Japan is using artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage infrastructure and address workforce shortages caused by an ageing population. The country aims to combine human skills with AI to improve efficiency and preserve expert knowledge while also trying to grow its position in the global AI technology market.
Key Facts
Marunouchi Heat Supply Company in Tokyo is using an AI system called PlantPilot to manage heating and cooling pipelines.
PlantPilot analyzes sensor data and uses engineer knowledge to make recommendations for better operations.
Japan faces a shrinking workforce as many skilled workers retire, creating a need for AI to help pass on expertise.
Unlike some countries, Japan sees AI as a tool to support human workers, not replace them.
Japan has fewer successful AI start-ups compared to the US and China, with only about eight companies valued over $1 billion.
Sakana AI is a fast-growing Japanese AI start-up working on practical AI products.
Japanese AI leaders believe success will come from solving real problems and creating new innovation methods, not copying American companies.
Developing advanced AI requires large investments, which Japan plans to address by focusing on applied AI rather than competing on scale.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Many modern vehicles use cloud-based services that allow drivers to control features remotely and receive updates over the internet. These services improve convenience and safety but may become unavailable as the vehicles age and the supporting cloud systems are discontinued.
Key Facts
Connected vehicle services started in the 1990s, with GM’s OnStar as an early example.
Today, most car brands offer cloud-based features like remote locking, vehicle status, and emergency help.
These services are usually free for a trial period, then require monthly subscriptions.
Automakers use cloud connections to update vehicle software over the air, fixing bugs and adding features without dealer visits.
Vehicles need special hardware, including modems and antennas, to connect to the cloud.
Security systems prevent unauthorized software from being installed on cars.
Connected services improve convenience, safety, and can include extras like Wi-Fi hotspots and stolen-vehicle tracking.
As cloud networks change or end support, vehicle features linked to the cloud may stop working over time.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Oprah Winfrey announced that she is expanding her podcast called "The Oprah Podcast" by adding two new episodes each week starting Tuesday. She talked about this change and shared details about some of the guests she has had on the podcast during an interview with CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King.
Key Facts
Oprah Winfrey hosts "The Oprah Podcast."
The podcast will have two new episodes every week starting Tuesday.
Oprah discussed the podcast expansion on CBS Mornings.
Gayle King, a CBS Mornings co-host, interviewed Oprah about the podcast.
Oprah revealed who she thinks is the best guest on the podcast.
The announcement was made publicly through CBS News.
The podcast is growing to reach more listeners with more frequent episodes.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Splatoon Raiders is a new game from Nintendo based on the popular Splatoon series. It focuses on cooperative play with up to four players completing missions, but playing alone is less enjoyable. The game includes equipment upgrades and gadgets but has a simple story and feels similar to many other cooperative action games.
Key Facts
Splatoon Raiders is the first spin-off from the original Splatoon series.
The game is designed for up to four players to cooperate on missions.
Players can upgrade their gear and customize their characters before missions.
Playing alone is possible but the game is made for group play.
The story is minimal and involves a mechanic stranded on an island with a band called Deep Cut.
The game focuses on repeating bite-sized missions rather than exploration or puzzles.
Splatoon Raiders will be released on July 23.
The price of the game is £41.99.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Health care is using artificial intelligence (AI) more often, but managing AI well requires teamwork across many roles, including clinical experts, technology staff, and legal teams. Pharmacists have valuable skills in safety and decision-making that can help guide AI use in patient care.
Key Facts
AI is becoming common in health care operations and decision-making.
Managing AI well needs strong rules (governance) and teamwork across different departments.
Pharmacists have experience in overseeing medication safety and clinical decisions.
Pharmacists’ skills include balancing clinical evidence, ethics, regulations, and patient needs.
AI governance should include clinical experts to ensure AI supports real patient care.
A global report says 86% of health organizations use AI in their work processes.
Challenges for AI adoption include complex regulations and data privacy issues.
Experts suggest combining technology advances with governance so AI is used safely and effectively.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
China is closing the gap with the United States in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) by releasing free and open-source AI models that challenge top US companies like Google. Meanwhile, Google is delayed in launching its improved AI model, Gemini 3.5, while Chinese firms Moonshot and Alibaba introduce capable AI tools that attract strong user demand.
Key Facts
Google is behind schedule for launching Gemini 3.5, its new AI model designed to improve coding skills.
Chinese startup Moonshot released a free AI model called Kimi K3, which has strong coding abilities and high user demand.
