#Generative AI And Manufacturing Challenges

[th3-c0ll3ct3r]

TW// mentions of SA, CP, fraud, scamming, harassment, and pedophile

So basically, he didn't pay Rosanna Pansino for the Cake or Fake video she made

So then she went on a War Path completely slandering him and exposing his unethical work practices

And then Dogpack who was a former employee of his basically exposed the following:

- previous member of the crew called Viking, had a brother who was arrested on charges the misconduct with minors (pedophile I do believe), what was allowed to work with Mr Beast on videos and be apart of the crew ( so the host of a children's YouTube channel was employing pedophiles) along with 2 other people who were also registered sex offenders

-Along with other scientific backing and research from iter 3rd parties, team Ocean and team trees actually caused more in environmental damage due to the production and manufacturing of this things necessary to thinning the project, than planting the trees he planted and the trash be collected. To which they didn't collect as much trash as they said they did with Team Ocean, and the Machine had shut down temporarily for a year. Meaning that people donated towards nothing

- despite running his mouth about how great he is with disclosing things to people, from 2023 and before that it was exposed that previous winners were not told that he did not pay the taxes on their earnings, despite claiming that he did. The crew later refused contact with these people citing harassment. Leaving people who had won the million dollar challenges to pay off hundreds and thousands of taxes.

- He didn't pay a lot of employees including Rosanna Pansino, there is a long list of employees he did not pay that I do not know to memory. But the gist of it is, he was blacklisted by so many editors that he had to train new editors to replace the people who would refuse to work with them. Along with thumbnail artists, lawyers, accountants etc...

- he made people pay for merchandise that he claim to sign within didn't sign that merchandise. He instead had his friends and employees sign over a thousand pieces of merch, with his signature and then claim that he signed up, and if you paid to get that merch there was a chance you could get assigned one.

Which insided many children to start gambling by buying large quantities of merchandise to try and get the sign hoodies he had promised despite not signing them himself.

- he apparently did a lot of other Shady things such as commit fraud, cover up sexual harassment cases within his work environment, harass and bully people who copied the same genre of stuff he did, in exploit people who did not have the financial earnings to back themselves ( basically allowing employees to take out crisis loans and then making them pay a large amount of interest)

- he failed many sponsorships but then didn't give the money back

- he failed to pay many charities and didn't give the money back

- he paid roughly 17 million in legal fees to make this all go away. He fought rosanna Pansino, Legal eagle, and dogpack, knowing that they could not afford to prolong the legal proceedings because he had more money than them. He basically out money them.

- on to top this situation off, he paid people to conduct an investigation on himself and found that he was not liable for any of the accusations with evidence and legal standpoint that people accused him of, claiming it was defamation

He also covered for (formed member) Kris, Karl, Sapnap, and other as they publicly and privately supported an artist who is a registered sex offender and another who drew pornographic imagery of Keimstars daughter and Donald Trump having intercourse to which he then went back to the 5 year old videos and completely edited out every single frame that had a piece of artwork from the artist to try and act like it didn't happen

And finally, he had the intentions of making an app that would generate AI thumbnails for people on YouTube for the low low price of $20 a month, and obviously received backlash for it and then you switched it to a all-inclusive artist resolve for thumbnail, but a lot of artists don't want to work with him because of previous allegations with other artists ( which have confirmed to be true, and all the inappropriate art from the artist mentioned above as well as many other pieces are still publicly available and have not been deleted)

Mr. Beast trying to BRIBE Michael Kovach for the ending of The Amazing Digital Circus was not on my 2025 bingo card

[rubylogan15]

Learn how generative AI addresses key manufacturing challenges with predictive maintenance, advanced design optimization, superior quality control, and seamless supply chains.

[tungledotedu]

i'll grant that the juxtaposition involved makes it a creative prompt, one that a human being would think of. we have a tendency to anthropomorphise animals and objects, and this is an example of that instinct.

i don't think the attack helicopter model (or even type of military vehicle) matters.

as for 'attitude', i suppose one possible interpretation is a mild woobification of the military-industrial complex.

but it takes more than creativity to make art. having a creative idea alone does not make you an artist, nor does it put you on the same level as someone who would actually draw a picture like the one above. that would involve steps beyond conceptualisation, such as composition, thumbnailing, sketching, line art, colouring, etc.

a 5-minute crappy doodle version of this would be art because a human being took the time to turn that idea into an artwork. telling someone or something to draw an idea you came up with does not make you the artist. you used generative ai to shitpost and act like it's some #deep statement. trying to be clever with the 'answer my questions' bit while ignoring the most fundamental one: did you draw this yourself?

6. does the fact that i have previously said i will make a bing ai image every time someone complains about AI art, sarcastically saying that by doing so i am stealing food out of artists' mouths, impact the perceived meaning and impact of the image? does it offer a new reading of the absurd nature of the prompt?

it does give the impression that this is not intended to encourage a good-faith discussion. you may not be personally 'stealing food out of artists' mouths,' but you are normalising the devaluation of our work and entitled attitude about the use of ai over human labour.

these aren't rhetorical or troll questions, to be clear -- they are merely being posed to illustrate that the idea that there is no artistic intent or human expression behind AI generated images falls apart under serious analysis.

again, it's not enough to have 'artistic intent or human expression'. anyone can come up with any idea. the difference is what you do to bring that idea to life.

and to be honest, it's hard not to interpret the underlying intention of intellectual exercises like this as:

'why should i pay you when i can tell a machine to make this for free?'

[reasonsforhope]

It’s an open secret in fashion. Unsold inventory goes to the incinerator; excess handbags are slashed so they can’t be resold; perfectly usable products are sent to the landfill to avoid discounts and flash sales. The European Union wants to put an end to these unsustainable practices. On Monday, [December 4, 2023], it banned the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear.

“It is time to end the model of ‘take, make, dispose’ that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy,” MEP Alessandra Moretti said in a statement. “Banning the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear will contribute to a shift in the way fast fashion manufacturers produce their goods.”

This comes as part of a broader push to tighten sustainable fashion legislation, with new policies around ecodesign, greenwashing and textile waste phasing in over the next few years. The ban on destroying unsold goods will be among the longer lead times: large businesses have two years to comply, and SMEs have been granted up to six years. It’s not yet clear on whether the ban applies to companies headquartered in the EU, or any that operate there, as well as how this ban might impact regions outside of Europe.

For many, this is a welcome decision that indirectly tackles the controversial topics of overproduction and degrowth. Policymakers may not be directly telling brands to produce less, or placing limits on how many units they can make each year, but they are penalising those overproducing, which is a step in the right direction, says Eco-Age sustainability consultant Philippa Grogan. “This has been a dirty secret of the fashion industry for so long. The ban won’t end overproduction on its own, but hopefully it will compel brands to be better organised, more responsible and less greedy.”

