Blog

  • Zoë Kravitz Recalls Almost Losing Pet Snake in Taylor Swift’s House

    Zoë Kravitz Recalls Almost Losing Pet Snake in Taylor Swift’s House

    Zoë Kravitz almost got a bad reputation as a house guest due to a snake incident at Taylor Swift‘s home.

    The actress-director made a recent appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, where she recalled nearly losing her mom Lisa Bonet’s pet snake in the pop superstar’s home. Kravitz and her mother were staying at Swift’s house after evacuating their homes due to the Los Angeles wildfires in January.

    “She was kind enough to let me stay at her house,” Kravitz said. “My mom lives in Topanga Canyon, so I said, ‘No, that’s a dangerous place to be. Come [here].’ And my mom has a pet snake, and so she has her evacuation stuff; she came over with the snake. We ended up having to stay there for maybe about two weeks, and Taylor has this very beautiful house. I think it’s from the ’30s, like it’s a beautiful house, something you want to preserve and take care of.”

    Everything was seemingly going smoothly for the mother-daughter duo, up until Kravitz’s last day in the Grammy-winning singer’s home.

    “I was gonna leave. My mom was actually gonna stay longer. I had to leave for work,” she Blink Twice filmmaker recounted. “I was kind of packing up my things, and I was saying to my mom, ‘I really wanna be a good house guest. I like to leave places better than I found them. I don’t want her [Swift] to even know we were here.’ So I was kind of going around and cleaning up, and I’m downstairs and she’s upstairs and my phone rings and it’s my mom.”

    “I answered the phone and she goes, ‘Hi!’ And I’m like, ‘Your voice is super high.’ And she’s like, ‘I’m in a little bit of a pickle. Can you come upstairs?’” Kravitz added. Once she got to the upstairs bathroom, that’s when she learned her mom’s pet snake, named Orpheus, “found this little hole in the corner” of the room.

    Seth Meyers quipped in response, “But that’s a design flaw. That’s on Taylor. You can’t have a snake hole in your house.”

    After jokingly agreeing with the host, Kravitz continued, “So the hole is next to a banquette that is built into the wall that has two drawers at the bottom. My mom, by the way, she’s holding the snake’s tail. … They’re all muscle, they’re very, very strong, so she’s holding the snake’s tail. We don’t know what to do.”

    That’s when The Batman star said she “started to panic,” as “the snake is getting further and further” into the hole.

    “It’s like that scene in Jurassic Park when they’re in the car and the branches breaking every time they move,” Kravitz explained. “I was panicking so much that my mom likes to say, ‘If I had both hands, I would have slapped you.’”

    Thankfully, she said the house manager eventually came up and got a crowbar to “tear apart this banquette” so they could get the snake. “We’re ripping up the tile, we’re scratching the walls,” she recounted.

    “We completely destroyed Taylor’s bathroom, and there was just this moment where I was like, either we destroy her bathroom or I have to tell her that there’s a snake somewhere in her house,” Kravitz said, to which Meyers replied, “Both bad options.”

    “So we destroyed the bathroom and I said to her house manager, ‘Obviously I’m gonna pay for everything to be fixed. Please just don’t say anything until it’s fixed, so I could just say everything’s fine,’” she continued. “And I remember calling her [Swift] and saying, ‘Hey — also very high voice — I wanted to talk to you about something,’ and she was like, ‘Is it the fact that you almost lost a stake in our house and destroyed my bathroom?’”

    Meyers joked, “I feel like that snake’s gonna get like three songs on the next album.”

    While songs about Orpheus are probably unlikely, Swift did reveal her 12th studio album on Tuesday, titled The Life of a Showgirl. A release date has yet to be announced.

    Continue Reading

  • New research explores foot positioning to treat knee osteoarthritis

    New research explores foot positioning to treat knee osteoarthritis

    Gait analysis and pain measures show that subtly adjusting the angle of the foot during walking may reduce knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. This approach may also slow progression of the condition, an uncurable disease in which the cartilage cushion inside a joint breaks down.

    Led by a team of researchers at NYU Langone Health, the University of Utah, and Stanford University, a new study explored whether changing the way patients position their feet when walking could lessen extra loading – stress on the joint during motion – and help treat the disease.

