insert_link Science & Technology UN adopts first global AI resolution The United Nations General Assembly has adopted the first global resolution on artificial intelligence which aims to encourage the protection of personal data, monitoring AI for risks, and safeguarding human rights. While it is a nonbinding resolution, according to Linda Thomas Greenfield, the US' Ambassador to the UN, it is just the first step in ensuring AI technology is used and developed responsibly. todayMarch 22, 2024 11
insert_link Environment 76% of Africa’s energy could come from renewable sources by 2040: here’s how By Christiane Zarfl, University of Tübingen and Rebecca Peters, University of Tübingen Over half of Africa’s people – about 600 million – lack access to even the bare minimum of electricity. The tough question to answer is how access can be extended without adding to global warming by relying on fossil fuels. We – a team from Rwanda and Germany who work in the field of renewable […] todayMarch 19, 2024 17
insert_link Business / Economics How do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight U.S. airlines carry more than 800 million passengers per year. Lasha Kilasonia/iStock via Getty Images Plus By Craig Merrett, Clarkson University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How do airplanes fly? – Benson, age 10, Rockford, Michigan Airplane flight is one of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th […] todayMarch 19, 2024 13
insert_link Science & Technology Is TikTok’s parent company an agent of the Chinese state? In China Inc., it’s a little more complicated Some U.S. lawmakers have grown concerned about TikTok. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images. By Shaomin Li, Old Dominion University Does the Chinese government have officials inside TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, pulling the strings? And does the storing of data from the popular social media app outside of China protect Americans? These questions appear to dominate the current thinking in the U.S. over whether to ban TikTok if its […] todayMarch 18, 2024 7
insert_link Business / Economics Social media influence audiences worldwide By Bank Windhoek’s Digital Marketing Specialist, Julian Mentzel Social media is present in almost every part of our everyday lives. It is a universal platform for entertainment, communication, and information sharing. With billions of users globally, social media sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn provide various features to appeal to different audiences in the rapidly changing digital communication landscape. The […] todayMarch 14, 2024 21
insert_link Science & Technology Should governments ban TikTok? Can they? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it Is a wildly popular social media app a threat to U.S. citizens? AP Photo/Michael Dwyer By Doug Jacobson, Iowa State University The U.S. House of Representatives voted 352-65 on March 13, 2024, to require TikTok’s parent company, China-based ByteDance, to sell the app or face a nationwide ban on TikTok. President Joe Biden said on March 8 that he would sign the legislation if it reached his […] todayMarch 14, 2024 15
insert_link Science & Technology China says will take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect interests after US TikTok vote China on Thursday slammed the approval of a US bill that would ban TikTok unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, vowing that Beijing would "take all necessary measures" to protect the interests of its companies overseas. The short-video app has soared in popularity worldwide but its ownership by Chinese technology giant ByteDance -- and alleged subservience to Beijing's ruling Communist Party -- has fuelled concern […] todayMarch 14, 2024 9
insert_link Science & Technology Google prepares election policy roll-out worldwide Google has confirmed it is restricting the types of election-related questions users can ask its Artificial Intelligence chatbot Gemini. The company says the policy has already been rolled out in India, which will hold elections starting in April. A spokesperson for Google told the BBC that the latest move was part of plans announced last year around its approach to elections. Elections are due to be held in countries around […] todayMarch 13, 2024 11
insert_link Science & Technology AI bias: the organised struggle against automated discrimination varuna/Shutterstock By Philip Di Salvo, University of St.Gallen and Antje Scharenberg, University of St.Gallen In public administrations across Europe, artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision making (ADM) systems are already being used extensively. These systems, often built on opaque “black box” algorithms, recognise our faces in public, organise unemployment programmes, and even forecast exam grades. Their task is to predict human behaviour and to make decisions, even in […] todayMarch 12, 2024 12
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
