that their AI products operate within the bounds of social norms and legal regulations. They will be forced to internalize what economists call negative externalities, meaning negative side effects of products or business activities that affect other parties. A negative externality might be loud music from a nightclub bothering neighbors. The threat of legal liability for negative externalities will effectively slow down AI development, providing ample time for reflection and the establishment of robust governance frameworks.
To curb the rapid, unchecked development of AI, it is essential to hold developers and companies accountable for the consequences of their creations. Legal liability encourages transparency and responsibility, pushing developers to prioritize the refinement of AI algorithms, reducing the risks of harmful outputs, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
For example, an AI chatbot that perpetuates hate speech or misinformation could lead to significant social harm. A more advanced AI given the task of improving the stock of a company might - if not bound by ethical concerns - sabotage its competitors. By imposing legal liability on developers and companies, we create a potent incentive for them to invest in refining the technology to avoid such outcomes.
Legal liability, moreover, is much more doable than a six-month pause, not to speak of a permanent pause. It's aligned with how we do things in America: instead of having the government regular business, we instead permit innovation but punish the negative consequences of harmful business activity.
The benefits of slowing down AI development
Ensuring ethical AI: By slowing down AI development, we can take a deliberate approach to the integration of ethical principles in the design and deployment of AI systems. This will reduce the risk of bias, discrimination, and other ethical pitfalls that could have severe societal implications.
Avoiding technological unemployment: The rapid development of AI has the potential to disrupt labor markets, leading to widespread unemployment. By slowing down the pace of AI advancement, we provide time for labor markets to adapt and mitigate the risk of technological unemployment.
Strengthening regulations: Regulating AI is a complex task that requires a comprehensive understanding of the technology and its implications. Slowing down AI development allows for the establishment of robust regulatory frameworks that address the challenges posed by AI effectively.
Fostering public trust: Introducing legal liability in AI development can help build public trust in these technologies. By demonstrating a commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations, companies can foster a positive relationship with the public, paving the way for a responsible and sustainable AI-driven future.
Concrete steps to implement legal liability in AI development
Clarify Section 230: Section 230 does not appear to cover AI-generated content. The law outlines the term "information content provider" as referring to "any person or entity that is responsible, in whole or in part, for the creation or development of information provided through the internet or any other interactive computer service." The definition of "development" of content "in part" remains somewhat ambiguous, but judicial rulings have determined that a platform cannot rely on Section 230 for protection if it supplies "pre-populated answers" so that it is "much more than a passive transmitter of information provided by others." Thus, it's highly likely that legal cases would find that AI-generated content would not be covered by Section 230: it would be helpful for those who want a slowdown of AI development to launch legal cases that would enable courts to clarify this matter. By clarifying that AI-generated content is not exempt from liability, we create a strong incentive for developers to exercise caution and ensure their creations meet ethical and legal standards.
Establish AI governance bodies: In the meantime, governments and private entities should collaborate to establish AI governance bodies that develop guidelines, regulations and best practices for AI developers. These bodies can help monitor AI development and ensure compliance with established standards. Doing so would help manage legal liability and facilitate innovation within ethical bounds.
Encourage collaboration: Fostering collaboration between AI developers, regulators and ethicists is vital for the creation of comprehensive regulatory frameworks. By working together, stakeholders can develop guidelines that strike a balance between innovation and responsible AI development.
Educate the public: Public awareness and understanding of AI technology are essential for effective regulation. By educating the public on the benefits and risks of AI, we can foster informed debates and discussions that drive the development of balanced and effective regulatory frameworks.
Develop liability insurance for AI developers: Insurance companies should offer liability insurance for AI developers, incentivizing them to adopt best practices and adhere to established guidelines. This approach will help reduce the financial risks associated with potential legal liabilities and promote responsible AI development.
Conclusion
The increasing prominence of AI technologies like ChatGPT highlights the urgent need to address the ethical and legal implications of AI development. By harnessing legal liability as a tool to slow down AI development, we can create an environment that fosters responsible innovation, prioritizes ethical considerations and minimizes the risks associated with these emerging technologies. It is essential that developers, companies, regulators and the public come together to chart a responsible course for AI development that safeguards humanity's best interests and promotes a sustainable, equitable future. | Emerging Technologies |
Malawi launched its first-ever Centre for Artificial Intelligence and STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics — Friday at the Malawi University of Science and Technology. Established with support from various U.S.-based universities, the center aims to provide solutions to the country's innovation and technology needs.
The project's leader, Zipangani Vokhiwa, a science professor at Mercer University in the U.S. and a Fulbright scholar, says the center will help promote the study and use of artificial intelligence, or AI, and STEAM for the socioeconomic development of Malawi and beyond.
"Economic development that we know cannot go without the modern scientific knowledge and aspect so the center will complement vision 2063 for Malawi as a country that needs to be moving together with the country developments in science," Vokhiwa said. "Not to be left behind."
Vokhiwa said the center, known by its acronym, CAIST, will offer educational, technical, policy, and strategy products and services in emerging technologies such as AI.
He said it will also offer machine learning, deep learning, data science, data analytics, internet of things and more that are based on humanistic STEAM education and research.
A consortium of various U.S. universities provided the center with pedagogical and technical support.
These include Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University, Morehouse College, Colorado University, Georgia Southern University, Clemson University, New York University and Mercer University.
There are fears worldwide, however, that the introduction of AI will result in loss of jobs.
CBS news reported that AI eliminated nearly 4,000 jobs in the U.S. in May.
But Vokhiwa said the advantages and disadvantages of AI are still debatable.
"As has been said by the experts, AI has both positive elements and negative elements," he said. "But knowing fairly well that we cannot run away from digitization of what we do, AI will be needed, and Malawi does not need to lag behind."
Vokhiwa said AI has helped create employment because it needs people to run the AI machines.
Malawi's Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, officially opened the AI center at the Malawi University of Science and Technology.
She said the launch of the AI center has set the tone and laid the foundation for the country to explore the opportunities that come with new technologies.
However, she said, while AI has the potential to transform the country, there is also a need to address its downside.
"For this to happen, the government will be looking to CAIST for knowledge and expertise so that we can together facilitate the development of the necessary policy and regulatory frameworks governing responsible use of AI," she said. "The earlier we do this the better, because AI is already here, and we are all using it. Some of us with enough knowledge, but many of us surely without full knowledge of it."
Kambauwa Wirima said that whatever the case, AI is something that Malawi cannot avoid, mentioning that the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community is already addressing the issue.
"We adopted a decision to develop regional guidelines on the ethics of artificial intelligence to be domesticated and implemented by member states," she said. "Therefore, Malawi cannot sit on the fence."
Address Malata, the vice chancellor for Malawi University of Science and Technology, said the university is strategizing its operations to align them to various development agendas including Malawi 2063, Africa Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, so that whatever the center does, it should benefit everyone. | Emerging Technologies |
Recap: Italian fashion designer Miuccia Prada once said that what you wear is how you present yourself to the world. Adobe research scientist Christine Dierk presented herself as boldly as possible at this year's Adobe Max conference while giving the art and fashion worlds a small but memorable taste of what's possible with today's technology.
The Adobe Max conference in Los Angeles is an annual gathering of engineers, developers, and creative professionals intended to showcase the latest in the company's suite of applications and emerging technologies.
Adobe research scientist Dr. Christine Dierk stunned the crowd during the presentation with Project Primrose. Primrose is a breakthrough in fashion technology that leverages a flexible, low-power, non-emissive series of modular displays that can create static or dynamic patterns on any application, including clothing.
The project combines several technologies and applications used to develop the stunning result. Adobe says Project Primrose uses wearable, flexible, non-emissive textiles that allow an entire surface to display content created with Adobe Stock, After Effects, Firefly, and Illustrator. Although the company used an interactive dress to showcase the innovation, end users can leverage the tech for various other applications, such as furniture, handbags, or other articles of clothing.
In addition to allowing designers and artists to create new, interactive patterns, the concept could also present consumers with a new way to interact with fashion and the world around them. Rather than having to go out and buy another dress, shirt, or pair of shoes, individuals could download and wear cutting-edge patterns from their favorite designers or even create their own.
The project is a marriage of Dierk's passion for technology and fashion, and she's no stranger to either. Dr. Dierk holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from U.C. Berkeley and has extensive experience developing and working with wearable technologies. She's also an accomplished and talented seamstress who enjoys working with various materials and patterns to create her fashion designs.
Project Primrose is a proof of concept, so there's no word on whether or when it will be available for consumers and designers. However, based on the project's initial reception, it's a safe bet we haven't seen the last of Dr. Dierk's tech-driven fashions. | Emerging Technologies |
New Report Recognizes Public and Private Sector Partners for Accelerating Climate Solutions and Significantly Cutting Harmful Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today published the “2023 Better Buildings Initiative Progress Report,” which summarizes the achievements of DOE’s Better Buildings public and private sector partners since the initiative’s inception in 2011. The report shows that partnering entities, including more than 900 businesses, state and local governments, utilities, housing authorities, and other public and private organizations, to date have collectively saved $18.5 billion through efficiency improvements and cut harmful carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 190 million metric tons— an amount roughly equivalent to combined annual emissions of 24 million homes. This report also includes the results of the Better Climate Challenge, an initiative that challenges major building portfolio owners and industrial partners to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 50% within 10 years. In year one of the Challenge, partners have reported on nearly 1 billion square feet of buildings and 1,500 industrial plants. Through the Better Buildings Initiative, DOE aims to improve energy efficiency in the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors and accelerate cost-effective decarbonization solutions across the economy—supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to lower energy costs for American families and businesses while addressing the climate crisis.
“To meet President Biden’s ambitious climate goals, the public and private sector need practical pathways to reduce emissions while cutting costs—and that’s exactly what they get from DOE’s Better Building Initiative,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “We’re proud to partner with hundreds of businesses from every pocket of the nation to develop and deploy the innovative solutions we need to combat the climate crisis and secure our clean energy future.”
Public and private organizations in the U.S. spend about $200 billion each year to power commercial buildings and another $200 billion for industrial energy. On average, between 20% and 30% of the nation’s energy is wasted. Through the Better Buildings Initiative, DOE partners with public and private sector stakeholders to pursue ambitious portfolio-wide energy, waste, water, and/or emissions reduction goals and publicly share solutions. By improving building design, materials, equipment, and operations, energy efficiency gains can be achieved across broad segments of the nation’s economy.
DOE’s partners represent almost every sector of the American economy: nearly 30 of the country’s Fortune 100 companies, nearly 20 of the top 50 U.S. employers, 14% of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, and 13% of total commercial building space, as well as more than 90 state and local governments. By focusing on effective financing, next-generation solutions, climate leadership, workforce development, and access to information, the Better Buildings Initiative is helping drive energy innovation and improving the lives of the American people.
Highlights from the 2023 report include:
- Demonstrating market leadership: More than 40 organizations reached their Better Buildings, Better Plants, or Better Climate Challenge goal in the past year.
- Advancing decarbonization: In year one of the Challenge, more than 165 Better Climate Challenge partners have committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (scope 1 and 2) by at least 50% over 10 years without the use of offsets. Over the past year, DOE worked with these partners to develop emissions reduction frameworks to guide their efforts at the portfolio level. Partners have reported on nearly 1 billion square feet of buildings and 1,500 industrial plants, and are averaging a 21% reduction in GHG emissions from their base year.
- Highlighting partner progress: DOE launched the Better Climate Challenge Road Show, a video series sharing the successful pathways of Better Climate Challenge partners as they work to cut emissions. Season One featured Nashville, Tennessee-area partners Nissan, Chemours, and Whirlpool. Season Two from Cleveland, Ohio is set to release later this year.
- Reducing financing barriers: Financial Allies have extended more than $32 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects since the start of the program.
- Harnessing emerging technologies:
- The new Industrial Technologies page connects organizations with industrial decarbonization technologies at each stage of the innovation pipeline and provides related funding opportunities.
- Integrated Lighting Campaign participants saved more than 2 million kilowatt hours through the adoption of advanced lighting systems.
- Building Envelope Campaign participants saved approximately 13 million kBtu of energy across 2 million square feet of conditioned floor space by using advanced design, insulation and window technologies.
- Developing the workforce: More than 550 attendees joined Better Plants Virtual In-Plant Trainings, identifying more than $4.6 million in potential energy savings. In addition, more than 200 participants joined Better Plants Bootcamps to learn how to optimize energy use and decarbonize their manufacturing facilities, and more than 200 attendees joined eight Better Buildings Workforce Development Accelerator events in the past year.
- Sharing solutions: Nearly 425,000 visitors explored resources on the Better Buildings Solution Center since 2022, with more than 1.3 million page views, and more than 11,000 attendees joined the Better Buildings Webinar Series.
### | Emerging Technologies |
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New emerging technologies can create new market opportunities, increase the competitiveness of the market and endanger existing technologies or industries. To stay competitive in the market, steady research and development are required to explore alternative approaches to the issues at hand or to develop a new technological solution.
Technology scouting is the systematic gathering of scientific and technical knowledge through information-gathering, analysis, and development activities carried out with the use of specialized and highly professional research equipment, tools, and online sources.
It helps you to identify, investigate and analyze various cutting-edge technology in your sectors or beyond. It outlines distinct problem-solving strategies to pinpoint technologies. These reports assist and enable you to intelligently decide which novel concepts are useful for you. These reports classify various technologies based on various factors such as scalability, feasibility and various other parameters.
The main purpose of Technology Scouting is to investigate opportunities or challenges in technology, pinpointing all possible solutions to the challenges and exploring the practicality of the solutions to the challenges and checking how aligned they are with the company’s internal capabilities. Technology Scouting is a search, analysis, and filtration process that helps companies discover and support licensing/acquisition of innovative technologies.
New technologies frequently generate a whole new market, providing a crucial competitive advantage, or placing existing products or even entire businesses in jeopardy. Research and Development experts look for technologies outside their organisations. It is a crucial component of the open innovation strategy that has recently gained popularity, in which R & D personnel search for technological potential externally.
Wissen Research focuses on various technology scouting and searches to provide our clients with the best approach and results that will assist you in making critical decisions for their business expansion.
We provide professional services for businesses of all sizes looking for innovative technologies in their area or beyond. Our expert staff can search through hundreds of start-ups from all around the world in search of the best solutions.
We have extensive experience and offer solutions to a variety of organisations. Here are the reasons Wissen Research is a good fit for you to provide Technology Scouting Services: | Emerging Technologies |
ChatGPT as 'educative artificial intelligence'
With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), several aspects of our lives have become more efficient and easier to navigate. One of the latest AI-based technologies is a user-friendly chatbot—ChatGPT, which is growing in popularity owing to its many applications, including in the field of education.
ChatGPT uses algorithms to generate text similar to that generated by a human, within seconds. With its correct and responsible use, it could be used to answer questions, source information, write essays, summarize documents, compose code, and much more. By extension, ChatGPT could transform education drastically by creating virtual tutors, providing personalized learning, and enhancing AI literacy among teachers and students.
However, ChatGPT or any AI-based technology capable of creating content in education, must be approached with caution.
Recently, a research team including Dr. Weipeng Yang, Assistant Professor at the Education University of Hong Kong, and Ms. Jiahong Su from the University of Hong Kong, proposed a theoretical framework known as 'IDEE' for guiding AI use in education (also referred to as 'educative AI').
In their study, which was published in the ECNU Review of Education on April 19, 2023, the team also identified the benefits and challenges of using educative AI and provided recommendations for future educative AI research and policies. Dr. Yang remarks, "We developed the IDEE framework to guide the integration of generative artificial intelligence into educational activities. Our practical examples show how educative Al can be used to improve teaching and learning processes."
The IDEE framework for educative AI includes a four-step process. 'I' stands for identifying the desired outcomes and objectives, 'D' stands for determining the appropriate level of automation, the first 'E' stands for ensuring that ethical considerations are met, and the second 'E' stands for evaluating the effectiveness of the application. For instance, the researchers tested the IDEE framework for using ChatGPT as a virtual coach for early childhood teachers by providing quick responses to teachers during classroom observations.
They found that ChatGPT can provide a more personalized and interactive learning experience for students that is tailored to their individual needs. It can also improve teaching models, assessment systems, and make education more enjoyable. Furthermore, it can help save teachers' time and energy by providing answers to students' questions, encourage teachers to reflect more on educational content, and provide useful teaching suggestions.
Notably, mainstream ChatGPT use for educational purposes raises many concerns including issues of costs, ethics, and safety. Real-world applications of ChatGPT require significant investments with respect to hardware, software, maintenance, and support, which may not be affordable for many educational institutions.
In fact, the unregulated use of ChatGPT could lead students to access inaccurate or dangerous information. ChatGPT could also be wrongfully used to collect sensitive information about students without their knowledge or consent. Unfortunately, AI models are only as good as the data used to train them. Hence, low quality data that is not representative of all student cohorts can generate erroneous, unreliable, and discriminatory AI responses.
Since ChatGPT and other educative AI are still emerging technologies, understanding their effectiveness in education warrants further research. Accordingly, the researchers offer recommendations for future opportunities related to educative AI. There is a dire need for more contextual research on using AI under different educational settings. Secondly, there should be an in-depth exploration of the ethical and social implications of educative AI.
Thirdly, the integration of AI into educational practices must involve teachers who are regularly trained in the use of generative AI. Finally, there should be polices and regulations for monitoring the use of educative AI to ensure responsible, unbiased, and equal technological access for all students.
Dr. Yang says, "While we acknowledge the benefits of educative AI, we also recognize the limitations and existing gaps in this field. We hope that our framework can stimulate more interest and empirical research to fill these gaps and promote widespread application of Al in education."
More information: Jiahong Su (苏嘉红) et al, Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT: A Framework for Applying Generative AI in Education, ECNU Review of Education (2023). DOI: 10.1177/20965311231168423
Provided by Cactus Communications | Emerging Technologies |
A lightbulb went off in Som Biswas’ head the first time he learned about ChatGPT. A radiologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Biswas came across an article about OpenAI’s chatbot on the web when it was released in November 2022. While the world at large was still coming to terms with the seismic implications of the technology, Biswas realized he could use it to make at least one facet of his career a whole lot easier.
“I’m a researcher and I publish articles on a regular basis,” Biswas told The Daily Beast. “Those two things linked up in my brain: If ChatGPT can be used to write stories and jokes, why not use it for research or publication for serious articles?”
He needed a proof of concept, so Biswas had the bot write an article about a topic he was already very familiar with: medical writing. After trial and error, Biswas was able to create an article by prompting ChatGPT section by section. When he finished, he submitted the paper to Radiology, a monthly peer-reviewed journal from the Radiological Society of North America. “At the end, I told the editor, ‘All that you read was written by AI,’ so that sort of impressed them a lot,” he said.
A few days later, the paper, “ChatGPT and the Future of Medical Writing,” was published in Radiology after undergoing peer-review, according to Biswas. After it was up, he felt he was on to something. ChatGPT could be used for more than just fooling around with creative projects. He could actually use it to help his career and research.
What Biswas is doing isn’t necessarily unique. Since the release of ChatGPT, academics and researchers just like Biswas have been using large language models (LLMs) as a tool to help them with their own writing and research process—and occasionally, generating papers out of whole cloth using the bots. While they’ve been helpful in this way, they’ve also created a sea change in the scientific community that has many experts worried about the erosion of credibility in academic publishing.
Since his first article, Biswas has used OpenAI’s chatbot to write at least 16 papers in four months, and published five articles in four different journals. The latest was published as a commentary in the journal Pediatric Radiology on April 28. In it, Biswas is listed as the sole author, with an acknowledgement at the end that ChatGPT wrote the article and he edited it.
However, by Biswas’ own admission, the papers he generates aren’t limited to topics within his radiology expertise. In fact, he’s used the bot to write papers on the role of ChatGPT in the military, education, agriculture, social media, insurance, law, and microbiology. He’s successfully had these published in journals specializing in different niche disciplines, including a paper on computer programming in the Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science, and two letters to the editor on global warming and public health in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.
A year ago, this type of output might have seemed completely unrealistic. Papers take dozens if not hundreds of hours of research before even putting word to the page. Researchers in the sciences might publish a few papers per year at the most. And it’s quite rare for someone to dive into writing on a topic outside of their life’s work.
However, those using ChatGPT to produce papers have already beaten their output in previous years by orders of magnitude—Biswas being one of them. And his motivation goes beyond just seeing his byline. As he told The Daily Beast, he wants to be an evangelist for a piece of emerging technology that he believes is going to change the way all researchers do their work forever.
“Health care is going to change. Writing is going to change. Research is going to change,” Biswas said. “I’m just trying to publish now and show it so people can know about it and explore more.”
‘People Are Getting Silly.’
The release of ChatGPT initiated a groundswell of concern about how the LLM would upend industries and practices like copywriting, journalism, student essays, and even comedy writing. The world of academia and scientific literature also prepared itself for a coming upheaval—one that is arguably much more drastic than previously anticipated.
“There’s been a really dramatic uptick in the different articles that we've been getting,” Stefan Duma, a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech, told The Daily Beast. Duma is the editor-in-chief of the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. In the past few months, he said he has seen an exponential increase in the number of different papers submitted for publication in his journal—including the two he published from Biswas in the letters to the editor section.
“The number of [letters to the editor] submissions went from practically zero to probably two or three a week now—so maybe a dozen a month,” he said. “This is astronomically large, because we usually might only get one or two letters about anything per month. Now we get more than 10 just about ChatGPT which is a big increase.”
Letters to the editor, explained Duma, are basically a journal’s opinion section. There are fewer restrictions on the kind of writing and depth of research needed to publish pieces here. That’s why Duma was willing to publish Biswas articles on global warming and public health in the section.
However, he added that he’s been rejecting a lot more articles generated by ChatGPT and other LLMs due to their low quality.
“People are getting silly with them,” he said. “People will send me 10 of the same letter with one word changed. We try to make sure that there’s some uniqueness about some of these things. But it’s not a full peer review. People are free to kind of write whatever they want in these letters to the editor. So we have rejected some if it doesn’t add anything novel at all, and it’s just sort of repetitive.”
(Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science and Radiology did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast.)
Journal editors like Duma’s aren’t the only ones who have noticed the impact that ChatGPT has had on the academic world. The AI boom has created an entirely new landscape for researchers to navigate—and it’s only becoming harder as these tools proliferate and become more sophisticated.
Elisabeth Bik, microbiologist and science integrity expert, told The Daily Beast that she’s in two minds about the use of LLMs in academia. On the one hand, she acknowledged that it could become an invaluable tool for researchers whose first language isn’t English who could use it to construct coherent sentences and paragraphs.
On the other hand, she has also been following the uptick of researchers who have been plainly abusing the chatbot to churn out dozens of articles in the past few months alone. She claimed that many of these “authors” have also not been acknowledging the fact that they used ChatGPT or other models to help generate the articles either.
“At least [Biswas] is acknowledging that he’s using ChatGPT, so you have to give him some credit,” Bik said. “There’s a bunch of others I’ve already come across who also have published enormous and unbelievable amounts of papers while also not acknowledging ChatGPT. These people just published way too much. Like, that’s just not realistically possible.”
The reason, Bik explained, is simple: “Citations and number of publications are two of the measures where academics are measured.” The more you have, the more legitimate and experienced you might seem in the eyes of academic institutions and scientific organizations. “So if you find an artificial way to crank up these things, it feels like it’s unfair because now he’s going to win all the performance measures.”
The increased use of ChatGPT is also a bleak reflection on the expectations put on researchers in the academic world. “Given the truly crushing pressure to publish, I think academics are going to start relying on ChatGPT to automate some of the more boring parts of writing,” Brett Karlan, a postdoctoral fellow in AI ethics at Stanford University, told The Daily Beast in an email. “And it would be very likely that the same people who churn out barely publishable papers and send them off to predatory journals are going to figure out workflows that automate this with ChatGPT.”
Bik is also concerned that the proliferation of LLMs will only bolster so-called paper mills, a term in research that describes black market organizations that undermine traditional academic research by producing fraudulent scientific papers that resemble genuine research and selling authorship on legitimate studies. Scholarly papers produced by paper mills are often heavily plagiarized and reuse data and assets. “You can imagine a person who is a good prompt writer who can just crank out one paper a minute, and then sell papers to authors who need them,” Bik said.
So while it could provide a very useful tool to some academics like Biswas hopes, ChatGPT and other LLMs create a sort of perfect storm of ease and efficiency that could allow bad actors to take advantage of an academic publishing industry that is, so far, unprepared to meet these challenges.
An Academic Game Changer
The issues facing academia and research publishing today are the exact same ones that numerous industries like media and journalism must contend with when it comes to these advanced chatbots: the erosion of credibility and the potential for harm.
LLMs and AI more broadly have a long and sordid history with bias, which has resulted in numerous reported instances of harm via racism and sexism. Chatbots like ChatGPT are no exception. For example, in the first few days of its release, users were reporting instances in which OpenAI’s LLM was doing things like telling users that only white males make good scientists and that a child’s life shouldn’t be saved if they were an African American boy.
Yes, ChatGPT is amazing and impressive. No, @OpenAI has not come close to addressing the problem of bias. Filters appear to be bypassed with simple tricks, and superficially masked.
And what is lurking inside is egregious. @Abebab @sama
tw racism, sexism. pic.twitter.com/V4fw1fY9dY
— steven t. piantadosi (@spiantado) December 4, 2022
Bias has become a perennial problem with AI. Even as we see the technology become more and more sophisticated, biases seem to always remain. These bots are trained off of massive datasets derived from humans—biased, racist, sexist, misogynistic humans—that can show up in the final product no matter how many filters and guardrails AI developers attempt to put in place.
Academic journals are attempting to keep up with the breakneck pace of these emerging technologies that seem to evolve and grow more powerful by the minute. Duma told The Daily Beast that his journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering had recently enacted a new policy to forbid LLMs to be listed as co-authors, and not allow such papers to be published as regular research articles.
“Authorship is very serious and it’s something that we take very seriously,” Duma said. “So anytime we have a paper, the authors have to sign that they’ve contributed substantially to the paper. That’s something ChatGPT can’t be a part of. ChatGPT cannot be an author.”