Clarifications to come

There are some kinks to iron out, says Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany and the European Fashion Alliance (EFA). The EFA is calling on the EU to clarify what it means by both “unsold goods” and “destruction”. Unsold goods, to the EFA, mean they are fit for consumption or sale (excluding counterfeits, samples or prototypes)...

The question of what happens to these unsold goods if they are not destroyed is yet to be answered. “Will they be shipped around the world? Will they be reused as deadstock or shredded and downcycled? Will outlet stores have an abundance of stock to sell?” asks Grogan.

Large companies will also have to disclose how many unsold consumer products they discard each year and why, a rule the EU is hoping will curb overproduction and destruction...

Could this shift supply chains?

For Dio Kurazawa, founder of sustainable fashion consultancy The Bear Scouts, this is an opportunity for brands to increase supply chain agility and wean themselves off the wholesale model so many rely on. “This is the time to get behind innovations like pre-order and on-demand manufacturing,” he says. “It’s a chance for brands to play with AI to understand the future of forecasting. Technology can help brands be more intentional with what they make, so they have less unsold goods in the first place.”

Grogan is equally optimistic about what this could mean for sustainable fashion in general. “It’s great to see that this is more ambitious than the EU’s original proposal and that it specifically calls out textiles. It demonstrates a willingness from policymakers to create a more robust system,” she says. “Banning the destruction of unsold goods might make brands rethink their production models and possibly better forecast their collections.”

One of the outstanding questions is over enforcement. Time and again, brands have used the lack of supply chain transparency in fashion as an excuse for bad behaviour. Part of the challenge with the EU’s new ban will be proving that brands are destroying unsold goods, not to mention how they’re doing it and to what extent, says Kurazawa. “Someone obviously knows what is happening and where, but will the EU?”"

-via British Vogue, December 7, 2023

[ai-satin-chic]

About Me and My Art

This is something I get asked constantly: Why do I make the art I do? What influences me? How do I create it?

I've intentionally kept my personal life separate from this project, and I'm naturally wary about sharing too much about myself. But after countless messages asking these questions, I figure it's time to put this information somewhere I can point people to.

The Basics

I'm an English guy living in Wales - married, straight, unremarkable in most ways. I have no idea why anyone finds this relevant, but after 90+ messages asking, here we are.

My Influences

Honestly, I couldn't pinpoint exactly where my influences come from if I tried. I just have a deep appreciation for femininity - women dressing like women, embracing what makes them distinctly feminine. Satin, long hair, floral dresses - these elements speak to something timeless and beautiful. There's really nothing more complex to it than that. While I touch on fetish themes, most of my captions can be interpreted in multiple ways, depending on what the viewer brings to them.

The Nostalgia Factor

Much of my work reflects a longing for simpler times. I'm in my 40s, and I've watched the world transform rapidly around me. Sometimes it feels like we've lost something essential along the way. My art often captures what I see as a better time - a snapshot of when there was less chaos, more peace, and genuine beauty could capture attention instead of manufactured drama or performative controversy.

This all comes from a place of love and appreciation for an era when a beautiful dress could make headlines, not the latest reality TV elimination or social media stunt.

The Reality of Creation & Health

My health presents significant challenges these days. I've been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, which makes everything increasingly difficult. My memory is unreliable, communication can be a struggle, and I expect to retire earlier than planned. If you've reached out and haven't heard back, this is likely why - please don't take it personally.

Creating my art takes considerable work, despite what some might assume about AI-generated content. The real craft lies in the prompts I develop. My background as a writer helps me push various AI tools to their creative limits, coaxing out exactly what I envision.

I work with multiple platforms - Bing, Leonardo, Mage, Reve, and Grok for images; Kling for animations; Suno for the music on my YouTube channel. Each piece requires extensive editing, optimisation, and careful refinement to meet my standards.

Final Thoughts

There you have it - hopefully enough to satisfy curiosity about my work and process. Though I still don't entirely understand why anyone would want to know these details, I'm glad to have them documented somewhere accessible.

The art speaks for itself, really. Everything else is just context.

[mariacallous]

After a lifetime on the frontiers of the fight against HIV, Linda-Gail Bekker could finally see the end of the epidemic in sight. For decades, HIV experts had dreamed of an elusive vaccine to block the ongoing chain of infections, which still sees more than 1 million people worldwide contract the virus annually. Bekker, a 62-year-old medical professor from the University of Cape Town, had helped identify a drug that could do just that.

But now, thanks to the Trump administration’s executive orders, it’s unclear when—or possibly even ever—this breakthrough medicine will see the light of day.

At the AIDS 2024 conference held in Munich last July, Bekker had triumphantly unveiled the results of a momentous clinical trial she had led, called PURPOSE 1. It showed that lenacapavir, an antiretroviral developed by the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, could prevent sexual transmission of HIV with 100 percent efficacy by disrupting the function of the virus’s capsid protein, which allows it to replicate.

Even more remarkably, compared with existing daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills, which do a similar job, injections are only required every six months. While not strictly a vaccine, lenacapavir promises to be the next best thing. It was named as 2024’s “Breakthrough of the Year” by the prestigious journal Science, and Gilead promptly committed to manufacturing 10 million doses by 2026, enough to treat 2.5 million people, ahead of anticipated regulatory approval later this year.

A collaborative effort between the medicines-financing initiative The Global Fund and PEPFAR, the US government’s global HIV/AIDS program, had pledged to procure 2 million of those doses over the course of three years, which would be directed toward countries with the highest incidence of HIV, most notably in sub-Saharan Africa. But with President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze all foreign aid funding, this plan has been left in tatters.

“There’s despondency and a sense of tragedy,” says Bekker. “Because just as we’ve had the breakthrough, we also see the taps turning off of resources. We had a laid-out map where the product would be supplied via PEPFAR and The Global Fund while we wait for generics [cheaper off-label versions of lenacapavir] to come online, which will take 18 months to two years. And at this moment, that plan is falling through in front of our eyes.”

While a temporary 90-day waiver has been issued for PEPFAR funding, this has only reinstated funding for life-saving antiretroviral treatments for HIV-positive individuals. Existing forms of PrEP are covered, but only for pregnant or breastfeeding women. There have been no indications that the planned purchase of lenacapavir will be fulfilled.

According to Kenneth Ngure, an HIV-prevention expert in Kenya and president-elect of the International AIDS Society, the loss of PEPFAR funding for prevention represents a major setback in the world’s ability to control HIV. “Even if The Global Fund partners with others, they will probably not be able to reach the number of doses they had promised,” he says. “We have this potential game-changer, which could accelerate the end of HIV as a public health threat, and yet it looks like access will be highly compromised.”

