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Updated 2024-11-21 13:45
AI ethics groups are repeating one of society’s classic mistakes
International organizations and corporations are racing to develop global guidelines for the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Declarations, manifestos, and recommendations are flooding the internet. But these efforts will be futile if they fail to account for the cultural and regional contexts in which AI operates. AI systems have repeatedly been shown to cause problems…
North Korean hackers steal billions in cryptocurrency. How do they turn it into real cash?
For years, North Korea’s Kim dynasty has made money through criminal schemes like drug trafficking and counterfeiting cash. In the last decade, Pyongyang has increasingly turned to cybercrime—using armies of hackers to conduct billion-dollar heists against banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, such as an attack in 2018 that netted $250 million in one fell swoop. The…
A brief history of US-China espionage entanglements
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, intelligence services in both Beijing and Washington have vied to uncover secrets in one another’s countries, and to safeguard their own secrets, in pursuit of military, economic, and technological advantage. Many bona fide spies on both sides have been caught; many innocents have been…
Featured Session: Global Technology for Data in the Cloud
2020 has brought global disruption of societies, customer behavior, and economies. The businesses that survive and thrive will need to make fast, smart decisions about how to pivot in today’s world. In this session, you’ll hear from Mai-Lan Tomsen Bukovec, global vice president for block and object storage at Amazon Web Services, about how those smart…
AI Advances and Applications
Is AI at an impasse? The growth of AI to date has been fueled by massive amounts of data and exponential gains in processing efficiency. But are these gains sustainable and if not, what is going to take us to the next level? Join us virtually at EmTech MIT as we look at the status quo…
The dwarf planet Ceres might be home to an underground ocean of water
Ceres, the largest asteroid in the solar system, seems to have liquid water seeping onto its surface, according to a new paper in Nature Astronomy. Data from NASA’s Dawn orbiter, the study suggests, show signs that it may be harboring an ocean deep underground. The background: Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt…
Is a successful contact tracing app possible? These countries think so.
If contact tracing apps are following Gartner’s famous hype cycle, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion they are now firmly in the “trough of disillusionment.” Initial excitement that they could be a crucial part of the arsenal against covid-19 has given way to fears it could all come to nothing, despite large investments of money…
A guide to the TikTokish apps that want to be the next TikTok
Last week, Alessandro Bogliari wouldn’t have imagined that anyone posed a serious threat to TikTok. Yes, there were imitators and competitors out there, but Bogliari, who runs a social media agency called the Influencer Marketing Factory, thought the app was so successful that there was no way it would be overthrown in the near future.…
How to cast a wider net for tracking space junk
Space junk isn’t going away anytime soon—and neither are the problems it causes. We’re poised to see more satellite launches with every passing year, which means more pieces of rocketry and spacecraft getting loose and zipping around at over 22,000 mph. At those speeds, even an object just a few centimeters long could instantly destroy a satellite,…
SpaceX flew a prototype of its Starship vehicle for the first time
SpaceX successfully flew a prototype of its next-generation Starship vehicle for the first time ever on Tuesday, a major step forward in the company’s quest to eventually send people to Mars. What happened: Around 8:00pm Eastern Time, from its testing site at Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX flew the prototype about 500 feet into the air…
The UK is dropping an immigration algorithm that critics say is racist
The news: The UK Home Office has said it will stop using an algorithm to process visa applications that critics claim is racially biased. Opponents to it argue that the algorithm’s use of nationality to decide which applications get fast-tracked has led to a system in which “people from rich white countries get “Speedy Boarding”;…
The hack that could make face recognition think someone else is you
Researchers have demonstrated that they can fool a modern face recognition system into seeing someone who isn’t there. A team from the cybersecurity firm McAfee set up the attack against a facial recognition system similar to those currently used at airports for passport verification. By using machine learning, they created an image that looked like…
Novavax has announced encouraging early results for its experimental coronavirus vaccine
The news: Maryland biotechnology company Novavax has announced encouraging results from a preliminary study of its experimental coronavirus vaccine. The trial enrolled 131 healthy volunteers in Australia, gave them either a placebo or one of four escalating doses of its vaccine, and found that everyone who received the vaccine produced a high level of antibodies…
AI is learning when it should and shouldn’t defer to a human
The context: Studies show that when people and AI systems work together, they can outperform either one acting alone. Medical diagnostic systems are often checked over by human doctors, and content moderation systems filter what they can before requiring human assistance. But algorithms are rarely designed to optimize for this AI-to-human handover. If they were,…
The quest for quantum-proof encryption just made a leap forward
Quantum computers could make encryption a thing of the past, but 15 contenders are trying to prove they have what it takes to safeguard your data.