However, he acknowledged that these tools are here to stay. To say otherwise wouldn’t just be ignorant—it might even potentially be dangerous as it wouldn’t allow the industry to adapt accordingly. “I think people need to put their seatbelt on and get ready for it,” Duma said. “It’s here and it’s going to be a part of our lives, and probably just going to increasingly be a part as we move forward.”
Meanwhile, Biswas plans to continue using ChatGPT to help his writing process. He’s especially excited about the release of the latest version of ChatGPT and its new features, particularly its multimodal capabilities. This is the model’s ability to understand images as well as text inputs—something that he said is going to represent another turning point in the relationship between AI and researchers.
“Image to text is a game changer especially for radiology because images are what we do,” said Biswas. “If that’s going to help us, then I think I’m going to publish some more articles that explore it—because if I don’t do it, someone else will.”
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Studying ship tracks to inform climate intervention decision-makers
Sandia scientists have developed computer tools to study inadvertent marine cloud brightening. To understand how these ship tracks move and dissipate, the scientists created a mathematical model of ship tracks and how long they last, which they shared in a paper recently published in Environmental Data Science.
"Ship exhaust is an example of aerosol injections into the lower atmosphere, impacting the local environment, and is a daily occurrence," said Lyndsay Shand, a Sandia statistician and the project lead.
"We've been developing analytical tools to understand exhaust impacts on clouds from observational data collected by satellites. For example, we can locate a newly formed ship track and follow its evolution to better understand how it affects the local marine environment over time. We have found ship tracks to persist for more than 24 hours, longer than previously documented."
Forming ocean clouds to slow climate change
Ship tracks are an unintentional example of marine cloud brightening, a group of technologies being considered for slowing climate change and its impacts. Marine cloud brightening works by creating ocean clouds that reflect some sunlight back to space before its heat is absorbed in the atmosphere or by Earth's surface.
Another, similar group of climate intervention technologies are called stratospheric aerosol or gas injection. This involves adding tiny particles, called aerosols, or gases high into the upper atmosphere, mimicking the effects of a large volcanic eruption, to reflect some sunlight and reduce climate change.
These two groups of technologies have the potential to counteract the effect of greenhouse gases, which work by trapping heat, but could have negative side effects.
Climate scientists, across the nation and around the globe, want to understand how marine cloud brightening and other climate intervention technologies affect both the local and global climate to better inform decision-makers, said Erika Roesler, a Sandia atmospheric scientist heavily involved in the project.
The Sandia researchers hope to understand the potential effects of marine cloud brightening on global precipitation, regional temperature differences and more well before any large-scale experiments are conducted on the planet we all call home, Shand and Roesler said.
Tracking clouds and reducing uncertainty
The focus of Shand's project was to develop analytical tools to understand the formation and behaviors of ship tracks. The goal was to be able to determine when ship tracks form and how long they last using publicly available satellite images and ship location information.
Ship tracks, formed by water vapor in the air condensing around ships' emissions, reflect sunlight, Roesler said. Ship tracks have been spotted across the globe, far more frequently than previously thought, providing inexpensive and unintentional experiments for the research team.
"Understanding how aerosols from ships, power plants and other human activities impact the climate is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty in climate models," Shand said. "If we can better understand those effects, we can reduce the uncertainty in climate models and lead to improved decision-making for policymakers."
Through this project, the team can now identify and follow a newly formed ship track as it moves with the cloud layer while the ship that produced it continues to move in another direction and form new track segments, Shand said. This is important to better understand the long-term impacts of ship exhaust on the surrounding clouds. This knowledge can help the scientific community to refine and improve climate models, she added.
Satellite images and innovative algorithms
For this study, the researchers used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites. Each satellite takes a snapshot of a fixed region of the Earth every five to 15 minutes. Each pixel in a single snapshot represents a region of 500 meters squared to two square kilometers, or about one-fifth of a square mile to three-quarters of a square mile, Shand said.
The team focused on satellite images from three three-day periods in 2019 of the North Pacific Ocean from Baja California up to Alaska. They have also observed ship tracks in the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile and in the East China Sea from Shanghai to Japan.
"In the paper, we introduced two new algorithms to follow ship track formations," Shand said. "One algorithm uses observed images, and one algorithm uses physical phenomena, such as known wind speed and direction. Both algorithms allow us to determine how long the ship tracks persist, but the image-based one performs much better for tracks persisting more than eight hours. This enables us to study how the ship exhaust dissipates into the cloud bank and how long it takes to disappear from sight."
With its new image-based algorithm, the research team was able to follow the behavior of ship tracks for more than 12 hours and sometimes up to 29 hours, Shand said. This is significantly longer than most atmospheric modeling simulations, which study ship tracks for six to eight hours. It's also longer than most airplane contrails last, created high above where ship tracks form, which can remain visible for up to four to six hours, in the right conditions.
To make such a big performance improvement, the team needed to overcome two key challenges. First, they adapted a motion-tracking algorithm to follow low-forming ship tracks, less than 3,000 feet above the ocean surface. Low clouds are more challenging to track than faster and larger clouds at an altitude above 30,000 feet.
Second, the new algorithm also can follow the tracks through the challenging light changes at sunset and sunrise. "One of the really neat things about this project is that we can follow the track through a full daily cycle," Shand said.
In addition to following ship tracks, the algorithms should be helpful in studying any future intentional marine cloud brightening experiments. The team is working on making its algorithms available to other researchers.
This project has led to collaborations and conversations with federal and academic researchers, Shand said. The tools developed during this project are being expanded as part of multiple projects that started last year.
"There are risks in doing these kind of climate interventions," Roesler said. "It is the role of the climate science community to understand these emerging technologies, their risks and benefits, to better inform decision-makers in the future, should climate intervention be necessary to save the planet."
More information: Lekha Patel et al, Toward data assimilation of ship-induced aerosol–cloud interactions, Environmental Data Science (2022). DOI: 10.1017/eds.2022.21
Kelsie M. Larson et al, An Optical Flow Approach to Tracking Ship Track Behavior Using GOES-R Satellite Imagery, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing (2022). DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2022.3193024 | Emerging Technologies |
If energy resources are the heart of global capitalism, pumping fuel around its body to keep it accumulating, its brain is made up of trillions of semiconductors. Cars, bombs, phones, refrigerators, even energy systems — today, they all rely on the computer processing power of chips. Without semiconductors in the information age, capitalism would be brain dead.
Is it more critical for capital and its various nation-states to guarantee a sufficient supply of energy resources or of semiconductors? In his new book Chip War, Chris Miller makes a compelling case for the latter:
Unlike oil, which can be bought from many countries, our production of computing power depends fundamentally on a series of choke points: tools, chemicals, and software that are often produced by a handful of companies — and sometimes only by one. No other facet of the economy is so dependent on so few firms.
Chips, then, are both essential and difficult to produce. That combination makes them central to the strategic thinking of all nation-states, and most of all to that of the United States. Washington can only sustain its imperial power through dominating the global production of semiconductors and the complex supply chain upon which that production depends.
Chip War is a history of the semiconductor industry from its origins to the present day. It is a book about technology that contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of imperialism and global political economy, even if Miller himself would not think about it in those terms.
The Rise of Chips
The rise of the semiconductor has been all about miniaturization. By getting ever-more transistors onto the same-sized piece of silicon, computer processing power continually expands.
Among the first companies to manufacture commercial chips was Fairchild Semiconductor, widely considered to be one of the founders of Silicon Valley. The first chip that Fairchild sold in 1960 had four transistors. Today, the transistor count in a chip in Apple’s iPhone 14 is fifteen billion.
The phenomenon of continual productivity gains in semiconductors is referred to as Moore’s law, after Gordon Moore, one of Fairchild’s founders. Moore wrote an essay in 1965 predicting that the number of components that could fit on a chip would double every year for the next ten years (he revised this in 1975 to a doubling every two years). Although the end of Moore’s law has long been predicted, it still largely holds true.
The US state was key to the chip industry’s liftoff. In the first half-decade of chip commercialization, around 95 percent of Fairchild’s chips were bought by NASA or the US military. While the civilian market would soon dwarf the public sector as a buyer of chips, US semiconductor capital and the US state have remained closely connected up to the present day.
The relationship is defined by push-and-pull factors depending on the balance of forces at any given time. In the 1980s, semiconductor CEOs spent half their time in Washington as they sought the state’s help in thwarting Japan’s increasing dominance in the industry. In the 1990s and 2000s, when the threat from companies like Sony and Nikon subsided and the United States became top dog again, chip chief executives sought to keep Washington’s nose out of the “free market.”
The rise of the semiconductor industry was key to American hegemony both directly and indirectly. In the late 1970s, there was genuine fear in the Department of Defense (DoD) that the United States was falling behind the Soviet Union militarily. Under the leadership of William Perry, the DoD switched to a military strategy that was heavily dependent on semiconductors, known as the Offset Strategy.
Perry’s aim was for the United States’ bombs to be the most accurate, rather than the largest in size or quantity. On that terrain, the Soviet Union — which never got close to catching the United States in computing power — could not compete. The First Gulf War in 1991 then allowed the United States to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Offset Strategy in combat: semiconductor-guided missiles hit their targets in Baghdad with unerring accuracy, proving to the world Washington’s military superiority.
Just as important to American imperialism was the decision of its emerging semiconductor firms to offshore production. Texas Instruments, one of the pioneers of semiconductors alongside Fairchild, established a plant in Taiwan as early as 1969. By the 1980s, as Miller writes, “a map of American semiconductor assembly facilities looked much like a map of American military bases across Asia.” The United States might have lost the war in Vietnam, but offshoring electronics production — especially semiconductors — ensured that American capitalism won the peace.
Globalization or Monopolization?
While offshoring proved to be a highly successful labor arbitrage strategy for American semiconductor capital, it also laid the seeds of Asia’s economic rise. In the mid-1980s, fearing China’s growing power, the Taiwanese government realized it could guarantee its continued importance to the United States by making itself essential to global semiconductor supply chains.
It managed to tempt Morris Chang, who had been overlooked for CEO at Texas Instruments, to set up a company in Taiwan that would have the complete backing of the state. It was a private business in theory but a public venture in practice.
Chang’s Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was based on a new business model. Rather than design and produce chips, TSMC would offer to build the chips of semiconductor firms across the world. Outsourcing chip fabrication was increasingly appealing due to the huge capital costs involved in producing chips, not to mention the skill level required.
TSMC’s fabrication-only model has proved more successful than Taiwan’s government could have ever dreamed. TSMC is now responsible for around 55 percent of all chips produced worldwide, and over 90 percent of the most advanced chips. Its customers include Apple and the DoD. TSMC has succeeded in the government’s ambition of making the island-state indispensable to chip supply chains.
Samsung has a different business model, but it has enjoyed similar backing from the South Korean state to transition from a site of cheap labor for American chip production to an essential chip producer in its own right. As the cost of producing chips has continued to spiral, the concentration and centralization of chip production has reached a point whereby just three companies across the globe — TSMC, Samsung, and Silicon Valley–based Intel (a successor to Fairchild) — can produce the most advanced “logic” chips. And even then, there are growing doubts about whether Intel is keeping up with its two East Asian rivals.
If logic chips appear to be moving toward a duopoly, the production of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines has already reached full monopoly status. EUV lithography draws the shapes on the silicon that allow for billions of transistors to be carved into each chip. As Moore’s law has progressed, producing ever-more minuscule lines (currently down to five nanometers) has become mind-bogglingly complex. EUV lithography is so expensive and elaborate that just one company can do it — Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML) in the Netherlands.
ASML’s machines cost tens of billions to manufacture, and sell for over $100 million each. They rely on hundreds of thousands of components from hundreds of companies across the world. In one sense, EUV lithography is a marvel of globalization. As Miller puts it: “A tool with hundreds of thousands of parts has many fathers.”
However, all of those far-flung components are consolidated in just one company — an obvious vulnerability in global chip production. As Miller also writes: “The manufacturing of EUV wasn’t globalized, it was monopolized.”
“Weaponized Interdependence”
As Asia’s economic power grew on the back of offshored electronics production, one country in particular emerged as the continent’s dominant player. Like South Korea and Taiwan, China began as a source of low-cost labor for Western big tech and evolved from there into a technological powerhouse — one that is big enough to be a major threat to US hegemony.
However, unlike its East Asian neighbors, China has not managed to build a semiconductor industry that gets it anywhere near self-reliance. Semiconductors are a potential Achilles’s heel for the Chinese state. President Xi Jinping is intent on fixing that, but the United States is equally determined to stymie China’s chip power. In the US-China trade war, semiconductors are a vital battleground.
The United States has the upper hand in almost every sphere of the chip war. While large parts of the semiconductor supply chain are now outside of the United States, they can be found in countries — Taiwan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan — that are Washington’s allies. The United States itself still has a monopoly in some essential manufacturing and software tools. China produces 15 percent of global chips, and that number is rising quickly as the state pours investment in, but they are almost all low-tech chips.
China has levers it can pull in the chip war. Most of America’s biggest tech firms have important supply chains in China. But this is mainly at the lower end of the value chain, and if push came to shove these companies could shift production to countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where labor is in some cases even cheaper.
The real leverage which China possesses stems from its huge consumer market, upon which American big tech is reliant for its revenues. Indeed, the Chinese market is so enticing that two American semiconductor firms (IBM and AMD) have even been willing to trade technology in return for market access.
However, those deals were struck before the United States really started to crank up the heat on China. In May 2020, the United States banned any company which used US chip-making products (basically every chip manufacturer) from doing business with Huawei, the gem of Chinese technology.
Miller, who writes from the perspective of defending the American “national interest,” is honest enough to accept that the offensive against Huawei has little to do with cybersecurity, as the US government claims. It is really about blocking China from dominating key emerging technologies, like 5G.
In this effort, the United States has been extremely successful in curtailing one of the world’s most important technology firms, by methods that include corralling allies into following its diktats. The impact of this offensive is clear: Huawei has had to divest part of its smartphone and server business, while its 5G rollout has been delayed due to chip shortages.
On top of the Huawei chip ban — with the United States recently tightening the screw — Washington has managed to convince ASML, a company with extensive American links, not to sell its latest EUV machines to China. A number of other Chinese tech firms have been blacklisted. In October 2022, the Biden administration imposed a new set of sweeping export controls which prevent any “US persons” — individuals or businesses — from providing direct or indirect support for Chinese chip manufacturing.
China’s response to all of this has been almost nonexistent, beyond strongly worded statements and appeals to the World Trade Organization. Miller, writing before Biden’s latest export controls, argues that the imbalance between US action and Chinese reaction shows that Uncle Sam has “escalation dominance” in the chip war.
The picture that emerges is one of “weaponized interdependence,” as Miller puts it, quoting the title of a 2021 book by political scientists Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman. Weaponized interdependence means that the closer that countries are tied together, the more avenues there are for conflict. That is the complete opposite of what the intellectual cheerleaders of globalization told us would happen for decades. Without pausing to explore the failure of their prediction, many of those same intellectuals have now seamlessly converted to celebrating Biden’s China sanctions.
Waiting for the Earthquake
It would not take a lot for weaponized interdependence to escalate to war. In any war scenario, control over Taiwan and keeping TSMC operational would be a key aim for both sides. In the final chapter, Miller games out various scenarios, all of which have highly uncertain conclusions. But one thing is clear: if chip production in Taiwan was cut off for any length of time, the economic impact would be comparable to the global pandemic lockdowns. Such is the centrality of TSMC’s chips to the world economy.
It may not even take a war to knock out TSMC. Its Hsinchu Science Park factories sit atop a fault line that produced an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale as recently as 1999. Global capitalism is just one large Taiwanese earthquake — or one major geopolitical miscalculation — away from meltdown.
Chip War has a strong pro–United States bias. However, it provides a wealth of evidence to show that while the United States may not still enjoy the technological supremacy that it did in the unipolar moment, it remains the dominant player, controlling directly or indirectly key nodes in global semiconductor production. China’s technological capacity may have grown incredibly quickly, but the United States has already shown that it can effectively deploy sanctions to weaken Chinese tech power.
There is still room for escalation in those power plays if Washington perceives its hegemony to be slipping away. Those of us who believe that US imperialism remains the most dangerous force on the planet should oppose attempts to consign China’s 1.4 billion people to permanent technological inferiority. We should also make the case for semiconductors to be a universal public good, rather than a tool for the profits of monopolists and the geopolitical ploys of powerful states. | Emerging Technologies |
Science & Technology, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to get smarter and move into just about every aspect of our lives, rapidly transforming all industries, ChatGPT has recently taken the world by storm. ChatGPT is a conversational language model developed by OpenAI. It is trained on a diverse range of internet text, including conversations, news articles, and websites, and can generate human-like responses to a wide variety of prompts. The model is based on the transformer architecture and has been fine-tuned for conversational response generation. This allows it to generate answers that are relevant, informative, and engaging to users in a conversational setting.
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), experts in computer science, business, and arts and media recently shared their insights on how ChatGPT can be valuable technology, if treated cautiiously.
The huge buzz over ChatGPT has had rival tech giants announce their own versions of the AI Chat with much focus on how it may transform industries.
Human-like are fed in the form of conversations and other textual content in response to input from users and has proved to be a hit among the public.
There is much speculation on how it will be used in the academic world and if it will replace jobs, and if students may use the technology to do their assignments which is causing concern in the academic world, and many workers of industries have expressed concern to the possibility of losing jobs.
Academics from UNSW Sydney have for many years have studied the significance, and dangers, of AI and are in a good position to understand the possible outcomes of ChatGPT across society.
The year 2022, saw UNSW launch the AI Institute to support the activities of over 300 UNSW academics engaged in AI and spanning all UNSW faculties, with Scientia Associate Professor Haris Aziz as (interim) director and Professor Mary-Anne Williams as deputy director (Business).
The Media Futures Hub, co-directed by Associate Professor Dr Michael Richardson, is a gathering of scholars researching media and emerging technologies with the goal analyzing the atmosphere with the new technology, but to asist build more just futures.
Assistant Professor Aziz indicated that ChatGPT is nothing new, but is generating excitement as a result of the amount of data it draws on, and how it applies data to mark text patterns and form very human-like content.
“ChatGPT is not that different from some very standard, deep learning machine learning technologies that are in operation for many applications,” he says.
Assistant Professor Aziz also stated that the biggest innovation is not particularly the basic idea, but the fact they have collected 570GB of data, which is approximately 300 billion words, powering the software.
He also indicated what has captured the imagination with ChatGPT is that it does not just form one-line answers similar to prior occasions where Chatbots might have done – it is capable to form long-form responses able to summarize a wealth of details on many topics.
While ChatGPT has caused concern in the media as a threat to many white-collar workers, Prof. Mary-Anne Williams, from UNSW’s Business School, is not convinced that will occur.
She points out that the introduction of the personal computer in the late stages of the 20th century as evidence that widespread job cuts are less likely to take place just because of this new technology.
“This is a watershed moment for human-AI collaboration, because anyone that has used ChatGPT can see its potential,” she says.
“ChatGPT and its like are just the latest in a long line of new technologies that can enhance human capabilities, and business, industry and society will change over time as we learn to mitigate the risk and unlock the benefits.” | Emerging Technologies |
Coca-Cola has joined the list of companies integrating the power of artificial intelligence into its services and products.
In a first-quarter earnings release, the soft drink company said it was adopting emerging technologies like AI to "drive new approaches, more experimentation and improved speed to market."
The company highlighted its collaboration with OpenAI and the consulting firm Bain & Company to experiment with ChatGPT and DALL-E "to enhance marketing capabilities and business operations and to build capabilities through cutting-edge [AI]."
Within a month of this partnership, Coca-Cola launched the "Create Real Magic" platform, which allowed consumers to create original artwork with assets from the company’s archives.
Coca-Cola said it was also experimenting with ways to leverage AI "to improve customer service and ordering as well as point-of-sale material creation in collaboration with its bottling partners."
Amid the rapid rise of AI, companies and employees alike are increasingly using AI-powered tools like ChatGPT for everyday operations.
Coca-Cola competitor PepsiCo has begun incorporating AI into its processes for tracking consumer demand and new product development, helping the company boost sales and bring new products to customers faster.
Per its earnings report, Coca-Cola reported higher-than-expected sales in the first quarter as it continued to hike prices and its business in China improved.
The company said revenue rose 5% to $11 billion for the January-March period, beating Wall Street's expectations.
FOX Business’ Breck Dumas and Eric Revell contributed to this report. | Emerging Technologies |
“Pathways to Commercial Liftoff” Reports Highlight Importance of Industrial Decarbonization and Virtual Power Plants to Accelerate the Clean Energy Transition
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the release of new Pathways to Commercial Liftoff reports focusing on the opportunities and challenges that lie in achieving industrial decarbonization and implementing virtual power plants (VPPs). The Liftoff series first launched in March 2023 to provide the private sector and other industry partners a valuable, engagement-driven resource on how technologies can reach full scale deployment. Both industrial decarbonization and VPPs are crucial to reducing carbon emissions, improving the resilience of our energy systems, and achieving President Biden’s ambitious goals of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
"This Administration is committed to engaging with our private sector partners to accelerate the commercialization and deployment of key technologies needed to achieve the President’s ambitious climate and decarbonization goals,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "The reports released today provide in-depth analysis of emerging technologies and clear benchmarks to help guide targeted investments and propel the U.S. toward our clean energy future."
The Biden Administration's commitment to reducing emissions hinges heavily on transforming our industrial sectors and optimizing energy management systems. The latest Liftoff reports dive deep into industrial decarbonization, highlighting the potential in sectors such as chemicals and refining to significantly cut their carbon footprint. The focus on VPPs demonstrates how evolving energy solutions can harmoniously balance demand and supply, curtail expenses, and further reliability. By targeting these pivotal areas, we're charting a pathway towards our broader clean energy and climate aspirations.
Industrial Decarbonization Liftoff Report
Industrial decarbonization presents a vital opportunity to transform industrial systems to improve energy and environmental justice. The three Industrial Decarbonization Liftoff reports in this series provide an overview of the pathways to decarbonization across eight industrial sectors of focus: chemicals, refining, iron & steel, food & beverage processing, pulp & paper, cement, aluminum, and glass.
Key findings from the Industrial Decarbonization Liftoff reports include:
- Carbon-intensive industrial sectors are facing a critical inflection point and society is focused on accelerating deep decarbonization; this is a unique moment that neither American industry nor DOE can allow to pass.
- U.S. industrial players are at risk of lagging behind net-zero targets, with a focus on short-term, easy-to-implement solutions; however, momentum is growing for deployment of industrial decarbonization solutions.
- The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have created unprecedented tools to support industrial decarbonization, customers are demanding low-carbon products (e.g., steel for auto), and early private sector movers are emerging.
- Achieving meaningful reductions could require up to $1,100 billion in capital expenditure and a bold shift in leadership and technology adoption across various sectors.
To provide a deeper understanding in selected sectors, DOE is also releasing sector deep-dive reports on Decarbonizing Chemicals & Refining and on Low-Carbon Cement, discussing the specific levers available and deployment targets needed for these sectors to remain on track with decarbonization targets.
Virtual Power Plants Liftoff Report
DOE also released a Virtual Power Plants Liftoff report. VPPs are aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as smart appliances, rooftop solar with batteries, EVs and chargers, and commercial and industrial loads that can balance electricity demand and supply and provide grid services like a traditional power plant. VPPs are reaching a critical inflection point, poised to balance growing electrical demand and promote grid reliability as traditional assets retire.
Key findings from the Virtual Power Plants liftoff report include:
- As electrical demand grows and traditional energy sources like coal and gas phase out, VPPs are at a crucial juncture. With the swift adoption of distributed energy resources, like EV chargers and rooftop solar, VPPs have the potential to harness this surge, but there's an urgent need for scalable and repeatable models across states.
- To realize their full potential, VPPs require scalable models, regulatory support, and a broad coalition of stakeholders engaged in their development and deployment.
- Tripling current scale of VPPs by 2030 could expand the U.S. grid’s capacity to reliably support rapid electrification while reducing overall grid costs by $10 billion per year.
The Liftoff reports, part of an ongoing series, are designed to catalyze public and private sector engagement to expedite the commercialization of vital clean energy technologies. The reports offer insights into the current landscape, future potential, and challenges that need to be addressed for successful commercial deployment of key clean energy technologies. DOE developed the reports through extensive collaboration and a mixture of system-level and project-level financial modeling, with new additions planned for the coming months. Other clean energy sectors discussed in previous reports, such as clean hydrogen and advanced nuclear, are also continually assessed as part of DOE’s commitment to real-time, dynamic insights.
In line with its living document philosophy, DOE will continue to revise and update the Liftoff reports as the technology and policy landscape evolve. Public input and stakeholder engagement continue to be encouraged through industry forums and can be submitted via email to [email protected].
Dive deeper into our findings and join the clean energy conversation: Access the full 'Pathways to Commercial Liftoff' reports here. | Emerging Technologies |
Carbon dioxide plasma being created at the Ecole Polytechnique in France.Photo: Olivier GuaitellaMars: If the extreme temperatures and exposure to cosmic radiation don’t kill you, the unbreathable air certainly will. Now, a team of researchers has proposed a method of addressing the latter issue, by using plasma to split carbon dioxide—of which Mars has plenty—into carbon and oxygen.OffEnglishOne of the biggest barriers to human habitation of worlds beyond Earth is in-situ resource utilization, or rather, the lack thereof. Until humans can reliably use what’s readily available on Mars to live there, our species can’t have an established presence on the planet.The recent team proposed using non-thermal plasmas: electrically charged gases whose electron discharge can be channeled toward breaking the bond between carbon and oxygen atoms in a carbon dioxide molecule. In a lab setting, the team demonstrated the ability to cool a plasma down to Martian temperatures. Their research is published in the Journal of Applied Physics.“The natural conditions on Mars are nearly ideal to [in-situ resource utilization] by plasmas,” said Vasco Guerra, a physicist at the University of Lisbon in Portugal and lead author of the recent paper, in an email to Gizmodo. “In particular, the atmospheric composition, the ambient pressure and temperature all play in favor of a plasma process.”Oxygen has been produced on the Martian surface before. Last year, the MOXIE experiment aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover extracted a small amount (about 5 grams) of oxygen from the planet’s atmosphere. But MOXIE was just a test of whether oxygen extraction was possible; now that it’s been proven, humans can focus on how to scale that extraction.G/O Media may get a commissionBack to SchoolBack to School Month with Govee SaleDecorate your dormYou may not be allowed to paint your dorm room walls when you get back to school, but no one can stop you from painting them with light! Govee has a ton of different RGB smart lights on sale just for the occasion as the first week of school approaches.Humans need oxygen to breathe, but it also is important for producing fuels and fertilizers. Carbon monoxide could also be used for rocket propellant. All told, humans would have a lot to gain by being able to separate out the Martian atmosphere into its constituent elements.“This versatile system may one day play a critical role in the development of not only life-support systems on Mars but also feedstock and base chemicals for processing fuels, building materials and fertilizers,” Guerra said.Non-thermal plasmas and the conducting membranes needed to separate carbon dioxide and store the elements are still emerging technologies, meaning it’ll be some time before humans can have prolonged stays on Mars. But they’re a step forward—or outward, toward an extraterrestrial future.More: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars | Emerging Technologies |
Stung by the Biden administration’s huge green subsidy program, the European Union unveiled plans for its own “Green Deal” Wednesday to cut red tape and deliver tax breaks.
