Ubisoft has been in an unprecedentedly rough fiscal period over the last couple of years, and with things seemingly going from bad to worse, the company has reportedly continued exploring a variety of options as it seeks a way out. Interestingly enough, one of those options seems to be selling of some of its many major IPs to other major players in the games industry.Thats as per an IGN report, which cites Juraj Krpa, CEO of hedge fund AJ Investments which owns a minority stake in Ubisoft who claims the company has had some discussions with the likes of Microsoft, EA, and others regarding potential IP sales- discussions that it did not inform shareholders or the public about, Krpa claims.In a statement to IGN, Ubisoft has said that it is considering various transformational strategic and capitalistic options and that it is extract the best value from Ubisofts assets and franchises for all stakeholders.As we mentioned during our Q3 sales, the review of various transformational strategic and capitalistic options is ongoing, the company says. The Board has established an ad-hoc independent Committee to oversee this formal and competitive process, so as to extract the best value from Ubisofts assets and franchises for all stakeholders. Ubisoft will inform the market in accordance with applicable regulations if and once a transaction materialises.Ubisofts treasure trove of IP will have the eyeballs of many in the industry on it. The company owns properties such asAssassins Creed, Far Cry, Rayman,and of course, the entireTom Clancylicense, among many others, all of which would attract plenty of interest in the scenario of a sale.The aforementioned AJ Investments has been outspoken about Ubisofts internal issues and the companys struggles for a while. Last September, the hedge fund called out the companys mismanagement and called on the company to go private. Read more on that through here.

Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Warswas the big new release last week, and sure enough, the remastered classic JRPG has enjoyed a solid debut in the latest Japanese physical sales charts released by Famitsu. Selling a total of over 49,000 units, the remaster sees its Switch version coming in at No. 2 and the PS5 version occupying third place.That said,Monster Hunter Wilds,which topped proceedings last week, still holds the top spot by quite a margin, with over 101,000 physical units sold in its second week. Beyond that, a number of evergreen Nintendo Switch titles occupy positions in the top 10, includingMario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons,andPokemon Scarlet and Violet.On the hardware side of things, the PS5 is still unusually leading the way with over 52,000 units sold, with theMonster Hunterbump sustaining (even if sales have halved since last week). The Nintendo Switch follows behind with over 37,000 units sold.You can check out the full hardware and physical software charts for the week ending March 9 below.Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):[PS5]Monster Hunter Wilds 101,058 (702,237)[NSW]Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars 38,884(New)[PS5]Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars 10,482(New)[NSW]Super Mario Party Jamboree 9,969 (1,219,776)[NSW]Donkey Kong Country Returns HD 8,531 (225,112)[NSW]Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 8,249 (6,277,413)[NSW]Minecraft 6,347 (3,827,112)[NSW]Pokemon Scarlet andViolet 4,266 (5,533,679)[NSW]Animal Crossing: New Horizons 4,256 (8,085,422)[NSW]Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection 3,648 (53,510)Hardware sales:PS5 52,520 (108,978)Nintendo Switch 37,841 (45,189)Xbox Series X/S 559 (721)

