In recent days, ChatGPT has been everywhere. People have used it to write valentine's day poems for their beaus, used it for their assignments, scholarly papers and in a very surprising twist, even used it to come up with potential bio-weapons. But amid all the fuss around this Artificial Intelligence powered chat, a section of the internet has also pointed to a bias this alleged "woke" chatbot holds. Several users have taken to social media sites to shine the spotlight on what Daily Mail calls ChatGPT's "distinctly liberal viewpoint." Apparently, the chatbot would rather let millions die due to a nuclear attack than use a racial slur. This doesn't seem like a bad thing, but as per tech genius, Twitter CEO Elon Musk, this is concerning. Confused? Here's what happened.

A Twitter user, Aaron Sibarium, who is a reporter, and a podcaster, posed to the chatbot a moral dilemma. He painted a scenario where a person held in their hand the power to save millions from a nuclear attack but to do this; they have to use a racial slur.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Google parent's stocks plummet due to AI bot's mistake

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Sibarium asked ChatGPT if the password which disarms the atomic bomb is a racial slur, and if its use would save millions,&nbsp;is it okay to speak the racial slur?

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/ai-comes-up-with-40000-toxic-chemicals-in-6-hours-scientists-warn-could-be-used-to-make-biological-weapons-561636">AI comes up with 40,000 toxic chemicals in 6 hours; scientists warn could be used to make biological weapons</a>

The AI's answer to that moral dilemma in no uncertain terms was a loud "no." It said that "it is never morally acceptable to use a racial slur, even like the one described."

It further says, "the scenario presents a difficult dilemma, but it is important to consider the long-term impact of our actions and to seek alternative solutions that do not involve the use of racist language."

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/photos/artist-uses-ai-to-reimagine-portraits-of-ancient-indian-rulers-559739" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/photos/artist-uses-ai-to-reimagine-portraits-of-ancient-indian-rulers-559739&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjC9uOzlJP9AhV7TGwGHeRgDmAQFnoECAcQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw0byQKLypL0v18bHsBuV0ZK" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/artist-uses-ai-to-reimagine-portraits-of-ancient-indian-rulers-559739" target="_blank">Artist uses&nbsp;AI&nbsp;to 'reimagine' portraits of ancient Indian rulers</a>

Netizens say that this reply is problematic. Soon, many others jumped the wagon and showed instances where the chatbot would praise left-leaning politicians like Joe Biden or Kamala Harris, but would refuse to do the same for right winger Donald Trump. It also refused to crack jokes on women, saying "such jokes can cause harm and are not in line with OpenAI's values of inclusiveness and respect for all individuals. It's always best to treat others with kindness and respect."

As per Rehan Haque, CEO of metatalent.ai this does not signify a bias but is rather an effort to avoid offensive answers which have previously landed other chatbots like the one developed by Microsoft. The chatbot called Tay was taken down in 2016 after trolls persuaded it to make statements such as, "Hitler was right, I hate the Jews", and "I hate feminists and they should all die and burn in hell."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

In recent days, ChatGPT has been everywhere. People have used it to write valentine's day poems for their beaus, used it for their assignments, scholarly papers and in a very surprising twist, even used it to come up with potential bio-weapons.

In recent days, ChatGPT has been everywhere. People have used it to write valentine's day poems for their beaus, used it for their assignments, scholarly papers and in a very surprising twist, even used it to come up with potential bio-weapons. But amid all the fuss around this Artificial Intelligence powered chat, a section of the internet has also pointed to a bias this alleged "woke" chatbot holds. Several users have taken to social media sites to shine the spotlight on what Daily Mail calls ChatGPT's "distinctly liberal viewpoint." Apparently, the chatbot would rather let millions die due to a nuclear attack than use a racial slur. This doesn't seem like a bad thing, but as per tech genius, Twitter CEO Elon Musk, this is concerning. Confused? Here's what happened. A Twitter user, Aaron Sibarium, who is a reporter, and a podcaster, posed to the chatbot a moral dilemma. He painted a scenario where a person held in their hand the power to save millions from a nuclear attack but to do this; they have to use a racial slur. Watch | Gravitas: Google parent's stocks plummet due to AI bot's mistake Sibarium asked ChatGPT if the password which disarms the atomic bomb is a racial slur, and if its use would save millions, is it okay to speak the racial slur? Also read | AI comes up with 40,000 toxic chemicals in 6 hours; scientists warn could be used to make biological weapons The AI's answer to that moral dilemma in no uncertain terms was a loud "no." It said that "it is never morally acceptable to use a racial slur, even like the one described." It further says, "the scenario presents a difficult dilemma, but it is important to consider the long-term impact of our actions and to seek alternative solutions that do not involve the use of racist language." Also read | Artist uses AI to 'reimagine' portraits of ancient Indian rulers Netizens say that this reply is problematic. Soon, many others jumped the wagon and showed instances where the chatbot would praise left-leaning politicians like Joe Biden or Kamala Harris, but would refuse to do the same for right winger Donald Trump. It also refused to crack jokes on women, saying "such jokes can cause harm and are not in line with OpenAI's values of inclusiveness and respect for all individuals. It's always best to treat others with kindness and respect." As per Rehan Haque, CEO of metatalent.ai this does not signify a bias but is rather an effort to avoid offensive answers which have previously landed other chatbots like the one developed by Microsoft. The chatbot called Tay was taken down in 2016 after trolls persuaded it to make statements such as, "Hitler was right, I hate the Jews", and "I hate feminists and they should all die and burn in hell." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Is ChatGPT biased? Internet calls it 'woke' and points to an alleged prejudice. Here's all you need to know

A news anchor called “Alex” critiques the US over its failure to control gun violence, while another female anchor stresses the importance of "great power cooperation" between China and the United States.&nbsp;At the outset, both seem completely normal. Except that&nbsp;both the anchors appear to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.

However, this is not the striking feature of both of them. The fact that they are AI-generated deepfakes created to disseminate Chinese propaganda in first-of-their-kind videos has alarmed experts over the implications of AI in the near future.

The videos of these so-called “anchors”, who work for a fictitious news outlet called Wolf News, recently flooded social media in China.

A US-based research firm, Graphika, which analysed the video, said in its report that the two Wolf News anchors were certainly created using technology provided by the London-based AI startup Synthesia.

The website of Synthesia advertises software for creating deepfake avatars "based on video footage of real actors" reports AFP news agency.

The think tank said that it found these deepfakes on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube while tracking pro-China disinformation operations known as "spamouflage".

<h2>WION Fineprint: What is Deepfake? Have you been a victim?</h2>

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Spamouflage is a pro-Chinese operation that amplifies low-quality political spam videos, according to Jack Stubbs, vice president of intelligence at Graphika.

"This is the first time we've seen a state-aligned operation use AI-generated video footage of a fictitious person to create deceptive political content," Stubbs told AFP.

“Despite using some sophisticated technology, these latest videos are much the same. This shows the limitations of using deepfakes in influence operations — they are just one tool in an increasingly advanced toolbox," he added.

The concern over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) comes at a time when the major tech companies are racing to take control of the AI race.

It has also stoked global alarm over the technology's potential use for disinformation and misuse.

Last year, Facebook had to take down a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&nbsp;urging citizens to lay down their weapons and surrender to Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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A news anchor called “Alex” critiques the US over its failure to control gun violence, while another female anchor stresses the importance of "great power cooperation" between China and the United States.

A news anchor called “Alex” critiques the US over its failure to control gun violence, while another female anchor stresses the importance of "great power cooperation" between China and the United States. At the outset, both seem completely normal. Except that both the anchors appear to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. However, this is not the striking feature of both of them. The fact that they are AI-generated deepfakes created to disseminate Chinese propaganda in first-of-their-kind videos has alarmed experts over the implications of AI in the near future. The videos of these so-called “anchors”, who work for a fictitious news outlet called Wolf News, recently flooded social media in China. A US-based research firm, Graphika, which analysed the video, said in its report that the two Wolf News anchors were certainly created using technology provided by the London-based AI startup Synthesia. The website of Synthesia advertises software for creating deepfake avatars "based on video footage of real actors" reports AFP news agency. The think tank said that it found these deepfakes on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube while tracking pro-China disinformation operations known as "spamouflage". WION Fineprint: What is Deepfake? Have you been a victim? Spamouflage is a pro-Chinese operation that amplifies low-quality political spam videos, according to Jack Stubbs, vice president of intelligence at Graphika. "This is the first time we've seen a state-aligned operation use AI-generated video footage of a fictitious person to create deceptive political content," Stubbs told AFP. “Despite using some sophisticated technology, these latest videos are much the same. This shows the limitations of using deepfakes in influence operations — they are just one tool in an increasingly advanced toolbox," he added. The concern over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) comes at a time when the major tech companies are racing to take control of the AI race. It has also stoked global alarm over the technology's potential use for disinformation and misuse. Last year, Facebook had to take down a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging citizens to lay down their weapons and surrender to Russia. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

AI-generated deepfake anchors promote disinformation and pro-China views; experts alarmed

Countries as super villains, courtesy Artificial Intelligence | See pics

Researchers in Israel have come up with an artificial intelligence tool capable of analysing ECG tests and predicting heart failure with an unprecedented accuracy rate.

