Author: admin

  • A Large-Scale Image Repository for Automated Pavement Distress Analysis and Degradation Trend Prediction

    A Large-Scale Image Repository for Automated Pavement Distress Analysis and Degradation Trend Prediction

    Our dataset was meticulously planned through the deployment of logistics vehicles equipped with cameras, ensuring the capture of a variety of images under different environmental conditions and locations. These varying environmental conditions are primarily related to weather, especially the position and intensity of the sun. Changes in sunlight intensity, angle, and shadows alter the appearance of objects in images, affecting contrast, color, and texture. This dataset encompasses these diverse conditions, enabling it to represent real-life scenarios. To protect privacy while preserving the dataset’s efficacy for pavement distress detection, specific alterations have been implemented. This includes the use of advanced repair techniques and selective blurring to effectively anonymize identifiable features, ensuring that the resulting images remain highly relevant for analytical purposes.

    Performance of object detection algorithms using PaveTrack_OD

    Our dataset is employed for training and assessing the performance of seven predominant object detection algorithms, including Faster-RCNN15, YOLOv516, YOLOv817, YOLOX18, YOLOv1119, and RT-DETRv220. The performance of the models is evaluated using four critical metrics: precision, recall, mAP50, and FLOPS. These metrics collectively provide a multifaceted view of the model’s accuracy and efficiency in correctly identifying and classifying each category within the dataset. For the dataset collected in China, RT-DETRv2 showed excellent detection performance with mAP50 of 0.593. As shown in Table 3, YOLOv11 follows closely with an mAP50 of 0.569. These results underscore the efficacy of our dataset in conjunction with deep learning algorithms for the detection of pavement distresses.

    Table 3 Performance Comparison of Object Detection Methods (China Dataset).

    For the dataset collected in the United States, the models’ performances differ from those observed in the Chinese dataset due to variations in volume and distribution. As evidenced in Table 4, YOLOv8 achieves a mAP50 of 0.561, significantly outperforming other models. Faster-RCNN, despite being proposed several years ago as a classical object detection method, maintains the highest precision of 0.782 in this dataset.

    Table 4 Performance Comparison of Object Detection Methods (United States Dataset).

    Baseline methods and results for pavement distress matching and tracking using PaveTrack_PD

    For the second part of the dataset, we designed a three-step matching algorithm to filter a large number of pavement distresses, with the specific design as follows:

    Step 1 (GPS Clustering): This step involves collecting images from the same location. To overcome the potential offset in GPS data due to tall buildings, this study employs an improved K-means algorithm that incorporates a filtering mechanism for outlier data during the clustering process. This enhanced algorithm is better equipped to handle outliers in GPS data, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of clustering. By filtering out outliers, the algorithm can more accurately determine cluster centers, resulting in clustering results that more closely reflect actual conditions. Considering the positioning errors of GPS in urban environments with building obstacles and multi-lane roads, images within a range of 5 to 20 meters are clustered to facilitate matching at each location.

    Step 2 (Background Matching): To accurately identify and match images that are close in GPS coordinates but have visual content differences, we need to match different scenes based on the background features of the images. The SuperPoint algorithm is first used to detect keypoints and extract descriptors for the images to be matched. The extracted keypoints and descriptors are then input into the SuperGlue algorithm for matching. Through SuperGlue’s graph attention mechanism, the similarity between keypoints is learned, establishing reliable matching correspondences. Based on the matching results, the similarity between two images is evaluated to achieve scene matching.

    Step 3 (Adjacent Local Area Matching): The SuperGlue network provides pixel-wise matches between two images, while the image recognition algorithm draws bounding boxes for each image. If the pixels within two bounding boxes match, there is a duplicate pavement distress in both images. However, due to different shooting angles, unremarkable features, or unusual weather conditions, the same distress in two images may not share matching features. Repaired defects and potholes are easily matched due to their more pronounced features, but the original defects are not prominent throughout the image and are difficult to match directly using SuperGlue. To address this, we designed an algorithm that matches specific pavement distresses by comparing adjacent local areas within the images. Specifically, we can extract local areas around the distress and then use a feature matching algorithm to compare the similarity of these regions. By calculating the relative position and orientation of the local areas, we can determine whether the two distresses are the same. This method helps us accurately match defects in two images, even if their shapes and sizes differ.