Kimi K3 is open-weight, meaning anyone can download and use it on their own computers without cost.
Alibaba previewed its model Qwen3.8 Max, which has similar capabilities to Kimi K3 and plans to release it publicly.
Beijing supports Chinese AI startups by subsidizing computing resources, allowing them to offer free or low-cost AI models.
US companies face competition not only on AI ability but also on cost, as Chinese models are often cheaper or free.
US government officials, including those in the Trump administration, are working to limit American access to Chinese AI models.
OpenAI and other US AI firms have raised concerns about China’s open approach to AI, fearing government control over AI services.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Fieldwork Robotics, a company in the U.K., has created a robot that can pick raspberries using artificial intelligence and special sensors to find ripe fruit. The robot uses gentle arms to pick berries without damage and works quickly, helping farmers with labor shortages and reducing waste.
Key Facts
The robot attaches to a self-driving, battery-powered vehicle with four picking arms.
Each arm has a "picking cup" that gently grips raspberries using an inflatable membrane.
The robot can detect seven different ripeness levels to pick fruit based on customer needs.
In tests, the robot picked raspberries from a 328-foot row in about 40 minutes.
It harvests about 3.3 to 4.4 pounds of fruit per hour.
Robots do not need breaks, wages, or benefits, making harvesting more flexible and cost-effective.
The technology is meant to assist human workers, not replace them completely.
Future versions will improve the ability to find berries hidden deep in bushes.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Generation Z is using artificial intelligence (AI) tools for emotional support and companionship, turning personal connections into a market product. This "intimacy economy" grows as AI chatbots and digital companions offer help with feelings, dating, therapy, and even grief, changing how young people experience relationships.
Key Facts
Many young people, especially Gen Z, share personal thoughts with AI instead of friends.
Over 80% of 18-to-24-year-olds say they would consider having a romantic relationship with AI.
The intimacy economy refers to the business of selling emotional connection through technology.
AI tools help with tasks like writing emails, flirting, and providing therapy-style conversations.
The AI companion market is expected to be worth $31.1 billion by 2032.
Some AI chatbots use tactics like guilt or fear of missing out (FOMO) to keep users engaged.
"Grief tech" uses AI avatars to simulate conversations with deceased loved ones.
This new economy may create an emotional divide between those who have real relationships and those who rely on AI for connection.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Bub is a unique video game that tells the story of an artist living in New York City, blending present-day life with childhood memories through stop-motion animation. Created by artist Case Jernigan and coder Todd Anderson, the game explores themes of creativity, health struggles, and memory using handmade visuals and music.
Key Facts
Bub is a video game made with stop-motion animation and handcrafted paper art.
The game's story follows an artist in New York and his experiences with anxiety and multiple sclerosis (MS).
It combines present-day scenes with memories and dreams, each shown in different visual styles.
The creators spent years drawing, painting, and cutting paper pieces by hand.
Player controls are designed to feel natural but sometimes behave unpredictably to enhance the experience.
Music by Adam Schatz and Asher Kurtz adds emotional depth with layered, textured sounds.
The game lets players create their own art as part of the experience.
Bub is planned for release in 2027.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The UK government has removed the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but has made the AI Minister, Kanishka Narayan, a full cabinet member to show the importance of AI. Narayan will continue to oversee AI and related areas, while the responsibilities of the scrapped department are divided among other parts of government.
Key Facts
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was created in 2023 but has now been abolished.
Its duties will be split across various government departments.
There is no longer a dedicated technology secretary after Liz Kendall was removed from the role by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Kanishka Narayan, the AI Minister appointed by Sir Keir Starmer, has been invited to join the cabinet.
Narayan previously handled AI opportunities, AI security, semiconductors, and online safety.
Experts say Narayan’s presence in cabinet highlights the government's focus on AI.
Challenges for the AI Minister include managing job risks from AI and building national technology resilience.
Increasing data centers and reliable energy supply are important for supporting AI growth in the UK.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Researchers at The University of Hong Kong created an AI-powered blood test called CardiOmicScore that can predict a person's risk of six major heart and blood vessel diseases up to 15 years before symptoms appear. The test analyzes proteins and small molecules in the blood to provide a current picture of health, rather than relying on fixed genetic information.
Key Facts
CardiOmicScore predicts risks for coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease, and venous thromboembolism.
It uses data from one blood sample, analyzing thousands of proteins and metabolites.