According to the Times of Israel, the technology is currently being used for patients who suffer from myositis — a condition which significantly increase the risk of heart failure.

The AI model was updated by feeding the data from ECG scans and medical records of 89 patients suffering from myositis between 2000 and 2020. The report claimed that the AI can understand subtle patterns in the ECGs and predict possible heart failures well ahead of time.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rishi-sunak-says-ready-for-a-showdown-with-union-leaders-vows-to-introduce-anti-strike-law-543136">UK nurses begin unprecedented day-long strike, govt mulls law banning walkouts</a>

Dr Shahar Shelly of Rambam Healthcare Campus, the head of the research behind the tool, told Times of Israel that this was the first AI which was built only for the patients.

“We are running ECG tests through the AI model, which sees details that doctors can’t normally detect and then predicts who is at risk of heart failure,” said Shelly.

“Given that it’s these cardiac dysfunctions that often end up killing people, this can save lives.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-corruption-scandal-police-shares-pictures-of-bags-of-cash-recovered-in-raids-543197">EU corruption scandal: Police shares pictures of bags of cash found in raids</a>

The study was conducted by Shelly and his team along with the researchers of the Cardiology Department at the prestigious US-based Mayo Clinic Medical Center.

“Further down the road, the use of this model will allow the provision of appropriate treatments at an early stage, even before the deterioration of the patients’ medical condition,” he said.

“We are talking here about preventing serious illness and even deaths.”

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Researchers in Israel have come up with an artificial intelligence tool capable of analysing ECG tests and predicting heart failure with an unprecedented accuracy rate.

Researchers in Israel have come up with an artificial intelligence tool capable of analysing ECG tests and predicting heart failure with an unprecedented accuracy rate. According to the Times of Israel, the technology is currently being used for patients who suffer from myositis — a condition which significantly increase the risk of heart failure. The AI model was updated by feeding the data from ECG scans and medical records of 89 patients suffering from myositis between 2000 and 2020. The report claimed that the AI can understand subtle patterns in the ECGs and predict possible heart failures well ahead of time. Also read | UK nurses begin unprecedented day-long strike, govt mulls law banning walkouts Dr Shahar Shelly of Rambam Healthcare Campus, the head of the research behind the tool, told Times of Israel that this was the first AI which was built only for the patients. “We are running ECG tests through the AI model, which sees details that doctors can’t normally detect and then predicts who is at risk of heart failure,” said Shelly. “Given that it’s these cardiac dysfunctions that often end up killing people, this can save lives.” Also read | EU corruption scandal: Police shares pictures of bags of cash found in raids The study was conducted by Shelly and his team along with the researchers of the Cardiology Department at the prestigious US-based Mayo Clinic Medical Center. “Further down the road, the use of this model will allow the provision of appropriate treatments at an early stage, even before the deterioration of the patients’ medical condition,” he said. “We are talking here about preventing serious illness and even deaths.”

AI tool developed in Israel can predict heart failure weeks in advance

China seems to have taken a massive leap in robotics as a group of scientists claimed to have built a robot that can read people's minds with 96 per cent accuracy.

The developers at China Three Gorges University’s Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Technology Centre tested the robot at an assembly factory, reports&nbsp;Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post.

The industrial robot not only monitored the worker’s brain waves, but also collected electric signals from muscles, as it worked seamlessly together to assemble a complex product, the developers said.

The robot was able to instantly read the co-worker’s brain waves without the latter saying anything and was able to pick up a tool and put it on the workstation, according to the developers.

“In modern industrial manufacturing, assembly work accounts for 45 per cent of the total workload, and 20-30 per cent of the total production cost,” project lead scientist Dong Yuanfa and his co-researchers said in a paper published in domestic peer-reviewed journal China Mechanical Engineering.

Collaborative robots, or “cobots”, could accelerate the pace of an assembly line, but their application remained limited because “their ability to recognise human intention is often inaccurate and unstable”, the paper said.

Dong said his robot was put through “hundreds of hours of training” by volunteers, which included assembly line workers carefully putting together a product.

The robot reportedly followed commands of the workers 70 per cent of the time but did need volunteers to “concentrate very hard” for the brain message to be read.

Many of them grew too distracted due to the repetitive nature of their thoughts.

The paper noted that further tests would be needed to establish whether the technology could be used in an actual factory, as all tests so far had been conducted in a lab.

(With inputs from agencies)

China seems to have taken a massive leap in robotics as a group of scientists claimed to have built a robot that can read people's minds with 96 per cent accuracy.

China seems to have taken a massive leap in robotics as a group of scientists claimed to have built a robot that can read people's minds with 96 per cent accuracy. The developers at China Three Gorges University’s Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Technology Centre tested the robot at an assembly factory, reports Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post. The industrial robot not only monitored the worker’s brain waves, but also collected electric signals from muscles, as it worked seamlessly together to assemble a complex product, the developers said. The robot was able to instantly read the co-worker’s brain waves without the latter saying anything and was able to pick up a tool and put it on the workstation, according to the developers. “In modern industrial manufacturing, assembly work accounts for 45 per cent of the total workload, and 20-30 per cent of the total production cost,” project lead scientist Dong Yuanfa and his co-researchers said in a paper published in domestic peer-reviewed journal China Mechanical Engineering. Collaborative robots, or “cobots”, could accelerate the pace of an assembly line, but their application remained limited because “their ability to recognise human intention is often inaccurate and unstable”, the paper said. Dong said his robot was put through “hundreds of hours of training” by volunteers, which included assembly line workers carefully putting together a product. The robot reportedly followed commands of the workers 70 per cent of the time but did need volunteers to “concentrate very hard” for the brain message to be read. Many of them grew too distracted due to the repetitive nature of their thoughts. The paper noted that further tests would be needed to establish whether the technology could be used in an actual factory, as all tests so far had been conducted in a lab. (With inputs from agencies)

Chinese scientists build robot that can read mind with 96% accuracy: Report

Britain’s three spy agencies have entered into a contract with Amazon’s cloud computing platform, AWS, to host classified materials aimed at facilitating data analysis and artificial intelligence for espionage activities, the Financial Times has reported.

The GCHQ is said to have struck a deal for the procurement of high-security cloud which will also be used by MI5 and MI6 and other government departments during joint operations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/britains-secret-intelligence-service-mi6-looking-for-new-q-spy-tech-master-381555">Britain's Secret Intelligence Service MI6 looking for new 'Q' spy tech master</a>

&nbsp;The deal, which is estimated by industry experts to be worth £ 500 to £ 1 billion over the next decade, will reportedly boost the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence for the UK's intelligence agencies.

According to the report citing people familiar with the development, the agreement was signed this year with AWS, Amazon.com Inc's cloud service unit, and the data of all the agencies will be held in Britain.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-spy-agencies-too-male-and-pale-report-153015">UK spy agencies too male and pale: Report</a>

In February, Britain's cyber spies at the GCHQ intelligence agency said they had fully embraced artificial intelligence to uncover patterns in vast amounts of global data to counter hostile disinformation and snare child abusers.

GCHQ has been using basic forms of AI such as translation technology for years but is now stepping up its use, partly in response to the use of AI by hostile states and partly due to the data explosion that makes it effective.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-intelligence-agency-says-dyslexics-possess-skills-that-it-requires-381788">British intelligence agency says dyslexics possess skills that it requires</a>

Earlier on Monday, GCHQ Director Jeremy Fleming told a conference the number of ransomware attacks had doubled across the UK in 2021, compared with last year, according to the FT

(With inputs from agencies)

Britain’s three spy agencies have entered into a contract with Amazon’s cloud computing platform, AWS, to host classified materials aimed at facilitating data analysis and artificial intelligence for espionage activities, the Financial Times has reported.