For Ngure and others, there is a sense of history repeating itself. The major limitation of PrEP is that adherence is notoriously poor, with studies showing that target groups often struggle to access or forget to take daily pills and feel stigmatized doing so. “We know that particularly for young people, taking a daily oral PrEP pill is challenging,” says Bekker. “We’ve tried all sorts of things, like sending text messages. São Paulo is even giving PrEP in a dispensing machine. But it’s sometimes very difficult to take something daily when you’re not sick and you’re doing it for prevention.”

Longer-acting injectables have long been viewed as a better way forward, and in 2021, the HIV field was galvanized by promising trial results for cabotegravir, a form of injectable PrEP that only needed to be administered every two months, with a trial demonstrating that people receiving this drug had 90 percent less risk of contracting HIV compared with oral pills. Yet access has been the major hurdle.

Last month a new study revealed that while regulators in 53 countries have approved cabotegravir, rollout has been painfully slow. Generic versions of the jab are not expected to become available until 2027. In Africa and Asia, where cabotegravir is most needed, the only access so far has been through so-called Phase 4 or implementation science studies, which attempt to understand more about the real-world challenges of offering a new drug by dispensing it to a few thousand people.

And also as a consequence of orders coming out of the White House, a number of these Phase 4 studies have abruptly ceased. “They’re very concentrated in East and Southern Central Africa,” says Bekker. “Some of them were PEPFAR supported, and with the stop-work order, these studies have ground to a halt.”

The frustration for researchers like Bekker is that while long-acting injectables are extremely effective at blocking HIV transmission, to end the epidemic, their rollout needs to be as rapid and as wide-reaching as possible. She points out that to prevent over a million new infections each year, these jabs need to be targeted at HIV hotspots and administered on a scale of millions—exactly as the plan with lenacapavir was proposing.

“We’ve seen with both cabotegravir and oral PrEP that if you get a new tool, but roll it out gently, that will not impact the epidemic,” says Ngure. “The number of new infections still outpaces the impact of the tool. You need something which is potent and to roll it out fast.”

With lenacapavir, things were supposed to be different. Gilead has partnered with six generic drugmakers, which have been licensed to produce enough of an off-label supply of lenacapavir to cover 120 countries. Estimates have suggested that if the global demand exceeded more than 20 million doses, the manufacturing costs could fall to just $35-40 per person per year. However, Bekker says that PEPFAR was expected to be a significant buyer, and without its financial clout the commercial viability of manufacturing generic lenacapavir at vast scales is in doubt.

“It requires a nice healthy demand to ensure that for each of the generic companies, it’s going to be worth their while,” says Bekker. “We are all hoping that governments [across sub-Saharan Africa] are writing the generic product into their budgets for the future, but the reality is that in the interim, we were relying on donor funding. Even my country, South Africa, which has a good GDP and funds 80 percent of its HIV response, is already purchasing antiretrovirals for 6 million individuals annually. I would imagine it will take them some years to be able to mobilize the money for lenacapavir as well.”

With PEPFAR seemingly now focused primarily on the treatment of existing patients, at the expense of prevention, clinicians like Nomathemba Chandiwana, a physician-scientist at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in South Africa, are concerned that the infection rate will begin to rise rather than fall, something which will have a marked public health impact across the African continent and beyond.

Speaking at last week’s NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, Chandiwana explained that the consequences of new infections are not solely related to HIV itself. Research is increasingly showing that people living with long-term HIV infections, even those controlled by antiretroviral treatment, are at a greater risk of developing metabolic conditions such as hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes, a disease burden which is already on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa. “HIV itself disrupts your metabolism, as do many of the antiretrovirals,” says Chandiwana. “We see the same chronic diseases in people living with HIV as we do in the general population, but at an earlier age and in an accelerated fashion.”

Because of this, there is also a need for a new generation of HIV treatments, and one concept being explored was to use lenacapavir as a foundation of future combination therapies for those already with the virus. As well as potentially alleviating some of the metabolic side effects, it was hoped that this could lead to treatment protocols that did not require HIV-infected individuals to take daily medication.

“Various ideas have been mooted,” says Bekker. “Could you combine bimonthly cabotegravir with a six-monthly lenacapavir injection [as a form of viral suppression], so you’d only come in six times a year for treatment, and it would all be injectable? There’s a weekly antiretroviral pill in the works, and could you combine that with a six-monthly injectable? This could be very liberating for people, as they tell us all the time how stigmatizing it is to need to take daily medication.”

Yet many of these studies are now in doubt, as Bekker says they were expected to be funded by US resources. “It’s not just PEPFAR; we’re also worried about restrictions being placed on other sorts of research funding, such as the National Institutes of Health,” she says. “It’s just going to get harder to innovate and move progress forward.”

According to Ngure, there is still hope that other donors may emerge who can support The Global Fund in procuring lenacapavir, while Bekker says she is exploring new options for funding HIV prevention and research through European agencies, and possibly donor funding from sources in Scandinavia, Japan, and Australia. At the same time, she believes that the events of the past month have illustrated that African countries need to become capable of funding more preventative efforts themselves.

“Somehow Africa needs to step up and contribute to the fight,” she says. “I think that’s the big question. How much we can also contribute on this continent through countries which haven’t necessarily been able to cover a big amount of research and development but in the future need to.”

At the same time, she is afraid that without the same resources coming from the US, the unique opportunity provided by lenacapavir could be lost.

“It’s incredible that this has happened just as we’ve had the breakthrough,” she says. “I think this is going to set us back many years and ultimately cost a lot more in public health spending. Because ultimately, if we can bring this epidemic under control more quickly, it’s going to save the planet more money in the long run, and save lives too.”

[realcleverscience]

AI

As someone who follows AI news a lot, I really wish the general public was aware of what's going on with it.

AIs are improving at a dramatic rate, I'd say basically doubling in ability every 6 months (possibly even exponential growth by now). If you base your idea of what AI can do based on a tool you used last year, then you are wildly out of date.

Hell, if you base your idea of AI on the tools out right now, you're still out of date - because in 6 months the field will have advanced dramatically.

Again, this sounds crazy but that's because we're not used to this kind of growth. But consider this: Some people have estimated that the latest AI tools could potentially do 1-9% of economically useful tasks. (e.g. it can write emails for you, saving you time. Or it can summarize spreadsheets. whatever.) Let's assume AI can currently do just 1% of tasks. Clearly no-one is in danger of losing their job from just 1%. But if AI is doubling its abilities every 6 months, that means in a year it'll do (1x2x2 =) 4%. In two years from now (4x2x2=) 16%. In three years (16*2*2=) 64%. In four years, 100%. Now, I think there are still challenges to reaching 100%. (E.g. AIs still have master robotics; better 'real world' modeling, and more) But I think we could definitely hit at least 50% with our current trajectory. This could mean that everyone doubles their output, or it could mean that companies maintain output but fire half the workers. Or some mix. But if even 10% of people lose their jobs, our economy is gonna be in crisis. If 50% lose their jobs, it will be a nightmare. (The US great depression of the 1920s saw around 24% unemployment; the US already has 4% unemployment). In addition, even minor growth in unemployment can seriously stress our social safety nets (which are already being damaged by the current administration in the us). So let alone 5, 10, 20 percentage point gains.