The Oxford covid-19 vaccine candidate has produced promising early trial results
The news: A covid-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca proved safe and provoked a strong immune response in its first clinical trials. Participants’ systems produced both antibodies and T cells, and only relatively mild side effects were observed. The results were described today in a paper in The Lancet. The study:…
Twitter blocked tweets from verified accounts after a massive security breach
What do Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates have in common? Dozens of high-profile verified Twitter accounts were hacked on Wednesday, seemingly to push a cryptocurrency scam that may have netted upwards of $100,000 in a matter of minutes. These kinds of scams are old hat on Twitter, but never have so…
A new Rx: AI for operations in health care
We may think of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care in terms of scientific advances, such as a cure for cancer or a science-fiction tricorder-like device. But in the real world, AI is making its initial impact in workflow and administrative tasks. That’s not to say AI technologies aren’t being used for genuinely exciting work…
How to talk to conspiracy theorists—and still be kind
On May 4, a slick, 26-minute video was released, alleging that the coronavirus was actually a laboratory-manipulated virus deployed to wreak havoc so that a resulting vaccine could be used for profit. None of that was true, and Plandemic’s claims were thoroughly, repeatedly debunked. Still, it went viral, getting liked on Facebook 2.5 million times.…
Podcast: Lassoing the venture capital cowboys
The numbers tell the story. US venture capital firms have $444 billion under management, including $121 billion in “dry powder” waiting in reserve—all in pursuit of the next “unicorn” startup that will grow to be worth billions. But about three-quarters of the industry’s cash goes to support software innovation—a habit that’s looking particularly short-sighted at…
A new way to train AI systems could keep them safer from hackers
The context: One of the greatest unsolved flaws of deep learning is its vulnerability to so-called adversarial attacks. When added to the input of an AI system, these perturbations, seemingly random or undetectable to the human eye, can make things go completely awry. Stickers strategically placed on a stop sign, for example, can trick a…
Will astronauts ever visit gas giants like Jupiter?
Every week, the readers of our space newsletter, The Airlock, send in their questions for space reporter Neel V. Patel to answer. This week: Can we go to Jupiter? Once we move past the asteroid belt, is it realistic to assume there is a chance humans could ever explore any of the gas giants, like Jupiter, really close…
Pandemic reveals opportunities for 5G connectivity
5G cellular technology, which has been promised to provide a connective fabric that will cover the globe in a seamless digital experience, is starting to take shape. But the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 that has forced hundreds of millions of people to work and socialize remotely has made it clear that the connective fabric is…
Improving data strategy to create the best customer experiences
Businesses today have a wealth of information to draw upon. It comes from customer touchpoints, mobile interactions, internet-of-things (IoT) devices, e-commerce transactions, and many more sources. And corporate governance has made it easier to comply with data privacy rules, so organizations can be confident about the data quality. But usefulness? That’s a major challenge that…
How green sand could capture billions of tons of carbon dioxide
A pair of palm-tree-fringed coves form two narrow notches, about a quarter of a mile apart, along the shoreline of an undisclosed island somewhere in the Caribbean. After a site visit in early March, researchers with the San Francisco nonprofit Project Vesta determined that the twin inlets provided an ideal location to study an obscure…
Virgin Galactic and NASA have launched a new program to train private astronauts
Virgin Galactic announced it has signed a deal with NASA to develop a “private orbital astronaut readiness program” that trains and supports private astronauts for missions to the International Space Station. The background: Last year NASA announced it was accepting bids from private companies for missions to the space station, both as a tourist destination…
The three challenges keeping cars from being fully autonomous
Technical, regulatory, and business obstacles are still in the way of safe, useful, and affordable self-driving vehicles.