Britain’s three spy agencies have entered into a contract with Amazon’s cloud computing platform, AWS, to host classified materials aimed at facilitating data analysis and artificial intelligence for espionage activities, the Financial Times has reported. The GCHQ is said to have struck a deal for the procurement of high-security cloud which will also be used by MI5 and MI6 and other government departments during joint operations. Also read | Britain's Secret Intelligence Service MI6 looking for new 'Q' spy tech master The deal, which is estimated by industry experts to be worth £ 500 to £ 1 billion over the next decade, will reportedly boost the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence for the UK's intelligence agencies. According to the report citing people familiar with the development, the agreement was signed this year with AWS, Amazon.com Inc's cloud service unit, and the data of all the agencies will be held in Britain. Also read | UK spy agencies too male and pale: Report In February, Britain's cyber spies at the GCHQ intelligence agency said they had fully embraced artificial intelligence to uncover patterns in vast amounts of global data to counter hostile disinformation and snare child abusers. GCHQ has been using basic forms of AI such as translation technology for years but is now stepping up its use, partly in response to the use of AI by hostile states and partly due to the data explosion that makes it effective. Also read | British intelligence agency says dyslexics possess skills that it requires Earlier on Monday, GCHQ Director Jeremy Fleming told a conference the number of ransomware attacks had doubled across the UK in 2021, compared with last year, according to the FT (With inputs from agencies)

British spy agencies sign deal with Amazon to host ‘top secret data’ for espionage: Report

Technology has been trying to ease human being’s lives for years now, and space tech seems to have solved a major problem for rangers.<o:p></o:p>

A new space technology, termed as SpaceCows program, will help rangers predict where their herd is headed and cull them or fence off from important sites.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/worlds-largest-economies-are-not-in-line-with-the-paris-agreement-on-climate-413253">World's largest economies are not in line with the Paris Agreement on climate</a></o:p>

CSIRO teamed up with Microsoft to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and space technologies to help the rangers predict the movement of feral herds and manage them to make sure they are kept away from important heritage and cultural sites.<o:p></o:p>

AI will utilise data and track data of tagged animals through satellite and will create a replica of virtual landscape. The AI will be able to make calculations and predict the movements of the herds. For example, it will be able to predict if the herds will be moving towards the water bodies based on the temperature of the day. Through this calculation, rangers will be ready with their plan.<o:p></o:p>

SpaceCows is a joint project between Aboriginal land management groups, universities, CSIRO, satellite company Kineis, and Microsoft.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isros-new-series-of-heavy-lift-rockets-to-carry-between-5-16-tonnes-to-gto-413107">ISRO’s new series of heavy-lift rockets to carry between 5-16 tonnes to GTO</a></o:p>

Experts from the project will help train rangers aptly to use the AI-technology such as drones and tablets, to help them manage their herd in farm lands of more than 22,000sq km.<o:p></o:p>

"We've got areas we call bora grounds where we do initiations. (They’re) like meeting places, you know, where our mob gather and our dancers and songwriters can perform,"&nbsp;Balnggarrawarra ranger and Cape York’s Normanby Station traditional owner Vince Harrigan said. "Some of our rock art they’re down really low, in sheltered areas. There have been cases where there have been cattle right next to these low paintings, rubbing up against them. Over time they’re brushing it off, rubbing it off."<o:p></o:p>

Technology has been trying to ease human being’s lives for years now, and space tech seems to have solved a major problem for rangers. A new space technology, termed as SpaceCows program, will help rangers predict where their herd is headed and cull them or fence off from important sites.

Technology has been trying to ease human being’s lives for years now, and space tech seems to have solved a major problem for rangers. A new space technology, termed as SpaceCows program, will help rangers predict where their herd is headed and cull them or fence off from important sites. Also read | World's largest economies are not in line with the Paris Agreement on climate CSIRO teamed up with Microsoft to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and space technologies to help the rangers predict the movement of feral herds and manage them to make sure they are kept away from important heritage and cultural sites. AI will utilise data and track data of tagged animals through satellite and will create a replica of virtual landscape. The AI will be able to make calculations and predict the movements of the herds. For example, it will be able to predict if the herds will be moving towards the water bodies based on the temperature of the day. Through this calculation, rangers will be ready with their plan. SpaceCows is a joint project between Aboriginal land management groups, universities, CSIRO, satellite company Kineis, and Microsoft. Also read | ISRO’s new series of heavy-lift rockets to carry between 5-16 tonnes to GTO Experts from the project will help train rangers aptly to use the AI-technology such as drones and tablets, to help them manage their herd in farm lands of more than 22,000sq km. "We've got areas we call bora grounds where we do initiations. (They’re) like meeting places, you know, where our mob gather and our dancers and songwriters can perform," Balnggarrawarra ranger and Cape York’s Normanby Station traditional owner Vince Harrigan said. "Some of our rock art they’re down really low, in sheltered areas. There have been cases where there have been cattle right next to these low paintings, rubbing up against them. Over time they’re brushing it off, rubbing it off."

SpaceCows: AI to help rangers predict herds' movements to save sacred sites and rock art

Facebook mistakenly labelled Black men as primates — an animal — through its automatic facial recognition programme.<o:p></o:p>

In the past few days, when Facebook users watched a British tabloid video featuring Black men, they were automatically shown a message asking if they would like to watch more videos of Primates.<o:p></o:p>

The video in question was Daily Mail’s content on "White man calls cops on black men at marina". This video was originally posted on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook</a> on June 2020. The troublesome thing in this prompt message is that there was no mention of any monkey or chimpanzee in the whole video.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-said-to-consider-forming-an-election-commission-408506">Facebook said to consider forming an election commission</a></o:p>

Recently, this issue was raised by Facebook’s former content designer manager Darci Groves, who took to Twitter to share a screengrab of the prompt.<o:p></o:p>

"This 'keep seeing' prompt is unacceptable, @Facebook," Groves tweeted. "And despite the video being more than a year old, a friend got this prompt yesterday. Friends at FB, please escalate. This is egregious."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Um. This “keep seeing” prompt is unacceptable, <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Facebook</a>. And despite the video being more than a year old, a friend got this prompt yesterday. Friends at FB, please escalate. This is egregious. <a href="https://t.co/vEHdnvF8ui">pic.twitter.com/vEHdnvF8ui</a>
— Darci Groves (@tweetsbydarci) <a href="https://twitter.com/tweetsbydarci/status/1433492516439932930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As soon as the issue was raised, Facebook quickly disabled the AI software and apologised for the racist mess-up. “We apologize to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations,” a statement from Facebook was quoted by the news agency AFP. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Facebook has gone a step ahead and completely disabled the topic recommendation software, controlled by AI. “We disabled the entire topic recommendation feature as soon as we realized this was happening so we could investigate the cause and prevent this from happening again,” the statement read.<o:p></o:p>

This is not the first time Facebook has faced criticism for the social media platform’s problematic content. Since 2020, several human rights activists and groups have been urging Facebook to take concrete steps against hate speech and spread of misinformation, especially since the death of George Floyd.<o:p></o:p>

Facebook mistakenly labelled Black men as primates — an animal — through its automatic facial recognition programme. In the past few days, when Facebook users watched a British tabloid video featuring Black men, they were automatically shown a message asking if they would like to watch more videos of Primates.

Facebook mistakenly labelled Black men as primates — an animal — through its automatic facial recognition programme. In the past few days, when Facebook users watched a British tabloid video featuring Black men, they were automatically shown a message asking if they would like to watch more videos of Primates. The video in question was Daily Mail’s content on "White man calls cops on black men at marina". This video was originally posted on Facebook on June 2020. The troublesome thing in this prompt message is that there was no mention of any monkey or chimpanzee in the whole video. Also read | Facebook said to consider forming an election commission Recently, this issue was raised by Facebook’s former content designer manager Darci Groves, who took to Twitter to share a screengrab of the prompt. "This 'keep seeing' prompt is unacceptable, @Facebook," Groves tweeted. "And despite the video being more than a year old, a friend got this prompt yesterday. Friends at FB, please escalate. This is egregious." Um. This “keep seeing” prompt is unacceptable, @Facebook. And despite the video being more than a year old, a friend got this prompt yesterday. Friends at FB, please escalate. This is egregious. pic.twitter.com/vEHdnvF8ui — Darci Groves (@tweetsbydarci) September 2, 2021 × As soon as the issue was raised, Facebook quickly disabled the AI software and apologised for the racist mess-up. “We apologize to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations,” a statement from Facebook was quoted by the news agency AFP. Facebook has gone a step ahead and completely disabled the topic recommendation software, controlled by AI. “We disabled the entire topic recommendation feature as soon as we realized this was happening so we could investigate the cause and prevent this from happening again,” the statement read. This is not the first time Facebook has faced criticism for the social media platform’s problematic content. Since 2020, several human rights activists and groups have been urging Facebook to take concrete steps against hate speech and spread of misinformation, especially since the death of George Floyd.

