WTF?! Forget about whether robots can outperform humans at their jobs, China wants to answer the bigger question on everyone's minds: can the machines beat their flesh-and-blood creators in a half-marathon race? In April, this pressing question will be answered. The world's first humans vs. robot half-marathon will take place in Beijing's Daxing district in April. Around 12,000 humans will be racing the 13 miles against humanoid robots from more than 20 companies, according to the administrative body of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, aka E-Town.Research institutes, robotics clubs and universities from around the world are being invited to enter their robots into the race. There are rules, of course: the robots must resemble humans and have a mechanical structure that allows them to perform bipedal walking or running no wheels allowed, obviously.Furthermore, the robots must stand between 1.6 feet and 6.5 feet, and the maximum extension distance from the hip joint to the sole of the foot should be at least 1.47 feet. Both remote controlled and fully autonomous robots are allowed to enter, and mid-race battery swaps will be permitted. The top three runners will be awarded prizes.While this will be the first time that robots have competed against humans in a half-marathon, another race in Beijing last year saw a bipedal robot Tiangong from robotics company Galbot join participants near the end. It only ran about 100 meters (328 feet) and was pretty slow, but it still received a medal for crossing the finish line. Tiangong will also reportedly take part in April's race, at which point it will be able to run at 6.2 miles per hour.In November 2024, a robot built by the South Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) became the first quadrupedal robot to complete a full marathon. Bearing a strong resemblance to Boston Dynamics' Spot, RAIBO2 finished the 26.2-mile run in four hours, 19 minutes, and 52 seconds. // Related StoriesAs with AI, humanoid robots are another tech area where China is competing with the United States. Several cities in the Asian nation are pouring more money into researching, developing, and promoting these machines, with the industry predicted to grow to $54.6 billion by 2030.Masthead: Beijing Daily

If you ache to explore the world of the Sword Coast with your friends, good news: crossplay is finally coming to Baldurs Gate 3after a wait that felt as long as elven lifespans. Larian announced today that Patch 8 is entering stress testing. The patch still needs some time to cook, but Larian has major expectations for what this update will bring. After all, according to the devs, this is the last official patch.Patch 8 is a big one. It adds not only crossplay, but also a whopping 12 new subclasses, a photo mode, and restores split-screen play to the Xbox Series S. There are also numerous small bug fixes and balance adjustments.Larian StudiosThe new subclasses arent just afterthoughts; theyre accompanied by new animations, abilities, and unique dialogue lines for each. For example, if you play an Oathbreaker Paladin a class that carries a certain level of notoriety in the world of Dungeons and Dragons then some NPCs might react negatively towards you. These classes include:Bard College of GlamourBarbarian Path of GiantsCleric Death DomainDruid Circle of StarsPaladin Oath of the CrownFighter Arcane ArcherMonk Drunken MasterRanger SwarmkeeperRogue SwashbucklerSorcerer Shadow MagicWarlock Hex BladeWizard BladesingingRecommended VideosThe Photo Mode is nothing to scoff at, either. It essentially lets you set up any shot you want, along with customization and editing tools. You can enable or disable characters, remove enemies from the shot, and even add stickers like objects, blood splatter, and more to the scene.Larian StudiosIf youve signed up to participate in the stress test, Larian says to check your email. PlayStation 5 and PC gamers should find the requisite code there, while Xbox players can access it through the Xbox Insider Hub. The team reports several known bugs (some more serious than others), and asks players to report anything they run across.Please enable Javascript to view this contentIts even possible to crossplay with friends who are running modded versions of the game, even if youre on console. The host has to have less than 100 mods installed, and those mods must be compatible with both console and Mac. Otherwise, you wont be able to join the adventure due to mismatched mods.The stress test is still available to join, although signing up for an invite doesnt guarantee access.Larian Studios hasnt given a specific release window for when the patch will roll out to everyone else, but the studio does intend for this to be the final major patch. It aims to move on to new projects away from the Dungeons and Dragons universe, but you can expect to see it sometime in 2025.Editors Recommendations

Unlike the other shooters such asBlack Ops 6 or Fortnite, most people dont think too much about the multiplayer component of Sniper Elite: Resistance. You can have a fantastic time slinking through the levels, finding a perch, and watching your bullet soar across the map and into your targets eye alone, but the game gets much more fun when you bring a friend along in co-op. Or, you can enjoy the traditional multiplayer PvP modes. Either way, you will want to have a friend to watch your back while youre lining up your perfect shot, but what if they are playing on a different platform? Not even all of the best multiplayer games have cross-platform support, so lets zero in on Sniper Elite: Resistance and see if it lands its shot.RebellionYes, Sniper Elite: Resistance will allow you to play online in co-op, Axis Invasion, and any of the regular PvP multiplayer modes across all platforms. That includes PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Only the Switch is left off this list, with there being no plans to release a port for that system. However, with the Switch 2 just around the corner, it is possible a version will be released on the more powerful hardware later on. You can also disable crossplay if you feel at a disadvantage against PC players, for example.Recommended VideosIn terms of cross-progression, sadly you will be stuck playing on whichever system you begin on. Theres no way to transfer your progress from one platform to another, so choose wisely where you purchase the game unless youre willing to start from scratch on a second platform. Thankfully, since you dont have to worry about crossplay, you wont have to worry about transferring your progress to another platform to play with your friends at least.Editors Recommendations