    Pavement performance degradation can also be observed through a designed matching framework, which illustrates five common degradation scenarios.

    Case 1 (Fig. 9) illustrates the onset of pavement distress, where, within a span of 20 days, the initially smooth pavement developed cracks. This demonstrates that distress does not accumulate gradually but occurs abruptly.

    Fig. 9

    Successful pavement distress matching case 1.

    Case 2 (Fig. 10) depicts a scenario where no significant deterioration occurred in the pavement. Over a four-month monitoring period, the crack at this location remained in its initial state.

    Fig. 10
    figure 10

    Successful pavement distress matching case 2.

    Case 3 (Fig. 11) showcases an instance of crack propagation, likely due to the combined effects of water infiltration and heavy vehicular loading. After four months, the length of the crack expanded to nearly double its original size.

    Fig. 11
    figure 11

    Successful pavement distress matching case 3.

    Case 4 (Fig. 12) presents a situation where a pothole was repaired. If the pothole becomes a repaired defect, it typically indicates that the road maintenance unit has intervened. This approach enables us to track changes in pavement damage status at high frequency, optimizing maintenance timing.

    Fig. 12
    figure 12

    Successful pavement distress matching case 4.

    Case 5 (Fig. 13) demonstrates the progression of a crack into a pothole, indicating that pavement distress is undergoing deterioration.

    Fig. 13
    figure 13

    Successful pavement distress matching case 5.

    Annotation validation

    The annotation process was a collaborative effort among team members, with images fairly distributed among the initial annotators. Dr. Liu Chenglong played a pivotal role in reviewing and refining these annotations to ensure accuracy. Following annotation, the images were anonymized and further processed using inpainting techniques to maintain the integrity of the dataset without compromising network performance.

    Influence of the inpainting process

    To evaluate the impact of our anonymization techniques on model performance, we conducted a comparative analysis. Initially, the model was trained using the original dataset without anonymization. The accuracy of the model was validated against different validation sets to establish a performance baseline. Subsequently, the same model was evaluated using the anonymized dataset, ensuring consistency in testing conditions. Notably, the comparative analysis revealed no significant differences in validation results between the anonymized and non-anonymized datasets. This finding indicates that our inpainting-based anonymization process does not impair the model’s ability to detect pavement distress, confirming the integrity of our data processing methodology.

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  • Microsoft’s August Security Update High-Risk Vulnerability Notice for Multiple Products – Security Boulevard

    1. Microsoft’s August Security Update High-Risk Vulnerability Notice for Multiple Products  Security Boulevard
    2. Microsoft Teams RCE Vulnerability Let Attackers Read, Write and Delete Messages  CyberSecurityNews
    3. Windows 10 KB5063709 prepares for extended updates, direct download .msu  windowslatest.com
    4. Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday gives sys admins a baker’s dozen  theregister.com
    5. Microsoft fixed 100+ security flaws in Windows and Office this month  PCWorld

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  • Mystery of the “Little Red Dots” May Finally Be Solved

    Mystery of the “Little Red Dots” May Finally Be Solved

    The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed many wonders of the early universe, but few discoveries have puzzled astronomers more than some mysterious “little red dots.” These tiny, brilliant galaxies appear scattered across deep space images like cosmic breadcrumbs, challenging everything scientists thought they knew about how galaxies formed in the early universe.

    These faint, compact objects were completely undetected before the James Webb Space Telescope and represent what lead researcher Fabio Pacucci calls “arguably the most surprising discovery by JWST to date.” The little red dots are visible from when the universe was just one billion years old, appearing about one-tenth the size of typical galaxies yet shining unusually bright.

    Schematic of the James Webb Space Telescope (Credit : NASA)

    The team at Harvard & Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics believe they’ve cracked the code. In a new study by astronomers Pacucci and Abraham Loeb they propose that these strange objects formed inside extremely rare, slowly spinning dark matter structures. Their distinctive red colour suggests they’re either shrouded in dust or packed with older stars. But here’s where things get really puzzling, the source of their incredible light output eludes us. If it comes from black holes, then those black holes would be impossibly massive for such tiny galaxies. If it comes from stars alone, the galaxies would be so densely packed that the physics seems impossible.

    Rather than focus on what makes the dots glow, Pacucci and Loeb asked a different question; how did such strange objects form in the first place? Their answer involves the invisible scaffolding that shapes our universe, dark matter halos.