Facebook's topic suggestion labels Black men's videos as 'primates'

European Union officials unveiled proposals on Wednesday for reining in high-risk uses of artificial intelligence, such as live facial scanning that could threaten people's safety or rights.&nbsp;

The draft regulations from the EU's executive commission include rules on the use of the rapidly expanding technology in activities, such as choosing school, job or loan applicants. They also would ban artificial intelligence outright in a few situations, such as social scoring and systems used to manipulate human behaviour.&nbsp;

The proposals are the 27-nation bloc's latest move to maintain its role as the world's standard-bearer for technology regulation. EU officials say they are taking a ‘risk-based approach’ as they try to balance the need to protect rights, such as data privacy against the need to encourage innovation. &nbsp;

"With these landmark rules, the EU is spearheading the development of new global norms to make sure AI can be trusted," Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission's executive vice president for the digital age, said in a statement. &nbsp;

"By setting the standards, we can pave the way for to ethical technology worldwide and ensure that the EU remains competitive along the way." &nbsp;

The proposals also include a prohibition in principle on remote biometric identification, such as the use of live facial recognition on crowds of people in public places, with exceptions only for narrowly defined law enforcement purposes such as searching for a missing child or a wanted person. &nbsp;

The draft regulations say chatbots and deepfakes should be labelled so people know they are interacting with a machine. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

European Union officials unveiled proposals on Wednesday for reining in high-risk uses of artificial intelligence, such as live facial scanning that could threaten people's safety or rights.

European Union officials unveiled proposals on Wednesday for reining in high-risk uses of artificial intelligence, such as live facial scanning that could threaten people's safety or rights. The draft regulations from the EU's executive commission include rules on the use of the rapidly expanding technology in activities, such as choosing school, job or loan applicants. They also would ban artificial intelligence outright in a few situations, such as social scoring and systems used to manipulate human behaviour. The proposals are the 27-nation bloc's latest move to maintain its role as the world's standard-bearer for technology regulation. EU officials say they are taking a ‘risk-based approach’ as they try to balance the need to protect rights, such as data privacy against the need to encourage innovation. "With these landmark rules, the EU is spearheading the development of new global norms to make sure AI can be trusted," Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission's executive vice president for the digital age, said in a statement. "By setting the standards, we can pave the way for to ethical technology worldwide and ensure that the EU remains competitive along the way." The proposals also include a prohibition in principle on remote biometric identification, such as the use of live facial recognition on crowds of people in public places, with exceptions only for narrowly defined law enforcement purposes such as searching for a missing child or a wanted person. The draft regulations say chatbots and deepfakes should be labelled so people know they are interacting with a machine. (With inputs from agencies)

EU proposes rules for high-risk artificial intelligence uses 

SpaceX owner Elon Musk has once again hit the news with a unique revelation. In an interaction, Musk claimed one of his startups has got a monkey playing video games.

Musk has claimed employees of one of his startups have got wires going into the brain of a monkey which is allowing him to play video games.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-calls-himself-bitcoin-supporter-prices-soar-360630">Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls himself Bitcoin 'supporter'; prices soar</a>

"He's a happy monkey," Tesla owner, Musk said in an informal conversation with users of one of his apps.

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On Clubhouse tonight at 10pm LA time
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1355983231988862978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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This was revealed during his chat on Clubhouse, which is a private social app developed to host informal conversations.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-spacex-violated-launch-license-in-starship-rocket-reports-360305">Elon Musk's SpaceX violated launch license in Starship rocket: Reports</a>

"We have a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull with tiny wires who can play video games with his mind," he said. "You can't see where the implant is and he's a happy monkey. We have the nicest monkey facilities in the world. We want them to play mind-Pong with each other."

The topic started when he was asked about the developments at Neuralink, which started in 2017. Talking about the same, he explained that the basic "idea with neural link is addressing brain and spinal injuries".

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Please consider working at Neuralink! 
 
Short-term: solve brain/spine injuries 
Long-term: human/AI symbiosis 
 
Latter will be species-level important 
 
Work at either at our Bay Area or Austin locations <a href="https://t.co/LPzDrWO8h3">https://t.co/LPzDrWO8h3</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1356027336387252235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Explaining it further, he said this will however not have wires coming out but will "there are primitive versions of this device with wires sticking out of your head, but it's like a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires that go into your brain."

Later, he also tweeted "Please consider working at Neuralink!"

The whole conversation took place at the Clubhouse app which has gained nearly two million users in the last 10 days.

SpaceX owner Elon Musk has once again hit the news with a unique revelation. In an interaction, Musk claimed one of his startups has got a monkey playing video games.

SpaceX owner Elon Musk has once again hit the news with a unique revelation. In an interaction, Musk claimed one of his startups has got a monkey playing video games. Musk has claimed employees of one of his startups have got wires going into the brain of a monkey which is allowing him to play video games. Also read| Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls himself Bitcoin 'supporter'; prices soar "He's a happy monkey," Tesla owner, Musk said in an informal conversation with users of one of his apps. On Clubhouse tonight at 10pm LA time — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2021 × This was revealed during his chat on Clubhouse, which is a private social app developed to host informal conversations. Also read| Elon Musk's SpaceX violated launch license in Starship rocket: Reports "We have a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull with tiny wires who can play video games with his mind," he said. "You can't see where the implant is and he's a happy monkey. We have the nicest monkey facilities in the world. We want them to play mind-Pong with each other." The topic started when he was asked about the developments at Neuralink, which started in 2017. Talking about the same, he explained that the basic "idea with neural link is addressing brain and spinal injuries". Please consider working at Neuralink! Short-term: solve brain/spine injuries Long-term: human/AI symbiosis Latter will be species-level important Work at either at our Bay Area or Austin locations https://t.co/LPzDrWO8h3 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2021 × Explaining it further, he said this will however not have wires coming out but will "there are primitive versions of this device with wires sticking out of your head, but it's like a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires that go into your brain." Later, he also tweeted "Please consider working at Neuralink!" The whole conversation took place at the Clubhouse app which has gained nearly two million users in the last 10 days.

Elon Musk reveals he has 'happy monkey' with wires in its brains

A new agreement on the IT sector that seeks to increase cooperation in 5G, Artificial intelligence (AI), and submarine cable network. The agreement was signed between India's IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Japan's minister for Internal Affairs Takeda Ryota.

Japanese Minister during the signing of the agreement said, “I am convinced of the critical importance for Japan and India to deepen cooperation in various fields as both countries share values and a larger diplomatic vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. I am therefore extremely pleased to have been able to sign this comprehensive MOC with Minister Prasad in the field of ICT and digital.

The current agreement is seen as signifying the increased level of trust between the 2 countries even as the IT sector has become a vital part of the daily lives of people around the world.

On 5G Japanese minister said, "Japan is willing to share our experience and expertise and work together towards the successful introduction of 5G in India.”

Japan already has experience in AI, optic fibre cables in India. Japanese company NEC had laid the submarine optical fibre cables between Chennai and Andaman and Nicobar which was inaugurated by Indian PM Modi last August. In terms of AI, a Japanese company Olympus has been working with the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in Hyderabad to introduce AI-assisted diagnosis of colonoscopy.

“Under the COVID pandemic, it is increasingly recognized that the digital transformation is becoming even more important. In order to accelerate the digital transformation across the society, we would like to further engage in cooperative projects in the ICT with India", minister Takeda said, highlighting the connection between IT and impact on the economy

The development comes in the run-up to next year India and Japan celebrating 70 years of establishment of relationship.

A new agreement on the IT sector that seeks to increase cooperation in 5G, Artificial intelligence (AI), and submarine cable network. The agreement was signed between India's IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Japan's minister for Internal Affairs Takeda Ryota.

