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Oct 30, 2023

Three things to know about the White House’s executive order on AI

Posted by in categories: government, policy, robotics/AI, security

The goal of the order, according to the White House, is to improve “AI safety and security.” It also includes a requirement that developers share safety test results for new AI models with the US government if the tests show that the technology could pose a risk to national security. This is a surprising move that invokes the Defense Production Act, typically used during times of national emergency.

The executive order advances the voluntary requirements for AI policy that the White House set back in August, though it lacks specifics on how the rules will be enforced. Executive orders are also vulnerable to being overturned at any time by a future president, and they lack the legitimacy of congressional legislation on AI, which looks unlikely in the short term.

“The Congress is deeply polarized and even dysfunctional to the extent that it is very unlikely to produce any meaningful AI legislation in the near future,” says Anu Bradford, a law professor at Columbia University who specializes in digital regulation.

Oct 30, 2023

IBM Research Shows Off New NorthPole Neural Accelerator

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

IBM Research recently disclosed details about its NorthPole neural accelerator. This isn’t the first time IBM has discussed the part; IBM researcher Dr. Dharmendra Modha gave a presentation last month at Hot Chips that delved into some of its technical underpinnings.

Let’s take a high-level look at what IBM announced.

IBM NorthPole is an advanced AI chip from IBM Research that integrates processing units and memory on a single chip, significantly improving energy efficiency and processing speed for artificial intelligence tasks. It is designed for low-precision operations, making it suitable for a wide range of AI applications while eliminating the need for bulky cooling systems.

Oct 30, 2023

Google research: Noise-cancelling hearables that track heart rate

Posted by in categories: health, wearables

Google’s new technique works by sending low-intensity ultrasonic probing signals via the speakers.

Researchers at Google have devised a technology that allows active noise-canceling (ANC) wearables to feature health-sensing applications.

The team utilized a technique called audio plethysmography (APG) in ANC wearables to monitor a user’s physiological data, such as heart rate and heart rate variability, without the need for additional sensors or sacrificing battery life.

Oct 30, 2023

Australia made a breakthrough in using mirrors to generate solar power

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

“This is significant because it creates the opportunity for greater renewable energy storage.”

Through the use of solar collectors, concentrated solar thermal technology (CST) harnesses solar energy to produce heat or electricity. The process is simple although difficult to execute successfully: large mirrors or lenses focus sunlight onto a narrow region known as the receiver.

These mirrors are what are known as solar collectors and they come in a variety of formats each with a distinct design and focusing technique, such as dish systems, solar power towers, and parabolic troughs.

Oct 30, 2023

Human arm dynamics can help robots assemble satellites

Posted by in categories: cyborgs, robotics/AI, satellites, transhumanism

The researchers built a dynamic data acquisition platform to capture human arm motion during assembly tasks.

A team of researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology has developed a new method to control robots that can assemble satellites in space. The technique is inspired by the human arm, which can adjust its damping to perform different tasks with precision and stability. The researchers published their findings in Cyborg and Bionic Systems.


Space operations with robots and challenges

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Oct 30, 2023

ChatGPT app revenue shows no signs of slowing, but some other AI apps top it

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot from OpenAI, far outpaces all other AI chatbot apps on mobile devices in terms of downloads and is a market leader by revenue, as well. However, it’s surprisingly not the top AI app by revenue — several photo AI apps and even other AI chatbots are actually making more money than ChatGPT, despite the latter having become a household name for an AI chat experience.

Since its launch on mobile devices in May of this year, ChatGPT’s downloads and revenue have continued to grow. In its first month, when the app was available on iOS only, it topped 3.9 million downloads, which grew to 15.1 million by June, according to an analysis of the AI app market by Apptopia. Then, following a slight dip in July, ChatGPT grew again to top 23 million downloads as of September 2023.

In addition, ChatGPT’s usage on mobile devices has similarly grown from just over 1.34 million monthly active users in May to now 38.88 million as of September.

Oct 30, 2023

Joy Buolamwini: “We’re giving AI companies a free pass”

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

The pioneering AI researcher and activist shares her personal journey in a new book, and explains her concerns about today’s AI systems.

Joy Buolamwini, the renowned AI researcher and activist, appears on the Zoom screen from home in Boston, wearing her signature thick-rimmed glasses.

As an MIT grad, she seems genuinely interested in seeing old covers of MIT Technology Review that hang in our London office. An edition of the magazine from 1961 asks: “Will your son get into college?”

Oct 30, 2023

Will AI help Europe catch up with US tech titans like Google, Apple?

Posted by in categories: climatology, robotics/AI, sustainability

While European nations are ahead on dimensions like equality, social progress, and climate change redressal, they lack technological advancements in comparison to the United States. The European region, including the UK, still lacks the investment and culture necessary for a startup ecosystem prevalent in California’s Silicon Valley.

The Valley is a globally recognized hub for technology and innovation. Many of the world’s leading technology companies, like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, are based there. However, Europe also has notable… More.


Silicon Valley overshadows the EU in tech, but with the advent of new-age artificial intelligence, Europe’s leading entrepreneurs think it could offer the Euro startup ecosystem to be a key player in the race.

Oct 30, 2023

Minnesota Man Sets World Record With 2,749-Pound Pumpkin

Posted by in category: space

Travis Gienger is a talented gourd-grower, and he’s used to earning accolades for his colossal pumpkins. Since 2020, he’s won three of the past four World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off competitions—and this year’s entry topped them all. Weighing in at 2,749 pounds, Gienger’s gourd has set a new world record for the heaviest pumpkin.

Nicknamed “Michael Jordan,” the pumpkin took the crown during the annual championship in Half Moon Bay, California, this week, reports Heidi Raschke of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). It easily beat out last year’s champion—Gienger’s own 2,560-pounder, which set a new North American record and which he later turned into the world’s largest jack o’lantern.

“I was not expecting that. It was quite the feeling,” says Gienger, a 43-year-old landscape and horticulture teacher at Anoka Technical College, to the Associated Press (AP). He has been growing pumpkins since he was a teenager, following in the footsteps of his father.

Oct 30, 2023

Surfing the web too much? Study links problematic internet use to heightened ADHD symptoms

Posted by in categories: health, internet, neuroscience

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In a recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, researchers describe the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Study: The relationship between problematic internet use and attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity: A meta-analysis. Image Credit: Alexxndr / Shutterstock.com

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