    For the investigation, the scientists tested this intervention in 68 men and women with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis and then used advanced MRI scans to track how well it worked.

    The results suggest that those trained to angle their feet slightly inward or outward from their natural alignment experienced slower cartilage degeneration in the inner part of their knee compared with those who were encouraged to walk more frequently without changing their foot position. A report on the study is being published online on August 12th, 2025 in the journal The Lancet Rheumatology.

    Although our results will have to be confirmed in future studies, they raise the possibility that the new, noninvasive treatment could help delay surgery.”


    Valentina Mazzoli, PhD, Study Co-Lead Author and Assistant Professor, NYU Langone Health

    Mazzoli, an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, notes that the earlier patients receive a knee replacement, the more likely they are to require additional procedures in the future.

    The findings also revealed that those who adjusted their foot angle reduced their pain score by 2.5 points on a 10-point scale, an effect equivalent to that of over-the-counter pain medications. By contrast, those who did not change their gait reduced their pain scores by little more than a point.

    “Altogether, our findings suggest that helping patients find their best foot angle to reduce stress on their knees may offer an easy and fairly inexpensive way to address early-stage osteoarthritis,” added Mazzoli.

    About one in seven Americans have some form of osteoarthritis, commonly in the inner side of the knee, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A leading cause of disability, the disease is often managed with pharmaceutical pain relievers, physical therapy, and, in the most severe cases, knee-replacement surgery. Experts believe that excess loading can over time contribute to the condition.

    Past research has offered little evidence that changes in gait can effectively reduce knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, says Mazzoli. Some previous trials trained all participants to adopt the same foot angle and found no relief, while others did not compare the intervention to a control group or only followed the participants for a month.

    The new study is the first to show that tailoring each patient’s foot angle to their unique walking pattern can alleviate the disease’s symptoms in the long term and may slow cartilage breakdown, the authors say.

    Mazzoli adds that this technique may have a significant advantage over pharmaceutical painkillers. These drugs, she says, do not address the underlying disease and can cause liver and kidney damage, stomach ulcers, and other unwanted side effects when taken for long periods.

    For the study, the research team recorded the participants walking on a treadmill at a specialized gait-assessment laboratory. A computer program simulated their walking patterns and calculated the maximum loading that occurred in the inner side of their knees. Next, the team generated computer models of four new foot positions – angled inward or outward by either 5 degrees or 10 degrees – and estimated which option reduced loading the most.

    The patients were then randomly divided into two groups. Half were trained in six sessions to walk with their ideal angle while the other half were instructed to continue walking naturally. Pain scores and MRI scans were taken at the beginning of the study period and one year after the intervention.

    Study findings showed those who adjusted their gait reduced the maximum loading in the knees by 4%, while those who kept their normal walking pattern increased their loading by more than 3%.

    “These results highlight the importance of personalizing treatment instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach to osteoarthritis,” said Mazzoli. “While this strategy may sound challenging, recent advances in detecting the motion of different body parts using artificial intelligence may make it easier and faster than ever before.”

    While the authors relied on a specialized laboratory for the new study, artificial intelligence software that estimates joint loading using smartphone videos is now available and can allow clinicians to perform a gait analysis in the clinic.

    The researchers next plan to test whether these tools can indeed identify the most effective walking method for osteoarthritis patients, says Mazzoli. They also plan to expand their study to people with obesity.

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Uhlrich, S. D., et al. (2025). IPersonalised gait retraining for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Rheumatology. doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(25)00151-1 

    Continue Reading

  • What falling out with the US means for India – Business & Finance

    What falling out with the US means for India – Business & Finance

    At the start of this year, relations between India and the United States appeared to be on an upward trajectory. In February, just a month after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood alongside his long-time friend at the White House, pledging to raise bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 and signalling the possibility of a comprehensive trade agreement.

    This bonhomie wasn’t restricted to just trade – it reflected on defence cooperation, energy trade, and the Indo-Pacific security framework. Modi invited Trump to India for the planned Quad leaders’ summit later this year, a gesture intended to cement the personal rapport between the two leaders.