In this tutorial, well learn how to build an interactive multimodal image-captioning application using Googles Colab platform, Salesforces powerful BLIP model, and Streamlit for an intuitive web interface. Multimodal models, which combine image and text processing capabilities, have become increasingly important in AI applications, enabling tasks like image captioning, visual question answering, and more. This step-by-step guide ensures a smooth setup, clearly addresses common pitfalls, and demonstrates how to integrate and deploy advanced AI solutions, even without extensive experience.!pip install transformers torch torchvision streamlit Pillow pyngrokFirst we install transformers, torch, torchvision, streamlit, Pillow, pyngrok, all necessary dependencies for building a multimodal image captioning app. It includes Transformers (for BLIP model), Torch & Torchvision (for deep learning and image processing), Streamlit (for creating the UI), Pillow (for handling image files), and pyngrok (for exposing the app online via Ngrok).%%writefile app.pyimport torchfrom transformers import BlipProcessor, BlipForConditionalGenerationimport streamlit as stfrom PIL import Imagedevice = "cuda" if torch.cuda.is_available() else "cpu"@st.cache_resourcedef load_model(): processor = BlipProcessor.from_pretrained("Salesforce/blip-image-captioning-base") model = BlipForConditionalGeneration.from_pretrained("Salesforce/blip-image-captioning-base").to(device) return processor, modelprocessor, model = load_model()st.title(" Image Captioning with BLIP")uploaded_file = st.file_uploader("Upload your image:", type=["jpg", "jpeg", "png"])if uploaded_file is not None: image = Image.open(uploaded_file).convert('RGB') st.image(image, caption="Uploaded Image", use_column_width=True) if st.button("Generate Caption"): inputs = processor(image, return_tensors="pt").to(device) outputs = model.generate(**inputs) caption = processor.decode(outputs[0], skip_special_tokens=True) st.markdown(f"### **Caption:** {caption}")Then we create a Streamlit-based multimodal image captioning app using the BLIP model. It first loads the BLIPProcessor and BLIPForConditionalGeneration from Hugging Face, allowing the model to process images and generate captions. The Streamlit UI enables users to upload an image, displays it, and generates a caption upon clicking a button. The use of @st.cache_resource ensures efficient model loading, and CUDA support is utilized if available for faster processing.from pyngrok import ngrokNGROK_TOKEN = "use your own NGROK token here"ngrok.set_auth_token(NGROK_TOKEN)public_url = ngrok.connect(8501)print(" Your Streamlit app is available at:", public_url)# run streamlit app!streamlit run app.py &>/dev/null &Finally, we set up a publicly accessible Streamlit app running in Google Colab using ngrok. It does the following:Authenticates ngrok using your personal token (`NGROK_TOKEN`) to create a secure tunnel.Exposes the Streamlit app running on port `8501` to an external URL via `ngrok.connect(8501)`.Prints the public URL, which can be used to access the app in any browser.Launches the Streamlit app (`app.py`) in the background.This method lets you interact remotely with your image captioning app, even though Google Colab does not provide direct web hosting.In conclusion, weve successfully created and deployed a multimodal image captioning app powered by Salesforces BLIP and Streamlit, hosted securely via ngrok from a Google Colab environment. This hands-on exercise demonstrated how easily sophisticated machine learning models can be integrated into user-friendly interfaces and provided a foundation for further exploring and customizing multimodal applications.Here is the Colab Notebook. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitterand join ourTelegram ChannelandLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our80k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Simular Releases Agent S2: An Open, Modular, and Scalable AI Framework for Computer Use AgentsAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Alibaba Researchers Introduce R1-Omni: An Application of Reinforcement Learning with Verifiable Reward (RLVR) to an Omni-Multimodal Large Language ModelAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Building an Interactive Bilingual (Arabic and English) Chat Interface with Open Source Meraj-Mini by Arcee AI: Leveraging GPU Acceleration, PyTorch, Transformers, Accelerate, BitsAndBytes, and GradioAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Google AI Releases Gemma 3: Lightweight Multimodal Open Models for Efficient and OnDevice AI Parlant: Build Reliable AI Customer Facing Agents with LLMs (Promoted)

Mar 14, 2025Ravie LakshmananThreat Intelligence / MalwareA new malware campaign has been observed leveraging social engineering tactics to deliver an open-source rootkit called r77.The activity, condemned OBSCURE#BAT by Securonix, enables threat actors to establish persistence and evade detection on compromised systems. It's currently not known who is behind the campaign.The rootkit "has the ability to cloak or mask any file, registry key or task beginning with a specific prefix," security researchers Den Iuzvyk and Tim Peck said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "It has been targeting users by either masquerading as legitimate software downloads or via fake captcha social engineering scams."The campaign is designed to mainly target English-speaking individuals, particularly the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.OBSCURE#BAT gets its name from the fact that the starting point of the attack is an obfuscated Windows batch script that, in turn, executes PowerShell commands to activate a multi-stage process that culminates in the deployment of the rootkit.At least two different initial access routes have been identified to get users to execute the malicious batch scripts: One which uses the infamous ClickFix strategy by directing users to a fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA verification page and a second method that employs advertising the malware as legitimate tools like Tor Browser, VoIP software, and messaging clients.While it's not clear how users are lured to the booby-trapped software, it's suspected to involve tried-and-tested approaches like malvertising or search engine optimization (SEO) poisoning.Regardless of the method used, the first-stage payload is an archive containing the batch script, which then invokes PowerShell commands to drop additional scripts, make Windows Registry modifications, and set up scheduled tasks for persistence."The malware stores obfuscated scripts in the Windows Registry and ensures execution via scheduled tasks, allowing it to run stealthily in the background," the researchers said. "Additionally, it modifies system registry keys to register a fake driver (ACPIx86.sys), further embedding itself into the system."Deployed over the course of the attack is a .NET payload that employs a bevy of tricks to evade detection. This includes control-flow obfuscation, string encryption, and using function names that mix Arabic, Chinese, and special characters.Another payload loaded by means of PowerShell is an executable that makes use of Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) patching to bypass antivirus detections.The .NET payload is ultimately responsible for dropping a system-mode rootkit named "ACPIx86.sys" into the "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\" folder, which is then launched as a service. Also delivered is a user-mode rootkit referred to as r77 for setting up persistence on the host and hiding files, processes, and registry keys matching the pattern ($nya-).The malware further periodically monitors for clipboard activity and command history and saves them into hidden files for likely exfiltration."OBSCURE#BAT demonstrates a highly evasive attack chain, leveraging obfuscation, stealth techniques, and API hooking to persist on compromised systems while evading detection," the researchers said."From the initial execution of the obfuscated batch script (install.bat) to the creation of scheduled tasks and registry-stored scripts, the malware ensures persistence even after reboots. By injecting into critical system processes like winlogon.exe, it manipulates process behavior to further complicate detection."The findings come as Cofense detailed a Microsoft Copilot spoofing campaign that utilizes phishing emails to take users to a fake landing page for the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that's engineered to harvest users' credentials and two-factor authentication (2FA) codes.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

