Generative AI’s most prominent skeptic doubles down
Vancouver, Canada -- Two and a half years since ChatGPT rocked the world, scientist and writer Gary Marcus still remains...
Interview
Saudi Arabia issues warning against fraudulent Hajj 2024 operators
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia is warning potential Hajj pilgrims to be cautious of fake Hajj companies that may...
Business
Red Cross to cut 1,500 jobs over funding crunch
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The Red Cross announced Tuesday that it would cut 1,500 jobs over the next 12 months in a...
- The Red Cross said an expected drop in humanitarian assistance budgets over the next two years was forcing it to make significant cuts.
- The Geneva-based organization said its governing board on March 30 had approved US$474 million in global cost reduction through early 2024.
Business
Artists close ranks in order to fight AI programs that copy their styles
Fury erupted in the art community last year with the release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs that can convincingly...
- In January, artists Andersen and Ortiz filed a class-action lawsuit against DreamUp, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, for copying their art works
- Prompted by artists, a team at the University of Chicago last week launched their "Glaze" software to help protect original works
Jordanian club holds workshops to train people in art of comedy
The new comedians hoping to put a smile on Jordanian faces range in age between 18 to 40 and include...
- The Amman Comedy Club has been training aspiring comics since 2019 and offering free, three- to four-month workshops in stand-up, improv, comedy sketches and satire writing
- Aided by foreign institutions such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Chicago-based comedy club The Second City, the ACC has already trained more than 140 people in Jordan
In troubled Libya, young robotics fans see hope in hi-tech
Libya has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict since a 2011 NATO-backed revolt toppled strongman Moamer Kadhafi, with...
- The robotic competition is aimed at preparing the workers of the future and make the country aware of the importance of technology and innovation, event coordinator said
- The event, funded by an international school and private sponsors, had been envisaged since 2018 but repeatedly delayed because of unrest and then the Covid pandemic
Arts & Culture
Year after the slap, Chris Rock hits back at Will Smith in Netflix special
The comedian came out swinging, accusing the Hollywood star of "selective outrage" when he reacted to a jibe about Jada...
- Rock was presenting an Oscar in Hollywood last March when he made a crack about Pinkett Smith's closely cropped head
- The comedian said Smith had been widely mocked after an episode of his wife's podcast in which the couple talked about her affair
Geostrategy
Sexting chatbot ban brings AI rules in focus
Given that these bots still make factual blunders, often show bias and could even spout libelous statements, some are clamoring...
- Regulators in Italy last week barred the firm from gathering data after finding breaches of Europe's massive data protection law, the GDPR.
- OpenAI's latest model, GPT-4, is scheduled for release soon and is rumored to be so good that it will be impossible to distinguish from a human.
Economy
Sharjah Consultative Council reviews districts and villages department’s work
SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC), in its seventh session, held as part of the fourth regular session...
- The SCC meeting, at its headquarters in Sharjah, was chaired by Ali Mehd Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Council.
- Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Member of Sharjah Executive Council, Head of DVAD represented the department in the session.
Arts & Culture
Festive spirit in Bethlehem after dull pandemic years
With a giant evergreen tree, colorful balloons in the streets and selfies in the Church of the Nativity, Christmas tourism...
- With restrictions lifted in Palestine and Israel, where the closest international airport with access to Bethlehem is located, West Bank town has taken on a festive air
- Tourists converged on the streets, shops and stone buildings of this Palestinian town, where Christians and Muslims live side by side
Tanzanian aircraft with 49 people on board plunges into a lake
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania— A domestic passenger plane plunged into Lake Victoria in Tanzania early on Sunday due to bad weather...
- No information was immediately available on the number of passengers aboard the plane, but local media reports said around 49 people were on the flight
- The accident comes five years after 11 people died when a plane belonging to a safari company crashed in northern Tanzania
At least 35 dead in Iran protests: new state media toll
Amini died after spending three days in a coma after her arrest by Iran's morality police, a unit responsible for...
- Demonstrators have taken to the streets of major cities across Iran, including Tehran, for eight straight nights since the death of Mahsa Amini
- The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was pronounced dead three days after her arrest in the Iranian capital for wearing the hijab headscarf in an "improper" way
Generative AI’s most prominent skeptic doubles down
Vancouver, Canada -- Two and a half years since ChatGPT rocked the world, scientist and writer Gary Marcus still remains...
Interview
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7,000 digital marriage contracts delivered in Abu Dhabi since Oct
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department has introduced a new service that allows marriage contracts to be...
Arts & Culture
Iraqis haunted by war battle mental health issues
Ravaged by war and rocked by Islamic State group attacks, Iraq's demand for mental health professionals is great, but help...
‘Too hot outside’: Saudis take to walking, jogging in malls
Roughly one in five Saudi adults is obese, according to an in-depth study published by the World Bank last year...
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Geostrategy
Iraq asks Sweden to extradite accused in Quran burning incident
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Baghdad has asked Sweden to extradite Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who stoked international outrage by desecrating the Quran,...
- The Swedish government has condemned the desecrations of the Quran but upheld the country's laws regarding freedom of speech and assembly.
- The accused in the Quran burning incident said that Iraq was seeking his extradition to try him according to Islamic law.
Geostrategy
Sheikha Fatima launches national plan for empowerment of Emirati women
ABU DHABI, UAE – Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU) Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak launched the National Strategy for...
- This strategy comes in line with Sheikha Fatima’s vision to achieve fair and comprehensive women's participation in all fields.
- The plan provides a general framework and guidance for decision makers in federal, local government institutions, private sector and civil society.
Geostrategy
All eyes on tech firms as strict EU digital rules come into effect
The landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) compels tech companies to better police content to protect European users against disinformation and...
- The first phase of the regulation affects 19 "very large" digital platforms including social media networks, websites and online retailers with at least 45m monthly active users.
- They are: Alibaba AliExpress, Amazon Store, Apple AppStore, Booking.com, Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, Google's Maps, Play, and Shopping, LinkedIn, Pinterest.