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AMERICA F YEAH Google goes gaga over the Gulf of Mexico "We will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America." Eric Berger Jan 28, 2025 9:41 am | 216 As of Tuesday morning, the Gulf of Mexico was still the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps in the United States. Credit: Google Maps As of Tuesday morning, the Gulf of Mexico was still the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps in the United States. Credit: Google Maps Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWell, that didn't take long.Google Maps, the most popular mapping software in the world, said on Monday evening that it will begin using new names for two prominent geographical features in North America, the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali. As soon as "they have been updated in official government sources," Google said on the social media site X, it would change the names of these features to the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley.The announcement comes a little less than a week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to, in his words, "promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes." This included renaming the Gulf and the highest mountain in North America.The order declared that, within 30 days, the Secretary of the Interior should take all appropriate actions to change the names of the prominent body of water and mountain. To do this, the database of name and location information published by the US Geological Survey, the Geographic Names Information System, should be updated accordingly. These files are revised on a bi-monthly basis."When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America," the company said Monday.The change will likely only be visible to users based in the United States. As part of what it described as a longstanding practice, Google added, "When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too."Like a number of other tech leaders, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai has been seeking to develop a closer relationship with Trump since his election. Pichai was among the tech leaders at Trump's inauguration last week, and he also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago before he took office. Mar-a-Lago, by the way, is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida, which is opposite from the state's Gulf of Mexico shoreline.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 216 Comments

Shane Snider, Senior Writer, InformationWeekJanuary 28, 20254 Min ReadRokas Tenys via Alamy StockDeepSeek, the China-based AI startup that upended US technology stocks Monday, said cyberattacks have disrupted services for its chatbot platform. And the companys vulnerability raises concerns about users data security and use, experts say.DeepSeek caused Wall Street panic with the launch of its low cost, energy efficient language model as nations and companies compete to develop superior generative AI platforms. Users raced to experiment with the DeepSeeks R1 model, dethroning ChatGPT from its No. 1 spot as a free app on Apples mobile devices. Nvidia, the worlds leading maker of high-powered AI chips suffered a staggering $593 billion market capitalization loss -- a new single-day stock market loss record.The companys wild ride continued Monday night as the company reported outages it said were the result of large-scale malicious attacks, disrupting services and limiting new registrations.Ilia Kolochenko, CEO at ImmuniWeb and adjunct professor of cybersecurity at Marylands Capital Technology University, says it may be too early to accept the companys attack explanation. It is not completely excluded that DeepSeek simply could not handle the legitimate user traffic due to insufficiently scalable IT infrastructure, while presenting this unforeseen outage as a cyberattack, he says in an email message.He adds, Most importantly, this incident indicates that while many corporations and investors are obsessed with the ballooning AI hype, we still fail to address foundational cybersecurity issues despite having access to allegedly super powerful GenAI technologies.The Devil Is in the User DetailsConsidering the potential breach, security experts also worry about DeepSeeks access to users data, which under Chinas strict AI regulations, must be shared with the government.All AI models have the same risks that any other software has and should be treated the same way, Mike Lieberman, CTO of software supply chain security firm Kusari, says in an email interview. Generally, AI could have vulnerabilities or malicious behaviors injected Assuming youre running AI following reasonable security practices, e.g., sandboxing, the big concerns are that the model is biased or manipulated in some way to respond to prompts inaccurately or maliciously.Chinas access to potentially sensitive user information should be a top security concern, says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN. DeepSeeks privacy policy, which can be found in English, makes it clear: User data, including conversations and generated responses, is stored in servers on China, Warmenhoven says in an email message. This raises concerns because of the data collection outlined -- ranging from user-shared information to data from external sources -- which falls under the potential risks associated with storing such data in a jurisdiction with different privacy and security standards.Warmenhoven says users need to be on guard: To mitigate these risks, users should adopt a proactive approach to their cybersecurity. This includes scrutinizing the terms and conditions of any platform they engage with, understanding where their data is stored and who has access to it.Optivs Jennifer Mahoney, advisory practice manager for data governance, privacy and protection, says, As generative AI platforms from foreign adversaries enter the market, users should question the origin of the data used to rain these technologies When a service is free, you become the product and your user data is valuable. Should an unregulated an unsecure technology suffer a cyberattack, you could become a victim of identity theft or social engineering.The Risk to National SecurityChina and the US have been locked in a strategic battle over AI dominance. The US, under the previous Biden administration, blocked Chinas access to powerful AI chips. DeepSeeks ability to create an AI