    That optimism began to unravel in May when tensions between India and Pakistan flared dangerously. In a brief but intense escalation, Pakistan claimed to have shot down six Indian fighter jets and destroyed a BrahMos missile storage facility in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Both sides came perilously close to wider conflict before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10.

    Trump publicly took credit for brokering the deal, calling it a personal diplomatic success. India, however, disputed that narrative, insisting it was a mutually agreed arrangement without US mediation. This disagreement planted the first seeds of mistrust.

    In June, the unease deepened when Trump invited Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir to the White House for a high-profile lunch.

    The meeting, followed by announcements of a favourable US-Pakistan trade arrangement, an oil reserve development deal, new cooperation on cryptocurrency regulation, and Washington’s acceptance of Pakistan’s long-standing demand to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade as terrorist organisations, signalled a strategic warming between Washington and Islamabad.

    Days before the Trump-Munir meeting, Modi and Trump held a tense phone call on June 17. According to reports, the conversation further soured their relationship, unravelling years of carefully built goodwill.

    The economic blow

    By August, the rupture had translated into hard measures. Trump slapped 25% tariffs on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of maintaining “strenuous and obnoxious” trade barriers.

    Days later, he doubled the rate to 50%, the highest for any Asian partner, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian crude as undermining the US sanctions regime against Moscow. He ruled out further negotiations until India cut its Russian oil imports.

    This escalation came despite five rounds of talks toward an interim trade deal, in which India had shown willingness to increase US energy and defence purchases and lower tariffs on American industrial goods. Political miscalculations and disagreements over agricultural norms and quotas ultimately doomed the talks, leaving $190 billion in annual trade and a $46 billion deficit unresolved.

    The tariff hike threatens India’s $87 billion export engine to the US, 18% of its total exports and over 2% of its GDP. Industry experts warn of a 40-50% drop in shipments, especially in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, jewellery, and automobiles. Small and medium-sized enterprises face a severe loss of competitiveness, while economists have trimmed GDP growth forecasts by as much as 1%.

    Market reaction has been swift: a weaker rupee, the risk of imported inflation, capital flight by foreign portfolio investors, and higher borrowing costs for foreign-currency debt.

    Strategic fallout

    The dispute undermines New Delhi’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. While the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, the US, and India recently met in Washington, the Quad leaders’ summit now looks unlikely. Instead, India risks drifting closer to Russia, its long-time defence partner, and even exploring limited engagement with China, which Modi is set to visit later this month.

    For Washington, this marks a reversal of a 25-year strategy of building up India as a counterweight to China’s rise. For New Delhi, it is a reminder of the volatility of personal diplomacy: the same leader who embraced Modi in Ahmedabad in 2020, before 100,000 cheering spectators, is now wielding tariffs as leverage.

    Political setback for Modi

    Domestically, the rupture is damaging for Modi. His image as a global statesman, reinforced by his perceived closeness to Trump, has been a key part of his appeal to India’s middle class. The opposition Congress party has seized the moment, branding him “Narendra Surrender” for failing to protect Indian trade interests. Even Hindu nationalist groups in the US, once among Trump’s staunch supporters, feel abandoned by Washington’s turn.

    With his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having lost its parliamentary majority in the last election, Modi now faces questions about his handling of both foreign and economic policy. His perceived inability to counter China’s assertiveness while losing favour in Washington could become a central vulnerability.

    The stakes

    At stake is more than just a trade dispute. The episode jeopardises three decades of India’s economic ascent and its strategic positioning as an emerging power backed by a US partnership.

    Whether this moment leads to strategic drift, realignment toward other powers or eventual rapprochement with Washington will shape India’s trajectory for years to come.


    The above article was contributed by Syed Ahmed Raza Rizvi, Senior Sub-Editor at Business Recorder (Digital).

    Continue Reading

  • Use of AI could worsen racism and sexism in Australia, human rights commissioner warns | Artificial intelligence (AI)

    Use of AI could worsen racism and sexism in Australia, human rights commissioner warns | Artificial intelligence (AI)

    AI risks entrenching racism and sexism in Australia, the human rights commissioner has warned, amid internal Labor debate about how to respond to the emerging technology.