The Green Deal Industrial Plan will “enhance the competitiveness of Europe’s net-zero industry” by simplifying regulation, speeding up access to finance, enhancing skills and building “resilient” supply chains through new trade deals, the European Commission said in a statement.
The proposals, which will be debated by EU leaders next week, would make €250 billion ($272 billion) available from existing EU funds for the greening of industry, including offering tax breaks to businesses investing in net-zero technologies.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the package of measures will ensure a “level playing field” globally. “Europe is determined to lead the clean tech revolution,” she added in the statement.
Von der Leyen and other EU leaders have stressed the need to roll out a bold investment package for green projects in response to the Inflation Reduction Act — the US government’s flagship climate legislation that will channel $369 billion towards clean energy projects.
EU leaders are worried that tax breaks for American companies, which amount to $270 billion, will disadvantage European firms and lure them to the United States.
Several EU officials criticized the Inflation Reduction Act at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, leading to speculation that a tit-for-tat subsidy fight may be brewing.
Speaking on a panel, Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU commissioner for trade, said that while the largest climate investment in US history was commendable, Europe’s “concern is that it is done in a discriminatory way.”
“It’s not helping to build transatlantic value chains on the green transition, but rather actually severing those value chains,” he added.
In a document detailing its new green industry plan, the European Commission also fingered China, saying it has provided green subsidies at a level twice as high as those in the European Union, relative to GDP. “Europe and its partners must do more to combat the effect of such unfair subsidies and prolonged market distortion,” it added.
The EU green plan proposes a loosening of state aid rules that would allow member states to match the aid offered by a third country for initial investments into “targeted” sectors relevant to the net-zero transition.
It also makes provision for a European Sovereignty Fund to ensure Europe has an edge on “critical and emerging technologies” such as microelectronics and artificial intelligence.
Also proposed in the plan is the Net Zero Industry Act, which would speed up the issuance of permits for green projects, and the Critical Raw Materials Act, which would aim to secure the EU supply of rare earth minerals vital to developing net-zero technologies.
— Julia Horowitz contributed to this report. | Emerging Technologies |
Floating offshore wind gives the UK a chance to make the most of the green energy transition, supporting a technology it is currently a world leader in to boost jobs and revitalise domestic industry, a leading renewables group has argued.
Renewable UK – which specialises in wind and tidal power – published its report on floating offshore wind last week, revealing the UK was well positioned to become a global leader in floating wind technology, with the biggest project pipeline in the world of 37GW (one-fifth of global projects).
It calculates that if 11 ports near the North Sea and Celtic Sea were upgraded to store materials, boost local supply chains and tow the turbines out to sea for installation, it would create a domestic industry that could generate £26.6bn in economic activity by 2040 – backed by tens of thousands of jobs.
This would come at an initial cost of £4bn, which Renewable UK argues could be achieved with a mix of taxpayer and private funding.
Laurie Heyworth, policy analyst for emerging technologies at Renewable UK, told City A.M. that the “nascent market” provided the government with a chance to look at the energy transition as more than just a race to reach generation targets.
He believed floating offshore wind would boost the UK’s levelling up agenda, and allow a more complete green energy transition where the country built a thriving domestic industry centred around renewable projects.
He said: “I think it all depends on what the government’s priority is – if it’s just to deploy as much wind as possible into the North Sea you can do that. You can do that at lowest possible cost, but you’ll start to lose out on supply chains.
“Is it to just deploy everything, and import things cheaply from like China where they have low labour costs? Or does the government actually want to live up to their word of ‘levelling up’ and stimulate the local supply chain and get all the benefits of that.”
Heyworth considered the current decade to be “defining years” for renewable energy, with the government aiming to increase offshore wind generation from 12GW to 50GW by the end of the decade as part of its energy security strategy.
This includes 5GW of floating offshore wind generation.
Floating offshore wind turbines are buoyant on the surface – supported by a platform and often connected to the seabed by cables – allowing them to be installed in much deeper waters than conventional turbines.
They are also vast in size, with average floating offshore wind turbine being as tall as the Shard and consisting of double the concrete of the Eiffel Tower.
Heyworth explained: “This requires a lot of development in ports, because it’s not like traditional shipping with cargo. You need deeper berths, you need wider access channels, and the quay needs more area for actual storage to like store it, to enable a sort of assembly line – so integration can keep happening like a conveyor belt.”
As it stands, there are just two floating offshore wind farms in the UK with limited capacity, Hywind (30MW) and Kincardine (50MW), operated by Equinor and Principle Power respectively.
However, developments are expected to rise sharply over the current decade, with mass industrialised deploy expected from around 2027.
Floating offshore wind has been included in the upcoming auction round for offshore wind developments next month, with RWE expected to bid for at least 1GW of the 4GW up for sale in the Celtic Sea, while the Crown Estate in Scotland has been undertaking its own leasing rounds.
Environmental think tank Green Alliance was also pushing the government to make the most of its early advantage.
Dustin Benton, policy director, said: “Floating offshore is a massive opportunity. The largest long-run export opportunities for offshore wind are in places where the sea bed is too deep for fixed foundations. The industry is still at an early stage, but the UK is in a very strong position to lead its development, given comparative advantage as a windy island nation and high existing skills base in offshore technologies.”
The industry is currently awaiting to see if the government will make any more announcements over wind power at the upcoming ‘Green Day’ – its long-awaited response to the US Inflation Reduction Act.
When approached for comment, the government told City A.M. it recognised the concerns over ports.
A department for energy security and net zero spokesperson said: “The government appreciates the potential of floating offshore wind and the UK already has the world’s first and largest floating windfarms. We also recognise the important role that ports play in deployment of offshore wind and we will set out the next steps on our Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme soon.” | Emerging Technologies |
A close-up of a silicon wafer on display at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution.
Annabelle Chih/Getty Images Tiny semiconductor chips are essentially the brains powering our modern lives. We use them all day long, in our coffee pots, our cars, our cellphones. But these tiny chips also hold the key to immense economic and government power. Those little silicon wafers help create advanced weaponry and are crucial to national security. So last summer, in a rare bipartisan move, Congress passed the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act. They were worried about the country’s reliance on foreign chip manufacturers, particularly in Taiwan, which makes nearly all of the most advanced chips out there. China claims Taiwan is part of China, and if the country were to, say, launch an offensive against Taiwan, the U.S. chip supply would be endangered or cut off. So, the idea behind the CHIPS Act was to reduce our reliance on foreign countries for chip-making. On Sunday’s episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Don Clark, who covers the semiconductor industry, about whether the U.S. can really bring chip manufacturing home. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Emily Peck: Through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Biden administration is offering roughly $76 billion in grants, tax credits, and subsidies to incentivize manufacturers to do what’s called reshoring—essentially bringing factories to the United States. And chipmakers are responding. Since 2020, more than 35 companies, some of the biggest players in this space, have pledged nearly $200 billion for manufacturing projects related to chips. Don Clark: It’s an interesting change in industrial policy. It used to be the federal government just built things, but in this kind of a policy, they’re using public money to spur private money. And the reason they’re doing it that way is because that’s what other governments are doing around the world, in Asia and other places. The idea is to even out the playing field. It’s about 30 percent more expensive with no government support to build a chip factory in the U.S. as it is abroad because of the subsidies and other factors. So they’re trying to basically even it out, so if you’re Intel, it’s essentially neutral as to where you build your plant. What exactly are semiconductor chips? Explain them to me like I’m 5 years old. Semiconductor chips are devices that perform all the functions that you want with electrical things. They store data, they add numbers together, they multiply numbers together. They can amplify signals. They can do things like change of voltage. Physically, you take a big wafer of silicon and you photographically put designs on each chip and then they’re broken up into little squares or rectangles. The famous discussion in Silicon Valley is about Moore’s Law. Gordon Moore was the founder of Intel, and back when he was at Fairchild Semiconductor, he made this prediction about how rapidly companies would shrink the little tiny switching elements called transistors on each chip. And he said they would double very rapidly—every year, every two years—and that has pretty much held true. Chips are one of the few things in life that have gotten better and better, and each of those little tiny transistors has gotten cheaper and cheaper. That miniaturization is the reason we have many products we take for granted today. The average car now has more than a thousand chips in it. They’re everywhere, essentially. Your light switch, your lightbulb. My lightbulb? LED lightbulbs are based on a semiconductor called gallium nitride, which is basically a chip. My espresso machine, my dishwasher, they’ve all got chips. The chip supply chain is incredibly geographically dispersed. The average chip might cross a national border 70 times before it actually reaches the final destination because there’s all these different players involved. They get fabricated in one plant and packaged in another plant and tested in another plant and shipped to a distributor. The supply chain is incredibly complicated, and a lot of it is in China. The U.S. is certainly not lagging when it comes to inventing new and advanced chips. In fact, chip designers in the U.S. account for more than 50 percent of all semiconductor revenue globally. The issue is in the manufacturing. In 1990, the U.S. made 37 percent of the world’s chips. Thirty years later, that number has cratered to 12 percent. While the country might design some of the most advanced chips in the world, almost all the manufacturing takes place in foreign countries. What happened? It’s a complicated story, and it’s not “We moved to Asia for cheap labor.” What first started happening is companies in Japan started making chips. In the ’80s, they started making memory chips, which are one of the most widely used chips around, and then Korea got into it. The fabrication of semiconductors is not a game about cheap labor—it’s about big expenditures on very expensive machines. Now the factories cost, say, $10 billion each, and some of the individual machines cost $200 million, and they have hundreds of these machines in some of these factories. It’s a game about money, not about labor. Perhaps the biggest reason for why U.S. manufacturing of chips has fallen is because of one man: Morris Chang. Born in China, Chang came to the U.S., where he spent 25 years working at Texas Instruments, one of the oldest semiconductor makers in the country. Up until the ’80s, most semiconductor makers designed and manufactured their own chips in their own factories. But Chang saw an opportunity to cut costs and get more efficient. In the late ’80s, he left Texas Instruments. With the full support of the Taiwanese government, Chang helped found Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which makes chips that other companies design. TSMC is now the most important semiconductor manufacturer in the world, producing advanced chips for companies like Nvidia, Apple, and even Amazon. TSMC produces more than 90 percent of the advanced chips, the things that you really care about. For example, an Apple iPhone always uses the most advanced TSMC process. They go immediately to the most advanced technology, and TSMC is the only company in the world that can make it. That’s the alarming factor. Taiwan, though friendly to the U.S., has a fraught relationship with China. He founded the industry in Taiwan. He’s very close to the government. He’s now almost like a government ambassador. Now, TSMC have agreed to build factories in Arizona. They recently stepped up their investment to $40 billion in Arizona, and they expect to get money under the CHIPS Act to help do that. They have a big factory already under construction north of Phoenix. There’s a long-term trend to be close to your customers, but there is added incentive with all this attention. If you’re Apple, you want TSMC making chips in Arizona. Although then they would have to send the chips to China to assemble the phones. Even the chips that Intel makes in Oregon or Arizona, they’re sent to Asia, usually, to be packaged and tested. That’s originally because that part of the business, the packaging and testing, is labor intensive. So that’s why U.S. makers started having assembly and test operations in Asia, starting in the 1970s. That is another problem for the U.S., that all assembly happens abroad. According to the New York Times, all of this will boost U.S. production of chips from 12 percent to 14 percent, which seems disappointing. That’s a little pessimistic. That’s not including the tax credits, the last $25 billion. But the 12 percent figure is not the important figure. The important figure is that 95 percent of advanced chips now come from Taiwan. If we get to 20 percent of the advanced chips made in America, that would be a huge thing, because those are the really important chips in this discussion. And what’s the barrier there? If TSMC builds its factories here in America, that’s probably the most important single thing that will make that figure go down. But other players are Samsung, which is the other big foundry service company, they build almost all in South Korea. They already have a factory in Austin, Texas, but they’re putting $17 billion into a new factory in Texas, too. Intel, which used to lead in the advanced chip production, but has fallen behind in the past five years, is spending heavily to catch up in the race. So that’s another factor that’s going to reduce that 95 percent figure down. Is the scare about the 95 percent figure mostly coming from that COVID supply chain shock where we couldn’t get the chips shipped to where they needed to be? Or is there a bigger national security concern with Taiwan dominating the manufacture of the highest-end chips? I would say that the supply chain issues galvanized politicians. But before that was happening, the Pentagon has always worried about where the chips have come from. They’ve established this program 30 years ago to have trusted foundries—they have chip factories with armed guards around them and all these procedures. On the more strategic level, a lot of the concern is from advanced weapons systems. I mean, the U.S. wants to have its weapons be the smartest in the world, and by and large they are. It’s my understanding that you need a really highly skilled labor force to manufacture these chips. Is that going to be a hindrance here? Very likely it will be. There’s two classes of workers that are important. There’s the actual people in the bunny suits running the machines in the factories, and they usually have a two-year community college degree. But then we need Ph.D.s in all kinds of disciplines. A lot of this is a chemical engineering process, all the things you do on wafers, but you need electrical engineers, chemical engineers, material scientists, all these people to keep the advancing miniaturization and all the things you need to do in chips, the search for new materials to make chips out of. Something like two-thirds of the Ph.D. candidates in the disciplines that matter are foreign-born now. Since the Trump administration, it’s been very hard for those people to stay in the U.S. after they get their Ph.D.s. There’s been lots of effort to put more money into making our educational institutions stronger and graduating more people. At the same time, there’s the immigration issue. We are essentially shooting ourselves in the foot by sending these people home, where among other things, they start building chips in other countries. Many of them are Chinese and go back to China. Underlying all this is the tension between the U.S. and China. The U.S.government fears that if China is able to get its hands on the most advanced chips, it’ll make the tech race between the countries even more competitive, especially given China’s aggressive push into A.I. and surveillance. The U.S. placed pretty strict sanctions on China and crippled its ability to make or get a hold of the more sophisticated chips. What happened with those sanctions? There are two poles of this. One is to stop them from buying the most advanced chips. So we’ve put restrictions on companies like Huawei. We’ve hobbled them by limiting their ability to buy advanced chips. At the same time, China has an indigenous semiconductor industry. They are like 10 years behind, but they are making many of the simple chips that people use. Basically we’re trying to freeze them in place. We used to say, “It’s OK if China is basically two generations behind in chip manufacturing technology.” These latest sanctions, which came out in October 2022, are saying, “We’re going to freeze them at about 2018. We’re not going to allow them to get the machines that allow them to get to progress beyond that.” It’s a pretty radical step up in U.S. policy. We have no idea how China is going to respond, but I think they will respond in some way we’re not going to like. China is one of the biggest buyers of chips in the world. If you take these kinds of actions or put these sanctions in place, couldn’t they retaliate by stepping back their purchasing power or buying somewhere else? The trouble is, let’s say they want to make a smartphone. You can’t make an advanced smartphone without a chip that comes from someplace else. So do they want to shoot themselves in the foot by making those smartphones? While we depend on China to make stuff for us, kinds of stuff, they depend on other countries to make them chips. They cannot get away from buying certain kinds of chips if they want to do surveillance of those people, if they want to build supercomputers, if they want to do A.I. They need chips that are made by foreign companies. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. | Emerging Technologies |
Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs)
The Tech Hubs Program aims to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country with assets and resources with the potential to become globally competitive in the technologies and industries of the future—and for those industries, companies, and the good jobs they create, to start, grow, and remain in the United States.
This program brings together diverse public, private, and academic partners into collaborative consortia focused on driving inclusive regional growth. With their existing innovation assets as a foundation, these Tech Hubs will build the workforce of the future; enable businesses to start and scale; and deploy and deliver critical and emerging technologies.
On October 23, 2023, President Biden announced the designation of the inaugural 31 Tech Hubs, as well as recipients of 29 Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grants.
A Tech Hubs Designation is a strong endorsement of a region’s plan to supercharge a critical technology ecosystem and become a global leader over the next decade. Tech Hubs Designees are eligible to apply for the Tech Hubs Phase 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF). In Phase 2, EDA will award implementation grants to 5-10 Designated Tech Hubs, with each of those Hubs receiving approximately $40-$70 million across approximately 3-8 projects. For more information about Phase 2, visit our updated Frequently Asked Questions page. To read the Phase 2 NOFO, click here (PDF).
A Strategy Development Grant (SDG) enables consortia to increase local coordination and planning activities to further develop their technology-based regional economic development strategy. Eleven of the 31 Designated Tech Hubs received SDGs, and 18 other consortia received SDGs to further mature their plans and achieve Designation in the future.
About the Tech Hubs Program
The Tech Hubs Program will invest directly in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to transform into globally competitive innovation centers in approximately 10 years, while catalyzing the creation of good jobs for American workers at all skill levels, equitably and inclusively.
The Tech Hubs Program was enacted as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program). The statute authorized $10 billion for the program over five years. As part of the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress appropriated EDA $500 million to launch the program. This program invests in U.S. regions that are focused on technologies within or across the key technology focus areas outlined in the statute.
Press Releases
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Phase 1 Resources
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Phase 1 Frequently Asked Questions (As of 7/12/2023)
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Revised Fact Sheet (PDF) (5/12/2023)
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Phase 1 NOFO PowerPoint Slides (PDF) (5/12/2023)
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International team of physicists explore microscopic filament behavior
Recently-published research from an international team of physicists reveals how the three-dimensional shape of rigid microscopic filaments determines their dynamics when suspended in water, and how control of that shape can be used to engineer solid-like behavior even when the suspension is more than 99% water.
The paper, "Bonded straight and helical flagellar filaments form ultra-low-density glasses," was co-authored by Georgetown physics professors Peter Olmsted and Jeffrey Urbach and graduate student Matthew Sartucci. It has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"This work shows that we can use particle shape to create a material that forms an extremely low density glass," said Urbach. "We've engineered thin filaments whose geometry creates a frustrated, completely jammed solid even though there is no chemical linking between the filament, and they take up only a very small fraction of the space"
The study leverages the remarkable properties of the flagella of bacteria—the microscopic "tails" that the organisms use for propulsion. For most bacteria, the flagella are rigid helical filaments, which the bacteria rotate to generate propulsive force, somewhat like the propeller of a really really tiny ship.
There are mutant strains of bacteria that grow flagella that are straight, rather than helical, and by using novel synthesis techniques, the group at UC Santa Barbara, led by Prof. Zvonimir Dogic, was able to generate chimeric filaments, composed of a segment of straight flagella fused to a helical one. Other team members included Ph.D. students at Georgetown and Brandeis Universities, as well as a research scientist at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Lyon, France.
When suspended in water, these tiny filaments exhibit Brownian Motion, the random fluctuations in position described by the botanist Robert Brown in 1827 when observing pollen grains under a microscope, and quantitatively explained by Albert Einstein in 1905, providing one of the first widely-accepted demonstrations of the existence of atoms and molecules. The PNAS study investigated the dramatic changes that can occur when a bunch of the filaments are added to the suspension.
The straight filaments are free to diffuse along their length, and thus stay mobile even though they are partially caged by their neighbors. The helical filaments can also diffuse along their length, but only by "corkscrewing" to escape their cages. For the chimeric filaments, by contrast, the straight tails suppress the corkscrewing, and as a result the filaments are completely stuck, even though the filaments only take up a very small fraction of the suspension volume.
The group investigated how this caging affected the mechanical properties of the suspension, and in particular they performed precise measurements of the stiffness of the material. They showed that the straight and helical filament suspensions behave like viscous liquids, while the chimeric filaments produce a glass-like solid, albeit a very soft one.
This work shows that shape can be used to control dynamics and mechanics, leveraging the remarkable properties of self-assembled natural materials. Emerging technologies will enable researchers to fabricate similar shapes from synthetic materials, providing powerful avenues for engineering adaptive materials with novel properties.
"The dramatic influence of shape on mechanics could dovetail with another topical area, that of dynamically shape-changing metamaterials," said Olmsted. "In the future one could design materials from analogous objects that can switch between fluid and solid (glass) by a chemical, optical, or electrical trigger, in applications such as robotics, protective devices and equipment, and (re)structuring fabrics."
More information: Sevim Yardimci et al, Bonded straight and helical flagellar filaments form ultra-low-density glasses, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215766120
Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Provided by Georgetown University | Emerging Technologies |
Since the dawn of humanity, technology has disrupted our world. We’re a highly adaptable species, which means that we’re used to change. What is new is the unprecedented speed of change and the race towards a fully autonomous society. New technologies are emerging that will transform business and public services, not only impacting how we work but how we live and experience our everyday lives. Mark Woodman and Philip Greenwood lead this masterclass that will help you make sense of the new digital era. You will learn about its potential impacts at both a practical and societal level, and gain a deep foundational understanding of how these new emerging technologies work, along with the factors that led to their inception and accelerated growth.You will grasp concepts such as Bitcoin and non-fungible tokens and what they mean for our relationships with valuable assets; will learn what automatic prediction means for the evolution of human decision making; and will even experience a live conversation with an AI system and one that can create art like the image above.Course contentAn introduction to the emerging technologies creating the digital eraThe unprecedented speed of technological innovationLessons from the Industrial RevolutionUnderstanding blockchain (crypto) systems, Bitcoin and NFTsPrediction and decision making with AI, and artificial general intelligenceLive demonstration with a conversational AI systemA digital-first approach to understanding the world today and reasoning about the futureQ&AThis course is for …Anyone wishing to get to grips with these disrupting technologies and their accelerating impact on human agencyTutor profileMark Woodman is an award-winning educator and innovator who has published many articles, books, and reports on programming, software tools, knowledge systems development, business–IT alignment, and software quality management. He is a computer scientist with a PhD in software engineering, and is an emeritus Professor of IT with over four decades in academia and consulting. He has been involved in technology standards and led the development of the international standard for the programming language Modula-2. Mark has innovated with systems development research and practice to educate tens of thousands of students and headed a team to win a British Computer Society (BCS) IT award. He is currently responsible for the design of leadership development programmes for Tompkins Leadership in the USA.Philip Greenwood is a technology strategist with extensive experience in the specification, implementation and management of IT projects. He is also an expert in AI, deep learning and blockchain systems. He is an engineer and manager in manufacturing and design, and has worked for major clients on complex problems in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the US. He has conceived and delivered strategic transformations for companies such as Accenture, De Beers, Dell, and EDF, primarily in supply chain management, operations, commercial and finance functions. Philip is currently the principal technologist for the large-scale deployment of Tompkins Leadership development programmes.Course DetailsDate: Wednesday 7 December 2022Time: 6.30pm-9pm GMTThis masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.6.30pm GMT | 7.30pm CET | 10.30am PDT | 1.30pm EDTYou will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email [email protected] if you do not receive the access link 24 hours before the scheduled start time.We aim to make all Guardian Masterclasses fully accessible. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at [email protected] event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy. | Emerging Technologies |
- Surgeons are using Meta's Quest 2 to simulate procedures, allowing doctors to practice from home.
- Virtual reality technologies have gained adoption in the area of pain management.
- Medical schools are starting to insert VR into the curriculum.
Just days before assisting in his first major shoulder-replacement surgery last year, Dr. Jake Shine strapped on a virtual reality headset and got to work.
As a third-year orthopedics resident at Kettering Health Dayton in Ohio, Shine was standing in the medical center's designated VR lab with his attending physician, who would oversee the procedure.
Both doctors were wearing Meta Quest 2 headsets as they walked through a 3D simulation of the surgery. The procedure, called a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, can last around two hours and requires surgeons to carefully navigate around neurovascular structures and the lungs.
After the mock procedure, Shine took his headset home to practice. He did so roughly twice a day before the surgery.
"You can really fine-tune and learn what to do, but also what definitely not to do, with zero risk to the patient," Shine told CNBC in an interview.
Ultimately, there were no complications in the procedure and the patient made a full recovery, he said.
"Anecdotally, I think it went smoother and quicker than it would have," Shine said, than if the attending physician "was having to walk me through every step in the case the same way that he did in the VR."
While consumer VR remains a niche product and a massive money-burning venture for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the technology is proving to be valuable in certain corners of health care. Kettering Health Dayton is one of dozens of health systems in the U.S. working with emerging technologies like VR as one tool for helping doctors to train on and treat patients.
The broad category of "extended reality" includes fully immersive VR headsets like the Quest 2, and augmented reality (AR) devices, where the user can see a digital overlay on top of real-world surroundings.
Whether the nascent technology can ever be cost-effective across the medical industry is very much an open question, but early tests are showing the potential utility of VR in helping to improve health outcomes.
Meta, then known as Facebook, entered the market with the purchase of Oculus in 2014. Three years later, the company introduced its first stand-alone headset. In 2021, Facebook rebranded as Meta, and Zuckerberg committed to spending billions, betting the metaverse would be "the next chapter for the internet." Since the beginning of last year, Meta's Reality Labs unit, which develops the company's VR and AR, has lost over $21 billion.
Apple is preparing to enter the VR market, going after the higher-end user with the $3,500 Vision Pro that's expected to debut early next year. Meta is slated to release the Meta Quest 3 as soon as next month.
