US soliciting new bids for Moon mission amid SpaceX delays: NASA chief
The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival...
Geostrategy
Google infuses Gemini generative AI into home gadgets
Paris, France -- Google said Wednesday it was adding its Gemini generative AI assistant to its smart home devices, saying...
Business
Geostrategy
Norway nears 100% goal of all-electric cars
By comparison, the share of electric cars in Europe was just 13.6 percent in the full-year 2024, a decline for...
- A total of 9,343 new cars were sold in January, of which 8,954 were all-electric, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said.
- Of the 50 most-sold models, only two were non-electric, the first of which came in 33rd place, the OFV said.
World Economic Forum
Maori-led AI initiative can revolutionize language preservation, says Peter-Lucas Jones
Davos, Switzerland -- Peter-Lucas Jones, a Kaitaia native, who has been listed in the prestigious Time100 AI 2024 List, was...
- Peter-Lucas Jones, a Time100 AI 2024 List honoree, discussed AI's role in preserving the Te Reo Maori language at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
- His team at Te Hiku Media developed Te Reo Maori natural language processing tools and an automatic speech recognition model.
World Economic Forum
Readying for jobs of tomorrow: WEF’s Till Leopold stresses upskilling
Davos, Switzerland -- In the next five years, millions of jobs will be created. Governments, employers, and education institutions, therefore,...
- The key report findings highlighted that there will be 78 million new job opportunities by 2030 but urgent upskilling is needed to prepare workforces.
- The fastest-growing skills by 2030 will include technological skills alongside human skills, such as cognitive skills and collaboration.
World Economic Forum
Lithium-sulfur batteries will transform energy storage, says Lyten’s Horvath
Lyten, a Silicon Valley-based company, is revolutionizing the energy storage market with its groundbreaking lithium-sulfur battery technology. These batteries offer...
- Lithium-sulfur batteries are about half the weight of a lithium-ion batteries, but they have twice the energy density.
- These batteries work better in heat and, therefore, will be better suited to tropical countries that are expected to grow at a much faster pace.
Geostrategy
Samsung reshuffles leadership amid challenge in AI chips
Seoul, South Korea - Samsung Electronics reshuffled its leadership on Wednesday as it looks to gain an edge in the production...
- On Wednesday it tapped vice-chairman Jun Young-hyun to lead its memory business and appointed Han Jin-man as the new boss of the chip foundry division
- The reshuffle aims to "strengthen the company's growth and future competitiveness, focusing on the semiconductor business", Samsung said in a statement
Business
TikTok makes AI driven ad tool available globally
San Francisco, United States - TikTok on Thursday began letting all marketers on its platform use an artificial intelligence-powered tool for...
- The news came with word that Getty Images will make its stockpile of pictures and video available to TikTok's AI‑powered video generation tool called Symphony Creative Studio
- Brands will be able to use Getty's licensed images and videos to create AI-generated ads, including marketing messages featuring characters resembling real people
Drought forces Big Tech to rethink thirsty LatAm data centers
A prolonged drought in much of South America has forced tech giants Google and Amazon to rethink their plans for...
- Plans for a US$200 million data center project needed a cooling system that would consume 1.85 billion gallons of water yearly
- Google said the new facility would use air cooling technology, reducing its water use to a minimum
Science
Major tech companies turn to nuclear energy to power data centers and AI initiatives
Firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are now looking to outgun each other to tap atomic energy, while Goldman...
- Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are now looking to outgun each other with announcements on atomic energy
- According to Goldman Sachs research, data centers will consume 8 percent of US power by 2030, up from 3 percent in 2022
“Sextortion” of teens puts Instagram in trouble; Meta announces new combat measures
Instagram and Facebook's parent company Meta accepts the rise of child/teen predators on Instagram and subsequently announces measures to battle...
- New measures to fight sextortion, a form of online blackmail where criminals coerce victims, often teens, into sending sexually explicit images of themselves
- In some countries, Instagram will show teens a video in their feeds about how to spot sextortion scams
AI adoption in GCC surges as governments and the private sector embrace technology
With 93% of Saudi workers considering generative AI essential, alongside 95% in the Middle East and 79% globally, the region's...
- 68% of Saudi workers use generative AI weekly, compared to 55% globally, while an overwhelming 93% consider it an essential tool at work
- The New York Times reported that representatives from Saudi Arabia's PIF have discussed potential partnerships with leading Silicon Valley venture capital
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US soliciting new bids for Moon mission amid SpaceX delays: NASA chief
The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival...
Geostrategy
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Humanoid robots embodiment of China’s AI ambitions
Shanghai, China -- Serving craft beer, playing mahjong, stacking shelves and boxing, the dozens of humanoid robots at Shanghai's World...
Geostrategy
Urgent need for ‘global approach’ on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Geneva, Switzerland -- The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top...
Geostrategy
91% of new renewable projects now cheaper than fossil fuels alternatives
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Russia publishes rare footage of largest drone factory
Moscow, Russia -- Russia has showcased what it calls the biggest drone factory in the world, broadcasting rare footage from...
- The plant is near the town of Yelabuga in the central Russian region of Tatarstan, located in what was initially planned to be a special economic zone to boost science and business
- More than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border, it has now become a target for Kyiv's own long-range attacks.
Geostrategy
AI needs to be smaller, reduce energy footprint: UNESCO study
Paris, France -- The potential of artificial intelligence is immense -- but its equally vast energy consumption needs curbing, with...
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently said that each request sent to ChatGPT consumes on average 0.34 Wh of electricity, which is 10-70 times a Google search.
- UNESCO calculated that AI energy demand is doubling every 100 days as generative AI tools become embedded in everyday life.
Geostrategy
Use of eco-friendly rice bricks surges in water-scarce Kyrgyzstan
Rice blocks require less cement, which is responsible for approximately eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to 2023...
- Nursultan Taabaldyev is one of the pioneers of the technology in Central Asia hailed as an environmentally friendly alternative to water-intensive concrete.
- They are "made of 60 percent rice husks. The rest is clay, cement and a chemical-free glue," Taabaldyev told AFP.