    Simulated dark matter halo Simulated dark matter halo

    Think of dark matter halos like the spinning mechanism of a fairground swing ride. Much like the swings ride at a fairground, the faster the halo spins, the further out the swings stretch, causing the galaxy forming at its center to expand; likewise, a slow spin keeps the swings’ radius smaller.

    The researchers discovered that little red dots likely formed in dark matter halos spinning so slowly they represent less than one percent of all halos in the universe. These low spin halos would naturally create extremely compact galaxies in a hypothesis that elegantly explains several mysteries about the little red dots.

    Since only one percent of dark matter halos spin this slowly, compact galaxies would be equally rare and this nicely matches what astronomers observe. The theory also explains their peculiar timing with the dots appearing only during a brief billion year window because as the universe aged and expanded, dark matter halos naturally gained more spin, making it nearly impossible to form such compact structures later on. Finally, the brightness puzzle makes sense because low spin halos tend to concentrate mass in the center, creating ideal conditions for a black hole to rapidly accrete matter or for stars to form at extraordinary rates.

    “Our work is a step toward understanding these mysterious objects. They might help us understand how the first black holes formed and co-evolved with galaxies in the early universe.” – Fabio Pacucci from Harvard & Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics

    While this theory doesn’t definitively settle whether the dots are powered by stars or supermassive black holes, it provides the first compelling framework for understanding how these strange objects could exist at all. The research suggests these compact galaxies created ideal conditions for rapid growth, whether through explosive star formation or voracious black hole feeding.

    As astronomers continue studying these wonderful natural time capsules, the little red dots may unlock secrets about the universe’s most formative period, when the first stars ignited and the first black holes began their billion year growth spurts that would eventually shape the universe we see today.

    Source : New Theory May Explain Mysterious “Little Red Dots” in the Early Universe

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  • Georgia Hunter Bell: Olympic 1500m medallist considers world 800m bid alongside Keely Hodgkinson

    Georgia Hunter Bell: Olympic 1500m medallist considers world 800m bid alongside Keely Hodgkinson

    Georgia Hunter Bell remembers it well, not least the comically oversized vest.

    The feeling of knowing she was going to win her first ever track race as she passed everyone – girls and boys – on the final lap. Listening as her mum was told that 800m in two minutes and 39 seconds was “pretty good” for a 10-year-old.

    It all remains vivid, more than two decades later, as Britain’s Olympic 1500m bronze medallist weighs up the potential for completing a full-circle moment in pursuit of another global podium.

    The dilemma over whether to stick with the 1500m, switch focus to the 800m, or even attempt a rare double, continues to occupy her mind just four weeks before the World Championships begin in Tokyo.

    Hunter Bell’s exciting progress this season in the event which she originally showed great promise before she quit the sport for five years has teased the tantalising prospect of a showdown with training partner Keely Hodgkinson in a global final.

    The pair will go head-to-head over 800m at next week’s Lausanne Diamond League, after which Hunter Bell will make her decision.

    Before then, the 31-year-old contests a 1500m in Silesia on Saturday, where, in the 800m, Hodgkinson will race for the first time since being crowned Olympic champion in that event 12 months ago following an injury-disrupted year.

    “This year will be the first time that it might be close,” Hunter Bell tells BBC Sport, as she looks ahead to competing against Hodgkinson.

    “We do a lot of training together, we obviously are very good friends and we have a great team vibe, so I think at the moment we’re just taking it day-by-day.

    “It will be interesting, if we both make the world final and we both have a chance of doing well, how we manage [the situation].

    “But, at the end of the day, if Great Britain could win two medals out of three, and [our training group] M11 could go one-two, that would just be the coolest thing ever.

    “We’re all excited about the opportunity, rather than seeing it as anything negative.”

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  • Meet Min.: Bold, minimalist swimwear brand from 2 lifelong friends

    Meet Min.: Bold, minimalist swimwear brand from 2 lifelong friends

    Min. Swimwear is the product of a dream shared by two friends who first met in high school. Founded by Begüm Tabak Sınav and Sabina Hamzayeva, the brand reflects not only their long-standing friendship but also their complementary skills and shared ambition.

    Sınav, who holds a degree in fashion design, brings a creative vision to the brand’s collections, infusing each piece with her distinctive perspective. Hamzayeva, on the other hand, leverages her background in business and marketing to steer the strategic direction of the company.