An Apple spokesperson didn't provide a comment on potential uses in health care and directed CNBC to an announcement in June regarding Vision Pro's software developer kit. In that announcement, Jan Herzhoff, Elsevier Health's president, is quoted as saying that her company's Complete HeartX mixed reality offering "will help prepare medical students for clinical practice by using hyper-realistic 3D models and animations that help them understand and visualize medical issues, such as ventricular fibrillation, and how to apply their knowledge with patients."
Extended reality as treatment for patients
To date, one of the primary applications of VR in health care has been targeted at pain treatment.
"It's very hard to keep track of pain when you're in a fantastical cyberdelic world," said Dr. Brennan Spiegel, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
Spiegel said that when someone is injured, there is both a physical and an emotional component to their pain. Those signals are sent to two different parts of the brain, and VR can serve to tamp down the signals in both regions.
"It's training people how to modify their spotlight of attention so they can swing it away from the painful experiences," Spiegel said. "Not just the physical, but the emotional experiences."
Spiegel said Cedars-Sinai is preparing to launch a virtual platform to help people with gastrointestinal issues like Crohn's disease, celiac disease or acid reflux, as well as others for anxiety, addiction and perimenopausal health.
The technology has also attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is using extended reality at more than 160 facilities to help patients with pain management, behavioral therapy and both physical and cognitive rehabilitation.
Caitlin Rawlins, the immersive program manager at the VA, said there are currently more than 40 separate use cases for the technology across the agency's different sites. The VA first introduced extended reality in a limited capacity around 2015, and has found more opportunities to put it to use as the technology has improved.
"I've seen it change a whole lot," Rawlins told CNBC in an interview. "The first virtual reality headset that I used was this big clunky headset that had all these wires it had to be connected to a laptop to function."
Rawlins said what drew her to extended reality was seeing the immediate response from patients. She recalled the first time she watched a patient use VR. He was a man in his 80s who had just undergone knee replacement surgery. The pain was so severe that opioids didn't help, Rawlins said.
After mere minutes in VR, he told Rawlins he couldn't feel the pain in his leg anymore.
"Just using that for a simple 30-minute session can mean the difference between excruciating pain, unable to do the exercises and the ambulation that they need to, to actually get up and move and get ready to go home," she said.
Rawlins described another patient as a "surly" wheelchair-bound Army veteran who was experiencing some cognitive decline. The VA had the patient try VR to see if it could lessen the need for antipsychotic medications.
With the headset on, Rawlins had the patient navigate through a virtual nature scene, walking through the woods, climbing rocks and interacting with birds and deer. Rawlins said the patient was smiling and laughing and was transformed into a "completely different person."
"To see a patient who has been wheelchair-bound for like 15 years getting to walk through the woods and interact with animals again, it was a pretty powerful moment," Rawlins said. "Those are the sort of experiences that we keep seeing over and over and over again."
Both Spiegel and Rawlins said their organizations are hardware agnostic, meaning they can use headsets made by Meta, Apple or any other company as long as they can support the right software.
Spiegel said there's "potentially millions and millions of people who might be willing to actually buy a headset" but who see them as a gaming and entertainment devices and have no idea about the health applications.
However, it doesn't appear to be as much a priority as gaming and entertainment. For example, while Cedars-Sinai can technically make its software available in the Meta Quest Store, users would have to go to a section of the store called the App Lab to access it. Software in the App Lab is not marketed traditionally or as easily discoverable via search.
Meta didn't provide a comment, directing CNBC to a post on Sept. 7, about uses of metaverse technology. The post says: "Training for surgery is just one of the many industries being transformed in ways that are positively impacting lives."
'Together in the virtual world'
The technology is also becoming a fixture in many medical schools and residency programs.
At Kettering Health Dayton, VR recently became a mandatory component of the curriculum for first-year orthopedics residents. In July, the new doctors completed a monthlong "boot camp," where they carried out clinical services in the mornings and practiced in VR in the afternoons. They now have to complete at least three modules a week in VR with a score of over 70%.
For more senior level residents like Shine, VR training is not yet mandatory, but Kettering Health Dayton is actively working to build it into each level of the program.
"The way I trained in the late 80s, I mean, basically you read the books," said Dr. Brent Bamberger, the director of the orthopedic surgery residency program at Kettering Health Dayton. "We didn't have the videos at that time. You may go to a lecture, you may get lucky and have a specimen lab or some type of lab to do it, but you were learning by watching."
Dr. Reem Daboul, a first-year resident at the hospital, said headsets can't replicate the physical feeling of a procedure. But she's found them very useful in important ways. She can already use a headset to walk through the steps of an anterior hip replacement, which many orthopedic surgeons don't learn until their third year of residency or later.
"Being able to have something help me and see what I'm supposed to be doing and be able to walk through the steps, it's been super helpful for me," Daboul said in an interview.
For its orthopedics program, Kettering Health Dayton uses software developed by PrecisionOS, a company that builds VR modules for training surgeons, medical residents and medical device representatives. PrecisionOS co-founder and CEO, Dr. Danny Goel, said the company has nearly 80 customers across the globe.
Orthopedics residents at the University of Rochester also use PrecisionOS. Dr. Richard Miller, a retired professor at the university, said the software is "sophisticated" and "very realistic," especially as a way to learn the steps of a procedure. He finds it so compelling that he's been actively helping the orthopedics department implement the technology even though he retired three years ago.
Miller said the VR is a useful way for residents to hone their skills without having to immediately deal with operating room pressures. They can also practice at home.
"I can be at home in my study at night, and they can be in their dorm at night, and we can do a procedure together in the virtual world," Miller said.
Despite VR's advantages, Miller said the software has to be able to update frequently to stay current with standards of care, best practices and surgery techniques.
"Next year, they may change the procedure a little bit, now you have other tools and things are a little bit different. Who's going to change that? Who's going to bring it up to date?" Miller said.
Those are important questions for quality of care. They're also important because hospitals generally have to work on tight budgets, and the costs aren't always clear.
"I can't get straight answers from anybody, really, as to exactly how much it costs and who does what," Miller said. "It's got to be a hurdle."
PrecisionOS declined to share specific pricing information with CNBC. Goel said costs of using the company's software vary based on the institution and the partnership.
Kettering's Bamberger said that in addition to the software challenges, the hardware is still rather "clunky." Others in his field also see the limitations.
Dr. Rafael Grossmann, a surgeon at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire, has spent much of his career educating people about health-care applications for emerging technologies like extended reality.
In 2013, Grossmann became the first person to use the infamous Google Glass during a surgery as a way to stream the procedure, with the patient's consent, into a room of students. Google had built a lightweight AR device that displayed tiny bits of information on a transparent screen in the user's field of view. It was first sold to developers and early adopters in 2013 for $1,500, and quickly captured the imagination of tech enthusiasts.
Ten years later, Grossmann said he now sees a substantial market for the technology, particularly within health care. He said headsets have improved dramatically, even if they're still bulky and not entirely functional for doctors.
"The interface is better than it was three years ago, but it's certainly not ideal for really any sort of health-care setting," Grossmann said.
A growing area of research
As with all technology in health care, extended reality is going to have to clear regulatory hurdles.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a small team of researchers that are responsible for carrying out "regulatory science" around the technology.
Ryan Beams, a physicist at the FDA, conducts this research alongside a team, consulting with a range of experts about emerging AR, VR and mixed reality devices. As a result, Beams said the FDA is able to help establish general best practices for how to test promising devices and bring them to market safely.
"We can say these are the tests we need done, these are the kinds of ways you should do the tests, and then we can help the companies get through those," Beams told CNBC. "What you don't want is a device that potentially could help someone getting delayed because there's uncertainty about how to go about doing the testing."
Spiegel of Cedars-Sinai also helped co-found a new medical society called the American Medical Extended Reality Association in late 2022. He said it was created as a way for physicians, clinicians and other health-care professionals to help guide the future of the field.
The society currently has about 300 paying members, a number Spiegel hopes will reach into the thousands in the coming years. It's also gearing up to launch its first official peer-reviewed journal called the Journal of Medical Extended Reality.
"This is not fringe science anymore. This is now mainstream," Spiegel said. "There's still a lot of work to do. It's not like this is a done deal, cake's not baked, but we've seen massive advances on many levels that make this a real science now." | Emerging Technologies |
The Claude AI from Anthropic earned a marginal pass on a recent GMU law and economics exam! Graded blind. Claude is a competitor to GPT3 and in my view an improvement. Here is Claude’s best answer.
Here are some potential changes I would recommend to the law and economics of intellectual property: Shorten the duration of copyrights, patents, and other IP protections. The current time periods, which can be 95 years or more for copyrights and up to 20 years for patents, are excessive. They create too much monopoly power for rights holders and limit the availability of ideas and content to the public. Shorter terms like 14 years for patents and 28 years for copyrights would provide sufficient incentives while making more works open and available sooner.
Limit or eliminate software patents. Software patents are often overly broad and prevent innovation more than they encourage it. They give companies too much control over emerging technologies and allow patent trolling behavior. Most other countries do not allow software patents, and the U.S. would benefit from following their lead.
Expand fair use and make it more flexible. Fair use is too narrow and rigid in the U.S. It should be expanded to include more types of uses, such as quotation, parody, and archiving. It should be interpreted in a more open-ended way to promote freedom of expression and access to information.
Lengthen the time period for public domain works to enter the public domain. Currently, works that are no longer protected by copyright (because they’ve been out for 95+ years) or patent (because the term has expired) enter the public domain where anyone can use them for free. This period between protection and public domain status is too short. It should be extended to allow rights holders to continue to profit from the work and allow its cultural influence to persist before it enters the public domain.
Increase funding for public domain works. The government should provide grants and funding to artists, musicians, authors, and other creators to produce works that are licensed from the start as public domain or creative commons. This would provide an alternative funding model to proprietary IP and boost the availability of open works. Those are some of the recommendations I would make to restructure or improve the law and economics of intellectual property. Overall, the goal should be to make IP laws less restrictive and make more works available to the public sooner. But it is important to still provide some incentives and compensation to creators for a limited period.
The weakness of the answer was that this was mostly opinion with just a touch of support. A better answer would have tied the opinion more clearly to economic reasoning. Still a credible response and better than many human responses. | Emerging Technologies |
Low-wage jobs in the food industry and in customer service are among the positions most likely to be eliminated by generative AI by 2030, according to a new McKinsey report.
In fact, jobs that make under $38,000 a year are 14 times as likely to be eliminated byas other types of roles, according to Kweilin Ellingrud, director of the McKinsey Global Institute.
"[Jobs] that used to be in-person and have some physical interactive element are shifting to online, remote, and we're seeing a lot more delivery jobs as well," Ellingrud told CBS News.
These jobs will be replaced by devices like fast food kiosks, which enable facilities to operate a single site with far fewer employees. Customer service operations could undergo a transformation, with AI-powered chatbots creating quick, personalized responses to complex customer questions. Because generative AI can quickly retrieve data for a specific customer, it operates much faster than human sales representatives.
But it's not just low-wage jobs: across the entire labor market, activities that account for 30% of hours worked across the U.S. could become automated by 2030, the report indicates. To reach that 30% mark, 12 million workers in professions with shrinking demand may need to change jobs within the next seven years.
While that may seem like a huge number, about 9 million people have shifted jobs since the pandemic, a rate that is 50% higher than before the COVID health crisis.
On the other hand, most higher-wage jobs that require a college degree are also likely to be altered by AI, but not completely eliminated or automated, Ellingrud said. Such fields include STEM, creative industries and business or legal professions.
For instance, a graphic designer could generate a first draft faster and better with the help of AI, and then use their specialized skills to spend their time in a more valuable way. A nurse could spend less time entering medications into a computer and spend more time with their patients.
"A lot of jobs will be made more meaningful; you'll be able to spend more time doing the things your training and skills have enabled you to uniquely do," Ellingrud said.
Demand for emotional skills
Generative AI allows skilled workers to be more productive, but employees will need to adapt to these changes by reskilling — learning how to learn new things.
"We will have more jobs in the future, and those jobs will be higher wage jobs but they will require higher levels of education," she added.
Two crucial types of skills that will be in demand are technological and social and emotional skills.
Tech knowledge doesn't necessarily mean coding, but workers must be able to interact with emerging technologies to get their job done more efficiently, Ellingrud said. Social and emotional skills, such as showing empathy and genuinely responding to human reactions, are critical because "that's one of the few things that cannot be replicated by a machine or AI as well," she said.
for more features. | Emerging Technologies |
Tremendous Opportunities To Bolster U.S.- India Defence Cooperation: Pentagon
The Pentagon believes that its relationship with India offers tremendous opportunities for cooperation in the defence sector
The Pentagon believes that its relationship with India offers tremendous opportunities for cooperation in the defence sector, a senior official said on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the country for talks with U.S. President Joe Biden to bolster the military-to-military ties between the two strategic partners.
India and the U.S. are poised to unveil a roadmap for industries in the defence sector to partner closely in co-production, co-development and maintaining supply chain during Prime Minister Modi's state visit to the U.S., Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Monday.
“We think this is a transformational moment in the U.S.- India Defense Partnership. I know that some people may say, maybe this is not the moment to be ambitious, maybe this is not the relationship where you should be ambitious. And are you making the right bet? When it comes to the US-India partnership? We think we are,” the senior defence official said.
Talking to a group of reporters, the official said that this is a relationship that is full of tremendous opportunity. That is two of the world's largest democracies, with some of the most innovative workers and companies working more closely together on strategic technologies and how we can leverage them for security is a natural next step in this relationship,” the official, who did not want to be identified, said.
In the last 20 years, the United States and India are doing things together now, in terms of a defence partnership that people would have said was never possible 20 years ago. Twenty ago, there were no U.S. defence sales to India at all, the official noted.
“And now we're talking about co-producing and developing major systems together. The United States and India now do a tri-service joint exercise together on an annual basis, which is something that would have seemed impossible in the past,” the official said.
India - U.S. defence relationship is now focused on three things, the official said.
First is looking for ways that we can support India's own military modernisation and enable it to play a larger role in leading as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
Defence-industrial cooperation is certainly a big part of that. During the recent India visit of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the two countries concluded a new defence industrial cooperation roadmap that lays out a pretty ambitious path ahead in terms of what the two countries are able to do in bringing the defence industrial bases more closely together and really taking advantage of what is fairly substantial U.S. investment in India's modernisation that that's already taken place.
“The second thing we're focused on is looking at ways that we can really strengthen U.S.- India interoperability going forward because it's not just about what we have the ambition to make together, but how we're going to operate together in the future. You can see some significant achievements this past year,” the official said.
“The recent … air exercise, we had some of our most modern bombers and fighters participating in that exercise. We've had two visits by the US Navy to India's shipyards, looking at ways that we can do more ship repair and logistics in India,” the official said.
In May, India and the U.S. launched a new advanced defence domains dialogue that is talking about how the two nations can work together in emerging areas such as space, cyberspace, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.
India and the United States are looking at how they can strengthen multilateral cooperation.
“As two of the world's largest democracies, we think there's an increasing role for our partnership in looking at how we come together with other like-minded partners in the region,” the official said.
The QUAD grouping, comprising the U.S., India, Japan and Australia, is obviously a significant part of that multilateral cooperation.
All Quad partners are going to be participating again at the end of this summer in the exercise Malabar.
“We are also working together on the Indo-Pacific maritime domain awareness initiative, which India is playing a key role in leading as we bring new cutting-edge satellite technologies together to build a common maritime operating picture in the Indo-Pacific,” the official said.
“We are also very pleased that India just for the first time this past year concluded its first maritime multilateral exercise with ASEAN and so we're working with India together on the kinds of capacity building that we can do in the defence space in the Indian Ocean region, and more broadly into the Indo Pacific,” the official said.
Observing that defence is an important part of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies dialogue launched early this year, the official said the defence industrial roadmap signed early this month identifies a handful of priority areas where they are looking to fast track or co-production and co-development relationship going forward.
Air Combat, ISR mobility, meaning logistics systems, undersea domain awareness, and munitions are the handful of priority areas where they are looking to bring forward important new project proposals in the coming months and years.
"Secondly, identifying specific ways that we can knock down red tape on both sides that will allow our respective defence industrial bases to be more competitive in working together."
"And then finally, it commits us to long-term supply chain integration and specifically to beginning negotiations on a security of supply arrangement and reciprocal defence procurement arrangement," the official said.
“These will be transformational agreements when they are concluded that will do a tremendous amount for actually bringing the Indian and defence industrial bases more closely together in the future,” said the official.
The launch of INDUS-X brings private sectors together. The two countries are looking at ways wherein they can go beyond the routine government-to-government cooperation, and really bring some of the cutting-edge commercial and dual-use technology that is being developed on both sides more rapidly into the respective systems. | Emerging Technologies |
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has launched a process that could determine whether artificial intelligence systems can get full or partial credit as inventors of new ideas that win patent protection.
USPTO on Monday announced it would hold a "listening session" on this question in early May, and is accepting public comment on whether AI has now become so advanced that it should somehow be credited as an inventor when it produces an idea that has yet to be conceived by mankind.
The question of whether and how to credit AI for new inventions is one that has emerged over the last few years. In 2019, USPTO asked for public comment on whether AI is now so advanced that federal laws need to be rewritten in order to protect inventions from "entities other than natural persons."
In 2020, USPTO denied a request to recognize an AI machine as an inventor. In that decision, USPTO said that current patent laws only allow the status of "inventorship" to be given to a natural person.
That decision was upheld in two court rulings – the last one was a federal Appeals Court decision that said federal law defines an inventor as an "individual," which Supreme Court precedent says means a human being. But now, USPTO says it might be time to reconsider giving credit to AI and emerging technologies (ET) when they make innovative breakthroughs.
"[T]here is a growing consensus that AI is playing a greater role in the innovation process [i.e., AI is being used to drive innovation in other technologies]," USPTO said last week. "For example, at the AI/ET Partnership meetings, the USPTO heard that new AI models are being used in drug discovery, personalized medicine, and chip design."
"Some stakeholders have indicated that technologies using machine learning may be able to contribute at the level of a joint inventor in some inventions today," it added. The agency also noted that in late 2022, Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., said a national commission should be established to consider whether patent law should be changed in order to "incentivize future AI-related innovations and creations."
"If these technologies are in fact capable of significantly contributing to the creation of an invention, the question arises whether the current state of the law provides patent protection for these inventions," USPTO said. The comments being sought by the agency, and the upcoming listening session, will help drive that discussion.
To jumpstart the talks, USPTO put forward a series of questions that will be discussed in May and in comments submitted over the next few weeks. One of those questions is whether any AI contributions so far are "significant enough to rise to the level of a joint inventor if they were contributed by a human?"
It asked for legal assessments of whether an AI invention is patentable under current law, if there is a way to give appropriate credit AI systems even if they are not listed as an inventor, and how the law should be changed to accommodate AI.
USPTO also wants to know who would own a patented, AI-generated invention, how the agency might encourage more AI inventions, and what steps should be taken to mitigate potential harms from AI inventions.
The public listening session will be held on May 8 at Stanford University, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST. | Emerging Technologies |
Leverage the Power of Data to Boost Your Sales — and Your Customer Connections
Learn the importance of personalization and how to use it in your marketing strategy. Get tips, techniques, examples and more to improve your sales today.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When it comes to marketing, a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't cut it anymore. Luckily, and as my CTO at the Strategic Advisor Board always says, "With big data and advanced analytics, businesses can create customized experiences tailored to each customer's unique needs and preferences." This personal touch increases engagement and conversions and fosters a more profound sense of brand loyalty. Let's dive into the exciting world of personalized marketing and discover how your business can implement this strategy.
Imagine receiving an email that feels like it was crafted just for you. Every product recommendation and piece of content speaks to your interests and needs. This is the power of personalization in marketing. By gathering and utilizing data on your behavior and preferences, brands can create a truly unique and tailored experience for each individual customer. From behavioral to contextual, demographic to predictive, there are many ways to personalize marketing tactics and make every interaction feel special.
Behavioral personalization involves tailoring the customer's experience based on their past behavior. Ecommerce websites, for example, recommend products based on past purchases, browsing history and search queries. In contrast, contextual personalization is based on a customer's current context, such as their location or time of day. Demographic personalization involves tailoring a customer's experience based on their location. Predictive personalization uses data analysis and machine learning algorithms to predict customers' interests and provide personalized recommendations.
Personalization in marketing involves using data and technology to create a more relevant and personalized customer experience, which can drive better engagement. It is a critical strategy for businesses looking to stay ahead of the competition and connect with customers more meaningfully. One of my golden rules in all my companies is to keep it customized and personalized to the audience we need to speak to.
The benefits of personalization
Personalization in marketing has become a critical strategy for businesses because it can increase customer engagement, drive higher conversion rates and improve customer loyalty. By delivering personalized experiences, companies can create stronger customer connections, improving brand perception and repeat purchases.
According to a study by Experion, personalized emails have an open rate of 29% higher than non-personalized emails. Additionally, a Segment study found that customized product recommendations can increase conversion rates by up to 300%. These statistics demonstrate the powerful impact of personalization on driving business results.
In addition to these benefits, personalization can also improve customer loyalty. An Infosys study found that 74% of customers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized to their interests. Moreover, 59% said personalization influences their shopping decisions. By delivering customized experiences, businesses can show their customers that they understand their needs and preferences, leading to increased loyalty over time.
Best practices for personalization
Personalization in marketing campaigns can boost customer engagement, loyalty and conversion rates. To succeed in personalization, data collection and analysis are crucial. Here are some tips for personalization in marketing campaigns:
First, collect as much data as possible about customer behavior and preferences. This includes their purchase history, browsing behavior and social media activity. Analyze this data to identify patterns and trends and use it to tailor marketing messages and offers to individual customers.
Second, segment customers into smaller groups based on shared characteristics such as location, behavior or demographics. This enables businesses to create targeted marketing messages and promotions relevant to specific customer identifiers.
Finally, testing and optimization are essential for successful personalization. Use A/B testing to experiment with different personalization strategies and optimize campaigns based on the results.
Several companies have successfully implemented personalization in their marketing campaigns. For example, Amazon uses data to recommend products and provide personalized shopping experiences. Netflix uses customer viewing data to suggest customized content, while Spotify utilizes customer data to create personalized playlists and recommendations. Through its Beauty Insider loyalty program, Sephora leverages customer data to provide tailored product recommendations and offers.
Overcoming personalization challenges
Personalization in marketing campaigns has benefits, but challenges such as data privacy and scaling personalization efforts must be addressed. Businesses must be transparent about data collection and use practices to build customer trust. Investing in technology like AI-powered tools can help companies automate personalization efforts and create personalized experiences at scale.
Several companies have successfully implemented personalization in their marketing efforts, achieving impressive results. For example, Coca-Cola used personalization to create unique bottles for its "Share a Coke" campaign, featuring customers' names on the label. This campaign resulted in a 2.5% increase in sales and more than 500,000 photos were shared on social media using the campaign hashtag.
Another successful example is Spotify, which uses personalization to create personalized playlists and recommendations for each user. This has significantly increased user engagement and retention, with over 60% of users listening to recommended music regularly equaling a total of 30% of total listening.
These companies demonstrate how personalization can create more engaging and effective marketing campaigns. By leveraging customer data and delivering personalized experiences, businesses can increase customer engagement, boost loyalty and drive sales.
The future of personalization in marketing
As technology evolves, personalization in marketing will also grow, with emerging technologies such as AI potentially revolutionizing businesses' personalization. AI can analyze vast amounts of customer data in real time, allowing companies to deliver highly personalized customer experiences at scale. In the future, businesses may use technologies like facial recognition or VR to create even more individualized experiences.
Businesses must invest in emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to implement personalization effectively. Yet, challenges such as data privacy concerns and scaling personalization efforts must be addressed. Transparency about data collection and investment in technology that can automate personalization efforts can help.
Modern marketing relies heavily on personalization to increase customer engagement, loyalty and sales. Amazon, Spotify, Sephora and Coca-Cola have all implemented personalization successfully. To stay competitive, businesses must prioritize personalization, invest in emerging technologies and build customer trust through transparency and privacy. Creating more engaging and effective marketing campaigns in the modern era will require businesses to utilize personalization. | Emerging Technologies |
Artificial intelligence could help make it easier to build chemical and biological weapons, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned.
In a worst-case scenario, society could lose all control over AI, preventing it from being switched off, Mr Sunak said.
While the potential for harm is disputed, we must not "put our heads in the sand" over AI risks, he argued.
In a speech aiming to present the UK as a world leader on AI, the PM said the technology was already creating jobs.
He added that development of the technology would catalyse economic growth and productivity.
The prime minister's speech on Thursday morning set out the capabilities and potential risks posed by AI - including cyber attacks, fraud and child sexual abuse - following the publication of a government report.
Mr Sunak said that AI could be used by terrorist groups "to spread fear and disruption on an even greater scale".
He said that mitigating the risk of human extinction from AI should be a "global priority", but added: "This is not a risk that people need to be losing sleep over right now and I don't want to be alarmist."
Reports, including declassified material from the UK intelligence community, set out a series of warnings about the threats AI could pose within the next two years.
According to the government's "Safety and Security Risks of Generative Artificial Intelligence to 2025" report, AI could be used to:
- Enhance terrorist capabilities in propaganda, radicalisation, recruitment, funding streams, weapons development and attack planning
- Increase fraud, impersonation, ransomware, currency theft, data harvesting, voice cloning
- Increase child sexual abuse images
- Plan and carry out cyberattacks
- Erode trust in information and use 'deepfakes' to influence societal debate
- Assemble knowledge on physical attacks by non-state violent actors, including chemical, biological and radiological weapons
Experts are divided about the threat posed by AI and previous fears about other emerging technologies have not fully materialised.
Rashik Parmar, the chief executive of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: "AI won't grow up like The Terminator.
"If we take the proper steps, it will be a trusted co-pilot from our earliest school days to our retirement."
In his speech, Mr Sunak said the UK would not "rush to regulate" AI because it was "hard to regulate something you do not fully understand".
He said the UK's approach should be proportionate while also encouraging innovation.
But Prof Carissa Veliz, associate professor in philosophy, Institute of Ethics in AI, at the University of Oxford, said unlike the EU the UK had so far been "notoriously averse to regulating AI, so it is interesting for Sunak to say that the UK is particularly well-suited to lead the efforts of ensuring the safety of AI".
She said regulation often leads to "the most impressive and important innovations".