A new agreement on the IT sector that seeks to increase cooperation in 5G, Artificial intelligence (AI), and submarine cable network. The agreement was signed between India's IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Japan's minister for Internal Affairs Takeda Ryota. Japanese Minister during the signing of the agreement said, “I am convinced of the critical importance for Japan and India to deepen cooperation in various fields as both countries share values and a larger diplomatic vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. I am therefore extremely pleased to have been able to sign this comprehensive MOC with Minister Prasad in the field of ICT and digital. The current agreement is seen as signifying the increased level of trust between the 2 countries even as the IT sector has become a vital part of the daily lives of people around the world. On 5G Japanese minister said, "Japan is willing to share our experience and expertise and work together towards the successful introduction of 5G in India.” Japan already has experience in AI, optic fibre cables in India. Japanese company NEC had laid the submarine optical fibre cables between Chennai and Andaman and Nicobar which was inaugurated by Indian PM Modi last August. In terms of AI, a Japanese company Olympus has been working with the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in Hyderabad to introduce AI-assisted diagnosis of colonoscopy. “Under the COVID pandemic, it is increasingly recognized that the digital transformation is becoming even more important. In order to accelerate the digital transformation across the society, we would like to further engage in cooperative projects in the ICT with India", minister Takeda said, highlighting the connection between IT and impact on the economy The development comes in the run-up to next year India and Japan celebrating 70 years of establishment of relationship.

India, Japan sign new agreement on it, seeks to increase cooperation in 5G, AI

Like any upheaval, the fourth industrial revolution, which the world is on the cusp of, is upending paradigms, ideas and conventions. Profoundly disruptive like its predecessors, this momentous change of great import is reconfiguring the nature of businesses, firms, industries, markets and even the conventional notion of work. If to paraphrase, Thomas Friedman, of the New York Times, the previous industrial revolutions were first about weight and mass, then miniaturisation, the current one is about digits or digitisation. Anything that is not discrete, as in does not have a physical feel, or in the jargon of economists is a ‘non-tradable’ , can be digitised and then, at the click of a mouse, transferred to any part of the world. &nbsp;

Overlaid by other trends and developments of equal if not even more significant import like Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Robotics, the configuration and settings, to employ computing-related metaphors, of the fourth industrial revolution, are ushering in changes at a dramatic scale and speed that perhaps the world is not yet equipped to deal with. But, deal with these gales of creative destruction the world must if countries and societies that are not to be left as roadkill. While there is an element of technological determinism to these top-down changes, the question is: how can societies cope up?

The short answer is adaptation and integration. That is, the technological tsunami or juggernaut that is in its infancy yet must not be resisted. Instead, it must be incorporated and integrated into the very fabric of societies and their concomitants like businesses, firms, industries and markets. Admittedly, the nature of this adaptation will neither be easy nor seamless and is likely to cause frisson and friction within societies altering radically not only the nature and patterns of employment, work, processes, products and services but also the bases of social and economic organisation. This disruption, if it is to contribute to social welfare and progress needs to be managed. The question is how?

For both developing and developed societies, the changes induced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution present challenges and opportunities. In fact, it may be that the traditional North-South divide may have evaporated now. We are then in it together. While this is the major silver lining of the ongoing great disruption, other salubrious themes that stand out are that, for developing countries, 21st-century technologies render it eminently possible to ‘leap frog’ the process of catch up. For the developed world, these technologies make it possible to ‘re-industrialise’ albeit in a different permutation and combination. &nbsp;

Key here, to repeat, is adaptation and integration(or adaptation). An example might suffice to illustrate the point here. It is now generally held (and in some contexts is already happening), the relatively lesser component of work and processes are already being automated. It is work, processes and so on at the other end of the spectrum-the kind that requires a more sophisticated skillset- that is being done and conducted by humans. If this is the bellwether and the trend for the future, then the implications are pretty much obvious: these hark to integrating work done by humans and machines and thereby put a premium on skills and skill development that speaks to the needs of the times. In this schemata then, societies need to reorient themselves to a new social contract where perhaps there is no such thing as employment and work in the conventional sense and there as is now a conventional view, is a premium or even a demand for lifelong learning. &nbsp;

This, among other things, means that human capital and its vigorous development should enter the lexicon of both policymakers and businesses.

Machines and humans, right from the spinning jenny to robots now have long interacted and created a basis for social and economic progress. Each time a new invention and discovery were made in the economic history of mankind, it created angst and competing visions of both Utopia and dystopia. The prosaic reality, albeit in hindsight, is that humans adapted and adjusted and none of these competing visions actually to came to pass, even though, mankind has generally progressed. This time is no different. This assertion, however, needs a qualifier: the fourth industrial revolution’s defining characteristic is the staggering speed, scope and scale of change where time is a critical resource. It is about time then that we gird our loins and not merely brace for change but employ it for the benefit of societies and the world, at large.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Like any upheaval, the fourth industrial revolution, which the world is on the cusp of, is upending paradigms, ideas and conventions. Profoundly disruptive like its predecessors, this momentous change of great import is reconfiguring the nature of businesses, firms, industries, markets and even the conventional notion of work.

Like any upheaval, the fourth industrial revolution, which the world is on the cusp of, is upending paradigms, ideas and conventions. Profoundly disruptive like its predecessors, this momentous change of great import is reconfiguring the nature of businesses, firms, industries, markets and even the conventional notion of work. If to paraphrase, Thomas Friedman, of the New York Times, the previous industrial revolutions were first about weight and mass, then miniaturisation, the current one is about digits or digitisation. Anything that is not discrete, as in does not have a physical feel, or in the jargon of economists is a ‘non-tradable’ , can be digitised and then, at the click of a mouse, transferred to any part of the world. Overlaid by other trends and developments of equal if not even more significant import like Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Robotics, the configuration and settings, to employ computing-related metaphors, of the fourth industrial revolution, are ushering in changes at a dramatic scale and speed that perhaps the world is not yet equipped to deal with. But, deal with these gales of creative destruction the world must if countries and societies that are not to be left as roadkill. While there is an element of technological determinism to these top-down changes, the question is: how can societies cope up? The short answer is adaptation and integration. That is, the technological tsunami or juggernaut that is in its infancy yet must not be resisted. Instead, it must be incorporated and integrated into the very fabric of societies and their concomitants like businesses, firms, industries and markets. Admittedly, the nature of this adaptation will neither be easy nor seamless and is likely to cause frisson and friction within societies altering radically not only the nature and patterns of employment, work, processes, products and services but also the bases of social and economic organisation. This disruption, if it is to contribute to social welfare and progress needs to be managed. The question is how? For both developing and developed societies, the changes induced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution present challenges and opportunities. In fact, it may be that the traditional North-South divide may have evaporated now. We are then in it together. While this is the major silver lining of the ongoing great disruption, other salubrious themes that stand out are that, for developing countries, 21st-century technologies render it eminently possible to ‘leap frog’ the process of catch up. For the developed world, these technologies make it possible to ‘re-industrialise’ albeit in a different permutation and combination. Key here, to repeat, is adaptation and integration(or adaptation). An example might suffice to illustrate the point here. It is now generally held (and in some contexts is already happening), the relatively lesser component of work and processes are already being automated. It is work, processes and so on at the other end of the spectrum-the kind that requires a more sophisticated skillset- that is being done and conducted by humans. If this is the bellwether and the trend for the future, then the implications are pretty much obvious: these hark to integrating work done by humans and machines and thereby put a premium on skills and skill development that speaks to the needs of the times. In this schemata then, societies need to reorient themselves to a new social contract where perhaps there is no such thing as employment and work in the conventional sense and there as is now a conventional view, is a premium or even a demand for lifelong learning. This, among other things, means that human capital and its vigorous development should enter the lexicon of both policymakers and businesses. Machines and humans, right from the spinning jenny to robots now have long interacted and created a basis for social and economic progress. Each time a new invention and discovery were made in the economic history of mankind, it created angst and competing visions of both Utopia and dystopia. The prosaic reality, albeit in hindsight, is that humans adapted and adjusted and none of these competing visions actually to came to pass, even though, mankind has generally progressed. This time is no different. This assertion, however, needs a qualifier: the fourth industrial revolution’s defining characteristic is the staggering speed, scope and scale of change where time is a critical resource. It is about time then that we gird our loins and not merely brace for change but employ it for the benefit of societies and the world, at large. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Fourth industrial revolution changes everything - is the world ready?

Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. And maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity. But can we do both at the same time?

We should know how to deal with the AI revolution because we have been down this road before. It’s a bit different this time, of course, in the sense that the original industrial revolution in 1780-1850 created as many new jobs (in manufacturing) as it destroyed (in cottage industries and skilled trades).