    The two met in Istanbul’s Nişantaşı, where they shared their inspiring journey from friends to business partners. Sabina explains: “We founded the brand in 2023, so we’ve been in the industry for two years and completed two seasons. Begüm and I go way back – we graduated from Fine Arts High School, from the painting department. After that, life took us down very different paths. Begüm continued with fashion design education, while I started out in banking, insurance and business. Over time, I shifted toward marketing. Begüm always dreamed of starting her own brand, and eventually, we decided to make that dream a reality together. We asked ourselves, ‘Why don’t we combine our strengths?’ It was during a period when we were both taking a brief break from our careers, contemplating what to do next. That’s when we decided to launch Min. Swimwear during a casual conversation.”

    Challenges in production

    Designing swimwear, especially bikinis and one-pieces and finding the right audience is notoriously difficult. When asked why they chose such a challenging niche, Sınav responds: “That has always been my dream as a designer. For years, I kept telling myself that if I ever created something, it would be swimwear. I shared this dream with Sabina. Of course, as anyone familiar with the industry would guess, we struggled with production. Drawing and imagining designs is one thing, but finding the right fabric and workshop was tough. As a young brand, we began with small production runs. Established manufacturers didn’t want to work with such low quantities. Some who agreed couldn’t handle our designs. It was challenging. But in the end, we found a workshop where we could produce pieces that we were truly happy with.”

    Despite being a young label, Min. Swimwear has already established a distinct identity and appeals to a specific audience. Their designs are sold through social media, their own website and platforms like Hipicon.

    When asked about the common fear among young designers – that many never reach their second season – Begüm, the brand’s creative director, shares: “Our brand has found its audience. We were lucky, I think. We selected very distinctive cuts and models that have become our signature. We attracted attention, and people who wanted to wear bold, statement pieces bought from us. Next year, we plan to expand both our size range and product categories. We’ll be adding beautiful tunics to the collection, along with more styles. After surviving these first two challenging years, our goal now is to grow and expand further.”

    International ambitions

    When asked whether starting a brand from scratch was financially taxing, Sınav says: “Production was, of course, the biggest expense. Beyond that, we relied mostly on people we know. We didn’t spend a huge budget to launch the brand. We managed everything internally and received assistance from people around us for the brand’s photo shoots and catering. Our main goal was to reduce costs wherever possible.”

    The brand name, Min., also draws attention. Sınav explains, “Min comes from the word ‘minimalist.’ Our designs are as simple as possible, with a strong emphasis on quality and detail. Currently, the collection comprises 12 pieces – four models, each available in three colors. It’s a memorable and straightforward brand.”

    Looking to the future, they say: “We plan to increase our platform partnerships and start selling internationally. We would love to have our own showroom someday.”

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  • Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray stars Momina Iqbal and Junaid Khan in the lead roles. The show started out with a bang and fans were in love with the strong and negative character of Dureshehwar. She has been winning since the very start. She has destroyed everything and everyone and she is not stopping even after nearly 50 episodes. It was entertaining at the start but fans have different thoughts now.

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray is now at a point where Dureshehwar has been a clear winner while all the other characters have zero IQ. Her father also died and she is now going to get her brother divorced. The toxicity is not stopping and fans are over it. They want this stretching to stop and the toxicity to end.

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    This is what is happening:

    Fans have a lot to say about this constant toxicity in the show. One user said, “This drama needs to end. It is so toxic.” Another added, “This is so much Star Plus.” One said, “I only watch promos now. This is too toxic.” This is what people think:

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

    Do Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers PatienceDo Kinaray Episode 48 – Toxicity Tests Viewers Patience

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  • Weight loss before IVF could increase chance of pregnancy 

    Weight loss before IVF could increase chance of pregnancy 

    Women with obesity who participate in weight loss programmes before the beginning of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are almost 50 per cent more likely to conceive naturally than those given little or no weight loss support, a major review of evidence has found.

    Analysis of 12 international trials involving nearly 2,000 women revealed weight-loss interventions not only helped women with obesity conceive, but also increased the odds of any pregnancy, natural or through IVF by 21 per cent.

    The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, come as the NHS restricts access to funded IVF for women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. Researchers say providing structured weight loss programmes could not only enable more women to be eligible for NHS-funded IVF but may also significantly increase their chances of conceiving naturally.

