Category: Tech

An endangered male plant, Encephalartos woodii (E. woodii), known as the world’s loneliest plant, is being partnered with a female mate using artificial intelligence. The University of Southampton is leading the initiative, looking for E. woodii in South Africa, where the lone known specimen was discovered. All of the present members are male clones who cannot reproduce naturally.

Dr. Laura Cinti, the project’s leader, is employing drones and artificial intelligence to find a female E. woodii. She claimed that the E. Woodii story moved her and reminded her of a well-known tale of unrequited love. She is optimistic that there was a female somewhere and plans to reestablish this plant through natural reproduction.

The only known E. woodii was discovered in the Ngoye Forest in 1895. All propagated samples are male clones, which prevents natural reproduction. Drone imaging of the forest, analysed by AI, has covered less than 2% of the 10,000-acre plot. According to Dr. Cinti, they are using a recognition algorithm to recognise plants by shape.

The forest has never been properly investigated to locate a female. The species is still propagated at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London, and is known as the “world’s loneliest plant.”

Researchers have created an iron-based cathode material, which could lead to more affordable, safe, and ecological batteries. This novel material eliminates the need for expensive and precious metals such as cobalt and nickel, lowering the cost of producing electric vehicles.

Oregon State University chemistry researcher Xiulei “David” Ji emphasised their success in changing the reactivity of iron metal. In addition to having a higher energy density than most advanced cathode materials used in EVs, iron costs less than a dollar per kilogram, far less than nickel and cobalt. These cost savings may significantly reduce the price of our batteries.

Ji emphasised that rare metals account for up to 50% of the cost of producing lithium-ion battery cells. Overexploitation could result in a shortage and the collapse of nickel and cobalt-based battery production. Iron, on the other hand, is plentiful and will be available till the sun turns red.

The researchers combined specific chemicals with iron powder, lithium fluoride, and lithium phosphate to produce iron salts that are easily reversed. This breakthrough enables the use of iron in batteries without altering other production processes.

He said, “To apply this new cathode, no new anodes, production lines, or battery designs are needed—just replace the cathode.”

Earlier this month, Mitsubishi Electric’s TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronised Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot) broke a new Guinness World Record for solving a Rubik’s cube in 0.305 seconds. This achievement beat the previous record by 0.075 seconds.

TOKUFASTbot’s success can be credited to its high-power, signal-responsive servomotors, which can complete each 90-degree rotation in 0.009 seconds, and an AI algorithm that accurately identifies and matches colours despite impediments.

Mitsubishi engineers used motion-control technologies from their manufacturing processes to ensure the exact execution of each twist, which is critical for avoiding misalignment and jams. The robot’s AI was particularly challenged by identifying similar colours, such as red and orange, but it efficiently determined the best sequence of moves to solve the puzzle.

The record attempt in Hyogo, Japan, encountered some initial difficulties, with the first attempt resulting in a jam due to the high speed. However, the second effort was successful, demonstrating the robot’s durability and precision. This new record is a huge improvement over earlier Rubik’s Cube-solving robots, indicating a jump in robotic capabilities.

Mitsubishi Electric’s TOKUFASTbot not only displays incredible engineering and AI developments, but it also establishes a new standard in the world of robotics, pointing to the possibility for high-speed, precision robotic operations in various industries.

South Korea announced a 26 trillion won ($19 billion) support package for its chip industry to stay competitive in areas like chip design and manufacturing amid intense global competition. To increase investments by semiconductor companies, President Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled a 17 trillion won financial support programme via the government-run Korea Development Bank.

“Win or lose, that depends on who can make cutting-edge semiconductors first,” Yoon said, highlighting the crucial nature of the semiconductor industry. South Korea trails behind in chip design and contract manufacturing, even though it is home to major memory chip manufacturers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The nation makes up about 1% of the global fabless market, which is what companies like Nvidia are driving.

A 1 trillion won fund will help fabless companies and equipment producers address this. South Korea’s share of the global market for non-memory chips, such as mobile CPUs, is expected to rise from 2% to 10%, according to Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun. This package surpasses previous projections made by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, which indicated support worth over 10 trillion won.

Choi noted the global trend of significant government subsidies for the chip industry and compared South Korea’s support for chips favourably with that of other nations.

Europe’s landmark AI laws will take effect next month after EU countries endorsed a political deal in December, setting a potential global standard for AI regulation. China’s state-control-focused approach and the US’s voluntary compliance approach are less extensive than the EU’s AI Act.

The vote comes after EU MPs approved the AI legislation, which the European Commission first proposed in 2021 and included significant changes. As generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini have become more popular, worries about AI-driven disinformation and copyright violations have grown.

For high-risk AI systems, the Act imposes stringent transparency standards; for general-purpose AI, the rules are less stringent. It limits the use of real-time biometric surveillance by the government to combating major crimes and preventing terrorism. According to Cooley Law Firm’s Patrick van Eecke, the legislation will affect businesses worldwide and may lead to the adoption of comparable frameworks in other areas.

The Act prohibits the use of AI in social scoring, predictive policing, and untargeted face image scraping, and it goes into effect in 2026. Depending on the type of violation, fines can reach up to 35 million euros, or 7% of worldwide turnover, or 7.5 million euros, or 1.5% of turnover.