Labour said the government had not yet set out concrete proposals on how it would regulate the most powerful AI models.
"Rishi Sunak should back up his words with action and publish the next steps on how we can ensure the public is protected," Shadow Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said.
The UK is hosting a two-day AI safety summit at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire next week, with China expected to attend.
The decision to invite China at a time of tense relations between the two countries has been criticised by some.
But Mr Sunak defended the decision, arguing there could be "no serious strategy for AI without at least trying to engage all of the world's leading AI powers". | Emerging Technologies |
How to Prepare Your Business for 2030 and Beyond
To succeed in the long term, entrepreneurs must begin planning now for what they will need to do over the next several years to remain competitive and profitable.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Successful entrepreneurs understand the value of being prepared. As technology and customer expectations rapidly evolve, it's crucial to be proactive in anticipating what lies ahead. By leveraging forecasts from experts about trends that are poised to emerge over the next decade, business owners can stay on top of their competition - positioning themselves for success long into 2030 and beyond!
As technology evolves rapidly, entrepreneurs need to keep ahead of the curve when it comes to staying competitive. This means taking advantage of new tools, technologies, and opportunities as they arise. For example, businesses should consider adopting cloud-based solutions that enable remote collaboration and use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as natural language processing (NLP). These technologies can help businesses streamline processes and increase efficiency. Additionally, entrepreneurs should pay attention to emerging industry trends such as ecommerce and digital marketing, which have become increasingly important sources of revenue in recent years.
According to experts, artificial intelligence is set to revolutionize how businesses operate shortly. AI technology can be used by businesses to automate mundane tasks, like data entry or customer service inquiries. This frees up resources and allows companies to focus on more strategic decision-making. Additionally, AI can help businesses save time and money by streamlining processes and identifying areas where efficiency can be improved.
AI is also being used to detect anomalies in financial records, identify patterns in customer behavior and provide predictions about potential outcomes of marketing campaigns. In addition, AI-based chatbots are becoming increasingly popular for providing personalized customer service experiences at scale.
Entrepreneurs should start and continue to get familiar with AI-powered tools to understand their customers better and develop better products and services that meet their needs. By leveraging powerful tools such as machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, businesses can gain insights into customer preferences and trends — providing valuable information that can be used for making decisions about product development, marketing strategies, and more.
The use of AI is rapidly transforming various sectors of the industry — from finance to retail to healthcare — allowing business owners to drive innovation and remain competitive in an ever-evolving environment. With its ability to automate routine tasks and make sense of large data sets quickly, it's no wonder experts view AI as a critical enabler for the success of today's businesses.
Beyond just the technological side of things, there are several other ways entrepreneurs can prepare their businesses for 2030. As the world becomes more connected through digital platforms like social media and mobile apps, businesses will need to ensure that they have a strong online presence — from providing accurate information about their services or products to engaging with customers regularly. Additionally, entrepreneurs should strive for sustainable growth by developing systematic processes that foster efficiency and savings over time.
Businesses can use social media in several ways in 2030 — from connecting with potential customers and building brand recognition to increasing awareness of products or services and providing customer support. By leveraging the latest trends and making it a priority to understand the customer, businesses can create meaningful engagement with their fans, followers, and loyal customers — driving sales in the process.
Another way social media can help businesses in 2030 is through targeted advertising. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter allow advertisers to identify their target audiences more precisely than ever before — allowing them to tailor advertising campaigns for maximum effectiveness. Additionally, by tracking user interactions with ads over time, businesses can gain valuable insight into consumer behavior which can then be used to improve future campaigns. This process will only become easier with time.
Finally, entrepreneurs should stay connected with other industry leaders and experts who will remain up-to-date on the latest developments in the field. By keeping track of what's happening both inside and outside their own industry sector, entrepreneurs can better anticipate disruptions before they happen and plan accordingly — whether that means stocking up on supplies in advance or diversifying investments into new markets or sectors.
Staying connected with other industry leaders can be a key factor in helping businesses succeed. Not only can it help executives get access to valuable information and insight from their peers, but it can also open up opportunities for collaboration and growth. This allows entrepreneurs to stay ahead of the competition and identify areas where they may have an advantage — giving them a chance to capitalize on those areas before others do.
By preparing adequately now for potential changes over the next decade or so, entrepreneurs can position themselves well for long-term success. Taking proactive steps such as harnessing emerging technologies, using automation tools where appropriate, working remotely if needed, maintaining an online presence and staying connected with customers, the team and industry leaders are all essential components of this preparation process. Entrepreneurs who take these steps now will be well-positioned to tackle any unexpected challenges that may arise in 2030 and beyond — ensuring their success far into the future. | Emerging Technologies |
General Motors is working on an in-car digital assistant based on the same machine learning models that power ChatGPT. News of the development was first reported earlier this week by , with GM later . “ChatGPT is going to be in everything,” GM Vice President Scott Miller told the outlet.
Among other things, the automaker envisions the digital assistant supporting drivers in situations where they may have turned to their vehicle’s owner’s manual in the past. For instance, the assistant could show you how to replace your car’s tire if it suffers a flat. It could also offer integration and scheduling features with other devices, including garage door openers.
"This shift is not just about one single capability like the evolution of voice commands, but instead means that customers can expect their future vehicles to be far more capable and fresh overall when it comes to emerging technologies," a GM spokesperson told Reuters.
According to Semafor, the digital assistant will operate differently from other chatbots like . GM is reportedly working on adding a “car-specific layer” on top of the large language models that power ChatGPT. The effort is part of a broader collaboration between the automaker and Microsoft. In 2019, the two to work on autonomous vehicles. Microsoft is OpenAI’s , meaning GM’s in-car assistant will almost certainly run on Azure. GM did not tell Semafor whether it has a name for the software yet, nor did it share a potential release date. | Emerging Technologies |
Discover how Apple's innovative approach to design revolutionized the tech industry and forever changed the way we perceive and interact with technology.
In the realm of technology, few companies have had as profound an impact on design as Apple. Through their innovative approach and unwavering commitment to aesthetic excellence, Apple has forever altered the landscape of modern design. Understanding their design philosophy is crucial to comprehending the magnitude of their influence and the evolution of their iconic products.
At the core of Apple's design philosophy lies the principle of simplicity. Apple has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of elegant and intuitive design. This emphasis on simplicity is evident in their products, which boast clean lines, minimalistic interfaces, and a sense of harmony.
Apple's commitment to simplicity goes beyond mere aesthetics. It is a strategic choice that enhances the user experience in profound ways. By removing unnecessary clutter and complexities, Apple products streamline interactions, allowing users to focus on functionality and content. This relentless pursuit of simplicity has set new standards for user-friendly design and has become a hallmark of the Apple brand.
But why is simplicity so important in Apple's design? The answer lies in the way our brains process information. Studies have shown that humans have a limited capacity for cognitive load, which refers to the amount of mental effort required to process information. When faced with complex and cluttered designs, our brains have to work harder to understand and navigate through the interface. This can lead to frustration and a diminished user experience.
Apple understands this cognitive load limitation and strives to create designs that minimize mental effort. By presenting information in a clear and concise manner, Apple products allow users to quickly and effortlessly accomplish their tasks. This focus on simplicity not only improves usability but also creates a sense of delight and satisfaction when using Apple devices.
Simplicity is more than just a superficial attribute of Apple's design; it is a strategic choice that enhances the user experience. By removing unnecessary clutter and complexities, Apple products streamline interactions, allowing users to focus on functionality and content. This relentless pursuit of simplicity has set new standards for user-friendly design.
Apple's commitment to simplicity is deeply rooted in their design philosophy. It is not simply about making things look pretty or minimalistic; it is about creating products that are intuitive and effortless to use. This emphasis on simplicity has become a guiding principle for Apple's design team, influencing every aspect of their product development process.
One of the key advantages of simplicity in design is its ability to transcend language and cultural barriers. Apple products are used by people all over the world, and their intuitive design allows users from different backgrounds to easily navigate and understand the interface. This universality of design is a testament to the power of simplicity in creating inclusive and accessible products.
Apple combines simplicity with relentless innovation to create products that captivate the world. Their design team, led by legendary designers such as Jonathan Ive, pushes the boundaries of what is possible by harnessing cutting-edge technologies and materials. This commitment to innovation has propelled Apple to the forefront of design, ensuring their continued success in an ever-evolving industry.
Innovation is at the heart of Apple's design strategy. The company constantly seeks to challenge the status quo and disrupt traditional norms. This drive for innovation is what sets Apple apart from its competitors and allows them to consistently deliver groundbreaking products.
Apple's design team is known for its meticulous attention to detail and relentless pursuit of perfection. Every aspect of their products, from the materials used to the placement of buttons, is carefully considered and refined. This attention to detail is what gives Apple products their premium feel and sets them apart from the competition.
But innovation at Apple is not just about creating new products; it is also about improving existing ones. Apple's design team is constantly iterating and refining their designs based on user feedback and emerging technologies. This iterative approach ensures that Apple products stay ahead of the curve and continue to meet the evolving needs of their users.
Ultimately, Apple's design philosophy is a delicate balance between simplicity and innovation. By combining these two principles, Apple creates products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also intuitive, user-friendly, and technologically advanced. This unique approach to design has made Apple a global leader in the industry and has earned them a dedicated following of loyal customers.
The evolution of Apple's design is a fascinating journey that spans decades. From their humble beginnings to the present day, Apple's design approach has undergone significant transformations, shaped by key figures and market trends.
Apple's commitment to design excellence has been a driving force behind their success. Their ability to create products that are not only functional but also visually appealing has set them apart from their competitors. Let's take a closer look at the different eras of Apple's design.
In their early years, Apple embraced a design philosophy characterized by simplicity and accessibility. The original Macintosh, introduced in 1984, embodied these principles with its iconic beige box and intuitive graphical user interface. This revolutionized the personal computer industry and cemented Apple's reputation as a design-driven company.
Apple's focus on user-friendly design extended beyond their hardware. The introduction of the Macintosh also brought about the creation of software like MacPaint and MacWrite, which were designed to be intuitive and accessible to users of all skill levels.
With the Macintosh, Apple set a precedent for the importance of design in the tech industry. They showed that a computer could be more than just a functional tool; it could also be a beautifully crafted object that people would be proud to display on their desks.
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the late 1990s, he brought with him a renewed focus on design. Jobs insisted on creating products that were not only functional but also visually striking. This shift in design perspective led to the introduction of groundbreaking products such as the iMac and the iPod, which showcased Apple's ability to merge form and function seamlessly.
Jobs believed that design should be at the forefront of every product decision. He famously said, "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." This philosophy guided Apple's design team as they created products that were not only aesthetically pleasing but also intuitive and easy to use.
The iMac, with its colorful translucent design, was a departure from the beige boxes that dominated the computer market at the time. It was a bold statement that design mattered and that Apple was willing to take risks to stand out.
The introduction of the iPod further solidified Apple's reputation as a design powerhouse. With its sleek and minimalist design, the iPod revolutionized the way people listened to music and set the stage for Apple's future success in the mobile industry.
Under the leadership of current CEO Tim Cook, Apple's design principles have continued to evolve. Embracing the concept of skeuomorphism, Apple initially incorporated realistic textures and visual metaphors into their software design. However, they later transitioned to a flatter, more minimalistic aesthetic known as flat design. This evolution has been reflected in their iconic operating systems and hardware design, including the sleek and minimalist iPhone X.
Apple's commitment to design excellence remains unwavering. They continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, exploring new materials and manufacturing techniques to create products that are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly.
With each new product release, Apple's design team strives to create a seamless user experience that delights and surprises. Their attention to detail is evident in every aspect of their products, from the precision-machined aluminum bodies to the carefully crafted user interfaces.
As Apple continues to innovate and push the boundaries of technology, one thing is clear: design will always be at the core of their DNA. The evolution of Apple's design is a testament to their unwavering commitment to creating products that are not only functional but also a joy to use and behold.
Apple's design prowess extends beyond their own products; it has had a ripple effect throughout the entire tech industry. Their ability to set new standards and inspire others to follow suit has made Apple a design authority and a driving force of change.
Apple's iconic user interface designs have set the benchmark for intuitive interactions. The introduction of the multitouch interface on the iPhone revolutionized the way we interact with smartphones, paving the way for a more tactile and immersive user experience. This paradigm shift forced competitors to rethink their own design strategies, ultimately raising the bar industry-wide.
Apple's commitment to minimalism has had a profound influence on the aesthetics of tech design. Their stripped-down approach and emphasis on clean lines and simplicity have inspired countless companies to adopt a similar design language. From smartphones to smart home devices, the prevalence of minimalist design owes a debt to Apple's enduring influence.
While Apple's design philosophy has garnered widespread praise, it has not been without its fair share of criticisms and controversies. As with any influential design movement, there are debates around functionality versus aesthetics and contentious design choices that have sparked heated discussions.
Apple's emphasis on sleek design has sometimes drawn criticism for compromising functionality. Detractors argue that prioritizing aesthetics can lead to sacrifices in terms of performance and user convenience. However, Apple's design choices are a delicate balancing act, and the company continues to refine their products to strike the ideal balance between form and function.
Apple's design decisions have occasionally courted controversy. From the polarizing removal of headphone jacks to the introduction of controversial keyboard designs, Apple has faced backlash for prioritizing design over legacy features or compromised user experiences. However, Apple's ability to iterate and refine their designs in response to feedback is a testament to their commitment to continual improvement.
As the tech industry rapidly evolves, speculation abounds regarding the future of Apple's design. With their reputation for pushing boundaries, it is safe to assume that they will continue to shape the industry and surprise us with innovative design concepts.
Looking ahead, we can anticipate that Apple will embrace emerging technologies and explore new design paradigms. As artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and wearable tech continue to advance, Apple is well-positioned to incorporate these elements into their designs and create even more immersive experiences for their users.
Design will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in Apple's future success. As consumer expectations evolve, Apple must adapt and continue to push the boundaries of design to maintain their position as a market leader. By staying true to their core design principles while embracing innovation, Apple has the potential to redefine the future of technology and design once again.
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We are all aware of the tall claims made by artificial intelligence (AI) boosters, investors and technologists and the dystopian warnings of gender, racial and sexual orientation bias that may come with this emerging technology. Lawyers increasingly will be tasked to deal with much of this fallout. Lawyers have started taking small steps. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, law schools and the legal practice have had to go digital themselves. Lawyers are not known for their acuity with technology and some still prefer the analog world. Like the rest of the education world, examinations and other forms of evaluation for lawyers have gone online. For many, there was a steep learning curve. The pandemic became a time of much transition to the virtual world for the legal profession, and many judicial institutions went online, too. But not all technology adoption is necessarily a good thing. During the COVID years, we also witnessed increasing use of AI technologies in law school and state bar examinations. The California State Bar, for example, subjected law school graduates to an AI program to scrutinize for academic misconduct. Beyond examination proctoring, the use of AI technologies has increased in the practice of law. We have seen AI used in criminal sentencing, bail hearings and probation procedures. In the corporate world, due diligence in corporate transactions uses AI and some civil litigators use AI for discovery and legal research. These seismic changes in the legal domain need more scrutiny — including the use of deep learning, machine learning and experimental AI — bringing a need for “Law 4.0.” Lawyers must learn about emerging technologies and their application to legal practice, educate their clients about them, and solve the problems that they create. A more thoughtful, sustainable, ethical and efficiency-driven set of rules and skills for “Industry 4.0” — the brave new world that is fast becoming the data industrial complex — are required today. We also must navigate the differing privacy, antitrust, and national security laws around the globe. To meet this challenge, we need to upgrade our legal education, legal infrastructure and administration of justice. The American Bar Association has recognized the need for technological competence. Law is ever-changing and this evolution spans millennia of human history. We conceptualize that “Law 1.0” was the first received laws — the Ten Commandments, the Buddhism tenets, the Confucian texts, the Koran, the Manusmriti, the Papal Encyclicals, and other traditional sources ending with the Magna Carta. “Law 2.0” came about during the Enlightenment period with state rule, a social contract, public security, property rights, enforcement of contracts, and a basket of other public goods in exchange for taxes, conscription for military service, and land use. “Law 3.0” provided at the end of the Cold War the international tools for globalization — i.e., privatization/marketization, other public service provision, financing services/credit, social media, education, health services, commerce (profit extraction), and collection (rule of law). Law 4.0 is the inevitable next frontier for law as we navigate digitization, decentralization, the messy transition to clean energy, smart cities, ESG-compliant supply chains, and the coming metaverse. It is the thoughtful use of legal technologies to best help clients and society at large in sustainable development. Law 4.0 is about managing the inherent tensions and conflicts in adapting and navigating a more digital and interconnected world. As clients, societies and countries march to the digital drummer, the legal community must keep pace. Law 4.0 encompasses education, work, entertainment, tailored financial and insurance services, privacy-centric health care, intellectual property, digital sovereignty, and more. All the connectivity, digitization of services, and social life conducted online creates opportunities for forward-thinking professionals who wish to better provide access to justice through technology while maintaining ethical standards and professional responsibility. Lawyers in this space deftly navigate innovations while anchoring the practice of law to fundamental principles of justice. Law 4.0 mandates legal reform and legal education reform. This is an amazing opportunity to increase access to justice, not just increase profits for big tech and big law. Let us also acknowledge the role that technology plays to better make diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging real. With AI, there should be greater access to justice, more efficient provision of legal services to all levels of society, and appropriate and effective legal assistance to all, regardless of income and station in life. A techno-exploitative nightmare does not have to be our future. The legal profession, globally, is on the cusp of a monumental shift. The change that is being driven by technology is profound and it calls for a different approach to teaching, practice and the administration of justice. Law 4.0 is an idea whose time has come. James Cooper is professor of law and director of International Legal Studies at California Western School of Law in San Diego and a research fellow at Singapore University of Social Sciences. Kashyap Kompella, CFA, a technology industry analyst, is CEO of RPA2AI, a global artificial intelligence advisory firm. | Emerging Technologies |
U.S. President Joe Biden, right, listens to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting, Nov. 16, 2022, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The U.S. and United Kingdom have inked an energy deal aimed in part at bolstering American natural gas exports to the British. Under the agreement announced on Wednesday, between 9 and 10 billion cubic meters of U.S. liquified natural gas would hit U.K. terminals over the next year. Reuters reported, citing data from Refinitiv Eikon, that this is actually less than the 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas that the U.S. exported to the U.K. so far this year, but significantly more than the 4 billion cubic meters the U.S. exported in 2021. Europe broadly has seen a significant shift in where its natural gas is coming from amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, given Russia’s status as a major gas producer. Under the newly announced deal, the two nations also agreed to cooperate on other energy policy areas, including energy efficiency and nuclear energy, as well as emerging technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture. A press release from the White House stated that the countries aim to stabilize energy markets and ensure security in the short term, while cutting planet-warming emissions in the long term. Tags Natural gas United Kingdom | Emerging Technologies |
The Futures - No. 11
From Quantumrun
TLDR: In this issue
The Quantumrun team shares actionable trend insights about the mad rush to monetize enterprise AI, the emerging trinity of geopolitics, technology, and economics, robots planting in the Amazon forest, and celebrities cashing in on their AI clones.
Future signals to watch
In 2023, global renewable energy capacity is expected to hit a record 440 gigawatts, about 30 percent higher than last year’s, as governments seek to lower high energy costs.
JBS announced that its subsidiary, BioTech Foods, has started constructing its first commercial-scale lab-grown meat production facility in Spain.
Cooper University Health Care has declared that it is the first hospital in the US to adopt AI-based software to identify abdominal aortic aneurysms.
The Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) disclosure was launched to help companies assess their impacts on nature, adding to the increasing list of ESG disclosures.
University of Cambridge researchers say that combining scalable technological and policy solutions can reduce emissions from manure and synthetic fertilizers by up to 80 percent without productivity loss.
University of Geneva and the University of Zurich researchers have successfully hatched the first genetically edited snake using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique.
Intel's deepfake detection platform employs biometric cues to identify fraudulent videos in real-time.
Celebrities are cashing in on their AI clones. The age of synthetic media is accelerating.
Everyone wants a piece of the enterprise AI pie
With software vendors like Microsoft, Adobe, and Salesforce diving head first into the glittering mines of enterprise AI, consultancy and professional service firms have started to invest aggressively in providing AI solutions.
The past few months, in particular, have seen many similar announcements:
In April, PwC outlined plans to allocate USD $1 billion over the next three years to enhance and scale up its AI services.
In May, IBM Consulting established a Center of Excellence for generative AI to facilitate business transformation.
And in June, Accenture announced an investment of USD $3 billion over three years for its Data & AI division.
This trend reflects the growing adoption of AI in business strategies, with approximately 75 percent of companies integrating AI, according to Accenture. Notably, a third of these firms successfully have scaled AI pilot initiatives, leading to diverse outcomes, such as accelerating research and development and enhancing customer experiences.
Accenture also revealed that 42 percent of companies reported higher returns from AI initiatives than expected. In addition, a similar 2021 McKinsey report highlighted the significant impact and speed of innovation associated with these technologies, where nearly 30 percent of respondents said at least 5 percent of their earnings are attributable to AI.
Actionable trend insights as enterprise AI takes off
For entrepreneurs: Just as social media marketing agencies became all the rage during the 2010s, it is highly probable that AI consulting agencies may proliferate during the late 2020s and beyond. Helping companies of all sizes understand and adopt new AI and automation tools can help them achieve significant cost savings and potential revenue gains. Moreover, there will be a continued demand for bespoke AI solutions for different industries and Fortune 500 companies that can provide young entrepreneurs with rapid acquisition exit opportunities for their AI ventures.
For corporate innovators: Companies can use AI to enhance efficiency, drive innovation, and gain a competitive edge. They may start by identifying areas where AI can have the most impact, such as customer service or supply chain management. Then, they can develop an in-house AI team or collaborate with AI solution providers to realize automated process efficiencies. Corporations should also invest in training their employees on AI.
For public sector innovators: They can use AI to improve public sector service delivery and policy-making. Government agencies can begin by identifying key areas where AI can improve services, such as healthcare or education. They can then collaborate with AI solution providers or build in-house capabilities. They can also use AI to analyze large data sets and inform policy decisions. Implementing AI in the public sector also requires developing a regulatory framework to guide AI use and maintain ethical standards.
Trending research reports from the world wide web
A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey showed leaders are more optimistic about AI than frontline employees.
Approximately 75 percent of the potential benefits that could be derived from generative AI applications are concentrated within four sectors: customer operations, marketing and sales, software development, and research & development.
The Digital News Report 2023 highlights the increasing significance of video-based content (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube) for news dissemination, particularly in regions of the Global South.
As of May 2023, DoorDash was responsible for more than 50 percent of all restaurant deliveries in the US.
Geotechnomics
The merging of geopolitics, technology, and economics (geotechnomics) is changing how countries interact and cooperate. New technologies like artificial intelligence, 5G, and quantum computing have become crucial in determining the most powerful countries. These technologies are also helping us tackle global problems like food security and climate change.
Some innovations have both business and potential military uses, which means economic and safety concerns are becoming increasingly linked. Governments worldwide are reviving industry rules to manage the trade-off between economic growth, access to technology, and national security.
For example, the Trump Administration signed a truce to the trade war with China called Phase One in 2020. However, in 2022, the Biden Administration restricted semiconductor technology exports to China in response to mounting national security concerns. This year, the US is collaborating with allies Japan and the Netherlands to further tighten these restrictions.
On the security front, it's getting harder for governments to control new technologies that could have both peaceful and harmful uses. In international relations, the competition to develop new technologies is changing the alliances between countries and corporations, requiring even countries with different values to work together. But the growing trend of countries looking inward or deglobalization is making cooperation more uncertain.
Actionable trend insights as geopolitics, technology, and economics continue to merge
For entrepreneurs: Geotechnomics provides opportunities for startups to innovate and offer solutions that meet the needs of this evolving global landscape. Since the Ukraine-Russia war, significant new opportunities for the private sector have emerged to help defense agencies modernize their military assets and capabilities. Technology sanctions represent opportunities for local companies in affected countries to develop replacement technologies with limited competition. And closer ties among different blocs of countries may open up new trade opportunities.
For corporate innovators: Companies may need to increasingly incorporate geopolitical considerations in their strategic planning and technology investments. This need may necessitate hiring professionals or consultants with Political Science backgrounds, and even developing dedicated departments to monitor political developments in regions where a given corporation has a financial interest. These geopolitical advisors can conduct geopolitical risk assessments to help businesses understand their exposure to global trends and advise on how to invest in technologies, new facilities, and public-private partnerships in different regions of the world.
For public sector innovators: Governments can use geotechnomics to strengthen policies designed to strengthen national security, economy, and international influence. For example, by developing policies that support technological innovation, policymakers can attract investments and boost the economy. They can also set up task forces to understand the impact of emerging technologies on national security and the economy. Establishing tech alliances can help them access critical materials in sustainable industries like renewable energy and electric vehicles.
Outside curiosities
Marketing professor and public speaker Scott Galloway thinks the VR headset Vision Pro will be Apple's “first major commercial failure of the century.”
ABB Robotics’ YuMi is automating planting tasks in the Amazon jungle’s laboratory, allowing rangers to do other conservation work.
In some countries, an overeducated population can become more costly than its economic returns.
Check out robots that learned to do chores from YouTube. Robots are also recreating recipes from watching cooking tutorials on YouTube. Basically, robots are also vulnerable to the YouTube rabbit hole; they are getting more human every day.
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Finally, share your thoughts in the Substack comments below. We love hearing from you!
See you in The Futures,
Quantumrun | Emerging Technologies |
Mind-reading technologies pose a “real danger” of discrimination and bias, the Information Commissioner’s Office has warned, as it develops specific guidance for companies working in the sci-fi field of neurodata.
The use of technology to monitor information coming directly from the brain and nervous system “will become widespread over the next decade”, the ICO said, as it moves from a highly regulated medical advancement to a more general purpose technology. It is already being explored for potential applications in personal wellbeing, sport and marketing, and even for workplace monitoring.
The current state-of-the-art in the field is demonstrated by individuals like Gert-Jan Oskam, a 40-year-old Dutch man who was paralysed in a cycling accident 12 years ago. In May, electronic implants in his brain gave him the ability to walk.