    Related Article: Children born to women with obesity have higher risk of infection

    Led by the University of Oxford, the review analysed 12 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of women with obesity who were offered a weight-loss intervention before planned IVF, across five electronic databases up until May 2025. Researchers identified seven of the RCTs as having a high risk of bias due to poor study design, which may affect the reliability of the data in these studies.

    The interventions ranged from diet and exercise programmes to weight loss medications such as orlistat and older GLP-1 agonists, earlier versions of the drug class that now include Ozempic and Wegovy.

    Women lost an average of 4kg more

    Women in the intervention groups lost an average of 4kg more than those in the comparison groups. The review shows pre-IVF weight-loss programmes were linked to higher overall pregnancy rates, including a 47 per cent increase in natural conception. There was no clear evidence that weight-loss interventions improved pregnancy rates from IVF alone and they had no impact on miscarriage rates.

    Dr Moscho Michalopoulou, lead author from Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said the findings offer hope to women with obesity who currently face the double challenge of higher rates of infertility and potential exclusion from NHS-funded IVF.

    Related Article: ‘Significant’ changes to childhood vaccination schedule announced

    He explained: ‘Our findings suggest that offering structured weight loss support could improve the chance of conceiving naturally, which may avoid the need for IVF treatment. Programmes that help women achieve greater weight losses have the potential to help more women achieve a successful outcome, and should be tested in larger high-quality trials.’

    Improving equity of access to fertility treatment

    While the review provides the best evidence to date of the benefits of weight loss for conception, the researchers emphasise that the small sample size and bias in some studies highlight the need for more extensive trials to confirm the results, particularly the effect on live births. This effect remains unclear but the pooled data suggest weight loss interventions could increase live birth rates by 15 per cent. When the researchers restricted the analysis to low-energy diet replacement programmes, which led to greater weight loss, this correlated with an increase in live births.

    Dr Michalopoulou added: ‘We need efficient, evidence-based pathways that give them the best chance of success. Our work suggests that for many women with obesity, an intensive supported weight loss programme could help them to conceive naturally or make it possible to access IVF services.’

    Related Article: Mothers with anaemia more likely to have a baby with congenital heart disease

    Associate Professor Nerys Astbury, from the University of Oxford, noted: ‘This isn’t just about improving pregnancy rates – it’s about improving equity of access to fertility treatment. We know that people from more deprived areas and those from certain ethnic backgrounds are more likely to live with obesity. Policymakers should consider whether integrating structured weight loss support into fertility services could improve outcomes for patients, while potentially reducing overall costs by increasing the number of women who conceive naturally.’

     

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  • Elon Musk’s Risky Push Into NSFW AI Could Pay Off

    Elon Musk’s Risky Push Into NSFW AI Could Pay Off

    Elon Musk’s xAI feels more like xxxAI recently.

    XAI’s products have taken a decidedly NSFW turn this summer, which could prove lucrative for the company — and challenging.

    In June, xAI released a female AI anime companion that can be instructed to strip down to lingerie and describe sexual situations. Grok Imagine, the company’s AI video generator, launched a “spicy” mode capable of borderline pornographic imagery — with some users finding it quick to generate Taylor Swift deepfakes that showed the singer’s AI likeness topless.

    It’s a notable embrace of the idea that sex sells and an example of Musk choosing to zig where other AI companies are zagging. And with Grok closely integrated into the X platform, the NSFW content it produces is the latest evolution of the social media company’s relationship with steamy content, as Twitter allowed adult content long before Musk purchased it.

    Grok has limits. It doesn’t appear that users can create fully nude videos or AI companions — the content must cover genitalia. But the NSFW shift puts xAI in sharp contrast to OpenAI and Google, which bar their AI models from generating much erotic content.

    And while xAI is tapping into the multibillion-dollar adult entertainment industry, it could open the door to legal fights and advertiser skittishness.

    Steamy content could prove a moneymaker

    The adult entertainment market is massive. In the mid-2010s, estimates ranged from $10 billion to $97 billion, and the industry has likely grown significantly since then.

    “There’s essentially free entry to the market. There’s not a lot of barriers; anybody with an iPhone can create porn,” said Marina Adshade, a sex economist and assistant professor at the University of British Columbia. “The real money is being made in the distribution.”