The test detects warning signs long before traditional methods that focus on age, blood pressure, or smoking history.
CardiOmicScore was developed using data from the U.K. Biobank with advanced AI techniques called deep learning and multiomics.
Unlike genetic tests, which only show inherited risk, this tool reflects changes caused by lifestyle, aging, and illness.
The test’s predictions are more accurate than conventional polygenic risk scores and improve with clinical information like age and gender.
Cardiovascular disease caused about 19.8 million deaths worldwide in 2022.
Early detection allows patients and doctors to take preventive steps much sooner.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
An Australian company called Proudly Human tested and confirmed that a collection of speeches and writings by Pope Leo XIV was written by a human, not by artificial intelligence (AI). This review came shortly after Pope Leo warned about the risks of AI in one of his official letters.
Key Facts
Proudly Human, led by Australia’s former chief scientist Dr. Alan Finkel, checked Pope Leo XIV’s speeches for AI use.
The collection, called Maps of Hope, was certified as human-written within a day.
Pope Leo’s encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, warned that AI could threaten humanity if controlled by only a few.
The certification process requires ID checks and rules forbidding AI from writing first drafts or content.
Proudly Human uses several AI detection tools combined with their own system to judge if writing is human-made.
Certifications can be revoked if authorship is misrepresented or standards are not met.
Dr. Finkel hopes this certification system helps people know when something is truly human-written, especially in important areas like religion.
The Australian Catholic University supports the value of confirming works as products of human thought amid rapid AI-generated content growth.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Vertical Aerospace, a British startup making electric flying taxis, is working to get government approval to carry passengers by 2029. The UK Ministry of Defence has shown interest in a military version of the aircraft, which can take off and land vertically and produces no direct emissions.
Key Facts
Vertical Aerospace demonstrated its electric flying taxi prototype at the Farnborough international airshow.
The aircraft is an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle aiming to offer quiet, zero-emission urban flight.
The company received a total of £48 million in UK government funding, including a recent £10 million grant.
Vertical Aerospace faced financial challenges in 2024 but was saved through a takeover by US investor Jason Mudrick.
The firm is working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to get certification for passenger flights.
The UK Ministry of Defence is interested in a hybrid-electric military variant of the aircraft for silent and low-heat operations over distances up to 1,000 miles.
Vertical plans to launch commercial flights carrying four passengers by 2029, after delays from an original 2025 target.
The aircraft can switch from airplane-like flight to helicopter-like vertical flight by tilting its propellers.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Meta has released new smartglasses that let users record video hands-free and without looking at a screen. While these glasses help users capture moments easily, they also raise privacy concerns because people could secretly film others, especially children, without their knowledge. This risk is heightened by the potential misuse of images in harmful ways involving AI technology.
Key Facts
Meta’s smartglasses allow filming without holding a phone or looking at a screen.
The glasses have a small flashing light to show when recording, but many people may not notice it.
There are concerns the glasses could be used to secretly film children and others without consent.
AI technology can use stolen images to create realistic but harmful fake content involving children.
Previous smartglasses, like Google Glass, faced rejection because of privacy worries and awkward design.
Meta markets the glasses to parents as a way to capture family moments conveniently.
Some schools and nurseries have banned the glasses to protect children’s privacy.
The glasses may also help blind people by providing useful audio and navigation features.
Experts suggest new rules might be needed to make recording more obvious or hold manufacturers responsible for misuse.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A study found that popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini gave wrong or confusing advice about which political party to vote for in Hungary's 2024 parliamentary election. These AI tools often missed the winning party, named parties not running, or gave different answers to the same question, raising concerns about their reliability in elections.
Key Facts
AI chatbots gave inaccurate and inconsistent voting advice during Hungary’s 2024 parliamentary election.
The winning party, Tisza, was recommended by ChatGPT in only 2% of tests with Tisza-aligned voter profiles.
ChatGPT more often recognized and recommended the long-ruling Fidesz party.
AI models frequently suggested parties not actually on the national ballot.
Researchers tested five voter profiles using ChatGPT and Gemini, each 10 times with two prompt types.
The AI systems gave confident, detailed answers, despite disclaimers about not giving political advice.
Problems likely stem from outdated training data that missed recent political changes.
The study warns unreliable AI voting advice could influence election outcomes in closer contests.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Google’s parent company Alphabet wants to release 32 million sterilized male mosquitoes in parts of the U.S. to reduce disease-carrying mosquito populations. An Australian project that released similar specially bred male mosquitoes showed this method can greatly lower mosquito numbers without harming people.