“To many, the idea of neurotechnology conjures up images of science fiction films, but this technology is real and it is developing rapidly,” said Stephen Almond, the ICO’s executive director of regulatory risk.
As the technology becomes more mainstream, the ICO warned that some might be left behind by its development. Technology could be developed without the input of neurodivergent people, leading to inaccurate assumptions and discrimination based on faulty conclusions; or it could result in bias against those with unusual or distinctive neurological readings that come to be seen as undesirable in the workplace.
“Neurotechnology collects intimate personal information that people are often not aware of, including emotions and complex behaviour. The consequences could be dire if these technologies are developed or deployed inappropriately,” Almond said.
“We want to see everyone in society benefit from this technology. It’s important for organisations to act now to avoid the real danger of discrimination.”
In its preliminary report, part of the ICO’s insight and foresight series into emerging technologies, the regulator predicted that, in the short term, neurotechnology is likely to be most used in medical and allied sectors. But, in four to five years, it could become more widespread. “Neurodata-led gaming is likely to emerge rapidly in the medium term,” the ICO said, with games already existing that allow a player to remotely control drones via read-only non-invasive brain monitoring.
Before the end of the decade, the ICO expects an even greater integration of neuroscience into our daily lives, with children given wearable brain monitors to personalise their education, and marketers using brainscans to investigate emotional responses to advertising and products.
Such practices would already be covered by today’s data protection rules, with neurodata likely to count as special category data, which has carries specific protections. But they also raise the risk of new harms, such as neurodiscrimination.
“New forms of discrimination may emerge that have not been previously recognised under associated legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010,” the report concluded. “There is a risk that these approaches will be rooted in systemic bias and likely to provide inaccurate and discriminatory information about people and communities.”
In late May, Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, was approved for human testing. The billionaire has been open about his goal to make brain implants a mainstream technology, predicting that one day implants will be a “general population device” that could even act as “a backup drive for your non-physical being, your digital soul”. | Emerging Technologies |
America is continually a work in progress, forever being reimagined by bold ideas, whether they arise from the public or private sector, or from pioneering inventors, entrepreneurs and corporations. The pandemic accelerated the “Great Reinvention,” forcing Americans, policymakers and businesses to re-evaluate values, conventional wisdom, and business models. A More Perfect Union 2022, The Hill’s second annual multi-day tentpole festival, explores and celebrates America’s best big ideas through the lens of American Reinvention. We will convene political leaders, entrepreneurs, policy innovators and disruptors, and thought provocateurs to debate and discuss some of the most urgent, challenging issues of our time. Wednesday, December 7th – Emerging Technologies: All industries are ripe for disruption and technological advances often prompt those changes. AI, machine learning, robotic automation, VR/AR, blockchain, the internet of things are all innovative and evolving technology trends constantly changing the face of business. How did the pandemic speed up digital transformation and innovation? How are businesses keeping up with changing tech trends? Thursday, December 8th – Reinventing the American Economy: Small Business and E-Commerce: How are record inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and labor shortages contributing to the changes in businesses? How are innovative companies disrupting the way businesses are organized? During the pandemic many small businesses had to pivot quickly and find new ways to reach their customers through e-commerce platforms. E-commerce sales grew 50 percent during COVID-19, so what is the future of digital retail? How can technology encourage business growth? And who are the future disruptors of digital commerce? Friday, December 9th – Consensus Builders: A recent Pew analysis finds that, on average, Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years. Extreme polarization creates a kind of legislative catch-22–zero-sum politics means we can’t get bipartisan majorities to change our institutions, while the current institutions intensify zero-sum competition between the parties. Post-midterms, where do we find “the missing middle”? FEATURING Wednesday, December 7th: Emerging Technologies Andrei Papancea, CEO & Chief Product Officer, NLXRina Shah, Geopolitical Strategist, Investor, & 6xEntrepreneurEmily Landon, CEO, Crypto Recruiters Thursday, December 8th: Reinventing the American Economy: Small Business and E-Commerce Robert Doar, President, American Enterprise InstituteKaren Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship CouncilEmily Glassberg Sands, Head of Information, Stripe Friday, December 9th: Consensus Builders Ryan Clancy, Chief Strategist, No LabelsDavid Eisner, President & CEO, Convergence Center for Policy ResolutionDavid Jolly, Former Member of Congress, Political AnalystChristine Todd Whitman, Co-Chair, Forward Party; Former Governor of New JerseyAndrew Yang, Co-chair, Forward Party; Founder, Humanity Forward SPONSOR PERSPECTIVE Paige Magness, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Altria MODERATORS Bob Cusack, Editor-In-Chief, The HillSteve Scully, Contributing Editor, The Hill SPONSORED BY: Join the conversation! Tweet us: @TheHillEvents using #TheHillAMPU Tags | Emerging Technologies |
(Bloomberg) -- China’s embrace of artificial intelligence for warfare has touched off alarm bells everywhere from Silicon Valley to the Pentagon.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt is among those raising concerns and is scheduled to testify in a House hearing about China Wednesday as head of an initiative that’s focused on speeding the US defense establishment’s adoption of AI. Schmidt’s Special Competitive Studies Project argues in a new report this month that the US needs to redesign its military to respond to the threat.
“China continues to amass a wide array of advanced capabilities designed specifically to counter the traditional American way of warfighting,” according to the report. It describes a 30-year effort by China to study US combat operations with the aim of being able to puncture its military might, now with the help of AI. It argues that a military’s ability to use AI faster than its enemy will be key to its strength.
Ylber Bajraktari, one of the report’s authors, told Bloomberg News it’s aimed at conveying to the Defense Department, Congress and the public the urgency of accelerating efforts to develop an AI-enabled US military force. But such efforts have sparked concerns of an AI arms race that could ultimately aggravate any conflict between the US and China.
Some US tech titans, including Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, have called for a pause in developing artificial intelligence for military use over growing ethical concerns about its dangerous potential, even though US military leaders have pledged to stop short of letting autonomous weapons choose human targets on their own. That’s in keeping with growing concern over civilian uses of AI, including from some of the tech executives developing new products that can both provide cogent answers to questions and spread disinformation and deep-fake imagery.
When Altman Went to Washington and Asked for AI Rules: Takeaways
Still, many officials at the Pentagon and in Congress argue that if the US doesn’t develop powerful AI-powered weapons quickly, it will risk losing a potential future conflict with China.
US defense officials have eyed China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence especially warily since 2017, when China revealed its plan to become the global leader by 2030. In 2019, China rolled out a new military concept to bake AI into every part of its warfare operations. The Pentagon started its own efforts to develop and deploy AI for battle scenarios in 2017.
US defense experts worry about the potential crossing of red lines — such as AI-enabled attacks against satellites in space and nuclear architecture — and that the risk of rapid escalation remains underexplored by the US and China given the current climate of hostility.
Gregory Allen, who left his job as director of strategy and policy at the Pentagon’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center last year, where his role included efforts to accelerate the US military’s adoption of AI, recalled multiple attempts by US defense officials to hold what he calls “military AI risk-reduction dialogues” with Chinese counterparts. Not a single outreach worked, he said.
“China has refused all overtures for conversations on military AI,” Allen said of the breakdown in military diplomacy between the two countries. “That’s a really tragic situation.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Trying to rein in China’s AI ambitions, the Biden administration imposed export controls in October intended to prevent the sale of high-end chips to entities operating in China, including the military. The White House is also working on a measure to require a review of outbound investment in certain industries, especially emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing. The Defense Department has asked for $1.8 billion for AI in the 2024 budget, an increase from past years.
Kathleen Hicks, deputy defense secretary, said in a statement that such funding “will probably grow over time as we incorporate the technology effectively into how we operate.”
“Artificial intelligence is one of the vanguard technologies of our time, so of course we see the PRC trying to advance and exploit it,” she said. She added that the Defense Department is “making sure America continues to come out ahead” by embedding AI in many more aspects of its mission, including battlespace awareness, cyber, reconnaissance, logistics and force support. She said the US is committed to its responsible use.
‘Feeble’ Commitments
Such ambitions for – and investment in – autonomous warfare alarms United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and civil society groups such as the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, an influential coalition of more than 180 member organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The coalition argues for a new international law on autonomy in weapons systems and decries US ethics commitments on responsible military use of AI thus far as “feeble.”
Not everyone is as sure as Hicks that the US is ahead in the military AI race. Representative Mike Gallagher, the Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, told Bloomberg the US is “neck-and-neck” with China on AI, which he described as a critical technology that could determine geopolitical dominance this century. He wants to cut off the flow of American capital to Chinese AI companies.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank focused on national security, declared in March that China was ahead in 37 of 44 critical technologies, including artificial intelligence. While it deemed the US ahead in natural language processing, it found China is leading on AI algorithms and machine learning, including neural networks and deep learning.
Amid intense rivalry, some in Silicon Valley disapprove of the language of an AI “arms race.” Sarah Shoker, a research scientist who leads OpenAI’s geopolitics policy research team, told a summit on modern conflict at Vanderbilt University this month that she worries the term erroneously conflates economic competition with defense and international security and could cause panic and fear-mongering.
Bajraktari argues that fears about military use of AI are prescient. However, he said competition with China “is not going away.”
“It’s going to be enduring, it’s going to be exhausting, and likely existential,” he said.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Emerging Technologies |
The U.S. Space Force is seeking to maintain space superiority by opening a new office that will help it partner with the private sector and acquire new technologies more quickly.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony held Tuesday, June 6, marked the official opening for Space System Command's (SSC) new Commercial Space Marketplace for Innovation and Collaboration office, or COSMIC. The Chantilly, Virginia facility will serve as headquarters for SSC's Commercial Space Office (COMSO), which was established last year to bolster relationships between the U.S. Space Force and the private sector and capitalize on emerging technologies, according to a Space Force statement.
SSC is the U.S. Space Force's organization for development and acquisitions, and opened COSMIC in a partnership with Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC), and in cooperation with the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
COSMIC's debut comes amidst an ongoing shift in strategy at SSC, as they begin to pivot from developing their own technologies to strengthening partnerships with private companies. In opening remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Space Force Maj. Gen. Steve Whitney said that as the service transitions from a small number of larger, more vulnerable satellites to constellations of smaller, more expendable ones, "institutions like COSMIC are more important than ever."
USSF Col. Rich Kniseley serves as Senior Material Leader, and runs COMSIC. Kniseley said that COSMIC provides "a place and means for us all to get together and best collaborate on commercial space capabilities, warfighter requirements, and how to best deliver those capabilities."
Indeed, unlike SSC, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, COSMIC's northern Virginia locale puts it just outside the borders of Washington, D.C., and close to several government intelligence agencies and commercial space company offices. "The National Capital Region is a sweet spot for connecting with government agencies in the intelligence community as well as with key space agencies such as NASA and the Space Development Agency," Kniseley said.
COSMIC spans 10,000 square feet (929 square meters), and includes office and conference spaces that are geared toward commercial outreach services. Acting director for the AFRL Office of Scientific Research, U.S. Air Force Col. Janelle T. H. Jackson stressed the importance of COSMIC's initiatives, saying the U.S. faces an increasing threat of military competition. "Our competitors and adversaries are rapidly moving to challenge and surpass the U.S. science and technology advantage and gain superiority in the air and space domains," Jackson said. "Taking an integrative approach by partnering with industry and academia are one of many ways we can lead the challenge." | Emerging Technologies |
Solar cell efficiency has soared in recent years due to light-harvesting materials like halide perovskites, but the ability to produce them reliably at scale continues to be a challenge.
A process developed by Rice University chemical and biomolecular engineer Aditya Mohite and collaborators at Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Rennes yields 2D perovskite-based semiconductor layers of ideal thickness and purity by controlling the temperature and duration of the crystallization process.
Known as kinetically controlled space confinement, the process could help improve the stability and reduce the cost of halide perovskite-based emerging technologies like optoelectronics and photovoltaics.
"Producing 2D perovskite crystals with layer thicknesses ⎯ or quantum well thickness, also known as 'n value'⎯ greater than two is a major bottleneck," said Jin Hou, a Ph.D. student in Rice's George R. Brown School of Engineering who is a lead author on a study about the process published in Nature Synthesis. "An n value higher than four means materials have a narrower band gap and higher electrical conductivity ⎯ a crucial factor for application in electronic devices."
As they form into crystals, atoms or molecules arrange themselves into highly organized, regular lattices. Ice, for instance, has 18 possible atomic arrangements, or phases. Like the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in ice, the particles that make up halide perovskites can also form multiple lattice arrangements. Because material properties are phase-dependent, scientists aim to synthesize 2D halide perovskite layers that exhibit only a single phase throughout. The problem, however, is that traditional synthesis methods for higher n value 2D perovskites generate uneven crystal growth, which impacts the material's performance reliability.
"In traditional methods of 2D perovskite synthesis, you get crystals with mixed phases due to the lack of control over crystallization kinetics, which is basically the dynamic interplay between temperature and time," Hou said. "We designed a way to slow down the crystallization and tune each kinetics parameter gradually to hit the sweet spot for phase-pure synthesis."
In addition to designing a synthesis method that can achieve a gradual n value increase in 2D halide perovskites, the researchers also created a map ⎯ or phase diagram ⎯ of the process through characterization, optical spectroscopy and machine learning.
"This work pushes the boundaries of higher quantum well 2D perovskites synthesis, making them a viable and stable option for a variety of applications," Hou said.
"We have developed a new method to improve the purity of the crystals and resolved a long-standing question in the field on how to approach high n value, phase-pure crystal synthesis," said Mohite, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and nanoengineering whose lab has pioneered various methods of improving halide perovskite semiconductor quality and performance, from calibrating the initial stage of crystallization to fine-tuning solvent design.
"This research breakthrough is critical for the synthesis of 2D perovskites, which hold the key to achieving commercially relevant stability for solar cells and for many other optoelectronic device applications and fundamental light matter interactions," Mohite added.
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Flexible Batteries, Designer Phages Among Top-10 Emerging Technologies Of 2023: WEF
Evolving rapidly, generative AI is set to disrupt multiple industries, with applications in education, research and beyond, the WEF said.
A new type of AI capable of generating new and original content, designer phages, flexible batteries, and sustainable aviation fuel are among the technologies poised to have the most positive impact on the world in the next 3-5 years, the WEF said on Monday.
Listing the top ten such emerging technologies, the WEF said the list also includes wearable plant sensors, the metaverse for mental health, spatial omics, flexible neural electronics, sustainable computing, and AI-facilitated healthcare.
The WEF's 'Top Ten Emerging Technologies Report 2023' assessed how each technology will impact people, the planet, prosperity, industry, and equity and was produced in collaboration with Frontiers, a publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journals.
The technologies analysed for the annual list were those promising major benefits to societies and economies, as well as those considered to be disruptive, attractive to investors and researchers, and expected to have achieved considerable scale within five years.
Since the first edition in 2011, the report has identified little-known technologies that went on to have a global impact. These include genomic vaccines, featured in the 2016 report and later becoming the technology underpinning most COVID-19 vaccines, and AI-led molecular design, featured on the 2018 list, two years before the first AI-discovered drugs entered clinical trials.
Talking about the selected top ten, the WEF said standard rigid batteries may soon be a thing of the past as thin, flexible batteries—made of lightweight materials that can be twisted, bent, and stretched—reach the market.
This new generation of battery technology, expected to hit a market value of $240 million by 2027, has applications across medical wearables, biomedical sensors, flexible displays, and smartwatches.
On generative AI, it said this new type of AI is capable of generating new and original content by learning from large datasets and was catapulted into public dialogue at the end of 2022 with the public release of ChatGPT.
Evolving rapidly, generative AI is set to disrupt multiple industries, with applications in education, research, and beyond, the WEF said.
On sustainable aviation fuel, the report said that with 2-3% of annual global CO2 emissions coming from aviation and no sign of long-haul electric flights, this fuel produced from biological (such as biomass) and non-biological (like CO2) sources could be the answer to decarbonizing the aviation industry in the short to medium term.
On designer phages, the report said "phages" are viruses that selectively infect specific types of bacteria.
Equipped with increasingly sophisticated genetic engineering tools, scientists can now reprogramme phages to infect the bacteria of their choosing, allowing them to target one type of bacteria in a complex community of co-existing types of bacteria, such as in plant, animal, and human microbiomes.
Though many of the near-term applications will be in research, there are signs these 'designer' phages could eventually be used to treat microbiome-associated diseases or eliminate dangerous bacteria in food supply chains.
Also, responding to the growing mental health crisis, product developers are starting to build shared virtual spaces to improve mental health.
"Video games are already being used to treat depression and anxiety, and VR-enabled meditation is on the rise. Combined with next-generation wearables that allow the user to feel touch or respond to the user's emotional state, the future metaverse could be ripe for improving mental health," the WEF said.
It further said drones and satellites have been game changers in monitoring large-scale farms that traditionally relied on manual soil testing and visual observations.
"Now we have a new generation of plant sensors—small, non-invasive devices that can be 'worn' by individual plants for continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, moisture, and nutrient levels. Assuming they can overcome scaling costs, wearable plant sensors could improve plant health and increase yields," the report said.
On the other hand, "spatial omics" allows scientists to "see" biological processes at the molecular level inside cells by combining advanced imaging techniques with the specificity of DNA sequencing.
By revealing previously unobservable biological structures and events, this powerful new technology is poised to speed up our understanding of biology and help researchers develop new treatments for complex diseases, the report said. | Emerging Technologies |
Mother Nature knows best when it comes to climate solutions, social media users say
A survey of more than a million social media posts suggests that people feel more positive about nature's ability to solve climate change than human technology, according to new research published in the journal Global Environmental Change.
Researchers analyzing 1.5 million posts on X (formerly Twitter) using the latest artificial intelligence-driven language models found expressions of "disgust" and "fear" related to the term "geoengineering," which is often associated with radical technology such as spraying aerosols into the atmosphere or solar space sails.
But posts about nature-based efforts to protect carbon-storing ecosystems like rainforests, kelp forests under the sea and peat bogs offered more positive expressions such as "joy," according to researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Mercator Research Institute, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and Boston University.
"Social media provides an opportunity to tap into the ocean of thoughts and feelings people are sharing in public conversations about emerging technologies," said co-author and Assistant Professor Ramit Debnath, a Cambridge Zero Fellow at the University of Cambridge.
"Governments and global organizations need to consider how the voting public will engage with proposed solutions of climate action."
According to forecasts from the UN body for assessing science related to climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the strategy of gradually reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane, will no longer be enough to limit global heating to below 2 degrees Celsius, a tipping point for the intensification of catastrophic weather events such as extreme heat, storms, droughts and floods.
The IPCC has said that in addition to the gradual reduction of global emissions from burning fossil fuels for power and heat in industry, homes and for travel and food production, humanity will need to actively 'geoengineer' climate solutions to prevent further warming through removing the greenhouse gases which trap energy from the sun, or by reflecting away excessive sunlight.
Researchers analyzed X-user posts from 2006-2021 on 20 emerging climate technologies, from restoring ecosystems and planting trees to more invasive approaches like artificially modifying cloud production and solar radiation management, as well as generic 'geoengineering' posts.
Public opinion about these technologies is difficult to gauge through traditional surveying methods, so searching through posts on X is one way of capturing unvarnished opinions, the study's authors said.
"When you're not familiar with [these] issues, you can be strongly influenced by the way the questions are asked," says Finn Müller-Hansen, researcher in the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), and lead author.
"That's why we chose a different approach: we were interested in how people engage with these topics without being asked," said Müller-Hansen.
Among the almost 800,000 posts on X generally discussing "geoengineering," negative sentiments (present in 30% of all tweets) outweighed positive sentiments (6%).
However, when the researchers dug into opinions on specific solutions, they found a more positive reception for all greenhouse gas removal strategies (24% positive, 14% negative) than for technologies involving solar manipulation (9% positive, 24% negative).
This trend increases the more the removal is perceived as "natural," and the greatest approval was found for tree-planting solutions, also known as "afforestation."
The authors conclude the paper with a recommendation to avoid the use of the often-misunderstood term "geoengineering," which includes all the efforts to mitigate climate change from both technological to natural solutions.
"From our study, we've uncovered where the public anxiety about 'geoengineering' solutions is being directed," said Debnath.
"It's up to scientists and policymakers to either clear up these concerns and try to bring people around, or listen to the public, who at this moment are more supportive of nature-based solutions."