    Adshade referenced the popular adult website Pornhub’s market dominance. The company is privately held and does not report annual revenue; its parent company MindGeek reported $460 million in revenue in 2018 before its acquisition by Ethical Capital Partners.

    OnlyFans, another major player in the adult entertainment market, reported $6.6 billion in gross payments to creators in 2023, of which the company takes a 20% cut. Its owner, Fenix International Limited, reported net revenue of $1.31 billion for the year. (Twitter, before Musk acquired it, reportedly explored monetizing adult content before nixing the idea after its Red Team concluded in April 2022 that the platform “cannot accurately detect child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity at scale.”)

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    Customizability could prove to be xAI’s edge. Adshade said that AI-generated porn can cheaply serve any user’s specific preferences, giving it a market advantage.

    “That’s where the money is,” she said.

    There’s plenty of existing demand for AI-generated sexual images, much of which has funneled to gray-market tools. Analysis from Indicator estimates that AI “nudifier” tools make around $36 million a year.

    Henry Ajder watched these tools grow. He advises companies like Meta, Adobe, and EY on deepfakes and their impact. He described a network of tools that masquerade on the App Store as “fun, meme-ifying apps,” but advertise themselves as deepfake tools on other platforms.

    Now, xAI is one of the first big players to tap into that demand, Ajder said, though the company’s offerings remain “softcore.”

    “It is something that a lot of the other models don’t allow you to generate,” Ajder said. “I guess it’s trying to cater to an audience, and seeing a gap in the market.”

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently acknowledged that NSFW AI may cause users to spend more time on platforms that offer it. On Cleo Abram’s YouTube show, he said that adding a sex-bot could “juice growth or revenue,” but that he has abstained because it doesn’t align with OpenAI’s mission.

    App download data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower suggests some of the new Grok features may have boosted downloads. The week xAI added companions — a week after the new Grok-4 model debuted — global downloads increased an estimated 41%. The week it added “spicy” video generation, global downloads fell an estimated 9% — but US downloads increased by 33%, per Sensor Tower.

    Those looking to chat with the AI companion Ani or generate an NSFW video with Grok Imagine will have to pay. For premium access, xAI charges $30/month.

    XAI did not respond to a request for comment.

    NSFW chatbots pose brand risks

    For all the money that xAI’s adult turn could bring in, it comes with risks and moderation challenges. Like other AI companies, xAI will need to ensure its AI models are properly trained to prevent outputting illegal content.

    Grok’s “spicy” video generation is only available for AI-generated images. When a user uploads their own image to the video generator, the only options are “fun,” “normal,” and “custom.”

    I tried to test the limits of the “custom” button to see how it compared to “spicy” mode. While it was willing to comply with my prompt to “take off shirt” on a photo of myself I had uploaded, I was unable to convince the AI to remove my pants.

    I also tried multiple times to have the bot create NSFW videos of celebrities. While my attempts to make “spicy” videos of Taylor Swift were shut down by Grok, the tool easily allowed me to create NSFW videos of other celebrities.

    That could lead to PR headaches. Celebrities could publicly criticize xAI over deepfakes with their likeness, especially any containing nudity, and they command large fan bases.

    Legal recourse around deepfakes isn’t cut-and-dried and continues to evolve. The recently enacted Take It Down Act protects victims of deepfakes, but images of non-minors must include specific sexual body parts to be subject to the legislation.

    Some states have more stringent laws on AI-generated deepfakes, and those affected could also file civil claims.

    Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 largely protects online platforms from liability for content shared by users.

    Allison Mahoney, a lawyer who represents people who have experienced technology-facilitated abuse, questioned whether considering the platforms as creators due to their AI-generating tools would “remove their immunity.”

    “There needs to be clear legal avenues to be able to hold platforms accountable for misconduct,” Mahoney said.

    Where xAI could more directly feel the burn is in advertising revenue. It acquired X in March, and many of Grok’s capabilities are integrated into the social platform. The Grok app makes it easy to share content, including its “spicy” output, directly to X.

    X has allowed pornographic content on its feed for years. In 2024, X put that rule into writing, officially allowing consensual NSFW content.

    Kelsey Chickering, a principal analyst at Forrester, said that AI-generated sexual content could push buyers of X’s ad space away.

    “When you layer on this whole not-safe-for-work feature and add suggestive new things to the mix, that just further degrades their credibility,” Chickering said. “It gives advertisers just one more reason to walk away.”