Researchers at Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar’s GB Pant Agriculture and Technology University, have created a process to turn pine leaves, or pirul, which frequently start forest fires, into useful bio-grease and bio-resin. This innovation attempts to strengthen the local economy and stop forest fires.

Under the guidance of Professors T. K. Bhattacharya and A. K. Verma, Tarannum Jahan led the team that developed bio-resin for plywood adhesion and bio-grease to lower friction in ball bearings and prevent rust. The Gujarat-based business Green Molecules purchased the study, which was a component of the ICAR-AICRP Energy in Agriculture & Agro-based Industries project after it was patented.

Director of Research A. S. Nain stated, “This initiative will increase the value of pine leaves and provide villagers with a new source of income, reducing forest fires.” Every year, Uttarakhand produces almost 2 million metric tonnes of pirul. Increasing its market value will provide the local villagers with substantial financial benefits.

To make bio-resin, pyrolysis oil is mixed with chemicals; similarly, to make bio-grease, pyrolysis oil is combined with caustic soda and animal fat.

The Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh, presented Jahan with the “Young Woman Scientist Excellence” Award in recognition of her work.

OpenAI launched GPT-4o, a superior AI model powering ChatGPT that is now freely accessible. This release comes before Google’s announcement of Gemini. CEO Sam Altman praised GPT-4o, called “Omni,” for its voice, text, and image processing capabilities, comparing them to movie AI interactions.

The multilingual, auditory, and visual skills of ChatGPT were demonstrated, along with its ability to understand the environment in real time. Altman prioritised cautious model releases over rumours of a GPT-5 or a rival to Google.

The decision by OpenAI to offer cutting-edge AI for free raises questions about revenue. While admitting the difficulties caused by content usage disputes, including a lawsuit with The New York Times, Altman upheld OpenAI’s business ambitions. The US courts are witnessing legal disputes between content creators and AI businesses.

While battling the high expenses of generative AI, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Anthropic compete for supremacy in the cutthroat AI market. This demand benefits a major supplier, the chip firm Nvidia.

With users reluctant to pay for subscriptions, businesses are looking for new ways to make money as AI capabilities grow. Altman gives assurances about future sources of income. The industry must balance innovation with moral and practical concerns to meet changing problems.

The Indian large language model (LLM) Hanooman AI was created by 3AI Holding and Seetha Mahalaxmi Healthcare (SML) with the Indian population in mind. It was introduced in Mumbai on February 21 and offers text translation for 98 international languages in addition to 12 Indian languages.

Although it is available for free for now, a paid version with a subscription model is in the works. Hanooman’s official handle announced the launch on X, emphasising how easily it could overcome language barriers.

Hanooman AI, available as an Android app and web platform, facilitates smooth communication in users’ native languages and addresses industries including healthcare, finance, governance, and education. It can respond to queries, produce text, and carry on conversations. Its features are similar to those of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. Integrating specialised LLMs with an integration synthesis matrix yields clear, adaptable insights.

Despite lacking internet access and multimodal capabilities, Hanooman AI performs reasonably well for basic generative AI tasks. Although performance may differ between languages, users can interact with it in a variety of ways. Hanooman AI is anticipated to get better over time as it keeps learning, much like every other generative AI.

The US Air Force is all set to integrate over 1,000 AI-piloted jets, marking a significant shift in military aviation. Secretary Frank Kendall recently demonstrated the future of air combat by flying an AI-controlled F-16 across the deserts of California. Comparatively to the introduction of stealth aircraft in the 1990s, this development represents a turning point.

Kendall’s flight, Vista, proved AI’s ability to work with human-piloted jets by reaching speeds over 550 mph. By 2028, the Air Force hopes to be flying these AI-driven aircraft. Human supervision is still crucial, particularly when deciding when to deploy weapons.

It is clear from the $6 billion Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) project that the Pentagon is interested in AI-guided aircraft. Due to the appeal of AI’s ability to reduce costs, big businesses like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman are competing for contracts.

Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks highlighted the advantages of AI-enabled autonomous vehicles for the military, which provide flexible and affordable solutions. According to him, this is an important step towards bringing military innovation back to life.

The US Air Force’s use of AI signals the beginning of a new age in aerial combat by fusing technological advancement with human experience to tackle changing security threats.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a sustainable hydrogel to combat the threat of microplastics in water. These minuscule plastic pieces, which are present in even the most isolated areas, such as the deep oceans and polar ice caps, pose a threat to both human health and the ecosystem.

Utilising a polymer network, the innovative hydrogel created by IISc binds and breaks down microplastics when exposed to UV light. This environmentally friendly alternative to clogging filtering membranes uses 3D hydrogels that intertwine layers of chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyaniline. Nanoclusters of copper replacement polyoxometalate that are embedded in hydrogel help break down microplastics when exposed to UV light.

To mimic real-world scenarios, the team created microplastics from crushed household plastics. They included a fluorescent dye inside the microplastics so they could monitor the hydrogel’s durability and effectiveness. The hydrogel demonstrated durability at different temperatures and a high degree of efficiency in eliminating up to 95% of microplastics at a pH close to neutral.

The substance continued to be effective after up to five cycles of removing microplastic. Furthermore, the hydrogel can be recycled into carbon nanoparticles to extract heavy metals from contaminated water after use.

This invention presents a viable countermeasure to the pervasive hazard of microplastic contamination.