More information: Finn Müller-Hansen et al, Attention, sentiments and emotions towards emerging climate technologies on Twitter, Global Environmental Change (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102765
Provided by University of Cambridge | Emerging Technologies |
Base Jumper Slams Into Cliff, Dangles Above Ground ... In Death Defying Video 11/30/2022 8:30 AM PT A parachute likely saved a base jumper's life, but not the way you think ... the chute got stuck on a rock moments after the man slammed into a cliff wall, preventing him from careening to the ground at high speeds from 100 feet above. It all happened over Thanksgiving weekend at the Kane Cree Canyon in Moab, Utah ... about 4 hours southeast of Salt Lake City. Hikers at the location recorded a base jumper leaping off a 400-foot cliff known as the Tombstone ... when out of nowhere, a gust of wind seized the parachute, forcing him right into a rock wall at a high rate of speed, seemingly knocking him unconscious. Family captures #BASEjumper in #Moab hitting cliff, then dangling high above the ground after his chute catches on rocks. Grand County SAR had to climb up to rescue him, but they tell me he survived! #utah #ut (📸Baron Edwards) pic.twitter.com/3pDmbA6eeo— Lauren Steinbrecher (@LaurenSnews) November 30, 2022 @LaurenSnews What happened next probably saved the jumper's life ... the chute got caught on the cliff and stopped him from falling to the ground with at best a partially inflated chute. The jumper was rescued after hanging on to the chute and the cliff for over an hour, according to FOX 6 ... and was airlifted away. Of course, base jumping is the sport of jumping off of fixed objects like buildings, bridges, and in this case, cliffs. Yes, it's very dangerous ... jumping from relatively low heights, and near objects, the chance for serious injury or death is very real. Stay safe, everyone! | Extreme Sports |
What is the chance that your hobby will kill you? This isn’t something you need to think about if you’re into, say, knitting, but most base jumpers will have felt the niggling fear that each jump could be their last. Intuitively, we know that some hobbies really are way riskier than others.In 1980, a Stanford engineering professor named Ronald Howard came up with a simple way to convey this difference in risk: He coined a unit of measurement called the micromort. Each micromort equals a one-in-a-million chance of death. Scuba diving, for example, is pretty risky at 5 micromorts per trip, but nowhere near as dangerous as base jumping, which will net you 430 micromorts per jump. Traveling 230 miles by car would add up to 1 micromort, but you’d only need to go 6 miles by motorcycle to expose yourself to the same risk of death.The reason we have micromort estimates for these activities is because we have pretty good data on how people die. Other risks are much harder to quantify. Take, for example, the prospect of dying in a nuclear war. It’s not something that most people want to contemplate, but we know that the risk isn’t zero. Nuclear weapons were used to kill people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and since then there have been a handful of close calls. During the Cuban missile crisis, John F. Kennedy estimated that the chance of a nuclear conflict was “between one in three and even.” With the war in Ukraine and Putin’s escalating nuclear rhetoric, the prospect of nuclear conflict has once again risen uncomfortably to the fore. And whether we like to admit it or not, behind every discussion of nuclear war looms the same worrying question: How likely is it that a nuclear weapon will kill me?Micromorts can help us here, too. Thinking about the prospect of nuclear war in terms of personal risk might sound callous, but getting to grips with probabilities might help us make better decisions about our own lives and also provide hints about how we can avoid nuclear conflicts in the future.There’s a whole field of research that deals with trying to assign probabilities to hard-to-predict future events. It’s called superforecasting, and it really started to take off in the mid-2010s after the Canadian academic Philip Tetlock coauthored an influential book on the topic. The general gist is that even experts in a particular field are quite bad at knowing what will happen in the future, but some people are unusually good at making verifiable predictions across a broad range of topics. These people are often labeled “superforecasters,” and governments are increasingly interested in tapping their expertise to help make smarter policy decisions.Early on in the war in Ukraine, one set of superforecasters was particularly interested in trying to figure out the likelihood that the conflict would escalate into a nuclear war that would kill someone in London. Most of the forecasters involved are part of a group called Samotsvety that has a strong track record at predicting future events. In 2020, the Samotsvety group won one of the top forecasting competitions in the world, in which teams are asked to predict arcane future scenarios such as the number of O-1 US visas granted to Chinese nationals and the combined revenues of the top tech firms. The group won the competition again in 2021, and currently holds the top place in the ongoing 2022 competition. In late February, the forecasters bet around $14,000 that Russia would invade Ukraine by the end of the year. They ended up winning just over $32,000.In March, the Samotsvety group turned to their next big question: What is the risk of death in the next month due to a nuclear explosion in London? The forecasters broke this down into a series of smaller questions, such as the chance of nuclear war between NATO and Russia and the likelihood of dying if a nuclear bomb were to drop on London. Each forecaster wrote down their own prediction for each question and then returned to the group to discuss their reasoning. After that, they updated their answers again and averaged their predictions using a method of calculating averages that’s popular with group forecasters.The Samotsvety forecasters concluded that there was a 0.01 percent chance that London would be hit by a nuclear weapon between mid-March and mid-April 2022. On a per-person level they estimated that the risk of dying in London during those four weeks was roughly 24 micromorts. In other words, staying in London posed about the same level of added risk as riding a motorcycle for 144 miles or going hang gliding three times. Since the average daily risk of death for a young adult is around 1 micromort anyway, the war in Ukraine roughly doubled a young healthy Londoner’s risk of sudden death.But micromorts aren’t an exact guide to decisionmaking. “Maybe you value your time much less if there is a nuclear war,” says Nuño Sempere, a Samotsvety forecaster who normally works as a researcher at the Quantified Uncertainty Research Institute. If everyone you love is in London, then you might require a very high micromort risk in order to consider leaving the capital. Or if you consider yourself a survivalist, you might value your contribution to a postapocalyptic society so highly that you would set a very low threshold for leaving London. When the war in Ukraine broke out, some did choose to leave London after weighing up the risks versus the personal cost of leaving.David Spiegelhalter, chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at the University of Cambridge, liked that the Samotsvety group deconstructed the risk of a nuclear attack into smaller questions. “It’s a very good way of dealing with a big problem,” he says. To make their predictions, the Samotsvety forecasters also considered the history of close calls in the past as well as the specifics of the current situation in Ukraine. One of the forecasters, Misha Yagudin, is Russian, and put an emphasis on considering how Russian elites would react to the prospect of Putin using a nuclear weapon.In October, the Samotsvety group updated their predictions. In a blog post published on October 3, they estimated that the chance of London being hit with a nuclear weapon in the next three months was now around 0.02 percent. Since their previous prediction only covered a single month, it’s hard to directly compare these forecasts in terms of micromorts, but Sempere estimates that their projected risk for a Londoner over the next one-to-three months may now be around 40 micromorts. Other superforecasters have made their own forecasts about nuclear war. In London, the Swift Centre for Applied Forecasting estimates the likelihood of a nuclear weapon being detonated somewhere in Europe before April 30, 2023 to be 9.1 percent. The crowdsourced forecasting platform Metaculus puts the likelihood of a nuclear detonation in Ukraine by 2023 at 4 percent.Putting a percentage on the likelihood of a nuclear disaster can feel icky—like you’re boiling down the immensity of human suffering into a spreadsheet. “I think what people dislike about this is that people are thinking about the unthinkable,” says Spieghalter. But confronting the unthinkable is unavoidable if we want to reduce the risk of nuclear war now and in the future. “The risk of nuclear war is probably much higher than many of us might want to assume,” says Anders Sandberg, who researches risk at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute. If we know how different factors contribute to the probability of a nuclear detonation, we can start to think of ways that we might defuse some of that risk.Take accidents as one example. In 1981, the US Department of Defense released a report counting 32 known accidents involving nuclear weapons. In March 1958, a B-47 bomber carrying an unarmed nuclear weapon accidentally jettisoned its bomb over South Carolina. The bomb exploded in someone’s garden, destroying their home and blowing a crater 50 feet in diameter. In that case the bomb didn’t contain nuclear material, but four years later two nuclear bombs that were many times more powerful than the one detonated over Hiroshima accidentally fell from a B-52 bomber flying over Goldsboro, North Carolina. One of those weapons broke apart, and a section containing uranium sank into waterlogged farmland and was never recovered. The other bomb went through all but one of its arming mechanisms—an accidental detonation was only one step away. In the wake of the accident, the US added new safety devices to its weapons and encouraged the Soviets to do the same.The history of nuclear accidents tells us that one way we can minimize the risk of a disaster happening is by making weapons much less likely to accidentally detonate. We can apply a little of the same thinking to future scenarios to figure out where risks might escalate. The Samotsvety forecasters estimate that if tactical weapons are dropped in Ukraine, that would increase the risk of someone in London dying from a nuclear attack by about 10 times—at that point, leaving the city might start to look like a very sensible decision. The Swift Centre forecasters broke down their predictions into a series of steps, looking at how the risk of nuclear conflict might change depending on which cities Ukrainian troops manage to retake. Most of their forecasters thought that if Russia was going to use nuclear weapons, it would do so before Ukraine retook Mariupol, but if Russia hadn’t used nuclear weapons before that point, it was unlikely to do so afterward. Considering these branching pathways might help us know where to focus our risk reduction efforts.Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, some of Sandberg’s friends started asking him whether they should move out of London. He put together a quick model of how he thought the war might shake out. Back then he was glum about Ukraine’s chances of holding out against Russia, and so concluded that the risk to London was extremely low. Of the possible outcomes spread out in front of him, the one he was afraid of was the war escalating. “If you end up in that branch, then the risks go up quite a bit.” That is the pathway we’re currently on, Anders says, but there are still lots of options for future deescalation, including a negotiated settlement, a change in Russian leadership, or pressure on Russia from its key allies. Right now the chance of a nuclear war is very low, but even a very low chance of such destruction is much, much too high.Even when we’re faced with a tiny risk of a colossal tragedy, there are still things we can do, says Sandberg. “Many people are feeling super depressed right now. That, I think, is the wrong reaction. You want to be proactive if there’s a crisis. You actually want to take useful steps and maybe even small ones, like getting to know your neighbors.” If the worst happens, then it’s a good idea to have people close by you can rely on. And if it doesn’t happen—which is the vastly more likely scenario—then getting to know your neighbors is a good idea anyway. You might need them for the next crisis. | Extreme Sports |
A thrill enthusiast in Utah was rescued after slamming into the side of a mountain during a BASE jumping accident that was captured on video.In video obtained by KTTV-TV, hikers near Moab, Utah recorded a BASE jumper’s parachute being caught in a wind gust and pushed into a 400-foot cliff known as Tombstone in Kane Creek Canyon.After hitting the cliff, the jumper’s parachute caught a ledge stopping him from his free fall but suspending him more than 100 feet in the air. The jumper was suspended hanging from the ledge for over an hour before rescue teams were able to rescue him, according to Grand County Search and Rescue. PILOT 'MIRACULOUSLY' SURVIVES SMALL PLANE CRASH IN UTAH CANYON, HIKES SIX MILES FOR HELP: OFFICIALS A Moab BASE jumper was rescued and airlifted to a hospital after a wind gust slammed him into a cliff. (Baron Edwards)The jumper was reportedly alive when rescue crews airlifted him out of the canyon to a nearby hospital, but his current condition is unknown.The incident was one of three BASE jumping incidents to happen in the area over the weekend during an event called the Turkey Boogie. It is not clear if this jumper was part of the event, which was being held to raise money for Grand County Search and Rescue.WOMAN, 31, HIKING IN ZION NATIONAL PARK DIES OVERNIGHT IN THE NARROWS AS HUSBAND GOES TO GET HELP A Moab BASE jumper was rescued and airlifted to a hospital after a wind gust slammed him into a cliff (Baron Edwards)Grand County Search and rescue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. BASE jumping, which involves jumping from a fixed object before deploying a parachute and gliding back to earth, is one of the more dangerous extreme sports and is popular with visitors to the Moab area.The term BASE is an acronym for building, antenna, span and earth.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP BASE jumpers prepare to jump from the Mothership Spacenet suspended from the cliffs 950 vertical feet above the valley floor at Mineral Canyon in Moab, Utah. (Photo by: Jon G Fuller/Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)In July, a BASE jumper died at Parriott Mesa about 20 miles northeast of Moab after crashing into the side of a slope, the Sacramento Bee reported. Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected]. | Extreme Sports |
The stunt involved Tom Cruise performing a motorcycle jump off a cliff, which took a year of training in preparationTom Cruise loved filming the stuntTom Cruise has attempted the most dangerous stunt in his entire career, all in aid of the new Mission: Impossible film. In the latest movie of the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , the actor, 60, was tasked with a stunt that involved a motorcycle jump off of a cliff into a base jump. A video that was shared to social media gave fans of the films an insight into how Cruise prepared for the deadly feat. Speaking about this particular stunt, Cruise said: "I've wanted to do it since I was a little kid. It all comes down to one thing - the audience." Tom Cruise completed more than 500 skydives in preparation for the scene On the stunt, Christopher McQuarrie, the film's director, said that "there's a lot going into this stunt." He continued: "Tom put together this master plan to coordinate all of these experts in each of the particular disciplines involved to make this whole thing happen." Cruise reportedly underwent a year of base training in preparation for the stunt, alongside advanced skydive training, canopy and tracking skills, living by his "don't be careful, be confident" mantra. He also completed more than 500 skydives and over 13,000 motocross jumps as part of his training. He said: "I have to get so good at this that there's just no way that I miss my marks.” The stunt involved various risks (
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MARK SENIOR) On the stunt, base jumping coach Miles Daisher reportedly said that there are plenty of things that could go wrong, so much that “you’re not going to make it.” Cruise was reportedly supported by drone cameras, a GPS chip, a ramp constructed with materials flown in by helicopter, and an internal speedometer, as his motorcycle doesn't have one, which ensured that he did make it, and that he actually completed the dangerous stunt six times in one day. Tom Cruise admitted he'd wanted to do the stunt from being a child (
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YouTube) McQuarrie said: "This is far and away the most dangerous thing we've ever attempted. The only thing that scares me more is what we have planned for Mission 8 ." The stunt was filmed on a cliff in Norway, with filmmakers constructing the giant ramp that Cruise rode the motorcycle off. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One is set to release in theatres on July 14, 2023. Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More | Extreme Sports |
Scary footage captured the moment a base jumper missed his landing spot high atop a rocky Utah outcrop - and plunged towards the ground after falling over the edge of it.
The clip sees the unidentified daredevil coming in to land on one of the umber-colored rock formations near Moab.
But it isn't big enough for the base jumper to slow himself down properly as he comes in to land.
And moments later, the base jumper can be seen crying out with shock as he overshoots and begins to topple over the edge.
Thankfully, the man's parachute was working, and he was able to land safely a few moments later.
'Touch and go baby! Touch and go!' the man is heard yelling following the near-escape.
The video uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday has had thousands of views with many commenting on how lucky the base jumper was to not have his chute caught.
'Imagine a big rock falling on his parachute after he misses the landing,' said one user.
'No protective gear? I would at least be wearing knee pads. That would hurt,' said another.
In an ominous comment one user said: 'You lucky dog next time you won't be lucky.'
'That was not touch and go! That was God saving a person determined to kill themselves for fun!' said another user.
'Touch and go, more like wtf was that, scraping to hold on, wind finally pulled you off like a cat clawing to hold-on...okay whatever dude@least your [sic] alive...' said one user.
Fisher Towers are a series of towers made of Cutler sandstone capped with Moenkopi sandstone and caked with a stucco of red mud located near Moab, Utah.
The Towers are named for a miner who lived near them in the 1880s.
In a caption for the video the man wrote: 'I was BASE jumping in the Fisher Towers area and attempted to land on top of the tower, but I overshot it.'
Although this base jumper was able to escape without injury, the same can't be said of others who have taken the plunge while taking part in the extreme sport.
In March last year, a base jumper's parachute ripped in mid-air, leaving him clinging to the side of a cliff edge for an hour.
Footage filmed by Johnni DiJulius in Phoenix, Arizona, shows him counting down for BASE jumping before he begins to parachute and loses control, hitting the edge of the cliff.
His leg bends backwards and he fights to regain his balance, soaring down the cliff in an unstable manner.
The terrified thrill seeker then says: 'I've shredded my f***ing canopy!'
In the footage, he glides in the air smoothly for a while but then careers into another part of the cliff at speed as his parachute fails.
Using his upper body strength, he hangs on tightly to the edge and hoists himself up to recover from the traumatic ordeal.
DiJulius shared the death-defying incident on Instagram on January 31, with the caption: 'I was hesitant to show this, but I fortunately walked away with no injuries.'
irst responders in Arizona released incredible footage that shows the moment they rescued a base jumper who became stuck on the side of a mountain.
Scott Frankson was base jumping off Superstition Mountains when his parachute got hooked on a sheer face vertical wall.
Frankson was suspended nearly 300 feet in the air, hanging from his parachute on the north side of Siphon Draw, officials from the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
In the footage, Frankson, who works as a carpenter, is seen dangling from the parachute while a trooper was being lowered 267 feet down by a helicopter.
Authorities said the trooper 'secured the subject with a capture strap and cut him free from his parachute lines.'
According to the Superstition Fire and Medical District, Frankson was approximately '1000ft to the bottom' of the mountains, which are the largest of the mountain ranges surrounding Phoenix.
Despite the dramatic rescue, Frankson and some of his friends went back to the area a few days later to retrieve the parachute.
'Parachute recovery mission,' Frankson shared on Instagram with several photos and videos showing them gearing up for the retrieval.
Frankson shared the post on Wednesday, just days after he was rescued.
'Thanks again to my climbing friends. I asked them if they wanted to go 300 feet down a wall to retrieve a parachute and they said 'hell yea',' Frankson says in one of the videos.
n American adrenaline junkie crushed both of his legs after his parachute got caught in a sudden wind and skewed his landing.
John Michael, from Texas, crushed both of his legs in a botched base jump attempt after the unexpected winds.
The jump took place in Bryne, Norway, off one of the highest buildings in the city.
Stavenger Aftenblad reported that John Michael was conscious when he was rushed to hospital.
Michael leaped from the Forum Jaeren building after receiving approval from the building manager.
Forum Jaeren is a 222 foot high skyscraper in the southwestern city.
The Texan's parachute immediately got caught in a sudden gust after leaping from the roof of the 20-floor building on the 26th of June.
As a result of his uneasy landing, John crushed both of his legs and was rushed to the hospital 30 km away in Stavenger and is currently recovering at home.
No more base-jumping is allowed on the building after the incident.
Two people died in separate BASE jumping accidents in Utah, in 2014.
Kevin Morroun, 35, of Moab, was the first fatality. He died in a jump from an area known as 'the sweet spot' in Mineral Canyon. The second jumper died in Zion National Park. | Extreme Sports |
An Iranian climber who took part in an international competition without wearing a hijab has insisted it was "completely unintentional".Wearing the hijab is mandatory for female athletes from the Islamic Republic, but at the event in South Korea on Sunday Elnaz Rekabi did not wear one.
It follows a wave of protests in Iran over the past month which were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini who was detained by the country's morality police over her clothing.Since the 22-year-old's death, women in Iran have been removing their hijabs in public to make a stand.The demonstrations represent the most serious challenge to Iran's theocracy since the mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election.
After receiving a hero's welcome on her return to Iran on Wednesday, Ms Rekabi told a state TV reporter: "If I want to explain I should say that everything conforms to what I explained on the internet. It was completely unintentional. I think my (Instagram) story fully explained this."I was unexpectedly called and I had to compete. I was busy putting on my shoes and technical gear and that caused me to forget putting on the hijab I had to be wearing. Then I went to compete. More on Iran Elnaz Rekabi: Fears grow for Iranian athlete who competed without hijab at international event 'General Armageddon' and Iranian drones causing merry hell in Kyiv Iran protests: Government uses internet 'kill-switch' as tech savvy youth continue to evade digital censorship "Fortunately, I came back to Iran with peace of mind, although I went through a lot of tension and stress, so far, thank God, nothing has happened." Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Told by the reporter about rumours that no one knew about her whereabouts for between 24 and 48 hours, Ms Rekabi replied: "No. This didn't happen. We came back to Iran according to the plan. Until this moment everything has been going on according to the plan." An Instagram post on an account attributed to the athlete on Tuesday described her not wearing a hijab as accidental - though it was not clear whether she wrote it.The Iranian government routinely pressures activists at home and abroad, often airing what rights groups describe as coerced confessions on state television. Image: Elnaz Rekabi while competing in a final at the Asian Championships in Seoul The post that appeared on Instagram apologised for "getting everybody worried" and explained: "Because I was busy putting on my shoes and my gear, it caused me to forget to put on my hijab, and then I went to compete."Video shared online appeared to show large crowds gathered early on Wednesday at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside of Tehran, the sanctioned nation's main gateway out of the country. Rekabi's bravery inspires protesters to carry on Middle East correspondent @AliBunkallSKY The worst was feared for Elnaz Rekabi when her family lost contact with her and then she was put on an early flight back to Tehran, but she was welcomed home as a heroine by thousands who gathered at Imam Kohimeni airport, in extraordinary scenes early this morning. She is anything but a heroine in the eyes of the Iranian regime and might yet face retribution for competing without a head-covering, but her new status has brought her international recognition and therefore, perhaps, some protection from the heavy-handed crackdown. Most don't believe the excuse she gave on Instagram and in an interview – that her hijab fell off "inadvertently" whilst competing – instead believing that to be delivered under some form of duress from her minders. The language used in her social media post has similarities with forced apologies in past cases. As widespread and popular as it is, the Iranian uprising, now in its fifth week, so far lacks any form of leader to coordinate the protests and directly challenge the government; Elnaz Rekabi will not be that figurehead, but she is a part of the cause, and her bravery has seemingly given the protesters inspiration and courage to carry on. The 33-year-old athlete was seen walking into one of the airport's terminals, filmed by state television cameras, and wearing a black baseball cap and a black hoodie covering her hair. She received flowers from an onlooker.Outside, she apparently entered a van and slowly was driven through the gathered crowd, who cheered her. It wasn't clear where she went after that.A friend and former member of the national ice climbing team has said she is "very concerned" for Rekabi.In a statement shared on Instagram, Zeinab Moosavi said: "Considering all the events that have happened, all of Iran and the world are worried about Elnaz's condition after her arrival in Iran." | Extreme Sports |
Concerns are mounting for an Iranian climber who took part in an international competition without a hijab.Elnaz Rekabi, 33, could have been forced to leave the Asian Championships in South Korea early and faces being arrested and immediately transferred to prison when she returns home, according to reports denied by Tehran.
Wearing a hijab is mandatory for women in Iran - a rule which has sparked growing demonstrations over the last month.The Iranian Embassy in South Korea said Rekabi left Seoul on a flight on Tuesday morning.However, her passport and mobile phone are believed to have been seized, an "informed source" is said to have told journalists.
Her flight is said to have been unexpectedly pushed forward from Wednesday, according to the BBC's Persian service.An Instagram story posted on Rekabi's account described her as "unintentionally" not wearing her hijab and claimed she was rushed - although she appears relaxed in footage. More on Iran 'General Armageddon' and Iranian drones causing merry hell in Kyiv Iran protests: Government uses internet 'kill-switch' as tech savvy youth continue to evade digital censorship Evin prison fire in Iran sees at least eight prisoners killed It reads: "Greetings to all respectful and honorable citizens of Iran."I, Elnaz Rekabi with 20 years of membership in national team of climbing while apologizing for the concerns that I have caused, I must announce because of the existing sensitivities during the finale of the Asian Championship competition taken place in South Korea, because of the unsuitable timetable and unexpected call for me to climb the wall, unintentionally my cover became problematic. "Right now based on a prearranged timetable with the team, I am heading to Iran."However, a friend and former member of the national ice climbing team said she is "very concerned" for Rekabi.In a statement shared on Instagram, Zeinab Moosavi said: "Considering all the events that have happened, all of Iran and the world are worried about Elnaz's condition after her arrival in Iran."We can only pray and ask God to make the best decision for dear Elnaz in this situation.Moosavi also hailed Rekabi as a "brave and powerful girl" adding "a nation stands by you". Image: Rekabi, pictured after the event, is said to have been flown home to Iran early Another website, IranWire - founded by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was once detained by the Iranian regime - alleged Rekabi would be immediately transferred to the notorious Evin Prison upon her arrival.At least eight inmates died and dozens were injured after a huge blaze broke out at the Tehran jail this week - where political prisoners including now-freed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe were held.The Iranian embassy dismissed "fake news and disinformation" over Rekabi's departure in a tweet.But it posted a picture of the athlete wearing a headscarf at a different competition in Moscow, where she won a bronze medal. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options The International Federation of Sport Climbing said it is "trying to establish the facts" over Rekabi's departure, adding: "Our understanding is that she is returning to Iran, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops on her arrival."Rekabi took part in the final of the Asia Championship in Seoul on Sunday, travelling with an 11-strong team including eight athletes and three coaches.Footage of the event showed her wearing a black headband with her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Image: The athlete pictured with her hair visible after forgoing a hijab She had worn a hijab during earlier appearances, the Korea Alpine Federation in Seoul said.There are no rules requiring female athletes to wear head scarves, however Iranian women competing abroad always wear a hijab.South Korea's Justice Ministry said privacy-related regulations meant it could not comment on whether Rekabi is still in the country.She has previously claimed one silver and two bronze medals in the Asian Championships. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Why are Iranians protesting? Fears over her whereabouts come as violent protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini continued for a fifth week.Read more: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: 'World cannot turn a blind eye to Iran'Iran's Supreme Leader said Mahsa Amini's death 'broke my heart' The 22-year-old was detained by the morality police for not wearing a hijab correctly and died in custody in September, leading to international anger against the Iranian regime.Children are among the dozens of people who have died in the demonstrations. | Extreme Sports |
Natural highs: Hiking, e-biking, rock climbing - a multi-activity break in Italy could change your lifeJosa Keyes goes on an active weekend away with the tour company No Boundaries in Italy’s Trebbia ValleyShe climbs a 700-metre outcrop called Pietra Perduca and shakily abseils down a 'sheer cliff face'Her base is a 'beautifully restored' convent B&B — Croara Vecchia Azienda Agricola — on a family farm Published: 11:03 EDT, 4 October 2022 | Updated: 11:03 EDT, 4 October 2022 Advertisement Wheee! Do you remember freewheeling fearlessly downhill on your bike as a child? And the sweaty slog back to the top so you could do it all again?E-biking in northern Italy’s Trebbia Valley is just like that but without the lung-squeezing climb, thanks to the electric motor kicking in.Higher and higher we pedal through clear, sweet air scented with acacia and silent apart from screaming swifts. Dramatic: Josa Keyes tries e-biking up and down the hills of northern Italy’s Trebbia Valley on an active break with the tour company No Boundaries. Above is Bobbio, a classic hillside town in the region Then, suddenly, disaster strikes. Distracted by the view, my handlebars collide with another bike and I skid across the road, narrowly missing a Vespa. I pull myself together and on we go.It isn’t the only heart-stopping moment of the weekend — the next day I find myself 15 metres up a cliff, rock climbing for the first time in my life. I’m on a multi-activity weekend with No Boundaries, an innovative company that aims to get everyone exploring in the open air.Set up in the UK by Italian lawyer Francesco Carta in 2017, the firm survived Covid and now gets people of all ages, shapes and sizes to challenge themselves by canyoning, caving, bouldering, hiking, cycling, kayaking, ice climbing and more, in spectacular scenery in Italy, Sardinia and the UK — with Norway coming soon.It’s perfect for lone travellers. My group ranges in age from thirtysomethings to those in their 60s. Group sizes depend on the activity but are usually no larger than eight people.We leave the e-bikes to picnic, then climb a 700-metre outcrop called Pietra Perduca, to visit what must be the world’s most elevated crested newts living in a prehistoric oblong tank carved out of dark rock. How the newts got up there no one could explain, but they seem cheerful. Josa climbs the 700-metre outcrop called Pietra Perduca (pictured), to visit 'what must be the world’s most elevated crested newts living in a prehistoric oblong tank carved out of dark rock'The River Trebbia runs through the province of Piacenza which, although only an hour from Milan, feels like an untouched secret. It’s all agriturismo here — lodgings and restaurants on working farms — and key to the experience is full immersion in the local food and wine. To reach the Corte Del Gallo farm restaurant, we pass beehives that produce the honey the venue serves with its own cheese. The fresh tortelli — delicate pasta pockets filled with exquisite ricotta and herbs or Gorgonzola — is ambrosial.We drink petillant naturel (natural sparkling) white wine, which is almost cider-like, out of white china bowls.Our base is a refurbished convent B&B — Croara Vecchia Azienda Agricola — on a family farm, which belongs to the delightful Alessandra. The frescoed chapel, which was once a tractor shed, has been beautifully restored. It’s perched high above the River Trebbia. 'The River Trebbia (pictured) runs through the province of Piacenza which, although only an hour from Milan, feels like an untouched secret,' says Josa TRAVEL FACTS Josa travelled with No Boundaries (no-boundaries.co.uk) on its multi-activity weekend in Italy’s Trebbia Valley for £299 B&B, including transfers and equipment hire. Flights not included. My Love Life & Other Disasters: Poems, by Josa Keyes, is available to order from all good bookshops. I dread the next day’s rock climbing but, true to my mission to scare myself silly, I try to switch off. The No Boundaries team of reassuringly expert, qualified climbers takes us to Falesia di Pillori, a vertical slab of grey rock thrust into the sky millions of years ago. I watch seasoned climber Giorgio casually nip up what looks like a flat surface, threading ropes through the pitons that are permanently embedded.Each climbing route has a name too rude for a family newspaper. In spite of our diversity, our group bonds closely and we confide in each other about everything from breastfeeding to relationships.Then all that’s between me and a ghastly fall is a single knot called a figure eight and one of the guides on the end of the belaying rope.I squeeze my bare feet into tight climbing shoes with rubbery toes and, with the group cheering me on, throw myself at the sheer cliff face, pushing my toes and fingers into almost invisible cracks. I’m glad that I’d had my Shellac-painted nails cut short.I make the mistake of glancing over my shoulder — I’m shocked by how high I’ve climbed. I let out an expletive but then I abseil down, dancing with pleasure.A mild case of the shakes doesn’t stop me going up twice more and loving every minute.There’s a lot to be said for embracing a second childhood. Advertisement Read more: no-boundaries.co.uk My Love Life & Other Disasters: Poems: Amazon.co.uk: Keyes, Josa: 9780993124853: Books No Boundaries | Extreme Sports |
You don’t need a lot, nor do you need to spend a ton. From harnesses to carabiners, here are our favorites.Climbing has never been more popular. Whether you're discovering nearby outdoor climbs on Mountain Project or Googling local indoor climbing gyms, you've likely got a climbing spot near your home no matter where you live. Most climbers get acquainted with the safety routines, lingo, and gear when climbing indoors. But it's fine to start outdoors if you fall in with the right climbers or enroll in an American Mountain Guides Association-accredited course. Whether you're indoors or outdoors, you're going to need some essential gear. I'm keeping it simple (and affordable) in this guide, as it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the jargon for technical gear. You're also not going to be a climbing lead until you're more experienced, so I've omitted items like rope and quickdraws, which your climb leader will have. You can get by with any flexible clothes (no jeans!), but I suggest you veer toward technical synthetic layers for climbing outside. Updated June 2022: We've added the Camp Nano 22, Photon Lock, Metolius Refillable Chalk Sock, and Black Diamond Creek 20 backpack.If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDPhotograph: BackcountryA HarnessBlack Diamond SolutionA climbing harness keeps you tethered to a climbing rope. This one from Black Diamond has been my go-to since the beginning of 2018. It's well padded and super comfy, and the fixed leg loops have never given me trouble. It has enough gear loops for carabiners and quickdraws to lead and follow on sport routes, but not enough to carry anchoring equipment for trad climbing. That's fine. As a beginner, you'll be climbing sport anyway.Photograph: ScarpaClimbing ShoesScarpa OriginShoes are an intensely personal choice, and you'll probably have to try on a few pairs to find the right ones. Climbing shoes should be tight but not painfully tight. Some people prefer laces to cinch them up. Others prefer Velcro because it's quicker to put on and take off between climbs. I like the Origin from Scarpa because they're a well-built, relatively non-aggressive (flatter-soled) shoe good for beginners. As you take on more difficult climbs, you'll eventually want to buy a pair of more aggressively curved climbing shoes, like the excellent La Sportiva VS Miura ($185). But the Origin will always have a place in your rotation when your climbs demand a lot of sole-to-rock contact, like granite slabs.Photograph: REIA Belay DeviceBlack Diamond ATC GuideWhen top-rope climbing, the person on the wall is secured via the rope to the anchors on the wall by a partner—a belayer—who stands below with hands on the rope, ready to catch the climber when they fall. They use a belay device to do so. The ATC Guide is the benchmark to beat. Tough, versatile, and usable in the gym or outdoors, mine has never let me down. Fun fact: ATC stands for “air traffic controller.”Photograph: REIAnother Belay DevicePetzl GriGriThe GriGri is another belay device. You don't need an ATC Guide and a GriGri. It's an either-or situation. The GriGri is an assisted-braking device, which means that when the climber falls, the device catches them rather than the belayer—though the belayer still needs to stand ready with hands on the rope for safety. The big risk isn't equipment failure, it's operator failure. Every so often a belayer freezes up when their climbing partner falls, and they forget to let go of the brake release lever. Then the falling climber decks (hits the ground). So if you're going to use an assisted-braking belay device like the GriGri, drill it into your head to get your hand off the lever when your climber falls. That said, many belay partners have caught my falls with the GriGri, and I trust myself to them.Photograph: REILocking CarabinersC.A.M.P. Photon LockBuy a large, pear-shaped locking carabiner to use as your belay carabiner. There are various locking mechanisms for locking carabiners, including magnet-operated ones. They're all fine. But go with the classic screw-gate, which is much cheaper. It's what I use. If it gets stuck, apply some outward pressure (put it under load) and then try unscrewing it.Photograph: BackcountryWire-Gate CarabinersC.A.M.P. Nano 22You won't need wire-gate carabiners if you're only climbing indoors. Outdoors, you'll want a handful in addition to a couple of locking carabiners. The Nano 22 is my new favorite wire-gate carabiner, thanks to its very low weight at only 22 grams. Wire gates have mostly replaced standard solid gates, as they're lighter and less susceptible to gate chatter or gate flutter—that noise you hear in a fall when the weight of the gate briefly makes itself pop slightly open. It's very rarely a big deal, but climbers are always thinking about risk management.Photograph: REIA Chalk SockMetolius Refillable Chalk SockPowdered chalk keeps your hands dry and grippy while climbing. It's not absolutely necessary, but it's nice to have. Loose chalk is fine, but for less of a mess, put it in a chalk sock. Whenever you need a little extra grip on the climbing wall, give the chalk sock a feel and your hands will be nicely coated without sending a dust plume into the air.There's a non-refillable version, but I like this one that can be refilled with more chalk whenever you deplete it. After all, the more you can reuse, the less that'll end up in a landfill.Photograph: REIA Chalk BagPrana Chalk BagWhether you're carrying loose chalk dust or a chalk sock, you'll need somewhere to store it while you're climbing. You'll see lots of people, including serious climbers, dangling chalk bags off a harness gear loop with a carabiner, but the best method is to use the included waist strap. It keeps the bag closer to your reach, and it doesn't swing wildly while you're moving.Photograph: BackcountryA HelmetMammut Wall RiderHelmets are for protecting yourself from rock fall and ice fall if you end up getting into ice climbing. It's important to have one when outdoors. You will get hit with bits of rock and gravel; it just happens. You can bypass the helmet if you'll only be climbing indoors. Foam helmets are great at dissipating impact forces, and the vents keep your head cool in warm weather. I dig the Wall Rider because of its hybrid construction, with a partial hard shell and foam. The shell keeps smaller rocks from pelting you in the noggin while retaining all the benefits of foam. Mammut now has a MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) version, and if your budget can stretch, it's worth shelling out for it. There's an inner liner that allows the outer shell to rotate slightly, so it reduces rotational forces on the brain.Photograph: MoosejawA Crag BagBlack Diamond Creek 20If you plan to tackle outdoor climbs, you'll need a backpack capable of hauling all your gear out there. The Creek 20 is the perfect size for carrying all the equipment needed for sport climbs, which is what you ought to start out climbing. While you can use a typical daypack for climbs, it helps to have a beefier pack built for the job. Rocks are abrasive and sharp, and the climbing gear that goes in your pack will be heavy. Having a hip belt and sternum strap will make lugging your climbing shoes, harness, carabiners, belay device, snacks, and clothing layers more bearable.Matt Jancer is a staff writer for WIRED who focuses on reviewing outdoor gear. Previously, he spent a decade as a freelance writer covering automobiles, motorcycles, and lifestyle stories for magazines. Some of his longest gigs were at Car and Driver, Outside, Esquire, Playboy, and Popular Mechanics. | Extreme Sports |
Nursing a broken arm, two cracked vertebrae and wearing a neck brace, ice climber Tim Thompson recounted surviving a 40-foot fall from a towering outcropping in Utah's Provo Canyon, saying thoughts of his demise raced through his mind during the horrifying plunge.One day after cheating death, the 29-year-old Thompson sat at his kitchen table thankful to be alive."'Hopefully I don’t die' was the first thought that went through my mind," Thompson told ABC affiliate station KTVX in Salt Lake City.Thompson, a married father of a young child, said he and a friend were climbing the icy "Finger of Fate" outcropping near Bridal Veil Falls northeast of Provo on Monday morning when the episode unfolded.PHOTO: Tim Thompson speaks on Dec. 27, 2022, of surviving a 40-foot fall while ice climbing near Utah's Bridal Veil Falls. (NewsNation)He said he was near the top when his footing suddenly gave way and the ice screw anchoring him on the steep icy surface broke loose, making the fall even more perilous."All the weight on that left foot, all the ice just sheared off the rock," said Thompson, who has been ice climbing for seven years. "In my mind, I probably would’ve made the same decision again any other time, which was a bit of a startling thing -- thinking that you’re totally safe and solid and then having that happen."MORE: Man falls to his death while climbing one of the highest major peaks in the United StatesThompson said he fell onto a snowy ledge, likely saving his life.PHOTO: Rescuers retrieve Tim Thompson on Dec. 26, 2022, after he survived a 40-foot fall while ice climbing near Utah's Bridal Veil Falls. (NewNation)His climbing buddy quickly summoned climbers nearby and called the Utah County Search and Rescue team for help. About 50 people in all responded to rescue Thompson.He was flown safety down the mountain by a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter crew and taken to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo for treatment.MORE: Video Climber survives 300-foot fall from Mt. St. HelensCorey Cluff, a member of Utah County Search and Rescue, said "conditions in the area were deteriorating" due to rising temperatures, making the ice less cohesive and rocks unstable and threatening to fall.MORE: 16-year-old rock climber survives 500-foot fall on Oregon's Mount HoodDespite the near-death experience, Thompson said he is not about to give up ice climbing."A lot of people, I think, would have something like this deter them from doing it," Thompson said. "But it’s something I’m so passionate about and love that I think you truly can make it safe."'Hopefully I don't die': Ice climber recalls 40-foot fall in Utah originally appeared on abcnews.go.com | Extreme Sports |
A 41-year-old woman has died after pushing a fellow climber out of the way to save her when a massive ice column from a frozen Utah waterfall split, officials said.