    Lorraine Finlay says the pursuit of productivity gains from AI should not come at the expense of discrimination if the technology is not properly regulated.

    Finlay’s comments follow Labor senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah breaking ranks to call for all Australian data to be “freed” to tech companies to prevent AI perpetuating overseas biases and reflect Australian life and culture.

    Ananda-Rajah is opposed to a dedicated AI act but believes content creators should be paid for their work.

    Sign up: AU Breaking News email

    Productivity gains from AI will be discussed next week at the federal government’s economic summit, as unions and industry bodies raise concerns about copyright and privacy protections.

    Media and arts groups have warned of “rampant theft” of intellectual property if big tech companies can take their content to train AI models.

    Finlay said a lack of transparency in what datasets AI tools are being trained on makes it difficult to identify which biases it may contain.

    “Algorithmic bias means that bias and unfairness is built into the tools that we’re using, and so the decisions that result will reflect that bias,” she said.

    The human rights commissioner, Lorraine Finlay. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

    “When you combine algorithmic bias with automation bias – which is where humans are more likely to rely on the decisions of machines and almost replace their own thinking – there’s a real risk that what we’re actually creating is discrimination and bias in a form where it’s so entrenched, we’re perhaps not even aware that it’s occurring.”

    The Human Rights Commission has consistently advocated for an AI act, bolstering existing legislation, including the Privacy Act, and rigorous testing for bias in AI tools. Finlay said the government should urgently establish new legislative guardrails.

    “Bias testing and auditing, ensuring proper human oversight review, you [do] need those variety of different measures in place,” she said.

    There is growing evidence that there is bias in AI tools in Australia and overseas, in areas such as medicine and job recruitment.

    An Australian study published in May found job candidates being interviewed by AI recruiters risked being discriminated against if they spoke with an accent or were living with a disability.

    Ananda-Rajah, who was a medical doctor and researcher in AI before entering parliament, said it was important for AI tools to be trained on Australian data, or risk perpetuating overseas biases.

    While the government has stressed the need for protecting intellectual property, she warned that not opening up domestic data would mean Australia would be “forever renting [AI] models from tech behemoths overseas” with no oversight or insight into their models or platforms.

    “AI must be trained on as much data as possible from as wide a population as possible or it will amplify biases, potentially harming the very people it is meant to serve,” Ananda-Rajah said.

    “We need to free our own data in order to train the models so that they better represent us.

    skip past newsletter promotion

    “I’m keen to monetise content creators while freeing the data. I think we can present an alternative to the pillage and plunder of overseas.”

    Ananda-Rajah raised skin cancer screening by AI as an example where the tools used for testing have been shown to have algorithmic bias. Ananda-Rajah said the way to overcome any bias or discrimination against certain patients would be to train “these models on as much diverse data from Australia as possible”, with appropriate protections for sensitive data.

    Finlay said any release of Australian data should be done in a fair way but she believes the focus should be on regulation.

    “Having diverse and representative data is absolutely a good thing … but it’s only one part of the solution,” she said.

    “We need to make sure that this technology is put in place in a way that’s fair to everybody and actually recognises the work and the contributions that humans are making.”

    An AI expert at La Trobe university and former data researcher at an AI company, Judith Bishop, said freeing up more Australian data could help train AI tools more appropriately – while warning AI tools developed overseas using international data may not reflect the needs of Australians – but that it was a small part of the solution.

    “We have to be careful that a system that was initially developed in other contexts is actually applicable for the [Australian] population, that we’re not relying on US models which have been trained on US data,” Bishop said.

    The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, is also concerned by the lack of transparency around the data AI tools use.

    In a statement, she said tech companies should be transparent about their training data, develop reporting tools and must use diverse, accurate and representative data in their products.

    “The opacity of generative AI development and deployment is deeply problematic,” Inman Grant said. “This raises important questions about the extent to which LLMs [large language models] could amplify, even accelerate, harmful biases – including narrow or harmful gender norms and racial prejudices.

    “With the development of these systems concentrated in the hands of a few companies, there’s a real risk that certain bodies of evidence, voices and perspectives could be overshadowed or sidelined in generative outputs.”