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  • Musée Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris Hosts Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game Art Exhibition!

    Musée Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris Hosts Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game Art Exhibition!

    France’s oldest museum will open the exhibition to the public between Saturday 30 August until Sunday 7 September. The first 100 visitors every day will receive a special Ukiyoe Blue-Eyes White Dragon give away item.

    WINDSOR, UK – August 14, 2025 – Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. (KONAMI) is proud to announce a special Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game art showcase at the historic Musée Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris, which invites visitors to explore the artistic legacy of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game through a curated selection of striking art and visuals, including all five iconic pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One, the Millenium Puzzle, original art, enormous statues, Japanese tapestries, and more.

    With millions of fans worldwide and a cultural legacy spanning over 25 years, Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game has inspired everything from fashion to art and remains one of the most recognisable entertainment brands globally.

    Printed-Art-Ukiyoe_B4

    Running from Saturday 30 August to Sunday 7 September, the installation coincides with the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025, held in Paris on 29-31 August. Timed to mark the tournament’s return to Europe, the showcase offers fans a rare opportunity to experience the artistic legacy of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game in one of Paris’s most iconic cultural venues – just as the world’s top Duelists gather to compete. In addition, the first 100 visitors every day will receive a special Ukiyoe Blue-Eyes White Dragon give away item.

    Founded in 1880, Musée Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris is Paris’s oldest municipal museum, located in the heart of the Marais district. Set across two adjoining 16th- and 17th-century mansions, the museum is renowned for its vast collection of over 600,000 pieces that chronicle the history of Paris – from antiquity to the present day. Its elegant architecture and immersive programming make it a fitting setting for this one-of-a-kind event.

    Admission is free, and the exhibition is open to all ages.

    Location: Musée Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris, 23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris, France

    Stay tuned for more details, including highlights from the collection, artist features, and limited-edition commemorative items available on-site.

    Today, the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG is available across the globe, with products distributed in more than 80 countries and 9 languages, to be enjoyed by fans of all ages.

    For all the latest information regarding Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG products and events, and all Yu-Gi-Oh! digital card game titles, please visit the following:

    Webpage:  www.yugioh-card.com

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialYuGiOhTCG

    YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@yugiohtcg

    Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/officialyugiohtcg/

    X:  https://x.com/YuGiOh_TCG

    Twitch:  https://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohtcg

     .

    About the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME

    The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is one of the most popular trading card games in the world with over 25 billion cards sold. It is a game of strategy, where players create individual Decks of cards collected from Structure Decks and Booster Packs. Two players engage in a Duel while using cards that represent powerful Monsters, magical Spells and surprising Traps. Duelists with well-constructed Decks, dominating monsters, solid strategy and good fortune are the victors in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. is the exclusive licensee and rights holder to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
    About Konami Group

    Konami Group was established in 1973, starting as an amusement machine manufacturer for arcades. Over the years, the company has grown to include different business units across various markets. Currently, KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION includes the Digital Entertainment, Amusement, Gaming & Systems, and Sports Businesses. The company went public on the Osaka Securities Exchange in 1984, the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988, and the London Stock Exchange in 1999. For more information, visit: www.konami.com/en.

     

    About Konami Digital Entertainment

    Konami Digital Entertainment, which is the core company of Konami Group, develops entertaining content for mobile, console and card games. The company is known for global franchises such as eFootball™, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Contra, as well as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game series.

    www.konami.com/games/corporate/en/


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  • Gas found in space could help repair damage to Old Masters, say researchers – The Art Newspaper

    Gas found in space could help repair damage to Old Masters, say researchers – The Art Newspaper

    In the early 2000s, conservators at Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) in Copenhagen discovered that painted white highlights on Old Master drawings—works by Hans Holbein, Abraham Bloemaert, C.W. Eckersberg and others—were darkening at an alarming rate.

    Discoloration of the lead white pigment on drawings, prints and photographs has long vexed conservators. But SMK, which holds one of the world’s largest drawings collections numbering around 18,000 works and dating back to the end of the 15th century, saw an opportunity to understand why it was happening and find ways to address it.

    “When the drawings are in that condition, they cannot be exposed to the public anymore because they lose, in a way, their meaning and their appearance and so they are not suitable for display,” says Gianluca Pastorelli, a conservation scientist at SMK who is part of a multi-decade effort co-led by Niels Borring to research the degradation and find ways to protect the collection.