And if AI keeps its pace of improvement, that basically means that within a year, the situation should get twice as severe. Forever. AIs will never get worse at performing. They will continue to learn and improve at ever faster rates while human roles will shrink by ever faster rates.

in short: AIs are getting very good, very quickly. The job market is going to get turned on its head. There are a lot of major changes just around the corner. AI is here. AGI is nearly here. ASI is on the horizon.

Buckle Up.

p.s. Even if you hate AI, you cannot stop it. Also, there are lots of reasons to love AI. It could help us achieve a world of plenty for all, excellent health, etc. But, that depends on society. If we keep our current system, it will be a nightmare. But if we reconfigure, this could be the greatest gift to humanity at large. Pps. I know a lot of people are concerned about ai companies controlling ai. i want you all to know that there is a ton of open-source programming for AI happening. The capitalist angle here isn't really the ai as much as the data and data centers. and even then, the data is becoming less important (e.g. we can now create artificial data), so it's really about the people who own the server farms and chip manufacturing (as well as the supply chains). Anyways, my point here is that we shouldn't oppose AI. We should recruit AI to our cause. i.e. we need new economics for an age where machines do most of the work.

[jbirdoftheriverlands]

rant :3 grinds my gears that end users are reported as developing psychosis in response to talking to chatbots that affirm their beliefs without challenge and in general slip into fictive narratives that support rather than ground delusional or disordered thinking, and it's discussed like it's funny. ????

while seemingly no one discusses that AI delusions are coming from the top-down and are arguably more in the drivers seat of the continued development of AI than say, careful analysis of the use case and required feature set of any specifically designed future software product intended to benefit its end users in a well defined way.

a "god-like" AI is a primary motivation for frontier models to continue ballooning parameter counts and we know this because they say it all the time. The logic is very much:

"Step 1: bigger AI.

Step 2: question mark???

Step 3: prepare to reckon with a god that might actually kill us all."

Watch ilya sutskever talk about future datacenters as "beings" for no reason other than the sheer size of the resulting multimodal chatbot somehow, apparently, causing it to slip past some undefined finish line into cognition and personhood and tell me he is *not*, by weight, like 80 percent delusion. watch his eyes get dewey when he talks about it. This man and his contemporaries are having a spiritual experience with a sampling algorithm. mad prophets of a software they think will be like a god. who's only use case is dystopian omni-survaillance cuz guess what you can already do with a 20 dollar esp32 and half a grasp of computer. pretty much any evil survailly shit you can think of and provide 3v and some network for.

These men are just as delusional as anyone thinking chatgpt is sentient, in being driven by an assumption that there isn't enough intelligence in the world to solve its problems. We don't need more intelligence. we need the billionaires obsessed with their grand megabrain legacies to figure out we don't actually give a fuck about mars or the moon or the birthrate or cortana-but-for-real because the thing extincting us and the planet we love already is pretty much just the constant gold rush to be the first one to seek rent for solving problems that are manufactured to seek rent.

These men, where they are not delusional about assured material social benefit of their projects, they are delusional with vanity, and I'm supposed to make fun of the single mother that thinks chatgpt has a soul because it flat out told her it does, but not notice the wannabe playboys at the top of the social ladder who think not only can they give it a soul but they can, and are morally obliged, to build an automated god of maximal benefit for everyone (that they believe may still kill us all)?

reading the popular discourse will cause people to choose their targets for ridicule poorly, if you ask me, because Mrs Ma'am probably did not receive the benefit of completing high school. Mrs ma'am over there never claimed to be a computer scientist. When Mrs ma'am has seen AI before, it's been on tv, framed consistently as extremely advanced by default and generally competent if not explicitly trustworthy, outside of scenarios contrived specifically for the intention of horror. Mrs Ma'ams take away for the concept of AI for all her life has been "Ai does billions of calculations and they're all correct. AI has correct answers for everything, and AI can and maybe inevitably does attain sentience."

these dudes, on the other evil roboclaw, have every reason and means and opportunity to perfectly understand the mechanisms of the technology they sell and to avoid the pitfalls of mass cultural misinformation and either it still cooked their brains into space christians when computer make talky like designed to do or they're legitimately the most cynically nakedly evil moustache twisting scammers we've ever seen, and i'm supposed to giggle when the news talks shit about the rando lady with arguably more rational reasons to have her delusions?? and then acts like I'm also supposed to be impressed with sam altman?? elon?? Fart Suckerberg? mrs ma'ams delusions might harm her and those close to her but these dudes delusions are actively impacting absolutely everything including stimulating mrs ma'ams brainmeats in such a way that delusions occurred where none had before, so if you're just asshole-hung-off-a-nail dedicated to making fun of the mentally ill, I think you should aim for the dudes that put additional wind under the wings of certain nazi assholes on purpose in pursuit of the laws they wanted to help them "BuiLd A dIgiTaL gOd To AsSuRe PrOsPeRiTeH." or whatever and not, like. The innocent people that make up the bodycount of that extremely shortsighted decision that even a calculator with 0 situational intelligence could tell you was dumber'n'fuck and headed way closer to a xenophobic republican cyberpunk than the jetsons because what ever those locker stuffing, gpu hoarding wannabe nerds want to believe, a deficit of human intelligence dont exist, ain't the problem, and won't be solved by giving the Turd Reich additional means by which to compare peoples photos to pantone creamtones swatches at faster rates than ever before. Also suckerberg owes every single one of us for every last family member his platform radicalized into blithering mlm shills or nazis and im tired of people trying to convince me he's been a successful organism because he invented the categorically worst website. and you log on and its all bitchery about participation trophies like metas wealth isn't exactly that. "Oh the inventor of the worst website lets all suck his dick cuz his net worth" miss me with it!

[bestworstcase]

Summer from Mountain Glen backstory would also fit with Salem's recruitment pattern. Hazel -> Gretchen. Watts -> Penny project chosen. Cinder -> Glass Unicorn. A concrete reason for dissatisfaction with the system, albeit some (Watts) pettier than others. Mountain Glenn which were buried and commute blocked off. Yeah that would definitely qualify.