    Continue Reading

  • Amazon Kuiper Constellation Grows to More Than 100 Satellites – SpaceWatch.GLOBAL

    1. Amazon Kuiper Constellation Grows to More Than 100 Satellites  SpaceWatch.GLOBAL
    2. Falcon 9 nearing its peak launch rate  SpaceNews
    3. Amazon’s big investment in its Kuiper internet satellite business is proving to be a smart bet  CNBC
    4. Cape Canaveral to see busy week of launches by SpaceX, ULA on Starlink, Space Force missions  yahoo.com
    5. SpaceX Launches Fourth Batch of Project Kuiper Satellites  Broadband Breakfast

    Continue Reading

  • AI-powered CRISPR tool enhances precision in gene editing

    AI-powered CRISPR tool enhances precision in gene editing

    image: ©ipopba | iStock

    Researchers from the University of Zurich have developed an AI-driven gene editing method that improves DNA repair predictions, enabling more accurate and safer genome modifications

    Scientists at the University of Zurich have developed an advanced AI tool, named Pythia, that significantly boosts the precision of CRISPR gene editing. By accurately predicting how DNA will repair itself after being cut, Pythia addresses one of the biggest challenges in genome modification. This breakthrough could lead to safer, more effective treatments for a range of genetic disorders and neurological diseases, marking a significant step forward in next-generation gene therapy.

    Precision gene editing using AI

    Scientists from the University of Zurich (UZH), Ghent University in Belgium, and the ETH Zurich have developed a new method that significantly improves the precision of gene editing.

    The researchers used an AI tool called Pythia that predicts how cells repair their DNA after it is cut by gene editing tools such as CRISPR.

    “Our team developed tiny DNA repair templates, which act like molecular glue and guide the cell to make precise genetic changes”, said lead author Thomas Naert, who pioneered the technology at the UZH and is currently a post-doc at Gent University.

    These AI templates were first tested in human cell cultures, which enabled the team to conduct highly accurate gene edits and integrations. The approach was also validated in other organisms, including Xenopus, a small tropical frog used in biomedical research, and in living mice, where the researchers successfully edited DNA in brain cells.

    “DNA repair follows patterns; it is not random. And Pythia uses these patterns to our advantage,” commented Naert. Traditionally, when CRISPR cuts DNA, scientists rely on the cell’s natural repair mechanisms to fix the break. While these repairs follow predictable patterns, they can result in unwanted outcomes, such as the destruction of the surrounding genes. “What we modeled at a massive scale is that this DNA repair process obeys consistent rules that AI can learn and predict,” added Naert. With this knowledge, the researchers simulated millions of possible editing outcomes using machine learning, asking a simple but powerful question: What is the most efficient way to make a specific small change to the genome, given how the cell is likely to repair itself?

    In addition to changing individual letters of the genetic code or integrating an exogenously delivered gene, the method can also be used to label specific proteins fluorescently. “That is incredibly powerful,” says Naert, “because it allows us to directly observe what individual proteins are doing in healthy and diseased tissue.” Another advantage of the new method is that it works well in all cells – even in organs with no cell division, such as the brain.

    AI-powered Pythia transforms genetic therapies with precise outcome predictions

    Pythia allows scientists to forecast the outcomes of gene editing with remarkable precision.

    “Just as meteorologists use AI to predict the weather, we are using it to forecast how cells will respond to genetic interventions. That kind of predictive power is essential if we want gene editing to be safe, reliable, and clinically useful,” said Soeren Lienkamp, professor at the Institute of Anatomy of UZH and the ETH Zurich and senior author of the study.

    “What excites us most is not only the technology itself, but also the possibilities it opens. Pythia brings together large-scale AI prediction with real biological systems. From cultured cells to whole animals, this tight loop between modeling and experimentation points is becoming increasingly useful, for example, in precise gene therapies”, Lienkamp added. This work creates new possibilities for understanding genetic disease and developing gene therapies, as well as for neurological diseases, that are both safer and more effective.

