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UK completes world’s first flights for quantum navigation that could replace GPS
A British consortium with funding from the UK government has successfully tested what it calls “un-jammable” quantum navigation tech in flight. Geopolitical tensions and warfare have introduced GPS jamming as a means of messing with enemy communication and navigation. This can cause disturbances for both military and civilian transportation and location services. The quantum-based navigation system is called Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). Its developers are quantum technology firm Infleqtion’s UK subsidiary in collaboration with aerospace company BAE Systems and defence tech contractor QinetiQ, among others. The tech in question consists of Infleqtion’s Tiqker optical atomic clock, as well as a…This story continues at The Next Web
A British consortium with funding from the UK government has successfully tested what it calls “un-jammable” quantum navigation tech in flight. Geopolitical tensions and warfare have introduced GPS jamming as a means of messing with enemy communication and navigation. This can cause disturbances for both military and civilian transportation and location services. The quantum-based navigation system is called Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). Its developers are quantum technology firm Infleqtion’s UK subsidiary in collaboration with aerospace company BAE Systems and defence tech contractor QinetiQ, among others. The tech in question consists of Infleqtion’s Tiqker optical atomic clock, as well as a…
This story continues at The Next Web
France rides AI wave to secure €15B in foreign investment
France has secured €15bn in foreign investment from the likes of Microsoft and Amazon as part of this year’s Choose France summit, an annual event that aims to promote the country’s economic and business attractiveness. The €15bn mark represents a record amount since the summit’s first edition in 2018, with commitments coming from 56 different initiatives. “This is the fruit of the reforms carried out since 2017,” such as changes in taxation and investments in innovation, President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Lorsqu’un investisseur choisit la France, c’est bon pour l’emploi et pour la vie de nos régions. Voilà pourquoi…This story continues at The Next Web
France has secured €15bn in foreign investment from the likes of Microsoft and Amazon as part of this year’s Choose France summit, an annual event that aims to promote the country’s economic and business attractiveness. The €15bn mark represents a record amount since the summit’s first edition in 2018, with commitments coming from 56 different initiatives. “This is the fruit of the reforms carried out since 2017,” such as changes in taxation and investments in innovation, President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. Lorsqu’un investisseur choisit la France, c’est bon pour l’emploi et pour la vie de nos régions. Voilà pourquoi…
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Inside the fight to ban — and destroy — PFAS ‘forever chemicals’
For over 40 years, Ted Van der Vlies and his wife Marga grew fruits and vegetables in their backyard on the outskirts of Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Onions, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, rhubarb, cherries, you name it. Little did they know that their homegrown produce was likely poisoning them. Just a kilometre away from their garden sits the tangled mesh of steel pipes, giant vats, and smokestacks of the Chemours chemical plant. A recent court case found that the American conglomerate knowingly dumped PFAS chemicals into the environment around Dordrecht for decades. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, are a…This story continues at The Next Web
For over 40 years, Ted Van der Vlies and his wife Marga grew fruits and vegetables in their backyard on the outskirts of Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Onions, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, rhubarb, cherries, you name it. Little did they know that their homegrown produce was likely poisoning them. Just a kilometre away from their garden sits the tangled mesh of steel pipes, giant vats, and smokestacks of the Chemours chemical plant. A recent court case found that the American conglomerate knowingly dumped PFAS chemicals into the environment around Dordrecht for decades. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, are a…
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British Navy taps VR to train sailors in warship navigation
The Royal Navy has installed VR simulators at three military training sites in the UK. The simulators, built by Portsmouth-based Metaverse VR, recreate the bridge of a warship. A bridge, or wheelhouse, is like an aeroplane cockpit for ships. The Navy hopes that the new simulators will make training sailors faster and more lifelike. “You feel like you are stepping onto the bridge of a warship,” said Stephen Smallman, 28, a trainee warfare officer. “It is very easy to become immersed in the situation – it makes everything feel much more real.” The Royal Navy hopes the new simulators will…This story continues at The Next Web
The Royal Navy has installed VR simulators at three military training sites in the UK. The simulators, built by Portsmouth-based Metaverse VR, recreate the bridge of a warship. A bridge, or wheelhouse, is like an aeroplane cockpit for ships. The Navy hopes that the new simulators will make training sailors faster and more lifelike. “You feel like you are stepping onto the bridge of a warship,” said Stephen Smallman, 28, a trainee warfare officer. “It is very easy to become immersed in the situation – it makes everything feel much more real.” The Royal Navy hopes the new simulators will…
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Pussy Riot lawyer launches blockchain-based poll to challenge legitimacy of Russian elections
Russian voters who do not believe the 2024 presidential election was a just affair can now raise their voices via a blockchain-secured and encrypted referendum through the app Russia2024. This year’s presidential elections in March saw tens of thousands of Russian nationals queue up to cast their ballot at embassies around the world. Outside of the embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, voters — many of whom carried protest banners — waited for hours in order to make their voices heard. In theory. No one was surprised when Vladimir Putin again was announced the winner with 88% of the votes. Not…This story continues at The Next Web
Russian voters who do not believe the 2024 presidential election was a just affair can now raise their voices via a blockchain-secured and encrypted referendum through the app Russia2024. This year’s presidential elections in March saw tens of thousands of Russian nationals queue up to cast their ballot at embassies around the world. Outside of the embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, voters — many of whom carried protest banners — waited for hours in order to make their voices heard. In theory. No one was surprised when Vladimir Putin again was announced the winner with 88% of the votes. Not…