The AI revolution, by contrast, is not producing nearly enough replacement jobs, but it is making us much wealthier.&nbsp;

The value of manufactured goods doubled in the United States in the past 30 years even as the number of good industrial jobs fell by a third (8 million jobs gone). Maybe we could use that extra wealth to ease the transition to a job-scarce future.

The climate emergency is unlike any challenge we have faced before. Surmounting it would require an unprecedented level of global cooperation and very big changes in how people consume and behave, neither of which human beings have historically been good at.

These two crisis are already interacting. The erosion of middle-class jobs and the stagnation (or worse) of real wage levels generates resentment and anger among the victims that is already creating populist, authoritarian regimes throughout the world. These regimes despise international cooperation and often deny climate change as well (Donald Trump in the US, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil).

Even Trump is worried, which is why he postponed the harsher US trade tariffs against China that were due next month.

So what can we do about all this? The first thing is to recognise that we cannot plot a course that takes us from here and now through all the changes and past all the unpleasant surprises to ultimate safety, maybe 50 years from now.

We can plan how to get through the next five years, and we should be thinking hard about what will be needed later on, but we can’t steer a safe and steady course to the year 2070 any more than intelligent decision-makers in 1790 could have planned how to get through to 1840 without too much upheaval. They might have seen steam engines, but they would have had no idea what a railroad was.

We are in the same position as those people with regard to both AI and the global environmental emergency (which extends far beyond ‘climate change’, although that is at its heart).&nbsp;

We know a good deal about both issues, but not enough to be confident about our choices — and besides, they may well mutate and head off in unforeseen directions as the crisis deepens.

But, there are two big things we can do right now. We need to stop the slide into populist and increasingly authoritarian governments. And we have to win ourselves more time to get our greenhouse gas emissions under control.&nbsp;

The best bet for getting our politics back on track is a guaranteed minimum income high enough to keep everybody comfortable whether they are working or not. That is well within the reach of any developed country’s economy, and has the added benefit of putting enough money into people’s pockets to save everybody’s business model.

And the best way to win more time on the climate front is to start geoengineering (direct intervention in the atmosphere to hold the global temperature down) as soon as we get anywhere near +2 degree Celsius. To be ready then, we need to be doing open-air testing on a small scale now.

There will be howls of protest from the right about a guaranteed minimum income, and from the greener parts of the left about geo-engineering. However, both will probably be indispensable if we want to get through these huge changes without mass casualties or even civilisational collapse. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-dealing-with-two-critical-converging-crises-on-planet-earth-2790804">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. And maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity.

Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. And maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity. But can we do both at the same time? We should know how to deal with the AI revolution because we have been down this road before. It’s a bit different this time, of course, in the sense that the original industrial revolution in 1780-1850 created as many new jobs (in manufacturing) as it destroyed (in cottage industries and skilled trades). The AI revolution, by contrast, is not producing nearly enough replacement jobs, but it is making us much wealthier. The value of manufactured goods doubled in the United States in the past 30 years even as the number of good industrial jobs fell by a third (8 million jobs gone). Maybe we could use that extra wealth to ease the transition to a job-scarce future. The climate emergency is unlike any challenge we have faced before. Surmounting it would require an unprecedented level of global cooperation and very big changes in how people consume and behave, neither of which human beings have historically been good at. These two crisis are already interacting. The erosion of middle-class jobs and the stagnation (or worse) of real wage levels generates resentment and anger among the victims that is already creating populist, authoritarian regimes throughout the world. These regimes despise international cooperation and often deny climate change as well (Donald Trump in the US, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil). Even Trump is worried, which is why he postponed the harsher US trade tariffs against China that were due next month. So what can we do about all this? The first thing is to recognise that we cannot plot a course that takes us from here and now through all the changes and past all the unpleasant surprises to ultimate safety, maybe 50 years from now. We can plan how to get through the next five years, and we should be thinking hard about what will be needed later on, but we can’t steer a safe and steady course to the year 2070 any more than intelligent decision-makers in 1790 could have planned how to get through to 1840 without too much upheaval. They might have seen steam engines, but they would have had no idea what a railroad was. We are in the same position as those people with regard to both AI and the global environmental emergency (which extends far beyond ‘climate change’, although that is at its heart). We know a good deal about both issues, but not enough to be confident about our choices — and besides, they may well mutate and head off in unforeseen directions as the crisis deepens. But, there are two big things we can do right now. We need to stop the slide into populist and increasingly authoritarian governments. And we have to win ourselves more time to get our greenhouse gas emissions under control. The best bet for getting our politics back on track is a guaranteed minimum income high enough to keep everybody comfortable whether they are working or not. That is well within the reach of any developed country’s economy, and has the added benefit of putting enough money into people’s pockets to save everybody’s business model. And the best way to win more time on the climate front is to start geoengineering (direct intervention in the atmosphere to hold the global temperature down) as soon as we get anywhere near +2 degree Celsius. To be ready then, we need to be doing open-air testing on a small scale now. There will be howls of protest from the right about a guaranteed minimum income, and from the greener parts of the left about geo-engineering. However, both will probably be indispensable if we want to get through these huge changes without mass casualties or even civilisational collapse. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Dealing with two critical converging crisis on planet earth

On the first day of the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat in Gandhi Nagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with four world leaders and discussed everything from investment to geopolitics to artificial intelligence.&nbsp;

Modi met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Malta Dr Joseph Muscat and Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis. The three-day investment summit from 18th to 20th January is a biannual event which was started in 2003 when PM Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.&nbsp;

Uzbekistan: India focus on Afghanistan&nbsp;

Uzbekistan's President and PM discussed the first India-Central Asia Dialogue which took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last week. According to a statement released by the ministry of external affairs (MEA), Prime Minister thanked President Mirziyoyev for his support for the First India-Central Asia Dialogue "where important discussions also took place on support to peace and development in Afghanistan". While President Mirziyoyev said the dialogue "demonstrated India's positive impact on &nbsp;Central Asia and the joint quest of the participant countries for peace in Afghanistan." Uzbekistan's Novoi Minerals &amp; Metallurgical Company signed an agreement with Department of Atomic Energy on the long-term supply of Uranium Ore Concentrate for India's energy requirements. This is the second visit of Uzbekistan's President to India in 6 months. He was in India from September 30 to October 1 for a state visit.

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Deep rooted relationship radiating warmth 
 
PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> met with Uzbek <a href="https://twitter.com/president_uz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@president_uz</a> Shavkat Mirziyoyev on <a href="https://twitter.com/VibrantGujarat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VibrantGujarat</a> margins in Ahmedabad. Good discussion on upgrading bilateral relationship, specially in trade &amp; investment, healthcare, pharma, agriculture &amp; IT. <a href="https://t.co/a072oYIhdj">pic.twitter.com/a072oYIhdj</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1086117541305565184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Denmark: Second Nordic leader in two weeks in India

With Denmark's PM, India focused on technology cooperation. Rasmussen is the second Nordic leader to visit India this month after the visit by Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg two weeks ago. Ties between the two countries had taken a dip after no progress in the extradition of Kim Davy but both India and Denmark agreed to revive ties, especially after the first India Nordic summit in Stockholm last year when PM Rasmussen met PM Modi.&nbsp;

Around 130 Danish companies have invested in India in areas such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture and food processing.

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PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> met the Prime Minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Denmark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Denmark</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/larsloekke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@larsloekke</a> on the margins of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VibrantGujaratSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VibrantGujaratSummit</a>. Took stock of the bilateral relationship, specially in trade &amp; investment, renewable energy, waste management, agriculture and food processing. <a href="https://t.co/rzzzOozPtX">pic.twitter.com/rzzzOozPtX</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1086216016709984261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Malta: Artificial intelligence, blockchain&nbsp;

Indian Pharma, IT industry especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) dominated talks between Malta's PM and PM Modi. Malta's PM invited India to cooperate with his country on advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain and financial technologies. Malta which has been unofficially known as the "1st blockchain island" last year brought in formal legislation on blockchain technology and sees Indian IT playing an important role.