    Continue Reading

  • Red Sonja review – pixie-ish Matilda Lutz steps into Brigitte Nielsen’s battle corset for action remake | Film

    Red Sonja review – pixie-ish Matilda Lutz steps into Brigitte Nielsen’s battle corset for action remake | Film

    Ever since Brigitte Nielsen unlaced her battle corset after shooting ended on pulpy fantasy actioner Red Sonja back in the 1980s, there’s been talk of sequels and/or reboots. Truffle around the internet and you’ll find a saga to rival the finest in Old Norse about deals signed and projects greenlit and then abandoned over the years, with names attached to direct ranging from X-Men’s Bryan Singer to Transparent’s Joey Soloway. What a shame Soloway’s version never got off the ground because that surely would have been a hoot, and probably more interesting than this soggy, CGI-infused, low-budget confection that’s finally arrived.

    Little-known actor Matilda Lutz gets the lead role this time around, as well as getting all the hair extensions in the auburn aisle. She presents a Sonja that’s more a pixie-like hippy chick than Nielsen’s Valkyrie heroine, a bit of a loner who mostly kicks around the forest with her beloved horse. Sonja finds herself sucked, at first unenthusiastically, into camaraderie after she is captured by evil emperor Draygan (Robert Sheehan, clearly enjoying himself) and compelled to fight in gladiatorial combats. Sometimes her opponents are the other prisoners, and sometimes they are gargantuan amalgamations of pixels and VFX fairy dust, including a grumpy cyclops roughly the size of a tower block who is controlled by Draygan with what looks like a magic torch. Wallis Day plays another antagonist with bleached eyebrows and agonising visions of all the people she’s ever killed, just to show that baddies have backstories too.

    Indeed, there’s quite a lot of backstorying going on here, with lashings of flashbacks as we find out how Sonja came to be a lonely child of the forest, how other characters got roped into all this, and even what makes Draygan so mean. The action sequences, which are what made the original Sonja so indelible (especially since Nielsen had Arnold Schwarzenegger as a co-star), are a bit more rote. But someone somewhere must have done a punch-up on the script, because every now and then a reasonably witty quip arrives out of nowhere before the dialogue reverts to faux medieval speak.

    Red Sonja is on digital platforms from 18 August, and on DVD & Blu-ray from 8 September

    Continue Reading

  • BBVA and the University of Navarra embark on a ground-breaking applied research project into responsible AI

    BBVA and the University of Navarra embark on a ground-breaking applied research project into responsible AI

    With decision-making processes becoming increasingly automated, including loan approvals, recruitment or access to services, we must ensure that artificial intelligence systems are both fair and transparent. These challenges are not only technical but also social, and therefore require ethical reflection, oversight and institutional commitment. The Fair Learning project, coordinated by BBVA’s own Data University and the Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DATAI) at the University of Navarra, aims to address this challenge from technological, philosophical and legal standpoints.

    Over the next three years, twenty experts—including BBVA data scientists and University of Navarra academics from various disciplines such as engineering, philosophy, medicine, law and economics—will work together to design a framework for detecting, mitigating and correcting AI bias, guaranteeing privacy, fairness and individual autonomy, and for defining best practices in line with current law and regulations.

    “This is a genuinely groundbreaking project in the financial sector and a further show of BBVA’s commitment to advancing its technological transformation without losing focus on people,” remarked Josep Amorós, project coordinator and Senior Manager of Analytics Transformation at BBVA, adding that “AI is already a central pillar of the bank’s transformation and will only gain in prominence over the coming years. Therefore, we must ensure its development adheres to principles of fairness, responsibility and transparency.”

    According to Jesús López Fidalgo, project coordinator for the University of Navarra team and head of the Institute of Data Science and AI, “responsible AI is one of the great challenges of this new era, and beyond the mere application of general ethical principles lies an open field to explore through multidisciplinary research. We excel at this type of research at the University of Navarra, which has the optimal human resources to carry it out, working alongside the team at BBVA’s Data University.”

    The virtuous triangle: technology, philosophy and regulation

    One of Fair Learning’s main avenues of research is how to mitigate the presence of bias in data. To succeed in this task, the research team will utilize advanced mathematical and statistical methods to help prevent models from learning discriminatory or biased patterns while being trained, compensate for the under-representation of certain datasets (e.g. a specific demographic group) in larger ones, and monitor the results and outputs of trained models to ensure that they do not infringe the interests of any population group.

