Welcome to the December 18, 2023 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for IT professionals three times a week.
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Scientists Bring Molecules Back from the Dead to Fight Superbugs
CNN
Katie Hunt
December 15, 2023
A research team led by César de la Fuente at the University of Pennsylvania is using computational methods to mine genetic information from extinct human ancestors and other animals to identify possible candidates for new antibiotics. The scientists say some of the small protein (peptide) molecules they identified have bacteria-fighting powers that may inspire new drugs to fight infections in humans. The team found more than 11,000 previously unknown potential antimicrobial peptides unique to extinct organisms and synthesized potential candidates from some of them.
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Vera Molnár, Pioneer of Computer Art, Dies at 99
The New York Times
Alex Williams
December 15, 2023
Vera Molnár, a Hungarian-born artist who has been called the godmother of generative art for her pioneering digital work, died Dec. 7 in Paris at age 99. Her computer-aided paintings and drawings, which drew inspiration from works by Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee, have been exhibited in major museums. Molnár received the 2022 ACM SIGGRAPH Distinguished Artists Award for Lifetime Achievement in Digital Art in recognition of "her many pioneering computational art techniques engaging human sensitivity in the production of her abstract geometrical artworks."
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Chinese Grievers Turn to AI to Create Avatars of the Departed
South China Morning Post
December 14, 2023
AI is being used by Chinese firms to create lifelike avatars of the deceased based on as little as 30 seconds of audiovisual material. The idea is to provide comfort to grieving families, but there are concerns these "ghost bots" could harm the people looking to them for bereavement support. Tal Morse at the U.K.'s University of Bath said, "A key question here is ... how 'loyal' are the ghost bots to the personality they were designed to mimic?"
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Spain Readies Age-Checking Tech to Protect Children
Reuters
Emma Pinedo
December 14, 2023
Spain's national data protection agency, AEPD, announced that age verification technology is being developed to protect children from inappropriate online content. The Royal Spanish Mint is developing the technology, which is slated for release by mid-2024, in accordance with AEPD recommendations. It will verify an Internet user's age via an app, QR code, or certificate based on an ID card, health or residence card, driver's license, or passport. No personal data will be disclosed to third parties.
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Tesla Recalls 2 Million Cars with ‘Insufficient’ Autopilot Safety Controls
The Washington Post
Leo Sands; Aaron Gregg; Faiz Siddiqui
December 13, 2023
Tesla is recalling more than 2 million vehicles to fix Autopilot systems that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined did not have enough controls to prevent misuse. The NHTSA said Tesla’s method of ensuring drivers pay attention to the road while the driver-assistance system is activated is “insufficient.” The agency has been investigating the software for more than two years in a probe examining more than a dozen crashes involving Teslas in Autopilot mode and parked emergency vehicles.
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Human Brain-Like Supercomputer Coming Next Year
Interesting Engineering
Sejal Sharma
December 13, 2023
Researchers at Australia's International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) at Western Sydney University have developed a neuromorphic supercomputer than can perform 228 trillion synaptic operations per second, similar to the number the human brain can handle. The DeepSouth supercomputer, expected to be operational by April, is notable for being smaller than conventional supercomputers and able to process substantial amounts of data at a rapid pace using much less power.
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IBM, Top Universities to Advance Quantum Education in Japan, South Korea, U.S.
HPCwire
December 14, 2023
IBM is partnering with Japan's Keio University and The University of Tokyo, South Korea's Yonsei University and Seoul National University, and The University of Chicago to support quantum education activities. IBM intends to deliver educational offerings, in combination with contributions from each of the participating universities, to advance the training of up to 40,000 students over the next decade to prepare them for the quantum workforce.
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Amazon to Connect Kuiper Satellites with Laser Links to Boost Space Internet Network
CNBC
Michael Sheetz
December 14, 2023
Amazon will connect its Project Kuiper Internet satellites using optical inter-satellite links to improve network speed and latency. During tests of the laser link technology, two Kuiper prototype satellites maintained links through which data was transferred at 100 Gbps over close to 621 miles between the spacecraft. Amazon said the resulting orbital laser mesh network will boost data transmission speeds about 30% compared with terrestrial fiber optic cables over the same distance.
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Ultrasound Spots Battery Defects
New Scientist
Jeremy Hsu
December 14, 2023
Royce Copley at the U.K.'s University of Sheffield and colleagues used inexpensive ultrasound sensors and a genetic algorithm to detect defects or damage in lithium-ion batteries. The researchers assessed how accurate the algorithm was by X-ray scanning batteries, and found the algorithm sufficiently reliable for manufacturers to use it to check the batteries.
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ChatGPT Used to Create Faster, More Reliable Software
University of Stirling (U.K.)
December 11, 2023
Researchers at the U.K.'s University of Stirling leveraged ChatGPT to improve the speed and reliability of a software program. The researchers asked ChatGPT to update software automatically to improve computer coding. Stirling's Sandy Brownlee said, "We found that, on the open source project we used as a case study, a LLM [large language model] was able to produce faster versions of the program around 15% of the time, which is half as good again as the previous approach."
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HeRo Delivery Robot Braves the Cold Streets of Helsinki
New Atlas
Ben Coxworth
December 7, 2023
Some online purchases made in Helsinki, Finland, are being delivered within an hour by a wheeled robot. HeRo (Helsinki Robot), a ciTHy L "delivery droid" developed by French robotics firm TwinswHeel, can carry up to 300 kg. (661 lbs.) at a top speed of 25 kph (16 mph) for up to 20 km (12 miles) on a single charge. HeRo navigates and avoids obstacles using GPS and onboard sensors. It features individual lockers that customers can open via a smartphone app to access their purchases.
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Deepfakes Disrupting Bangladesh's Election
Financial Times
Benjamin Parkin; Jyotsna Singh
December 12, 2023
The use of AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation has proven problematic ahead of Bangladesh's elections in January. In one video posted on X in September by online news outlet BD Politico, an avatar news anchor for “World News” accused U.S. diplomats of interfering in Bangladeshi elections and blamed them for political violence. In response to issues with deepfakes, Google and Meta announced policies to require campaigns to disclose whether political advertisements have been digitally altered.
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