chatbot comparable to the best US-produced GenAI models at a fraction of the cost and power could give the adversarial nation the upper hand as the countries race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI).AI and associated cloud compute are now a nations strategic asset, Gunter Ollman, CTO at security firm Cobalt, tells InformationWeek in an email interview. Its security is paramount and is increasing targeted by competing nations with the full cyber and physical resources they can muster. AI code/models are inherently more difficult to assess and preempt vulnerabilities Organizations should also be wary of using DeepSeeks open-source technology, Ollman says. Organizations building atop open-source AI should plan for a potential future bloodbath of vulnerabilities and exploits in the near future.A popular GenAI tool could lure unsuspecting users to fall for adversarial nation-state propaganda. The definition of backdoor attacks that normally involve malicious code should be expanded to included malicious misinformation, Ollman says. Backdoors may extend to political and social influence, such as a models answers modifying history Perhaps country-led open-source AI models are the modern equivalent of religious missionaries of past centuries.About the AuthorShane SniderSenior Writer, InformationWeekShane Snider is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of industry experience. He started his career as a general assignment reporter and has covered government, business, education, technology and much more. He was a reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh News and Observer and most recently a tech reporter for CRN. He was also a top wedding photographer for many years, traveling across the country and around the world. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.See more from Shane SniderNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Mice with two fathers have been bornand have survived to adulthoodfollowing a complex set of experiments by a team in China. Zhi-Kun Li at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and his colleagues used CRISPR to create the mice, using a novel approach to target genes that normally need to be inherited from both male and female parents. They hope to use the same approach to create primates with two dads. Humans are off limits for now, but the work does help us better understand a strange biological phenomenon known as imprinting, which causes certain genes to be expressed differently depending on which parent they came from. For these genes, animals inherit part of a dose from each parent, and the two must work in harmony to create a healthy embryo. Without both doses, gene expression can go awry, and the resulting embryos can end up with abnormalities. This is what researchers have found in previous attempts to create mice with two dads. In the 1980s, scientists in the UK tried injecting the DNA-containing nucleus of a sperm cell into a fertilized egg cell. The resulting embryos had DNA from two males (as well as a small amount of DNA from a female, in the cytoplasm of the egg). But when these embryos were transferred to the uteruses of surrogate mouse mothers, none of them resulted in a healthy birth, seemingly because imprinted genes from both paternal and maternal genomes are needed for development. Li and his colleagues took a different approach. The team used gene editing to knock out imprinted genes altogether. Around 200 of a mouses genes are imprinted, but Lis team focused on 20 that are known to be important for the development of the embryo. In an attempt to create healthy mice with DNA from two male dads, the team undertook a complicated set of experiments. To start, the team cultured cells with sperm DNA to collect stem cells in the lab. Then they used CRISPR to disrupt the 20 imprinted genes they were targeting. These gene-edited cells were then injected, along with other sperm cells, into egg cells that had had their own nuclei removed. The result was embryonic cells with DNA from two male mice. These cells were then injected into a type of embryo shell used in research, which provides the cells required to make a placenta. The resulting embryos were transferred to the uteruses of female mice. It workedto some degree. Some of the embryos developed into live pups, and they even survived to adulthood. The findings were published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Its exciting, says Kotaro Sasaki, a developmental biologist at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the work. Not only have Li and his team been able to avoid a set of imprinting defects, but their approach is the second way scientists have found to create mice using DNA from two males. The finding builds on research by Katsuhiko Hayashi, now at Osaka University in Japan, and his colleagues. A couple of years ago, that team presented evidence that they had found a way to take cells from the tails of adult male mice and turn them into immature egg cells. These could be fertilized with sperm to create bi-paternal embryos. The mice born from those embryos can reach adulthood and have their own offspring, Hayashi has said. Lis teams more complicated approach was less successful. Only a small fraction of the mice survived, for a start. The team transferred 164 gene-edited embryos, but only seven live pups were born. And those that were born werent entirely normal, either. They grew to be bigger than untreated mice, and their organs appeared enlarged. They didnt live as long as normal mice, and they were infertile. It would be unethical to do such risky research with human cells and embryos. Editing 20 imprinted genes in humans would not be acceptable, and producing individuals who could not be healthy or viable is simply not an option, says Li. There are numerous issues, says Sasaki. For a start, a lot of the technical lab procedures the team used have not been established for human cells. But even if we had those, this approach would be dangerousknocking out human genes could have untold health consequences. Theres lots and lots of hurdles, he says. Human applications [are] still quite far. Despite that, the work might shed a little more light on the mysterious phenomenon of imprinting. Previous research has shown that mice with two moms appear smaller, and live longer than expected, while the current study shows that mice with two dads are overgrown and die more quickly. Perhaps paternal imprinted genes support growth and maternal ones limit it, and animals need both to reach a healthy size, says Sasaki.