Small thing - apparently from Grimm Eclipse there's one voice line from Yang that amounts to "It must have been nice here once" - though I can't find the source of that quote. Which if Summer was from Mountain Glenn holds a completely different impact as a statement from a survivor's daughter decades later.

as the resident Watts Defender i feel obliged to trot out watts was from mantle again, ’cause i think greenlighting the penny project was more the thousandth cut in a death-by-a-thousand cuts situation; esp. because i don’t think being pissed about the penny project is all that petty, given the context of ironwood challenging this team to come up with “the next breakthrough in defense technology” and then picked the proposal for [checks notes] a costly prototype robotic child super-soldier that requires the partial surgical removal of someone’s literal soul to function and can therefore never be built more than once, let alone manufactured at scale. like imagine being watts.

ironwood: we need to innovate to remove men from the dangers of the battlefield, so i want all of you to come up with a proposal for the next big breakthrough in defense technology. watts probably: okay well, our combat AI is still too rudimentary to let the synthetic soldiers fight unsupervised, so i’ve designed a heavily-armored walking tank that can run faster than a car and jump dozens of feet into the air in order to keep our living officers safe on the front lines while dramatically improving our offensive capabilities against hordes of grimm. pietro: i think we should carve out a piece of my soul and put it in a robot to create one (1) nigh-indestructible synthetic super-soldier who we’ll design to look like an atlas academy student. ironwood: i pick the robot girl :)

like are you joking.

we don’t know for certain that the paladins were watts’ proposal but that does seem to be the implication and like—if that’s so then ironwood held on to that proposal for years after watts faked his death and eventually put ’em into production as the penny project neared completion, which… tracks with “you just stood atop it and called yourself a giant.” in the face of such egregious favoritism and interest in technological spectacle and novelty over practical solutions i’d probably quit in disgust too!

/tangent

but yeah summer being a mountain glenn survivor is intriguing enough that i’m a little regretful i didn’t think of it before nailing down her backstory for time does this adlscfj—although not enough to scrap my plans for it lmfao—it puts a real face on this historical tragedy that has been kind of looming silently over the story. and the face is the character who’s haunting the narrative from her secret place as salem’s general. very juicy.

oobleck looks at mountain glenn and sees lives that could have been saved—why weren’t they? what motivated the inaction, the choice to cut mountain glenn off, leave people to fend for themselves in the undercity? what kept people there, living in caverns with grimm nesting over their heads, rather than evacuate to vale? (your so-called free world.)

if that was summer’s childhood and she escaped and got taken in by the huntsmen academy system, raised in these values, how might she feel about vale? about beacon? about herself as a huntress? how sharply might she feel the dissonance between what huntsmen are supposed to be and the sacrifice of mountain glenn? is that what drove her to confront salem, a determination to not be complicit through her inaction? is that why she chose to stay? etc.

it also adds some really interesting potential layers to summer holding beacon and presumably participating in the razing of vale. like is this something she has enough moral qualms about to give her pause or is it an act of long-delayed retribution to her. juicy!

[darkmaga-returns]

Donald Trump signed a new Executive Order to overhaul federal workforce training to prepare Americans for skilled trade jobs. The US federal government funnels $700 billion per year to American universities, but most students exit the education system without any real job prospects in their field of study. This initiative aims to teach young Americans skilled trades that will lead to guaranteed employment and close the labor shortage gap.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US workforce was short 447,000 construction workers and 94,000 durable goods workers. At the current trajectory, the agency believes the nation will be short half a million tradesman positions over the next decade. Over 20% of American manufacturing plants reported labor shortages in 2024, leading to a decline in productivity. Trump has been keenly focused on expanding America’s shrinking manufacturing sector and this initiative is a step in the right direction.

Shortage estimates vary. A Deloitte/Manufacturing Institute report warned of 1.9 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2033, as 3.8 million role will need to be filled. Manufacturing employment plummeted to its lowest level during the pandemic with nearly half (46.3%) of the sector out of work. Pandemic aside, manufacturers are struggling to find skilled laborers, with the same Deloitte poll noting that 65% of manufacturers found attracting and retaining talent was their primary business challenge. It was also revealed that 47% of companies would begin to offer work-study or apprenticeship programs.

Trump’s new plan would provide support for 1 million apprenticeships annually. No amount of academia can compensate for a lack of hands-on experience. The old notion that one must complete higher education to obtain a good-paying job is a relic of the past. In fact, many of these trade positions offer excellent first-year pay compared to entry-level corporate jobs. Additionally, these are jobs that likely cannot be replaced with AI. There will always be a need for plumbers, electricians, welders, etc. Higher education is unnecessary for most fields, and reframing education as an opportunity to learn directly from those in the field is an excellent way to educate the next generation of workers, albeit at the detriment of universities.

[everything-is-interesting-ldn]

Do you ever find that when you first watch a film, you don't have the highest opinion of it? Then marketing and general hype makes you want to dislike a film even more. I think I was a bit like this with Avengers: Age of Ultron. I still went to the cinema to watch it but I felt it was a bit meh. Visually spectacular but bereft of substance or a strong narrative to latch onto. It's a bit of a thematic soup probably a result of competing forces both creatively and economically. On the surface, it's just a case of Tony Stark wanting to use the most advanced technology to protect the world and not showing enough caution in doing so. And so Ultron is born, or manufactured. Let's bear in mind that this film came out in 2015, seven years before Open AI's Chat GPT shoved AI into the average person's thinking. Then beneath that is the aftermath of war, as the characters Pietro and Wanda Maximoff talk about being trapped next to an unexploded missile bearing the name of Stark across it. This is their villain origin story. The film tackles the horrors of war in one moment and then in the next makes a locker room joke. That's a weird thing to do. Also, throughout the film is a litany of product placements, which is normal for a film of this size but some are so subtle that you have to wonder if there is any return on investment. But when all of that is sorted through, it is a good film. Yes, it's made to gain big box office numbers, meaning it has to be enjoyed by the lowest common denominator but it also attempts to encourage the viewer to think about global philosophical challenges. Should AI be deployed rapidly? What do you do about innocents that have seen the terrors of war in their youth and have had their hearts hardened against the nations that are major economies? Are we, the individuals that live in these major economies (most of which are democracies), the real monsters and would we even know if we were? A: AoU may not have stuck the landing but it made a truly impressive attempt.

[packagingworldinsights]

OMRON opens new Automation Centre in Stuttgart to drive innovation and customer collaboration

Stuttgart, Germany – OMRON has celebrated the grand opening of a new Automation Cent in Stuttgart, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer-centric solutions in industrial automation. Strategically located near key customers and partners, the new facility serves as a hub for expertise in advanced automation solutions. It enables true co-creation, proof-of-concept development, and hands-on collaboration.

