ROME  — Cisco Systems, a prominent technology company, has recently joined Microsoft and IBM in endorsing a pledge initiated by the Vatican. This pledge aims to guarantee the ethical development and utilization of artificial intelligence for the betterment of society.

The Vatican said that Chuck Robbins, the CEO of Cisco Systems, had signed the Rome Call document and privately met with Pope Francis.

Cisco Systems Joins Microsoft, IBM In Vatican Pledge To Ensure Ethical Use And Development Of AI

The promise delineates fundamental principles for the ethical and conscientious utilization of AI. The statement underscores the importance of designing, utilizing, and overseeing AI systems in a manner that prioritizes and safeguards the dignity of all individuals without any form of discrimination and their surroundings. The document emphasizes the importance of transparency, inclusivity, responsibility, impartiality, and security in guiding all AI advancements.

Cisco Systems Joins Microsoft, IBM In Vatican Pledge To Ensure Ethical Use And Development Of AI

The document was revealed and officially endorsed during a Vatican meeting on February 28, 2020, shortly before Italy implemented strict measures due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The document’s signatories were Brad Smith from Microsoft and John Kelly III from IBM. Universities, United Nations agencies, private enterprises, and nongovernmental organizations have also agreed to participate.

Francis has advocated for an international agreement to guarantee AI’s ethical development and utilization, dedicating his yearly peace message to this subject.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, who is spearheading the AI program, approved of Cisco’s involvement. He mentioned the IT company’s proficiency in “infrastructure, security, and safeguarding of AI data and systems.”

Cisco Systems Joins Microsoft, IBM In Vatican Pledge To Ensure Ethical Use And Development Of AI

The global spotlight has been directed towards artificial intelligence due to the remarkable progress made by state-of-the-art systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. These systems have impressed users with their capacity to generate text, photographs, and melodies that closely resemble human creations. However, the advancement of technology has also sparked concerns regarding the potential hazards it presents to employment, privacy, copyright infringement, and even human existence.

SOURCE – (AP)

March 5 – Meta Platforms owned (META.O) opens a new tab. According to outage tracking website Downdetector.com, hundreds of thousands worldwide could not access Facebook or Instagram on Tuesday.

Meta’s Facebook, Instagram Down For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Users Across Globe

According to the website, the interruptions began at 10:00 a.m. ET, with over 300,000 claims of outages for Facebook and over 40,000 for Instagram.

“We are aware that consumers are having difficulty accessing our services. “We’re working on it right now,” Meta representative Andy Stone wrote on X social network.

According to Meta’s status dashboard, the application programming interface for WhatsApp Business was also experiencing problems.

There were approximately 200 WhatsApp outages on Downdetector, which analyzes outages by collecting status information from multiple sources, including users.

Meta’s Facebook, Instagram Down For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Users Across Globe

The outage was one of the top trending issues on X, formerly Twitter, with some users reporting that they were unexpectedly locked out of the Meta-owned social media services.

Meta Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, Inc., is a social media conglomerate that owns popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Meta’s main focus is on creating a connected digital world through virtual reality, augmented reality, and other innovative technologies.

Meta’s Facebook, Instagram Down For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Users Across Globe

The company aims to revolutionize how people interact, play, and work online.

With Mark Zuckerberg at the helm, Meta is constantly pushing boundaries and shaping the future of social networking.

SOURCE – reuters

A tech tycoon, Elon Musk, has claimed that his Neuralink company has successfully implanted one of its wireless brain chips in a human.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he stated that “promising” brain activity had been observed following the treatment and that the patient was “recovering well”.

The company aims to connect human brains to computers to better treat complex neurological diseases.

A handful of competitor companies have already implanted similar devices.

Elon Musk Says Neuralink Implanted Wireless Brain Chip

“For any company producing medical devices, the first test in humans is a significant milestone,” said Professor Anne Vanhoestenberghe of King’s College London.

“For the brain computer interface community, we must place this news in the context that whilst there are many companies working on exciting products, there are only a few other companies who have implanted their devices in humans, so Neuralink has joined a rather small group.”

However, she cautioned that “true success” could only be measured over time.

“We know Elon Musk is very adept at generating publicity for his company,” she said.

Other firms that have made similar achievements in the sector include Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (EPFL), which has enabled a paralysed man to walk simply by thinking.

Electrical implants in his brain and spine that wirelessly transfer thoughts to his legs and feet allowed for this.

Elon Musk Says Neuralink Implanted Wireless Brain Chip

The breakthrough was reported in the peer-reviewed journal Nature in May 2023.

There has been no independent verification of Mr Musk’s assertions, and Neuralink has not disclosed any details about the technique he claims occurred.

BBC News has contacted Neuralink and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for comment.

Neuralink testing has been condemned, with Reuters reporting in December 2022 that the corporation killed almost 1,500 animals, including sheep, monkeys, and pigs.

In July 2023, the chairman of the US Department of Agriculture, which examines animal welfare allegations, stated that there had been no violations of animal research guidelines at the corporation.

However, the agency is currently conducting a separate probe.

The FDA allowed Mr Musk’s business to test the chip on humans in May 2023.

That cleared the way for the six-year project, in which a robot will surgically implant 64 flexible threads, thinner than a human hair, into a portion of the brain that governs “movement intention,” according to Neuralink.

Elon Musk Says Neuralink Implanted Wireless Brain Chip

According to the company, these threads enable their experimental implant, which runs on a wirelessly rechargeable battery, to record and transmit brain impulses to an app that decodes how the person wishes to move.

“[It] has great potential to help people with neurological disorders in the future and is an excellent example of how fundamental neuroscience research is being harnessed for medical advances,” Professor Tara Spires-Jones, president of the British Neuroscience Association, stated.

“However, most of these interfaces require invasive neurosurgery and are still in experimental stages; thus, it will likely be many years before they are commonly available.”

In another post on X, Mr Musk stated that Neuralink’s initial product will be Telepathy.

He claimed Telepathy would allow “control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking”.

“Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs,” he said.

Referring to the late British scientist who suffered from motor neurone illness, he remarked, “Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer.” “That is the goal.”

While Mr Musk’s involvement enhances the visibility of Neuralink, several of his competitors have a history extending back two decades. In 2004, Utah-based Blackrock Neurotech implanted the first of many brain-computer connections.

Precision Neuroscience, founded by a Neuralink co-founder, likewise seeks to assist patients with paralysis. Its implant resembles a very thin piece of tape that rests on the surface of the brain and can be inserted through a “cranial micro-slit,” which it claims is a much simpler procedure.

Existing equipment also produced findings. In two independent recent US research investigations, implants were used to record brain activity while a person attempted to talk, which could subsequently be decoded to aid communication.

SOURCE – (BCC)