This story continues at The Next Web
This week in Dutch tech
Friday is here, the sun is shining and it’s time for your weekly round-up of news from the Dutch tech ecosystem. This week saw advances in hydrogen fuel cells, a big sale for chip-equipment maker ASML, and concerns over how right-wing politics will disrupt Dutch companies’ access to tech talent. Our highlights have you covered, but we’d also love to hear your thoughts on the local ecosystem. Drop us a line if you want to showcase your startup, share a digital tip, or just tell us your deepest, darkest secrets. In the meantime, let’s get to the news. What we’re…This story continues at The Next Web
Friday is here, the sun is shining and it’s time for your weekly round-up of news from the Dutch tech ecosystem. This week saw advances in hydrogen fuel cells, a big sale for chip-equipment maker ASML, and concerns over how right-wing politics will disrupt Dutch companies’ access to tech talent. Our highlights have you covered, but we’d also love to hear your thoughts on the local ecosystem. Drop us a line if you want to showcase your startup, share a digital tip, or just tell us your deepest, darkest secrets. In the meantime, let’s get to the news. What we’re…
This story continues at The Next Web
‘Deadbots’ and the ‘digital afterlife industry’ risk haunting the living, researchers warn
AI ethicists have called for urgent safeguards against an emerging “digital afterlife” industry. The concerns centre on chatbots that mimic the appearances, speech, and personalities of dead people. Known as “deadbots” or “griefbots,” these AI clones are trained on data about the deceased. They then provide simulated interactions with virtual recreations of the departed. This “postmortem presence” can social and psychological harm, according to researchers from Cambridge University. Their new study highlights several risks. One involves the use of deadbots for advertising. By mimicking lost loved ones, deadbots could manipulate their vulnerable survivors into buying products. Another concern addresses therapeutic applications. The researchers…This story continues at The Next Web
AI ethicists have called for urgent safeguards against an emerging “digital afterlife” industry. The concerns centre on chatbots that mimic the appearances, speech, and personalities of dead people. Known as “deadbots” or “griefbots,” these AI clones are trained on data about the deceased. They then provide simulated interactions with virtual recreations of the departed. This “postmortem presence” can social and psychological harm, according to researchers from Cambridge University. Their new study highlights several risks. One involves the use of deadbots for advertising. By mimicking lost loved ones, deadbots could manipulate their vulnerable survivors into buying products. Another concern addresses therapeutic applications. The researchers…
This story continues at The Next Web
LLMs have become a weapon of information warfare
A propaganda network linked to Russia has sparked alarm about a new weapon of information warfare: large language models (LLMs). The operation was unearthed by Recorded Future, a threat intelligence firm founded by two Swedish computer scientists. In early March, the company spotted a network known as CopyCop using LLMs to manipulate news from mainstream media outlets. Using prompt engineering, CopyCop tailored the content to specific audiences and political biases. Delivered via inauthentic US, UK, and French news sites, the articles covered divisive domestic and international issues. Topics ranged from tensions among British Muslims to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The articles…This story continues at The Next Web
A propaganda network linked to Russia has sparked alarm about a new weapon of information warfare: large language models (LLMs). The operation was unearthed by Recorded Future, a threat intelligence firm founded by two Swedish computer scientists. In early March, the company spotted a network known as CopyCop using LLMs to manipulate news from mainstream media outlets. Using prompt engineering, CopyCop tailored the content to specific audiences and political biases. Delivered via inauthentic US, UK, and French news sites, the articles covered divisive domestic and international issues. Topics ranged from tensions among British Muslims to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The articles…
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TNW Podcast: Peter Sarlin on AI in Europe; let’s talk about carbon capture
Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about protein powder and carbon capture, Europe’s potential answer to Starlink, Disney’s R&D department, how many browser tabs you can keep open, and more. The guest of the show is Peter Sarlin, CEO and founder at Silo AI. He has some strong opinions on the European AI ecosystem and its future, which we discussed in detail —…This story continues at The Next Web
Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about protein powder and carbon capture, Europe’s potential answer to Starlink, Disney’s R&D department, how many browser tabs you can keep open, and more. The guest of the show is Peter Sarlin, CEO and founder at Silo AI. He has some strong opinions on the European AI ecosystem and its future, which we discussed in detail —…
This story continues at The Next Web
The key technologies fuelling chatbot evolution
Most of us are familiar with chatbots on customer service portals, government departments, and through services like Google Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. They are convenient, easy to use, and always available, leading to their growing use for a diverse range of applications across the web. Unfortunately, most current chatbots are limited due to their reliance on static training data. Data outputted by these systems can be obsolete, limiting our ability to gain real-time information for our queries. They also struggle with contextual understanding, inaccuracies, handling complex queries, and limited adaptability to our evolving needs. To overcome these issues, advanced techniques…This story continues at The Next Web
Most of us are familiar with chatbots on customer service portals, government departments, and through services like Google Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. They are convenient, easy to use, and always available, leading to their growing use for a diverse range of applications across the web. Unfortunately, most current chatbots are limited due to their reliance on static training data. Data outputted by these systems can be obsolete, limiting our ability to gain real-time information for our queries. They also struggle with contextual understanding, inaccuracies, handling complex queries, and limited adaptability to our evolving needs. To overcome these issues, advanced techniques…
This story continues at The Next Web