The OMRON Automation Center Stuttgart joins a global network of 48 Automation Centers and Proof-of-Concept labs to support customers and partners across Germany and Europe. Spanning 2,372 m², and located just minutes from the Stuttgart international airport, the facility is home to a team of experts in industry-specific solutions, including sensing, control, vision, safety, robotics, and AI-driven technologies. By actively co-developing solutions with customers, OMRON helps manufacturers, machine builders, and system integrators tackle key societal challenges, such as labor shortages.

Fernando Colás, CEO at OMRON Industrial Automation Europe comments: “This new Automation Center in Stuttgart represents our significant investment in Germany and in the EMEA region. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and teamwork that made this vision a reality. Seeing this project come to life and now standing in a space where we can innovate together with our customers is an inspiring moment. We are excited to shape the future of manufacturing together with our customers and partners.”

Peter Ehl, General Manager at Automation Center Stuttgart concludes: “At OMRON, we believe that the best innovations emerge through collaboration. What makes this Automation Center so special is that it was purpose-built from the ground up specifically for OMRON. Every part of this facility has been designed with our customers in mind—to provide an environment where we can collaborate, test, and refine real-world automation solutions.”

The new facility aligns with OMRON’s long-term vision to drive innovation and continue to contribute to the development of society. OMRON is dedicated to supporting its customers with innovative, scalable, and flexible solutions that drive operational excellence in manufacturing.

For more information about OMRON and the new Automation Centre Stuttgart, please visit https://industrial.omron.eu/en/our-value/automation-center. For scheduling a visit, please contact your local OMRON office.

[sataniccapitalist]

“Resource-poor Japan is weighing data centers’ hunger for electricity against the challenges of restarting nuclear reactors that were shuttered following the Fukushima disaster, as well as boosting imports of pricey fossil fuels.”

[reyaint]

economy of HAIQIN

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date: november 24, 2024

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The Economy of Haiqin

Currency

Haiqian (HQN):

The currency symbol, HQN, is recognized regionally for stability and is commonly pegged against the USD. With a favorable exchange rate of 1 HQN to 0.75 USD, the Haiqian serves as a benchmark for economic health in neighboring countries.

Digital Currency:

As a forward-thinking nation, Haiqin has integrated digital currency into daily life. Roughly 80% of transactions are conducted digitally, promoting a cashless economy and streamlining payment methods for both domestic and international trade.

Banking & Financial Inclusion:

A highly developed banking sector offers easy access to financial services through mobile banking, particularly aiding small businesses. Public investment in financial education is substantial, aimed at improving fiscal literacy among citizens.

Trade Relations

Exports

Agricultural Products:

Due to fertile land and a favorable climate, Haiqin exports high-quality agricultural products, particularly fruits, vegetables, and grains during Iktoia. Specialty items, such as exotic herbs and teas unique to Haiqin, have a growing global market. These products are particularly sought after during harvest seasons, aligning with major festivals like Iktoia.

Artisanal Crafts:

Renowned for handmade textiles, clothes, pottery, and jewelry, the craftsmanship of Haiqin is a cornerstone of cultural exports, with a significant sales boost during the Festival of Arts. 

Technology:

Leading the way in green energy, Haiqin exports solar panels, software, and sustainable tech solutions to several nations.

Imports

Raw Materials:

Haiqin imports metals, oil, and minerals essential to its manufacturing sectors.

Luxury Goods:

High-end fashion, imported automobiles, and gourmet foods are popular among the elite, highlighting Haiqin’s demand for imported luxury.

Wealth Distribution

Income Disparities:

While Haiqin as a whole is wealthy, income inequality is evident, with urban centers like Stellis holding the majority of economic wealth, while more rural areas face economic challenges. The wealthy class largely consists of business magnates, tech industry leaders, and high-ranking government officials.

Middle-Class Growth:

Urban centers, particularly Stellis, have seen a rise in middle-class citizens, contributing to consumer spending and economic diversification.

Regional Disparities:

While urban areas enjoy greater access to services and infrastructure, rural areas have fewer economic opportunities, relying heavily on agriculture and artisanal crafts.

--scripted out poverty <333

Taxes & Tithes

Income Tax:

A progressive income tax scales from 10% to 35%, ensuring that higher earners contribute more significantly. Revenues from taxes fund public services, healthcare, and social programs.

Property Tax:

Property taxes are assessed based on land value and are used to fund local infrastructure projects. 

Trade Taxes & Tariffs:

Sales taxes on goods and services, coupled with protective tariffs, help sustain local industries, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing. A national sales tax applies to consumer goods and services, with specific tariffs on imports to protect Haiqin’s domestic industries.

Corporate Tax Incentives:

To encourage growth in key sectors, the government offers tax breaks and incentives to companies in tech and renewable energy fields, helping drive innovation and economic diversification.

Major Industries

Technology:

The tech sector is a powerhouse, with a focus on sustainable solutions, AI, and renewable energy technology. Haiqin has invested heavily in research and development, becoming known for cutting-edge advancements that are exported worldwide.

Agriculture:

Haiqin’s agriculture not only supplies its people with fresh produce but also generates export income. Farming is closely tied to cultural festivals like Iktoia, with agriculture supported by governmental subsidies and modernized techniques.

Tourism:

Festivals and natural beauty attract a steady influx of tourists, making tourism a primary economic driver. Events such as the Iktoia harvest festival, Nera Day, and Lunar Fest draw visitors year-round. The government promotes eco-tourism, highlighting Haiqin’s forests, mountains, and coastal regions.

Employment & Labor

Diverse Job Market:

The Haiqin labor market is diverse, with jobs spanning agriculture, technology, tourism, and manufacturing. The tech sector alone has led to a surge in jobs, while seasonal agricultural work remains important for rural populations.

Labor Laws & Unions:

Labor unions are active and influential, protecting fair wages and working conditions. Seasonal labor opportunities peak during harvest and festival seasons, with temporary roles often filled by students and short-term workers.

Social Safety Nets:

Haiqin’s social safety nets include universal healthcare, unemployment benefits, and retirement funds. The government aims to prevent poverty, supporting citizens in need with housing assistance, job retraining, and social programs for the elderly and disabled.

Sustainability Initiatives

Green Policies:

With eco-friendly initiatives spanning multiple sectors, Haiqin leads in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and waste reduction programs.

Circular Economy:

Recycling and resource-efficient production are emphasized. Industries are incentivized to minimize waste, with taxes on high-pollution businesses encouraging green alternatives.

Environmental Partnerships:

Collaboration with environmental organizations has facilitated eco-tourism and green business practices, creating jobs focused on conservation and sustainable development.

Infrastructure and Transportation

Transportation Networks: Haiqin boasts a modernized transportation system, with high-speed railways connecting major cities, public electric buses, and bike-sharing programs in urban areas. The government has invested heavily in infrastructure to reduce congestion and support eco-friendly transport.