    The team will also integrate philosophical frameworks such as human-centered AI and virtue ethics, which guide technological development based on moral criteria and social responsibility. The aim is to build systems that respect privacy, promote fairness and reinforce human autonomy without replacing it. The project will also examine how best to conduct ethical audits and establish ongoing assessment processes to ensure the continuous improvement of such systems.

    In the regulatory realm, the Fair Learning project will analyze the existing legal framework, which is built around the new European Union AI Regulation (EU AI Act), to define best practices and propose recommendations to ensure ethical and legally aligned implementation of AI systems.

    Fair Learning is part of a wider ongoing partnership between BBVA and the University of Navarra in the field of data. This relationship began in 2020 with a pioneering agreement to train the bank’s employees in data science, create a dedicated track for BBVA employees in the official Master’s in Big Data Science, and promote joint industrial PhDs between the bank and the university. To date, more than 90 students have graduated from the master’s programme, 135 data scientists have been certified, and 12 PhD students are currently enrolled, bringing the number of BBVA professionals specialized as a result of the alliance to 239. In 2024, this project reached the executive level with a Senior Management Program in Generative AI, which has already trained upward of 150 BBVA leaders in the strategic use of these technologies.

    Continue Reading

  • Pakistan Armed Forces to showcase defence equipment in Islamabad on Thursday – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. Pakistan Armed Forces to showcase defence equipment in Islamabad on Thursday  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. Independence Day: Independence: a gift and a responsibility  Dawn
    3. Celebrations in full swing to mark ‘Independence Day’ with national pride  ptv.com.pk
    4. Sewing patriotism, one flag at a time  The Express Tribune
    5. Armed forces to hold Independence Day defence show in Islamabad  nation.com.pk

    Continue Reading

  • Tesla link giving Samsung Texas chip fab huge boost

    Tesla link giving Samsung Texas chip fab huge boost

    The Samsung Smart Monitor M9 is gaining rave reviews from leading outlets. The product is being praised around the world for stunning picture quality, intelligent features, and gaming-ready performance on top of OLED technology.

    Today, Samsung highlighted Smart Monitor M9 reviews by leading outlets like HomeTheaterReview, Techaeris, and Tom’s Guide. It also shared a summary of what leading tech outlets are saying about its M9 monitor.

    Samsung’s Smart Monitor M9 introduces the brilliance of a 4K OLED display with built-in Smart TV Apps, AI-powered features, and Gaming Hub to deliver a seamless experience, making it the ultimate all-in-one screen.

    The Smart Monitor M9 is a smart entertainment hub, which unlocks built-in access to Netflix, YouTube, Samsung TV Plus, and Samsung Gaming Hub to enable cloud-based gaming and content streaming without the need for a PC.

    Here’s what reviewers say:

    HomeTheaterReview

    Leading tech review outlet HomeTheaterReview described the M9 as “one of the most impressive displays money can buy,” pointing to a responsive performance and “color accuracy that creative professionals will drool over.”

    “Imagine a monitor so capable, you might forget to connect a computer,” wrote HomeTheaterReview, which awarded the M9 five stars and an “Editors’ Choice” distinction.

    Tom’s Guide

    Tom’s Guide wrote, “The new M9 offers a significant upgrade over its predecessor thanks to its 32-inch 4K QD-OLED panel, which dramatically enhances contrast and color for an improved movie-watching experience.”

    The reviewer at Tom’s Guide wrote, “During my time with the M9, I came to the conclusion that it’s a huge leap forward from its predecessor, offering more than enough advancements to justify a price increase.”

    Techaeris

    Tech outlet Techaeris rated Samsung’s M9 a 9.7 out of 10, calling its QD-OLED panel “one of the best you’re going to find on any monitor,” and noting the display “looks spectacular” with colors that “pop” and brightness that “doesn’t wash out the colors.”

    Also, Techaeris named the M9 a Top Pick of 2025.

    “With a brilliant 4K QD-OLED display, 165Hz refresh rate, Smart TV apps, Gaming Hub, and more, this is a do-it-all monitor and TV, perfect for work and play,” wrote Techaeris.

    Source – Samsung

    Continue Reading