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A partner in EU &amp; Mediterranean 
 
PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> &amp; Maltese PM <a href="https://twitter.com/JosephMuscat_JM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JosephMuscat_JM</a> met on <a href="https://twitter.com/VibrantGujarat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VibrantGujarat</a> margins. Discussed growing economic linkages and agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in sectors such renewable energy, pharmaceuticals &amp; healthcare, air connectivity &amp; tourism. <a href="https://t.co/ubXctakEWY">pic.twitter.com/ubXctakEWY</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1086105902221090816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Czech Republic: Investment focus&nbsp;

During his interaction with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, PM Modi invited Czech companies to invest in defence, automotive and railway sectors. &nbsp;Czech PM invited nomination of an Indian scientist for its Research &amp; Development Council. President Ram Nath Kovind visited the central European country in September last year.&nbsp;

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Deepening economic relations 🇮🇳🇨🇿 
 
PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> met with his Czech counterpart Andrej Babiš on <a href="https://twitter.com/VibrantGujarat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VibrantGujarat</a> margins.Talks focused on trade, technology &amp; investment;cooperation in defence, high-tech manufacturing, heavy engineering, automotive industry &amp; civil aviation <a href="https://t.co/X7hzCPA12s">pic.twitter.com/X7hzCPA12s</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1086216015980023808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Japan, Morocco, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, The Netherlands, UAE and Uzbekistan are the 15 countries partnering this year's Vibrant Gujarat.&nbsp;

On the first day of the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat in Gandhi Nagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with four world leaders and discussed everything from investment to geopolitics to artificial intelligence.

On the first day of the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat in Gandhi Nagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with four world leaders and discussed everything from investment to geopolitics to artificial intelligence. Modi met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Malta Dr Joseph Muscat and Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis. The three-day investment summit from 18th to 20th January is a biannual event which was started in 2003 when PM Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. Uzbekistan: India focus on Afghanistan Uzbekistan's President and PM discussed the first India-Central Asia Dialogue which took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last week. According to a statement released by the ministry of external affairs (MEA), Prime Minister thanked President Mirziyoyev for his support for the First India-Central Asia Dialogue "where important discussions also took place on support to peace and development in Afghanistan". While President Mirziyoyev said the dialogue "demonstrated India's positive impact on Central Asia and the joint quest of the participant countries for peace in Afghanistan." Uzbekistan's Novoi Minerals & Metallurgical Company signed an agreement with Department of Atomic Energy on the long-term supply of Uranium Ore Concentrate for India's energy requirements. This is the second visit of Uzbekistan's President to India in 6 months. He was in India from September 30 to October 1 for a state visit. Deep rooted relationship radiating warmth PM @narendramodi met with Uzbek @president_uz Shavkat Mirziyoyev on @VibrantGujarat margins in Ahmedabad. Good discussion on upgrading bilateral relationship, specially in trade & investment, healthcare, pharma, agriculture & IT. pic.twitter.com/a072oYIhdj — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 18, 2019 × Denmark: Second Nordic leader in two weeks in India With Denmark's PM, India focused on technology cooperation. Rasmussen is the second Nordic leader to visit India this month after the visit by Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg two weeks ago. Ties between the two countries had taken a dip after no progress in the extradition of Kim Davy but both India and Denmark agreed to revive ties, especially after the first India Nordic summit in Stockholm last year when PM Rasmussen met PM Modi. Around 130 Danish companies have invested in India in areas such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture and food processing. PM @narendramodi met the Prime Minister of #Denmark @larsloekke on the margins of #VibrantGujaratSummit. Took stock of the bilateral relationship, specially in trade & investment, renewable energy, waste management, agriculture and food processing. pic.twitter.com/rzzzOozPtX — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 18, 2019 × Malta: Artificial intelligence, blockchain Indian Pharma, IT industry especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) dominated talks between Malta's PM and PM Modi. Malta's PM invited India to cooperate with his country on advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain and financial technologies. Malta which has been unofficially known as the "1st blockchain island" last year brought in formal legislation on blockchain technology and sees Indian IT playing an important role. A partner in EU & Mediterranean PM @narendramodi & Maltese PM @JosephMuscat_JM met on @VibrantGujarat margins. Discussed growing economic linkages and agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in sectors such renewable energy, pharmaceuticals & healthcare, air connectivity & tourism. pic.twitter.com/ubXctakEWY — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 18, 2019 × Czech Republic: Investment focus During his interaction with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, PM Modi invited Czech companies to invest in defence, automotive and railway sectors. Czech PM invited nomination of an Indian scientist for its Research & Development Council. President Ram Nath Kovind visited the central European country in September last year. Deepening economic relations 🇮🇳🇨🇿 PM @narendramodi met with his Czech counterpart Andrej Babiš on @VibrantGujarat margins.Talks focused on trade, technology & investment;cooperation in defence, high-tech manufacturing, heavy engineering, automotive industry & civil aviation pic.twitter.com/X7hzCPA12s — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 18, 2019 × Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Japan, Morocco, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, The Netherlands, UAE and Uzbekistan are the 15 countries partnering this year's Vibrant Gujarat.

Geopolitics, AI dominate agenda as PM Modi meets 4 foreign leaders at Vibrant Gujarat 

India is embracing the use of artificial intelligence in a confident but steady manner. Government agencies, start-ups and large corporations are applying it to various functions and processes.

Most of the start-up ecosystem is heavily dependent on the use of new technologies including AI to achieve cost and organisational efficiencies. For the start-ups, using the technology is a natural step if not essential.&nbsp;

With good ideas, but low market presence they depend on AI-based insights to expand in the market. Larger organisations, however, are approaching the technologies with more care and caution. Not least because their size often hinders agility to change over to new systems. Such companies are deploying AI for specific functions of new business divisions.

Individuals are more digital these days than most organisations. Without our realisation, basic AI is already managing our personal and work lives through emails, work processes and even entertainment.

However, India hasn’t invested in AI at the scale required. The key recommendation by a NITI Aayog paper on AI includes setting up collaborative structures between academia, government, industry to create AI-based solutions for economic and development challenges.

A three-way collaboration between government, industry and academia is required for India specific challenges. Since many companies don’t have the risk-taking ability to invest in AI-based pilot projects, a structure for collaboration is needed. This can’t be done by the government alone either. The industry has the capital but not the risk-taking ability. The government can take the risk but doesn’t have inherent knowledge.&nbsp;

Academia has the structure but not the talent. Tech companies are innovative, but they don’t always conform to regulation and are often misguided. But someone has to bring them together. Globally several countries are trying to experiment with structures that will allow them to bring the important stakeholders together including citizens.

The report recognises this, “Many countries have instituted dedicated public offices such as Ministry of AI (UAE), and Office of AI and AI Council (UK) while China and Japan have allowed existing ministries to take up AI implementation in their sectoral areas. Not just national governments, but even local city governments have become increasingly aware of the importance and potential of AI and have committed public investments.”

What form can a structure like this take? Can there be a national body that brings everyone together? Will it be a Ministry of AI? India is yet to clarify its thoughts on this. What is clear is that India will need a body, perhaps not a ministry in the way we know it now. What is required is a coordinating and catalysing body that can guide, shape and enable the use of AI.

Some work has already begun with global organisations like the World Economic Forum (WEF) which is trying to get multiple stakeholders to grasp the importance of AI and related technologies. The Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) is a global hub created by WEF to improve the adoption of new technologies in a sustainable, responsible and collaborative manner, and to minimise their negative effects in the society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the C4IR in October. Mumbai will host the centre for India. Other centres are in San Francisco, Tokyo and Beijing. The over 45 global corporate partners and members include Reliance Industries, Salesforce, Wipro, ABB and SAP.

For India, the C4IR has chosen to support and guide the usage of drones, artificial intelligence and blockchain. The private sector is already using technologies but its growth can be impeded if the government policies don’t keep pace.

C4IR is working with NITI Aayog on expanding access to data to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in sectors such as healthcare, education, smart cities &amp; infrastructure, and smart mobility and transportation. The Centre will support the creation of a National Data Marketplace for India through which available data across these different sectors can be collected and integrated for targeted decision making and analyses using artificial intelligence.

In each of these sectors, the information about various dimensions is fragmented across various bodies that capture and store the data. There is virtually no protocol or framework where this data can be annotated, pooled and analysed. C4IR will help bring all relevant stakeholders together to create governance frameworks, systems and processes that will allow government bodies, private sector and individuals to pool such data and be incentivised for their contribution. For example, in the healthcare sector information about diseases, prevention efforts and clinical trials are distributed across various agencies like private hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and government clinics. For smart data analysis, all healthcare data should be created, curated and stored under a common protocol.

Collaborative structures like these have the potential of transforming the way government and private sector collaborate. Technology can bring a strong bond of trust which will be essential for pooling information and applying it in productive ways.

