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Aaron Gordon writes via Motherboard: Kia and Hyundai say it is not their fault that their cars are being stolen in an unprecedented theft surge made possible by the vehicles lacking a basic anti-theft technology virtually every other car has, according to a recent court filing. Instead, the companies point the finger at social media companies, such as TikTok and Instagram, where instructions on how to steal the cars have been widely shared and thieves show off their stolen cars.

The lawyers representing the two corporations -- which are owned by the same parent company -- are not subtle about this argument. The filing (PDF) -- in which the company is arguing a roughly $200 million class-action settlement ought to be approved by the court -- includes an entire section heading titled "Social Media and Intervening Third-Party Criminals Caused An Unprecedented Increase In Thefts." The lawyers argue in that section that because Kia and Hyundai vehicles have "not been the subject of significant theft" before the Kia Boys social media trend, social media and the people who steal the cars -- and not the car companies -- are to blame for the thefts. This argument is summarized in the section titled "Social Media Incited Unprecedented Rise In Thefts." The filing broadly reflects both the public communications strategy Kia and Hyundai have used throughout this crisis and some of the national news headlines that have covered the story,

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Kia and Hyundai Blame TikTok and Instagram For Their Cars ... - Slashdot

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A new study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College London and The University of Melbourne has found that people can learn to use supernumerary robotic arms as effectively as working with a partner in just one hour of training.

The study, published in the journal IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology, investigated the potential of supernumerary robotic arms to help people perform tasks that require more than two hands. The idea of human augmentation with additional artificial limbs has long been in science fiction, like in Doctor Octopus in The Amazing Spider-Man (1963).

Many tasks in daily life, such as opening a door while carrying a big package, require more than two hands, said Dr Ekaterina Ivanova, lead author of the study from Queen Mary University of London. Supernumerary robotic arms have been proposed as a way to allow people to do these tasks more easily, but until now, it was not clear how easy they would be to use.

The study involved 24 participants who were asked to perform a variety of tasks with a supernumerary robotic arm. The participants were either given one hour of training in how to use the arm, or they were asked to work with a partner.

The results showed that the participants who had received training on the supernumerary arm performed the tasks just as well as the participants who were working with a partner. This suggests that supernumerary robotic arms can be a viable alternative to working with a partner, and that they can be learned to use effectively in a relatively short amount of time.

Our findings are promising for the development of supernumerary robotic arms, said Dr Ivanova. They suggest that these arms could be used to help people with a variety of tasks, such as surgery, industrial work, or rehabilitation.

Watch the video of the experiment there: https://youtu.be/z79_UQnD-ag

The study was funded by the EU H2020 NIMA (FETOPEN 899626), TRIMANUAL (MSCA 843408) and CONBOTS (ICT 871803) grants.

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One-hour training is all you need to control a third robotic arm - QMUL

As the global discourse surrounding artificial intelligence continues to evolve, here are few of Aditya Birla Group's most recent and impactful AI-powered initiatives

Artificial intelligence has indeed taken the world by storm. By optimising processes and boosting operational efficiency, it has allowed leaders to redirect their efforts to what matters most: organisational values and strategic initiatives. Aditya Birla Group has been at the forefront of harnessing this incredible technology for several years across its various businesses to save time, enhance safety, and drive innovation.

Here's an overview of some of the many AI-driven initiatives that Aditya Birla Group has implemented over the years.

Aditya Birla Group has turned to artificial intelligence to improve customer experience across its various businesses, encompassing customer touchpoints such as voice calls, emails, social media engagement, etc. Leveraging the power of Natural Language Understanding, Group Data and Analytics has developed an AI-based language platform capable of gauging customer sentiments, extracting insights, identifying learning gaps among employees, and understanding customer pain points.

Long before artificial intelligence became the buzzword that it is today, Aditya Birla Group companies have been exploring its myriad applications, one of which is human resource management. In 2016, Aditya Birla Capital, the financial services arm of the Group, partnered with PeopleStrong to digitally transform its employees' work-life experience and take their efficiency tothenextlevel. With a workforce spread across India, the company recognised the need to create a standardised employee experience, streamline processes, and lower operational costs. Enter Jinie, India's first AI-based HR chatbot. Aditya Birla Capital has successfully integrated Jinie chatbot across all major touchpoints of its employees' lifecycle within its businessverticals.

Amidst the Covid-19 lockdown, most organisations had to swiftly adapt to new ways of conducting business, and Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC was no exception. The asset management company had to find a way to remotely onboard new customers and complete their KYC verification. The company decided to adopt an AI-based Video KYC solution developed by fintech firm Signzy. Its advanced facial and image recognition technology, real-time PAN verification, geolocation capture and IP check, together with end-to-end encryption and video forensics, ensured that the integrity of the KYC process was maintained. This sophisticated AI solution not only allowed customers to get onboarded from the comfort and safety of their homes at the peak of the pandemic, but also made the KYC process a whopping 98% faster!