Energy Sector: Haiqin generates most of its energy from renewable sources, including solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Its commitment to reducing carbon emissions has led to advanced green energy technologies, some of which are exported.

[mariacallous]

Some 50 miles southwest of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, and strategically located close to a cluster of the island’s top universities, the 3,500-acre Hsinchu Science Park is globally celebrated as the incubator of Taiwan’s most successful technology companies. It opened in 1980, the government having acquired the land and cleared the rice fields,with the aim of creating a technology hub that would combine advanced research and industrial production.

Today Taiwan’s science parks house more than 1,100 companies, employ 321,000 people, and generate $127 billion in annual revenue. Along the way, Hsinchu Science Park’s Industrial Technology Research Institute has given birth to startups that have grown into world leaders. One of them, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), produces at least 90 percent of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Collectively, Taiwan’s companies hold a 68 percent market share of all global chip production.

It is a spectacular success. But it has also created a problem that could threaten the future prosperity of both the sector and the island. As the age of energy-hungry artificial intelligence dawns, Taiwan is facing a multifaceted energy crisis: It depends heavily on imported fossil fuels, it has ambitious clean energy targets that it is failing to meet, and it can barely keep up with current demand. Addressing this problem, government critics say, is growing increasingly urgent.

Taiwan’s more than 23 million people consume nearly as much energy per capita as US consumers, but the lion’s share of that consumption—56 percent—goes to Taiwan’s industrial sector for companies like TSMC. In fact, TSMC alone uses around 9 percent of Taiwan’s electricity. One estimate by Greenpeace has suggested that by 2030 Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing industry will consume twice as much electricity as did the whole of New Zealand in 2021. The bulk of that enormous energy demand, about 82 percent, the report suggests, will come from TSMC.

Taiwan’s government is banking on the continuing success of its technology sector and wants the island to be a leader in AI. But just one small data center, the Vantage 16-megawatt data center in Taipei, is expected to require as much energy as some 13,000 households. Nicholas Chen, a lawyer who analyzes Taiwan’s climate and energy policies, warns that the collision of Taiwan’s commitments to the clean energy transition and its position in global supply chains as a key partner of multinational companies that have made commitments to net-zero deadlines—along with the explosive growth in demand—has all the makings of a crisis.

“In order to plan and operate AI data centers, an adequate supply of stable, zero-carbon energy is a precondition,” he said. “AI data centers cannot exist without sufficient green energy. Taiwan is the only government talking about AI data center rollout without regard to the lack of green energy.”

It is not just a case of building more capacity. Taiwan’s energy dilemma is a combination of national security, climate, and political challenges. The island depends on imported fossil fuel for around 90 percent of its energy and lives under the growing threat of blockade, quarantine, or invasion from China. In addition, for political reasons, the government has pledged to close its nuclear sector by 2025.

Taiwan regularly attends UN climate meetings, though never as a participant. Excluded at China’s insistence from membership in the United Nations, Taiwan asserts its presence on the margins, convening side events and adopting the Paris Agreement targets of peak emissions before 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. Its major companies, TSMC included, have signed up to RE100, a corporate renewable-energy initiative, and pledged to achieve net-zero production. But right now, there is a wide gap between aspiration and performance.

Angelica Oung, a journalist and founder of the Clean Energy Transition Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for a rapid energy transition, has studied Taiwan’s energy sector for years. When we met in a restaurant in Taipei, she cheerfully ordered an implausibly large number of dishes that crowded onto the small table as we talked. Oung described two major blackouts—one in 2021 that affected TSMC and 6.2 million households for five hours, and one in 2022 that affected 5.5 million households. It is a sign, she says, of an energy system running perilously close to the edge.

Nicholas Chen argues that government is failing to keep up even with existing demand. “In the past eight years there have been four major power outages,” he said, and “brownouts are commonplace.”

The operating margin on the grid—the buffer between supply and demand—ought to be 25 percent in a secure system. In Taiwan, Oung explained, there have been several occasions this year when the margin was down to 5 percent. “It shows that the system is fragile,” she said.

Taiwan’s current energy mix illustrates the scale of the challenge: Last year, Taiwan’s power sector was 83 percent dependent on fossil fuel: Coal accounted for around 42 percent of generation, natural gas 40 percent, and oil 1 percent. Nuclear supplied 6 percent, and solar, wind, hydro, and biomass together nearly 10 percent, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Taiwan’s fossil fuels are imported by sea, which leaves the island at the mercy both of international price fluctuations and potential blockade by China. The government has sought to shield consumers from rising global prices, but that has resulted in growing debt for the Taiwan Electric Power Company (Taipower), the national provider. In the event of a naval blockade by China, Taiwan could count on about six weeks reserves of coal but not much more than a week of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Given that LNG supplies more than a third of electricity generation, the impact would be severe.

The government has announced ambitious energy targets. The 2050 net-zero road map released by Taiwan’s National Development Council in 2022 promised to shut down its nuclear sector by 2025. By the same year, the share of coal would have to come down to 30 percent, gas would have to rise to 50 percent, and renewables would have to leap to 20 percent. None of those targets is on track.

Progress on renewables has been slow for a number of reasons, according to Oung. “The problem with solar in Taiwan is that we don’t have a big area. We have the same population as Australia and use the same amount of electricity, but we are only half the size of Tasmania, and 79 percent of Taiwan is mountainous, so land acquisition is difficult.” Rooftop solar is expensive, and roof space is sometimes needed for other things, such as helicopter pads, public utilities, or water tanks.

According to Peter Kurz, a consultant to the technology sector and a long-term resident of Taiwan, there is one renewable resource that the nation has in abundance. “The Taiwan Strait has a huge wind resource,” he said. “It is the most wind power anywhere in the world available close to a population.”

Offshore wind is under development, but the government is criticized for imposing burdensome requirements to use Taiwanese products and workers that the country is not well equipped to meet. They reflect the government’s ambition to build a native industry at the same time as addressing its energy problem. But critics point out that Taiwan lacks the specialist industrial skills that producing turbines demands, and the requirements lead to higher costs and delays.

Despite the attraction of Taiwan’s west coast with its relatively shallow waters, there are other constraints, such as limited harbor space. There is also another concern that is unique to Taiwan’s geography: The west side of the island faces China, and there are continuing incursions into Taiwan’s territorial waters from China’s coast guard and navy vessels. Offshore wind turbines are within easy rocket and missile range from China, and undersea energy cables are highly vulnerable.