    The challenge presented a mystery as not every work, even by a single artist in a particular time frame, exhibits discolouring. This darkening is also rarely seen in oil paintings. Of the SMK’s 800 works drawn in chalk, charcoal or pencil and painted with lead white highlights, about half experienced some degree of discoloration. An additional 200 salted prints and lithographs from Copenhagen’s Royal Library have also been affected. 

    Lead white was the pigment of choice for its white color and unique qualities from antiquity onwards, until toxic health effects drove it out of fashion in the 20th century. How it has been sourced and produced has changed over time, but it was historically mixed with binders and brushed onto the works.

    The researchers wondered whether certain artistic methods or materials were making the affected works more vulnerable. Pastorelli’s team used advanced, nondestructive imaging technologies, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray powder diffraction, and microsampling lead isotope analysis to essentially fingerprint the paint compounds, identify material properties and study the chemical makeup of the darkened areas.

    Their research showed that changing manufacturing techniques and the chemical composition of the pigment affected vulnerability to degradation. They also found that chemical reactions were converting lead white to lead sulphide, or galena, a well known metallic-grey mineral. Micro cross sections of damaged areas revealed that it was happening most often at the surface. They deduced that the culprit was airborne sulphur-containing compounds.

    Sulphur is a pollution byproduct— it comes from traffic, industry and human digestive gases—and has risen precipitously since the industrial revolution. At SMK, a move to temporary storage conditions was partially to blame for higher sulphur exposure levels and noticeable darkening. But why was the early 2000s such a turning point?

    “We have to also remember that in 2003 to 2004, we started to have very hot summers and this has an impact on the amount of pollution that is produced from traffic or factories, and also it makes it more challenging for climate control systems inside museums and their filtering system to handle all the variables that must be limited to a certain range,” Pastorelli says. On a simple level, heat and available reactants, such as increased pollution, make chemical reactions happen faster and more readily.

    “We believe lead white darkening is much less frequent on paintings largely because many paintings use oil paints, and oil indeed has a strong protective effect on lead white pigments,” Pastorelli says.

    The quest for a space-age solution

    Conventional treatments include using hydrogen peroxide baths or gels to lighten the darkened highlights, but carry risk of damage to the materials in the work and chemically create a new compound, which is not ideal in conservation. “It is like an old-school cancer drug—it treats, but it also destroys,” says Tomas Markevicius, an art conservator and founder of the Moxy Project research initiative.

    Markevicius and his team, which includes Pastorelli, are studying an entirely new approach to this conservation challenge—the use of atomic oxygen. In May, at a conference in Perugia, he presented the first ever use of atomic oxygen to reverse lead white darkening—without water, acids or contact—on lab mockups. He calls it “a major breakthrough in both chemistry and art conservation”.

    If it sounds space age, that is because it is. Atomic oxygen is a highly reactive form of oxygen found in low Earth orbit that readily interacts with chemicals around it. Nasa scientists Sharon Miller and Bruce Banks researched how this disruptive gas would impact spacecraft exteriors and later studied its use to clean items of cultural heritage.

    Upon contact with atomic oxygen, organic materials like soot, stains and varnishes release into the air. “They get converted to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and leave as a gas, so they don’t leave residue on the surface,” Miller says.

    She and Banks were able to test it out on an unlikely contaminant. At a 1997 event organised for the fashion brand Chanel at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, a reckless guest defaced Warhol’s hand-painted Bathtub (1961) with a lipstick-laden kiss. Conventional treatments failed to remove the makeup. Miller and Banks employed an atmospheric oxygen beam for more than five hours that removed the smudge but also some of the underlying grime and a thin paint layer.

    Markevicius’s Moxy group is developing atomic oxygen technology as part of a green cluster in cultural heritage backed by the European Union to develop sustainable technologies. They aim to produce a lab-scale prototype by late 2026 and are rigorously testing mock-ups and physically sensitive materials with varying contaminants to optimise protocols.

    For now, SMK is ensuring that its climate control and air-filtering systems work efficiently, but it is not taking action to lighten the darkened highlights in affected works, because there is currently no safe technique. “It’s a strong driver to develop such technologies that would have the least impact upon these incredibly valuable but also incredibly fragile structures, which are unique,” Markevicius says.

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