US has ‘moral imperative’ to pursue AI weapons, panel says

A US government-appointed panel has concluded that the nation should not agree to an outright ban on the development of use of autonomous weapons, following a public discussion on the issue.  The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which is led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, held a two-day public discussion on how the … Read more

‘Krokodyl’ robot to be installed in HS2 tunnel-boring machines

HS2 Ltd has outlined its plans to incorporate robotic arms in its two tunnel-boring machines (TBMs), used to bore the 16km Chiltern Tunnel.  The two 170m-long, 2,000-tonne TBMs – nicknamed Cecilia and Florence – were revealed in August. Beginning at a site near the M25, they will dig as deep as 90m below the Chilterns, … Read more

Covid-19 speeding shift to automation in the workplace, report finds

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is speeding up the pace of automation in the workplace, painting a mixed picture for future jobs, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said.  In its Future of Jobs Report 2020, the WEF found that 43 per cent of businesses surveyed said they would reduce their workforce due to technology integration. Although the … Read more

Automation, timing and speed, new dimensions of security

One of the spinoffs of the pandemic is the surge in digital services. The security landscape has transited to a new level, thanks to the speed at which digital transactions take place.  Around 95-99 per cent of operations are automated. “Customers need not visit ‘on site.’ Physical documents are on the decline. Matters related to … Read more