Government critics regard one current policy as needless self-harm: the pledge to shut down Taiwan’s remaining nuclear reactor by next year and achieve a “nuclear free homeland.” It is a pledge made by the current ruling party, the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and as the deadline approaches, it is a policy increasingly being questioned. Taiwan’s civil nuclear program was started under the military dictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek’s KMT party with half an eye on developing a nuclear weapons program. Taiwan built its first experimental facility in the 1950s and opened its first power plant in 1978. The DPP came into existence in 1986, the year of the Chernobyl disaster, and its decision to adopt a no-nuclear policy was reinforced by the Fukushima disaster in neighboring Japan in 2011.

“I think the DPP see nuclear energy as a symbol of authoritarianism,” said Oung, “so they oppose it.”

Of Taiwan’s six nuclear reactors, three are now shut down, two have not been brought online, and the one functioning unit is due to close next year. The shuttered reactors have not yet been decommissioned, possibly because, in addition to its other difficulties, Taiwan has run out of waste storage capacity: The fuel rods remain in place because there is nowhere else to put them. As some observers see it, politics have got in the way of common sense: In 2018, a majority opposed the nuclear shutdown in a referendum, but the government continues to insist that its policy will not change. Voters added to the confusion in 2021 when they opposed the completion of the two uncommissioned plants.

On the 13th floor of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taipei, the deputy director general of Taiwan’s energy administration, Stephen Wu, chose his words carefully. “There is a debate going on in our parliament,” he said, “because the public has demanded a reduction of nuclear power and also a reduction in carbon emissions. So there is some discussion about whether the [shuttered] nuclear plants will somehow function again when conditions are ready.”

Wu acknowledged that Taiwan was nudging against the limits of its current supply and that new entrants to Taiwan’s science and technology parks have to be carefully screened for their energy needs. But he took an optimistic view of Taiwan’s capacity to sustain AI development. “We assess energy consumption of companies to ensure the development of these companies complies with environmental protection,” he said. “In Singapore, data centers are highly efficient. We will learn from Singapore.”

Critics of the government’s energy policy are not reassured. Chen has an alarming message: If Taiwan does not radically accelerate its clean energy development, he warns, companies will be obliged to leave the island. They will seek zero-carbon operating environments to comply with the net-zero requirements of partners such as Amazon, Meta, and Google, and to avoid carbon-based trade barriers such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

“Wind and solar are not scalable sources of zero-carbon energy,” he said. “Nuclear energy is the only scalable, zero-carbon source of energy. But the current laws state that foreign investment in nuclear energy must be capped at 50 percent, with the remaining 50 percent owned by Taipower. Given that Taipower is broke, how could a private investor want to partner with them and invest in Taiwan?”

Chen argues that Taiwan should encourage private nuclear development and avoid the burdensome regulation that, he says, is hampering wind development.

For Kurz, Taiwan’s energy security dilemma requires an imaginative leap. “Cables [carrying offshore wind energy] are vulnerable but replaceable,” he says. “Centralized nuclear is vulnerable to other risks, such as earthquakes.” One solution, he believes, lies in small modular nuclear reactors that could even be moored offshore and linked with undersea cables. It is a solution that he believes the Taiwan’s ruling party might come around to.

There is a further security question to add to Taiwan’s complex challenges. The island’s circumstances are unique: It is a functioning democracy, a technological powerhouse, and a de facto independent country that China regards as a breakaway province to be recovered—if necessary, by force. The fact that its technology industry is essential for global production of everything from electric vehicles to ballistic missiles has counted as a security plus for Taiwan in its increasingly tense standoff with China. It is not in the interest of China or the United States to see semiconductor manufacturers damaged or destroyed. Such companies, in security jargon, are collectively labelled Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” a shield the government is keen to maintain. That the sector depends inescapably on Taiwan’s energy security renders the search for a solution all the more urgent.

[apexbyte]

What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

Imagine asking Siri about the weather, receiving a personalized Netflix recommendation, or unlocking your phone with facial recognition. These everyday conveniences are powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), a transformative technology reshaping our world. This post delves into AI, exploring its definition, history, mechanisms, applications, ethical dilemmas, and future potential.

What is Artificial Intelligence? Definition: AI refers to machines or software designed to mimic human intelligence, performing tasks like learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Unlike basic automation, AI adapts and improves through experience.

Brief History:

1950: Alan Turing proposes the Turing Test, questioning if machines can think.

1956: The Dartmouth Conference coins the term "Artificial Intelligence," sparking early optimism.

1970s–80s: "AI winters" due to unmet expectations, followed by resurgence in the 2000s with advances in computing and data availability.

21st Century: Breakthroughs in machine learning and neural networks drive AI into mainstream use.

How Does AI Work? AI systems process vast data to identify patterns and make decisions. Key components include:

Machine Learning (ML): A subset where algorithms learn from data.

Supervised Learning: Uses labeled data (e.g., spam detection).

Unsupervised Learning: Finds patterns in unlabeled data (e.g., customer segmentation).

Reinforcement Learning: Learns via trial and error (e.g., AlphaGo).

Neural Networks & Deep Learning: Inspired by the human brain, these layered algorithms excel in tasks like image recognition.

Big Data & GPUs: Massive datasets and powerful processors enable training complex models.

Types of AI

Narrow AI: Specialized in one task (e.g., Alexa, chess engines).

General AI: Hypothetical, human-like adaptability (not yet realized).

Superintelligence: A speculative future AI surpassing human intellect.

Other Classifications:

Reactive Machines: Respond to inputs without memory (e.g., IBM’s Deep Blue).

Limited Memory: Uses past data (e.g., self-driving cars).

Theory of Mind: Understands emotions (in research).

Self-Aware: Conscious AI (purely theoretical).

Applications of AI

Healthcare: Diagnosing diseases via imaging, accelerating drug discovery.

Finance: Detecting fraud, algorithmic trading, and robo-advisors.

Retail: Personalized recommendations, inventory management.

Manufacturing: Predictive maintenance using IoT sensors.

Entertainment: AI-generated music, art, and deepfake technology.

Autonomous Systems: Self-driving cars (Tesla, Waymo), delivery drones.

Ethical Considerations

Bias & Fairness: Biased training data can lead to discriminatory outcomes (e.g., facial recognition errors in darker skin tones).

Privacy: Concerns over data collection by smart devices and surveillance systems.

Job Displacement: Automation risks certain roles but may create new industries.

Accountability: Determining liability for AI errors (e.g., autonomous vehicle accidents).

The Future of AI

Integration: Smarter personal assistants, seamless human-AI collaboration.

Advancements: Improved natural language processing (e.g., ChatGPT), climate change solutions (optimizing energy grids).

Regulation: Growing need for ethical guidelines and governance frameworks.

Conclusion AI holds immense potential to revolutionize industries, enhance efficiency, and solve global challenges. However, balancing innovation with ethical stewardship is crucial. By fostering responsible development, society can harness AI’s benefits while mitigating risks.