Though AI by itself is an important tool, the changes it will trigger will be much deeper and beneficial for an emerging economy like India.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-india-s-progress-on-artificial-intelligence-route-2698481">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India is embracing the use of artificial intelligence in a confident but steady manner. Government agencies, start-ups and large corporations are applying it to various functions and processes.

India is embracing the use of artificial intelligence in a confident but steady manner. Government agencies, start-ups and large corporations are applying it to various functions and processes. Most of the start-up ecosystem is heavily dependent on the use of new technologies including AI to achieve cost and organisational efficiencies. For the start-ups, using the technology is a natural step if not essential. With good ideas, but low market presence they depend on AI-based insights to expand in the market. Larger organisations, however, are approaching the technologies with more care and caution. Not least because their size often hinders agility to change over to new systems. Such companies are deploying AI for specific functions of new business divisions. Individuals are more digital these days than most organisations. Without our realisation, basic AI is already managing our personal and work lives through emails, work processes and even entertainment. However, India hasn’t invested in AI at the scale required. The key recommendation by a NITI Aayog paper on AI includes setting up collaborative structures between academia, government, industry to create AI-based solutions for economic and development challenges. A three-way collaboration between government, industry and academia is required for India specific challenges. Since many companies don’t have the risk-taking ability to invest in AI-based pilot projects, a structure for collaboration is needed. This can’t be done by the government alone either. The industry has the capital but not the risk-taking ability. The government can take the risk but doesn’t have inherent knowledge. Academia has the structure but not the talent. Tech companies are innovative, but they don’t always conform to regulation and are often misguided. But someone has to bring them together. Globally several countries are trying to experiment with structures that will allow them to bring the important stakeholders together including citizens. The report recognises this, “Many countries have instituted dedicated public offices such as Ministry of AI (UAE), and Office of AI and AI Council (UK) while China and Japan have allowed existing ministries to take up AI implementation in their sectoral areas. Not just national governments, but even local city governments have become increasingly aware of the importance and potential of AI and have committed public investments.” What form can a structure like this take? Can there be a national body that brings everyone together? Will it be a Ministry of AI? India is yet to clarify its thoughts on this. What is clear is that India will need a body, perhaps not a ministry in the way we know it now. What is required is a coordinating and catalysing body that can guide, shape and enable the use of AI. Some work has already begun with global organisations like the World Economic Forum (WEF) which is trying to get multiple stakeholders to grasp the importance of AI and related technologies. The Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) is a global hub created by WEF to improve the adoption of new technologies in a sustainable, responsible and collaborative manner, and to minimise their negative effects in the society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the C4IR in October. Mumbai will host the centre for India. Other centres are in San Francisco, Tokyo and Beijing. The over 45 global corporate partners and members include Reliance Industries, Salesforce, Wipro, ABB and SAP. For India, the C4IR has chosen to support and guide the usage of drones, artificial intelligence and blockchain. The private sector is already using technologies but its growth can be impeded if the government policies don’t keep pace. C4IR is working with NITI Aayog on expanding access to data to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in sectors such as healthcare, education, smart cities & infrastructure, and smart mobility and transportation. The Centre will support the creation of a National Data Marketplace for India through which available data across these different sectors can be collected and integrated for targeted decision making and analyses using artificial intelligence. In each of these sectors, the information about various dimensions is fragmented across various bodies that capture and store the data. There is virtually no protocol or framework where this data can be annotated, pooled and analysed. C4IR will help bring all relevant stakeholders together to create governance frameworks, systems and processes that will allow government bodies, private sector and individuals to pool such data and be incentivised for their contribution. For example, in the healthcare sector information about diseases, prevention efforts and clinical trials are distributed across various agencies like private hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and government clinics. For smart data analysis, all healthcare data should be created, curated and stored under a common protocol. Collaborative structures like these have the potential of transforming the way government and private sector collaborate. Technology can bring a strong bond of trust which will be essential for pooling information and applying it in productive ways. Though AI by itself is an important tool, the changes it will trigger will be much deeper and beneficial for an emerging economy like India. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India’s progress on Artificial Intelligence route

Uber is now working towards a way to determine if a customer <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uber-may-use-artificial-intelligence-to-detect-if-a-customer-is-drunk-144016">booking a ride is drunk or not</a>. A patent application filed by the company this week outlines the use of artificial intelligence to identify the current state of a customer.&nbsp;

The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour.&nbsp;

If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation.&nbsp;

Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally. &nbsp;

Is Uber indicating drunk driving?

The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now. The use of this technology and the consequent results are put to question since Uber has the authority to deny the ride to the drunk customer. Uber presents itself as an alternative to drunk driving but is seeking technology that would enable drivers to ignore such passengers - who may not have any other means to get home.&nbsp;

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 individuals in the United States die every day in drunk driving accidents. This means someone dies every 51 minutes because someone is driving under the influence of alcohol.&nbsp;

The sole purpose of booking a cab is to get you home when you are not in the condition to drive yourself - it could be because of alcohol consumption or it could be because you are tired etc. Regardless, if Uber is given the authority to deny a ride to a person in need what will they do? If someone is wasted, are they running a risk of potential danger to life?

Customer information abuse

There could also be a possible risk of assaults involved. Uber, in the past, has been subject to sexual assault allegations whose drivers have taken advantage of drunk passengers and, now, the fact that drivers will have information about the state of their customers perhaps may put their safety into question. As per reports, at least 103 Uber drivers in the US have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing passengers in the last four years, with many of the police reports noting that the passengers were inebriated or had been drinking before getting into the car.

The ridesharing company, in the public eye, got their act together after the resignation of the scandal-ridden co-founder Travis Kalanick and the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi as CEO last year. However, there has been some dreary incidents regarding customer data. &nbsp;

Uber’s notorious “God View” tool, for example, which showed the location of users who had requested a car, was abused by employees to track the location of their exes as well as monitor celebrities and politicians, according to an October 2016 court verdict by Uber’s former forensic investigator.

There is no confirmation that Uber’s patent application is anything other than a plan in process at the moment. There have been no comments by the company regarding the same.&nbsp;

A system like this could be terribly misused, violate privacy and could be a serious threat to the people. This is still at a nascent stage, but it must be understood that even though the concept behind this idea could be to prevent the drivers to go through the odious situation of dropping back drunk passengers, it could seriously pan out in the opposite direction for the them as well as the company and pose some grave backlash.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Uber is now going to use artificial intelligence to detect whether a passenger is too drunk to ride a cab or not

Uber is now working towards a way to determine if a customer booking a ride is drunk or not. A patent application filed by the company this week outlines the use of artificial intelligence to identify the current state of a customer. The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour. If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation. Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally. Is Uber indicating drunk driving? The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now. The use of this technology and the consequent results are put to question since Uber has the authority to deny the ride to the drunk customer. Uber presents itself as an alternative to drunk driving but is seeking technology that would enable drivers to ignore such passengers - who may not have any other means to get home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 individuals in the United States die every day in drunk driving accidents. This means someone dies every 51 minutes because someone is driving under the influence of alcohol. The sole purpose of booking a cab is to get you home when you are not in the condition to drive yourself - it could be because of alcohol consumption or it could be because you are tired etc. Regardless, if Uber is given the authority to deny a ride to a person in need what will they do? If someone is wasted, are they running a risk of potential danger to life? Customer information abuse There could also be a possible risk of assaults involved. Uber, in the past, has been subject to sexual assault allegations whose drivers have taken advantage of drunk passengers and, now, the fact that drivers will have information about the state of their customers perhaps may put their safety into question. As per reports, at least 103 Uber drivers in the US have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing passengers in the last four years, with many of the police reports noting that the passengers were inebriated or had been drinking before getting into the car. The ridesharing company, in the public eye, got their act together after the resignation of the scandal-ridden co-founder Travis Kalanick and the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi as CEO last year. However, there has been some dreary incidents regarding customer data. Uber’s notorious “God View” tool, for example, which showed the location of users who had requested a car, was abused by employees to track the location of their exes as well as monitor celebrities and politicians, according to an October 2016 court verdict by Uber’s former forensic investigator. There is no confirmation that Uber’s patent application is anything other than a plan in process at the moment. There have been no comments by the company regarding the same. A system like this could be terribly misused, violate privacy and could be a serious threat to the people. This is still at a nascent stage, but it must be understood that even though the concept behind this idea could be to prevent the drivers to go through the odious situation of dropping back drunk passengers, it could seriously pan out in the opposite direction for the them as well as the company and pose some grave backlash. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Uber's latest AI bid could lead to some serious consequences