Ready for 6G? How AI will shape the network of the future
With 5G networks rolling out around the world, engineers are turning their attention to the next incarnation.
Landowners are earning millions for carbon cuts that may not occur
A new analysis finds California’s cap-and-trade program may vastly overestimate emissions reductions.
Mapping the world in 3D will let us paint streets with augmented reality
Machines need an exact digital replica of our world if we’re going to get true, location-specific AR—or accurate robot food deliveries.
How the hell are cryptocurrency holders supposed to file their taxes?
Though it wasn’t in time for tax day, US lawmakers are pressuring the IRS to clarify its policies for digital currencies.
Congress wants to protect you from biased algorithms, deepfakes, and other bad AI
Only a few legislators really know what they’re talking about, but it’s a start.
The first study of a twin in space looks like good news for a trip to Mars
Thanks to twin astronauts, we now have our first solid evidence of how the human body responds to long-term spaceflight—and it’s thrown up some mysteries.
A robot has figured out how to use tools
In a startling demonstration, the machine drew on experimentation, data, and observation of humans to learn how simple implements could help it achieve a task.
This is the first ever photo of a black hole
The scientists behind it spent a decade using a virtual telescope the size of Earth to create this historic image.
This may be the Apple II of AI-driven robot arms
A new low-cost robot arm that can be controlled using a virtual-reality headset will make it easier to experiment with AI and robotics.
Why two wheels are better than four in India’s electric vehicle push
EVs represent a tiny share of the nation’s auto market, but efforts to electrify scooters and rickshaws may begin to change that.
Hey Google, sorry you lost your ethics council, so we made one for you
We asked experts for practical suggestions on why Google’s AI ethics council bombed and what the company should do next.
Facebook’s ad-serving algorithm discriminates by gender and race
Even if an advertiser is well-intentioned, the algorithm still prefers certain groups of people over others.
Crowdsourced reports could save lives when the next earthquake hits
Combining app check-ins and tweets with traditional detection data could give rescue teams and residents a vital head start.
Machine learning is making pesto even more delicious
Researchers at MIT have used AI to improve the flavor of basil. It’s part of a trend that is seeing artificial intelligence revolutionize farming.
Meet the man who helped double-check the sums to keep Apollo 11 safe
The Apollo stories: Dennis Sager was one of the last employees of the human-led backstop for the computation that made the mission possible.
Venture capitalists are still throwing hundreds of millions at blockchains
A look at the data shows that despite the crypto market’s long downturn, VCs are still betting big.
The Animal-AI Olympics is going to treat AI like a lab rat
The $10,000 competition will test AI with challenges that were originally designed to test animal cognition—to see how close we are to machines that have common sense.
Why satellite mega-constellations are a threat to the future of space
A recent Indian anti-satellite test was hazardous, but plans for mass satellite launches by SpaceX and OneWeb could pose even greater risks in orbit.
The two key reasons the world can’t reverse climate emissions
New figures show we’re using more energy and still pumping out more emissions—so why aren’t we moving the dial?
The space mission to buy us vital extra hours before a solar storm strikes
The sun’s violent activity can shut down the power grid and knock out satellites. ESA’s Lagrange mission will be our early warning system.
Europe’s copyright dispute shows just how hard it is to fix the internet’s problems
The EU has just passed the Copyright Directive: now small sites and tech giants alike will have to deal with the fallout and recriminations.
Google appoints an “AI council” to head off controversy, but it proves controversial
A team that includes philosophers, engineers, and policy experts will determine how ethical Google’s AI projects are—but some have already criticized its makeup.
Blockchain-powered marketplaces will be like steroids for crowd investing
Creators of a new breed of fully regulated digital assets have their eyes on remaking how money is raised—and putting the era of sketchy ICOs behind them.
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