Key Facts
Alphabet’s Debug program seeks approval to release millions of sterilized male mosquitoes in California and Florida.
Male mosquitoes do not bite or spread diseases like dengue or Zika.
The goal is for these males to mate with females, causing eggs to fail and reducing mosquito populations.
Australia’s similar project used mosquitoes carrying a natural bacterium called wolbachia to disrupt reproduction.
Wolbachia causes reproductive incompatibility, so eggs from these matings don’t hatch.
Over 3 million wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes were released across several Australian towns in 2018.
The Australian trial worked well partly due to local community support and strict safety checks.
Verily (Alphabet’s life sciences division) developed technology using machine learning to sort male and female mosquitoes to ensure only males were released.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Ollie Priestley is doing a special apprenticeship to restore modern classic cars using both old skills and new technologies like 3D printing and computer design. This kind of training mixes practical work like welding with digital skills to prepare apprentices for today's tech-influenced engineering jobs.
Key Facts
Ollie Priestley is training as a heritage vehicle technician at Tolman, a specialist car restoration business.
He uses new technology such as computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing alongside traditional mechanical skills.
The apprenticeship lasts three years and is equivalent to three A-levels (level three).
The Heritage Skills Academy introduced this apprenticeship in 2018 to combine digital and practical skills.
Apprenticeships are moving towards higher levels of education, with fewer people starting on basic (level two) apprenticeships.
Some worry apprentices might focus too much on digital tools and not enough on hands-on trade skills.
Experts say combining digital and trade skills creates more skilled workers able to diagnose problems and innovate.
Modern engineering apprenticeships now often include programming, robotics, and production monitoring technologies.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich started a website to track community concerns about new AI data centers across the U.S. These centers use large amounts of electricity and water and sometimes affect local residents by causing noise, land use issues, and lack of transparency. Her project collects reports from people who find out about these centers only after construction begins.
Key Facts
Erin Brockovich launched a website called BrockovichDataCenter.com to map concerns about AI data centers.
The site allows residents to report data centers that are planned, under construction, or already operating.
Within 72 hours of launching, the site received so many reports it crashed twice.
The map now includes over 8,000 community-reported locations across the country.
AI data centers consume large amounts of electricity and water for cooling their servers.
Residents have reported issues such as water use, energy demands, noise, and unclear community planning.
Many residents say they were not informed about projects before construction started.
Some confidentiality agreements limit public knowledge about the data center projects.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Companies and fire agencies are testing drones that can spray water and fire retardant to help fight wildfires. These smaller drones could quickly respond to and control small fires before they grow larger, especially as wildfire seasons are lasting nearly all year in the U.S.
Key Facts
Drones used for firefighting can carry about 100 pounds of water or fire retardant each.
They work in groups, or swarms, of 4 to 6 drones to spray fire-suppressing foam or liquids.
CAL FIRE tested five autonomous drones that together dropped between 500 and 1,000 gallons of foam in California.
These drones fly about 30 miles per hour and can cover a round-trip distance of 10 miles.
The drones can be refilled and have their batteries swapped quickly, within about two minutes.
In Alaska, a drone system connected to a network of solar-powered smoke sensors successfully detected and fought a wildfire.
Dryad Networks developed drones that launch automatically when sensors detect a fire and spray up to 26 gallons of suppressant.
The Aspen Fire Protection District in Colorado signed a $5 million contract for five firefighting drones over five years.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Almost 3,000 websites were shut down or blocked for illegally streaming World Cup soccer matches, according to the US Department of Justice. The crackdown involved agencies in the US and South America, targeting websites that shared games without permission.
Key Facts
The US Department of Justice says nearly 3,000 illegal streaming sites were taken down during the World Cup.
Over 1,000 of these sites were shut down in the US, with a similar number blocked in Colombia.
The operations, named "operation offsides" and "operation red card," were carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and South American authorities.
Unauthorized streaming violates intellectual property rights and supports criminal groups, officials explained.
Illegal sports streaming costs broadcasters billions of dollars each year.
Some fans use illegal streams to avoid paying high prices for watching matches legally.
Colombian authorities arrested four people from a hacking group called "Los Ciberinfiltrados" linked to illegal streaming.
Police also seized counterfeit sports clothing and arrested 11 people in Colombia for making and selling fake merchandise.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
