Alibaba will launch AI chatbot Tongyi Qianwen and directly compete with Chat GPT

Apr 11 2023

Alibaba, the Chinese technology giant, has announced plans to release its own artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot called Tongyi Qianwen, which will be integrated into Alibaba’s businesses in the near future. Tongyi Qianwen, roughly translated to “seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions”, is capable of working in English and Chinese and will first be added to Alibaba’s workplace messaging app, DingTalk. The chatbot will perform various tasks, including turning conversations in meetings into written notes, writing emails, and drafting business proposals. Alibaba also plans to integrate Tongyi Qianwen into Tmall Genie, similar to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant smart speaker.

Interest in generative AI has surged since the release of ChatGPT by Microsoft-backed OpenAI in November. ChatGPT is capable of answering questions using natural, human-like language and can also mimic other writing styles, using the internet as its database. Microsoft has spent billions of dollars on the technology and plans to embed it in its Office apps. Alphabet’s Google and Chinese technology group Baidu have also announced their own AI models and released similar chatbots.

On Tuesday, China’s cyberspace regulator unveiled draft measures for managing generative AI. The proposed rules would require companies to be responsible for the legitimacy of data used to train the technology. The public has until 10 May to give feedback on the proposals.

However, concerns have been raised about the potential risks of powerful AI systems, with a group of high-profile figures in the technology industry calling for their training to be suspended. Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among those who signed an open letter warning of the risks, saying that the race to develop AI systems is out of control. A recent report by investment bank Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs.

Earlier this month, Italy became the first Western nation to block ChatGPT, with the country’s data-protection authority citing privacy concerns.

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The man behind the disastrous Fyre Festival of 2017, announces Fyre Festival II

Apr 11 2023

Billy McFarland, the man behind the disastrous Fyre Festival of 2017, has announced that he will be throwing another festival called Fyre Festival II.

This news comes just a few years after the scandalous event that promised attendees a luxurious festival in the Bahamas, only to turn out to be a complete nightmare.

Marketed as an exclusive event, festival-goers paid thousands of dollars for a ticket and accommodation, expecting the event of the decade. However, Fyre Fest made headlines for all the wrong reasons, with no music, bad food, and inadequate beds for guests to sleep on.

Despite the disastrous previous event, McFarland seems to be attempting to make a comeback. He took to Twitter to share the news about the upcoming festival and instructed his followers to plead their case as to why they should receive an invitation.

The announcement has gone viral and has racked up a staggering two million views in just a matter of hours after it was posted. However, it seems like people haven’t forgotten about the controversy surrounding the previous Fyre Festival, with many expressing their concerns and criticisms towards McFarland.

The majority of Twitter users were not about to let McFarland get off scot-free for the major mishap of the previous festival. Some users suggested that they should instead beg not to attend, while others questioned why McFarland should not be in jail.

In March 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud to defraud investors and ticket holders and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor that occurred while out on bail. In October 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit $26 million.

Two documentaries about the events of the festival were released in 2019, Hulu’s Fyre Fraud and Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. The festival was also featured on an episode of the CNBC series American Greed in 2019.

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One million free vape starter kits to be offered in anti-smoking drive

Apr 11 2023

The UK government is launching a new initiative to combat smoking and help people quit. Called “swap to stop”, the program will offer free vape starter kits to one million smokers, along with behavioural support to help them quit. Pregnant women will be eligible for up to £400 in support. The program is part of the UK government’s efforts to reduce the number of smokers in the country to 5% or less by 2030. The initiative is set to roll out in local authorities later this year.

In addition to the “swap to stop” program, the government is also introducing measures to combat the rising use of vapes by young people. A new enforcement squad, backed by £3 million in funding, will be created to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illegal vapes and underage sales. The squad will be led by Trading Standards and work across the country. The government is also launching a “Call for Evidence” to identify opportunities to reduce youth vaping while keeping vapes available as a quit aid for adult smokers.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said that the priority is to prevent people from smoking and support them to quit. While vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, the government is concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the use of disposable vaping products. The illicit vapes enforcement squad will focus on clamping down on businesses that sell vapes to children, which is illegal, and get them hooked on nicotine. The “Call for Evidence” will allow the government to understand the steps it can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes.

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15 patients at risk of serious complications or death as they wait several days for surgery

Apr 11 2023

According to a senior hospital source, around 15 elderly patients with hip fractures are at risk of serious illnesses or death because they have to wait several days for an operation. Nurses are taking industrial action, causing operations to be postponed, which is leading to a backlog. The Association of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeons said that the number of patients awaiting surgery has reached a “record number” due to union directives. Patients have been waiting up to a week for surgery, increasing their risk of morbidity and mortality, especially for elderly patients with hip fractures.

While acknowledging the right of workers and unions to take industrial action, the association called on the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) to allow the theatre staff to perform surgeries on all available theatres on acute fractures and trauma patients irrespective of their life-threatening condition. A hospital source described the situation as “inhumane” since patients remain bed-bound, in pain, and disoriented while waiting for surgery.

The MUMN ordered its members not to perform several functions, including washing patients and clerical work, in an industrial dispute over the pay and working conditions of nurses and midwives. The government and the MUMN have been in negotiations for a new sectoral agreement since August. The directives affect all public hospitals, except the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, with separate directives targeting each hospital.

Paul Pace, the MUMN chief, said the union had no choice but to order industrial action since the pay and conditions of nurses were discriminatory and were causing people to leave the profession. When asked about the impact of the union’s measures on patients, Pace said that the government should address issues such as two-year waiting lists, consultants leaving the hospital at midday, people waiting for an operation being skipped by others, and a lack of transparency in scheduling operations. The health ministry said it had presented new proposals to the union for a new sectoral agreement, but an agreement was still far away, according to Pace.

Source: Times of Malta

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