In 2021, Aditya Birla Group's Data and Analytics team introduced a proprietary video analytics platform VEDA (Video Enabled Decisions & Alerts). Developed in partnership with Augmented Transformations and armed with advanced AI-enabled capabilities such as PPE detection, quality control, vehicle inspection, and facial recognition, VEDA has significantly improved safety and operational efficiency across the Group's cement, metals, and textile plants. It provides real-time actionable insights and alerts through continuous analysis of live video feeds. This technology has radically transformed the way the Group's manufacturing businesses approach employee safety, customer behaviour, and quality assurance.

The IT and HR functions at Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) joined forces in 2022 to develop Zoe, an AI-powered virtual assistant. Zoe is available around-the-clock and has quickly become every employees confidant. It allows employees to access important documents with ease and stay informed about company-wide policies. Zoe has also helped simplify and automate several facets of an employees workday, from scheduling team meetings to even sending birthday wishes to colleagues!

The Group's life insurance business, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Ltd., implemented an AI/ML platform to streamline its underwriting process in September 2023. Developed in collaboration with Artivatic, this platform merges traditional underwriting principles with advanced algorithms. It enables insurers to make more informed decisions and detect fraud by analysing large datasets and offering valuable insights into applicants' profiles. Its fraud detection features help in risk mitigation and contribute to a secure insurance ecosystem.

As a forward-thinking and future-ready conglomerate, Aditya Birla Group promises to embrace the best of artificial intelligence and machine learning ethically, responsibly, and sustainably.

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Gripping the AI revolution: Harnessing the power of technology ... - Aditya Birla Group

The Department of Health has today published a final review of the 10 Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland.

The review takes account of the separate report published by the Institute of Public Health which looked at the relationship between mental health and smoking, along with a report produced by the University of Stirling (and facilitated by the Institute of Public Health) which reflects on progress made in reducing second hand-smoke exposure in NI.

Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, said: The end review reflects on the achievements and progress made in relation to tobacco control since 2012, highlighting remaining challenges and setting out further considerations for the development of a successor strategy.

In particular, the review highlights the strides made in protecting people from second-hand smoke along with the overall progress made in reducing smoking prevalence with adult smoking rates falling from 24% to 17% over the lifetime of the strategy. The review also reminds us of the numerous regulatory developments over recent years, including those aimed at reducing childrens use of tobacco such as tobacco display bans and enhanced penalties for tobacco retailers who sell to children.

However, it also highlights persistent smoking related inequalities and acknowledges new challenges posed by emerging nicotine products. The review also recognises the changing narrative in relation to tobacco control with many nations adopting measures which seek to eliminate tobacco use.

Work will now commence on a successor strategy, which will be co-produced with stakeholders and will seek to address these remaining and new, emerging challenges. Further details of how to get involved in strategy development workshops will be made available in due course.

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End Review of Tobacco Control Strategy for NI - Department of Health

Wednesday the Free Software Foundation celebrated "the 40th anniversary of the GNU operating system and the launch of the free software movement," with an announcement calling it "a turning point in the history of computing.

"Forty years later, GNU and free software are even more relevant. While software has become deeply ingrained into everyday life, the vast majority of users do not have full control over it... " On September 27, 1983, a computer scientist named Richard Stallman announced the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU, for "GNU's not Unix." GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom, and has remained true to its founding ideals for forty years. Since 1983, the GNU Project has provided a full, ethical replacement for proprietary operating systems. This is thanks to the forty years of tireless work from volunteer GNU developers around the world.

When describing GNU's history and the background behind its initial announcement, Stallman (often known simply as "RMS") stated, "with a free operating system, we could again have a community of cooperating hackers and invite anyone to join. And anyone would be able to use a computer without starting out by conspiring to deprive his or her friends."

"When we look back at the history of the free software movement or the idea that users should be in control of their own computing it starts with GNU," said Zo Kooyman, executive director of the FSF, which sponsors GNU's development. "The GNU System isn't just the most widely used operating system that is based on free software. GNU is also at the core of a philosophy that has guided the free software movement for forty years."

Usually combined with the kernel Linux, GNU forms the backbone of the Internet and powers millions of servers, desktops, and embedded computing devices. Aside from its technical advancements, GNU pioneered the concept of "copyleft," the approach to software licensing that requires the same rights to be preserved in derivative works, and is best exemplified by the GNU General Public License (GPL). As Stallman stated, "The goal of GNU was to give users freedom, not just to be popular. So we needed to use distribution terms that would prevent GNU software from being turned into proprietary software. The method we use is called 'copyleft.'"

The free software community has held strong for forty years and continues to grow, as exemplified by the FSF's annual LibrePlanet conference on software freedom and digital ethics.

Kooyman continues, "We hope that the fortieth anniversary will inspire hackers, both old and new, to join GNU in its goal to create, improve, and share free software around the world. Software is controlling our world these days, and GNU is a critique and solution to the status quo that we desperately need in order to not have our technology control us." "In honor of GNU's fortieth anniversary, its organizational sponsor the FSF is organizing a hackday for families, students, and anyone interested in celebrating GNU's anniversary. It will be held at the FSF's offices in Boston, MA on October 1."

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GNU Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary - Slashdot