Pope flags AI risks to kids’ growth
ROME, June 20: Pope Leo XIV has warned that artificial intelligence could negatively impact the intellectual, neurological, and spiritual development of young people. He sent a message to a conference of AI and ethics in the Vatican, highlighting the Holy See’s concern for new technologies and their impact on humanity.
Leo emphasized the need to evaluate AI development according to the “superior ethical criterion” of safeguarding human dignity and respecting the diversity of the world’s population. He emphasized that new generations are most at risk due to their quick access to information. Leo, elected after Pope Francis’ death, has identified AI as a critical matter facing humanity, posing challenges to defending human dignity, justice, and labor. He cited his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, who prioritized workers’ rights and dignity during the Industrial Revolution.
Francis has become increasingly vocal about AI threats and called for an international treaty to regulate it. (AP)
Mini robots designed to fix water leaks
LONDON, June 20: UK engineers have developed Pipebots, micro-robots capable of inspecting and fixing water pipes, reducing leaks and avoiding expensive excavation work.The smallest robot, 40mm wide, is equipped with high-specification acoustic sensors and cameras, allowing them to navigate and detect faults autonomously.
The Pipebots can be placed in a deployment hub and lowered into a water pipe through a hydrant by an engineer. They can navigate through difficult paths and communicate with each other within a short range.
Professor Kirill Horoshenkov from the University of Sheffield said Pipebots could significantly reduce the estimated three billion litres of water lost daily in England and Wales and save the UK economy’s part of the Pounds 4 billion lost annually due to utility street works and related disruptions. (PTI)