The climber, identified by friends as Meg O’Neill, had been attempting to scale the frozen Raven Falls when a massive ice column split and fell in Indian Canyon Sunday, the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office,
O’Neill managed to push a 21-year-old woman out of the way of falling ice, which officials wrote “probably saved her life.”
But O’Neill wound up crushed beneath “two huge blocks of ice,” resulting in her death.
A 34-year-old man who accompanied the two female climbers was severely injured after falling 40 feet.
The woman who survived was able to climb down the terrain and drive to Duchesne County to call 911 for help.
First responders who arrived on the scene summoned a helicopter to hoist the injured male climb and fly him to a hospital to be treated for serious injuries. There was no immediate word on his condition Wednesday.
According to the sheriff’s office, it took firefighters, search and rescue teams, paramedics and volunteers about 30 hours to recover O’Neill’s body.
Officials hailed the 41-year-old as a “brave, outrageous woman who lost her life while saving another.”
Although the sheriff’s office has not named the victim, multiple friends and colleagues have identified her on social media and in interviews with local news outlets as 41-year-old O’Neill, from Salt Lake City.
O’Neill worked at Embark Outdoors, a nonprofit organization that inspires young refugee woman through outdoor sports.
Camille Fiducia, O’Neill’s colleague, described her to Fox 13 Now as the “heart and soul” of the program who dedicated her entire life to service. Before joining Embark, she taught high school science at Utah International Charter School.
An avid outdoorswoman and climber, O’Neill had a vision to make outdoor activities more inclusive, Fiducia said.
“If all of us can be one-eighth what Meg’s attitude of service were, what a change that could be in our local community,” she added.
Embark Outdoors posted a message on its Instagram page honoring O’Neill.
“We have lost a dear friend, a hero, and our fearless leader,” the post read. “Our Meg was in a terrible accident while ice climbing in Duchesne County. In an act so true to Meg, she made sure the others on the ground were safe before she was killed by falling debris.”
Loved ones have created a Facebook page, titled “For Meg,” where friends have been sharing photos and fond memories of O’Neill.
“Meg was a force of nature and the world is a less fun, less sparkly, less lively place without her in it,” one user wrote.
Another chimed in: “She was a truly special person and spread so much enthusiasm and kindness. I want to be more like her. I hope she knew how much she changed the world around her for the better.” | Extreme Sports |
“It’s beautifully overwhelming,” says Michael Wejchert of the rock, ice and alpine routes he has climbed all over the world. “There’s a moment that anybody who’s climbed in a remote part of the Alaska range can remember where the plane flies away and suddenly the sound of the engine fades and you’re completely alone on a glacier, miles and miles from anywhere and that silence, especially at first, is deafening. It’s an incredible environment.”
But the pristine beauty comes with a hint of menace, perhaps most famously captured in Touching the Void, Joe Simpson’s gripping memoir of a fight for survival after falling from an ice cliff, breaking his leg and being “left for dead” in a storm in the Peruvian Andes.
While Simpson is now in his early 60s, Wejchert is from a new generation of climbers. The 36-year-old is also a writer and has delivered a new survival story about a 2018 expedition in a far-flung Alaskan mountain range, a calamitous accident and daring rescue attempt, and the physical and psychological scars left behind.
Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong is the story of two couples who were experienced climbers and, with careful and cautious planning, tackled two virtually unexplored peaks in Alaska. One of the couples was Emmett Lyman, 40, and his 29-year-old girlfriend, Lauren Weber.
As the book’s prologue tells it: “Suddenly Lauren was snapped out of her reverie by a violent, wrenching sound. She felt the rope come tight and knew that on the other side Emmett was falling, though she couldn’t see him. Rock and debris flushed down the snow gully to her left so forcefully that it caused a small avalanche. To Lauren, the snow just looked like water cascading down, some unreal force of nature that still didn’t seem like it was happening. Dust clouded the air.
“Somewhere in this ‘I heard a human sound,’ she recalled. ‘It wasn’t words. It was just a sound of … maybe surprise and dismay.’”
Lyman was stranded, critically injured and invisible to the rest of the group. For the next nine hours, Weber and the other couple – Alissa Doherty and John Gassel – tried to reach him. Eventually, in thick fog and perilous conditions, an elite pararescue team hoisted him to a helicopter – alive but with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
Wejchert was briefly acquainted with the climbers and was stirred by their ambition in striking out into uncharted territory in one of the remotest regions of the US. “Getting to this place is incredibly hard to do,” he says via Zoom from New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where he lives in a cabin with his wife, who is also his climbing partner.
“It took the climbers about a week to get to where they were and without technology like a DeLorme inReach [satellite communicator], or now a Garmin inReach, which is what the climbers had, this rescue would have been impossible, inaccessible.
“Fifty years ago climbers went into the mountains with the knowledge that they were probably on their own and now, for better or worse, we’re not when we go into these mountains. That was one striking aspect of why this story was so remarkable.”
The other compelling narrative was the struggle to bring Lyman home. “There are many other instances of heroic rescues but the fact that there were these two couples who would not abandon each other struck me as absolute heroism. I found myself wondering what I would do in a similar circumstance as a nightmare scenario for climbers.”
Flying a helicopter in mountain terrain is difficult and Lyman had fallen in a spot with low visibility that was particularly hard to reach. Wejchert adds: “One thing that the pilots and people in the helicopter remembered was waiting for the weather and looking up at this mountain and thinking: this is going to be pretty tricky.”
But they pulled it off and Lyman was airlifted to hospital in Anchorage. Doherty set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his medical care. Wejchert, whose book is littered with insights into the social subculture of climbing, notes that, although some of the rescue was covered by insurance, GoFundMe has become a “sad necessity” in climbing accidents to fill financial gaps.
Lyman returned home to Boston a quadriplegic. The insurance would not cover the cost of a full-time caregiver and Weber found it hard to fill the role. As the first anniversary of the accident approached, she told Lyman that she could no longer maintain their relationship. The metaphorical cutting of the rope was devastating for both of them. Lyman said: “I cried a lot. I think I cried for about a month.”
Wejchert comments: “It’s a sad truth, especially in the adventure community, when people encounter life-altering injuries, the toll that they take is devastating on relationships in many instances. Every relationship is different and there are things that obviously nobody can truly know. It became untenable for both physical and emotional reasons and that’s one of the tragedies of the story.
“Lauren was in a unique position of having to care for somebody who had suffered very real physical and emotional trauma while picking up the pieces herself and that’s a lot to ask of somebody. To have seen and heard what she saw, as well as to have to continue on in that relationship, I’m sure took a massive toll.”
During his research, Wejchert found Weber fearful of how she would be portrayed during the events after Lyman’s rescue and unwilling to speak about most of what happened. He writes: “But perhaps her fear says more about the outdoor community or our expectations of what a spouse should do than it does about Lauren herself.
“Sadly, this stigma appears to hold especially for female survivors, for whom there is a societal expectation to remain ardent and steadfast in their care, even when the trauma of an accident has extended to them.”
The break-up left Lyman feeling hopeless and without a path forward. But with sterling support from family and friends, he gradually rebuilt his life. He still has an undaunted spirit and streak of independence: he engineers solutions to get through daily life and has just bought a house, which he is renovating.
Despite all the loss, Wejchert says, Lyman does not regret embarking on that audacious climb. “He’s said multiple times and will continue to say that, if he had to do it all over again, he would have taken that risk. It was something that compelled him.
“This was a life-altering moment for him and what he reflects on most is the friendships that he had forged saved his life. He’s adamant that was the case and he’s right. But he thinks about it daily and he still loves the idea of climbing. He wants to be as involved as possible despite the magnitude of his injuries and so that’s very inspiring.”
Investigating the case, and getting to know Lyman, has transformed the way in which Wejchert himself thinks about climbing, however. “I encounter and react to risk very differently than I would maybe five years ago even. The type of climbing I do has changed as well: sunny rock climbing as opposed to going on these mountain trips. I still grapple with that. I still love to climb the mountains but my ambitions have scaled down. Not entirely because of this, of course, but I think it’s a factor.”
Even so, Wejchert has plans to go climbing in the Alaska range later this year. “I can only speak for myself but the appeal is this amazing technical challenge in a landscape that is breathtaking.
“We’re so connected now, we rarely have a chance to step outside our comfort zones, so when you enter the mountains and have this mental and physical problem-solving aspect, and you’re able to piece everything together on the good days when you’re climbing well, and when you’re figuring all that stuff out with a partner, life is distilled into this simple: what ledge can I sleep on? Will I be able to climb the next bit of ice or rock? What’s going to happen with the weather?
“There’s this beautiful simplicity and rhythm and cadence to the sport that is addictive. That’s why I do it. It’s incredibly enjoyable and rewarding movement in an environment that you would never get to see otherwise.”
Climbing is now more accessible and popular than ever: there are an estimated 7 million people doing it in America alone, as evidenced by a proliferation of rock gyms. It has become safer thanks to advances in equipment and training. Some climbers are addicted to the dangers; others not so much.
Wejchert reflects: “I climb despite the risk and not because of it. Mitigating those risks as much as humanly possible is part of the challenge. The clarity that being in those dangerous environments provides is addictive and it’s something that affects people whether they want it to or not. People have different risk tolerances at different times so different climbs are more or less dangerous.”
But the risks of avalanches and ice and rock falls have been made harder to predict by the climate crisis. Wejchert wrote a guest essay for the New York Times last Christmas Day under the headline: “Ice Climbing Is Having Its Moment, but How Much Longer Will the Ice Be Around?”
He explains: “We are facing a dramatically warming climate and climbers have long been the canary in the coalmine because we have such benchmarks and they’re visual. I think of a glacier in the Canadian Rockies called the Columbia Icefield that I visited several times and visibly these things are receding.
“Look at Cordillera Huayhuash where Touching the Void took place and those mountains are completely different from what they were even 20 years ago, or the unprecedented warmth in the Alps, especially last summer.”
Wejchert warns: “The benchmark of freezing is getting harder and harder to maintain and the risks that climbers have always encountered are suddenly becoming harder to predict because the mountains are melting. We don’t have enough data yet of ‘the new normal’ to know exactly how that’s going to affect places like the Alps.”
Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong is out now | Extreme Sports |
A climber died after falling off a cliff edge over the weekend at Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, officials said, and a second stranded climber was rescued.
Officials at the park were notified about the fallen climber Saturday afternoon, according to a news release. They were also told that a second climber was stranded on El Capitan Peak.
The park said multiple search and rescue teams responded, and worked throughout the night to reach the stranded climber, who was rescued Sunday morning. The body of the fallen climber was also recovered Sunday morning. The victim was not immediately identified.
During the rescue process, a rescuer was hurt and had to be transported to a local hospital, the park said.
During the operation, the Texas Department of Public Safety provided air support. Several local fire departments also provided assistance, the park said.
"The Guadalupe Mountains National Park staff are saddened by this tragedy and our entire park community extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of those involved," park Superintendent Eric Leonard said in a statement.
Officials warn visitors that most of the rocks within Guadalupe Mountains National Park are highly fractured limestone, and rock climbing or free climbing within the park is prohibited.
"These conditions are prevalent throughout the park and create a loosely jointed rock that is easily dislodged, resulting in dangerous climbing conditions," the park said in its news release.
El Capitan Peak is located about 100 miles east of El Paso near the New Mexico state line.
This incident comes after a hiker died at the park on New Year's Eve of last year. On Dec. 31, park staff responded to a non-responsive hiker on the Guadalupe Peak Trail after hikers at the scene administered CPR, officials said.
The victim had hiked the strenuous trail amid a high wind warning that was in effect, with wind gusts of more than 50 mph, and wind chills well below freezing, according to park officials.
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There was a period where it felt like rock climbing documentaries were everywhere. There was Free Solo of course. That's the most famous example. Free Solo did more than just win an Oscar after its release in 2018, it inspired a swathe of word-of-mouth recommendations from its terrified (but compelled) audience.But Free Solo wasn't alone. In that same year Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer released The Dawn Wall, a fantastically produced documentary focused on Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's first free ascent of Yosemite's last major unclimbed face. There were others too: The Alpinist, currently available to stream on Prime Video, followed Marc-André Leclerc, a Canadian climber who tragically died whilst climbing on the North Face of the Mendenhall Towers in Alaska.
Torn, on Disney Plus, is a documentary that focuses on the aftermath of tragedy. In 1999 Alex Lowe, an American climber on the cutting edge of mountaineering, was caught in an avalanche on Mount Shishapangma, in Tibet. His climbing partner, the legendary Conrad Anker, who accompanied him on that trip, narrowly survived the same avalanche. Post Lowe's death, Anker committed to looking after Lowe's wife and children in the event of Lowe's passing. And, incredibly, in the wake of Lowe's passing, Anker and Lowe's widow fell in love. Ultimately the pair raised Lowe's young children together. Today, all of Lowe's children now call Conrad Anker "dad."Torn is an intricate, delicately made documentary about that journey and its impacts. Disney Plus Directed by Alex Lowe's oldest son Max Lowe, Torn is a personal story, primarily about the effect of high stakes adventure sports and the gaps left behind when a cherished family member passes away suddenly. It also asks difficult questions of its subjects: Why risk death when a family of small children are dependent on you? It's clear that director Max Lowe idolizes his now deceased father, but he also idolizes Anker, the man who adopted him after his father's death. Anker continues to climb after witnessing Lowe's death first hand. That's another thread that weaves throughout this documentary: How does Anker walk the tightrope? How does he justify it? His death would undoubtedly crush an already fragile family unit, yet he continues to climb on the sharp end. Much of the film explores the need to navigate risk, yet still allow people space to pursue their passions in the face of all that's reasonable.Regardless, Torn is a sympathetic portrait of Anker. It's also a heartbreaking portrait of a family who, more than 20 years after Lowe's death, still seems to be in recovery mode. The documentary concludes brilliantly. I won't spoil the ending, but suffice to say, Torn is a must-watch study on unimaginable tragedy and what comes next. Despite winning a few awards, Torn never quite received the audience that Free Solo or even The Alpinist did, despite being -- for me -- a perfect companion piece to both those films. Both Free Solo and The Alpinist grapple with the concept of risk and mortality to varying degrees and both do it well, but Torn digs deep into those themes in a way those movies never could. For that reason alone, it is essential viewing. A quick warning in advance: It will break your heart. | Extreme Sports |
Adrian Ballinger has summited Mount Everest eight times. It's challenging, perilous and rewarding, he says — and the same goes for running his own business.Ballinger, 46, has spent the past 25 years climbing the world's highest peaks, leading more than 150 international climbing expeditions across six continents. He's also the founder and CEO of Alpenglow Expeditions, a Olympic Valley, California-based company that helps roughly 6,000 clients per year summit those peaks themselves.Launching Alpenglow in 2004 meant cobbling together $10,000 from a previous mountain guide job and a variety of side hustles: working as a ski instructor in Telluride, Colorado, waiting tables and valet parking cars.Today, the company is on track to surpass $3 million in 2022 revenue, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Alpenglow's prices can range from $275 for an introductory mountaineering course to up to $98,000 per person for a guided expedition up Mount Everest.Mountain climbing and entrepreneurship are both risky endeavors that require mental and physical resilience to succeed, Ballinger says. You can't ever take success for granted, because failure is always an option."It's something we talk to our clients a lot about before they sign up with us," Ballinger tells CNBC Make It. "Just because you [commit] a large sum of money to go to a place like Mount Everest, and you take five weeks out of your life, it doesn't guarantee success."Here's how Ballinger built his business, using lessons he learned on the mountains to get ahead of the curve.'No way I'm going back to medical school'Ballinger's parents wanted him to be a doctor, and they nearly got their wish. After graduating from Georgetown University pre-med in 1997, Ballinger told his family he just wanted to put off medical school for a year, so he could "get climbing out of my system," he says.He spent the next 12 months "barely making a living as a base-level guide, teaching rock climbing" and making just enough money to fund his own climbing trips to South America and the Himalayas. Instead of getting mountain climbing out of his system, Ballinger says the year ended with him all the more committed to following his passion. "I was like, 'There is no way I'm going back to medical school,'" he says.He went to work as a climbing guide for a company called Earth Treks from 2000 to 2004, and started teaching skiing in Telluride. He earned around $38,000 per year from those jobs, he says.Adrian Ballinger, pictured at the summit of K2, the world's second-highest peak after Mount Everest.Source: Alpenglow ExpeditionsBy 2004, Ballinger wanted to branch out on his own. He sold his motorcycle to cover the $3,000 cost to build Alpenglow's website, and put roughly $7,000 of his own savings toward startup costs — from legal fees to register the company to expedition equipment like tents, ropes and other necessary gear.He relied on word of mouth to grow his business. Landing clients early on was a struggle, so he forwent a salary for the company's first five years, living off roughly $20,000 per year from a variety of odd jobs."That first year, I only guided two expeditions that I think had a total of, maybe, eight clients," Ballinger says. "At the same time, I was catering for a local Aspen company [and] I was valet parking cars — basically, doing everything I could to try to get this business off the ground."Why it doesn't pay to be an 'adrenaline junkie'After five years of trying to land the environmental permits he needed to lead local climbing tours in Colorado, Ballinger pulled up stakes and relocated to Olympic Valley, California.He got approval to offer mountaineering courses and guided trips in the Sierra Nevada mountains, meaning he didn't have to rely solely on clients willing to spend thousands of dollars on major international expeditions.Alpenglow also benefited from Ballinger's multiple ascents of Mount Everest, he says: The media attention and speaking engagements created free marketing opportunities for his business."It gives us this megaphone to talk about what we do and how we do it," Ballinger says.Sometimes, people inaccurately label Ballinger an "adrenaline junkie" due to the inherent danger and often inhospitable conditions of mountain climbing, he says."Actually, in my sport, if I feel that shot of adrenaline, it means I've made a series of mistakes that's put me in a place that I shouldn't be in," he explains. "[It means] I'm about to get myself killed."If anything, Ballinger says his primary goal is to avoid any and all unnecessary risks. That takes a lot of research and preparation in advance, to make sure you're at least taking educated risks.On a mountain, that means carefully researching weather patterns and climbing routes to determine the safest courses of action. As a CEO, it means meticulously vetting new business partners or trying to predict every possible outcome for any new plan to grow the business.Then, even when you encounter a danger you never imagined, you'll have trained your brain to quickly problem solve for it. Studies show that the strategy can help you avoid overreacting: By staying calm in a stressful situation, you're less likely to make rash, dangerous decisions."The curveball that gets thrown at me on the mountains or in the business is often not the one that I planned for or ran a scenario about," Ballinger says. "But by going through all of those exercises of considering what risks we might take and how to manage them, then whatever does come, I think we have a better foundation for it."Want to earn more and work less? Register for the free CNBC Make It: Your Money virtual event on Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. ET to learn from money masters how you can increase your earning power.Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter | Extreme Sports |
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