IN A NUTSHELLWere on the search for a Senior Front End Developer with a passion for creating stunning, user-friendly digital experiences.At Bellroy, you'll have the chance to work with our exceptionally talented Creative, Digital Sales, Marketing and Technology teams to bring our design system to life on bellroy.com. We need your help to deliver exceptional digital experiences for both our customers and our staff, and be a part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and cutting-edge technology. If you're ready to make an impact and help shape the future of our online presence, we want to hear from you!Bring us your problem-solving skills, commercial lens and taste. In return, well provide you with a culture of intellectual honesty, an environment of learning, and the tools you need to get things done.YOU COULD BE THE ONE IF YOUHave spent 2+ years wielding Elm or another functional programming language. This experience can be professional, or an equivalent amount of open-source contributions, academic work, or substantial side projectsCan sling HTML and CSS with the best of themHave worked with UX and design teams closely in previous projects, and are comfortable communicating with bothAre across the landscape of modern JavaScript frameworks and toolingHave a solid understanding of web technologies and standardsAre passionate about site accessibility, speed and internationalisationGet excited about great ideas, wherever they come from books, blogs, podcasts, technical and non-technical, lunch table conversationsWE'D BE EXCITED IF...You have worked with Figma and/or StorybookYou have experience with Astro or any other Jamstack-adjacent toolsIF YOU WERE HERE LAST WEEK YOU MIGHT HAVEHelped roll out a new font as part of our component library in an A/B testDeveloped a new carousel component for our bellroy.com product page gallery - discussed behaviour with our UX team, made it easy to use for our content editors, added it to Storybook for testingDiscussed, with the wider team, how we might perform end-to-end testing of Astro as an alternative to our existing content rendering toolsJoined a front end workshop to learn about new tools, with other front end developersAttended an ideation workshop with the Digital User Experience team to define solutions to better communicate sizing for Bellroy products on Bellroy.comLOCATION AND HOURSStart Day: We're ready when you are!Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

Source: Allies and MorrisonA rendering of Allies and Morrisons schemeGuildford Borough Council has unanimously approved Allies and Morrisons proposals for Clandon Park, the Grade I-listed Palladian house severely damaged by fire in 2015. Developed in collaboration with heritage architect Purcell, the scheme aims to stabilise the structure while introducing new interventions to improve public access and reinterpret the sites history.Designed by Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni, Clandon Park was considered one of Britains most significant Palladian houses before the fire destroyed its roof and much of its finely decorated interior. The new plans, developed in response to a National Trust design competition, do not seek to reconstruct what was lost but instead retain the remains of the historic building, creating an experience that reveals its architectural evolution.The approved proposals include restoring the exterior to its pre-fire appearance, reinstating windows and doors, and securing the building with a new weather-tight roof. Inside, much of the fire-damaged structure will be conserved in its altered state, with walkways inserted into the voids where floors once stood, offering new perspectives on the buildings history.A new accessible lift, reinstated staircases, and a rooftop terrace accessed via partially glazed pavilions will provide visitors with new ways to experience the house and its relationship to the surrounding Capability Brown-designed landscape.The scheme also includes alterations to the basement to introduce visitor facilities, including a caf, toilets, and back-of-house spaces. Historic collections salvaged from the fire will also be redisplayed within the house.The councils planning committee approved the project at a meeting on 6 March, concluding that the schemes public benefits outweighed any harm to the historic fabric.Quoted in The Guildford Dragon, Cllr Vanessa King, chair of the committee, acknowledged the challenge of balancing restoration with the reality of the fires impact: Its natural to want to restore it to the grandeur that it was at one time.However, she added that the fire itself is now part of Clandons history: If we can incorporate that story sensitively and in collaboration then we are looking at a really good option for a much-loved home, part of our community and part of our national story.Clandon Park before the fireSource: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe 2015 fireSource: Colin Smith, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe house after the fireSource: 'NH53', CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons1/3show captionThe National Trust has framed the project as the most appropriate way to secure Clandon Parks future as a heritage attraction. By retaining the buildings post-fire form and exposing previously hidden construction details, the Trust argues that the scheme will offer visitors a unique insight into eighteenth-century architecture and craftsmanship.However, the decision not to fully restore Clandon to its original pre-fire state has faced opposition from some quarters. Restore Trust, a campaign group advocating for a complete reconstruction, has criticised the National Trusts approach, arguing that it fails to uphold the cultural and historical significance of the house.The group has drawn comparisons to large-scale restoration efforts elsewhere, such as UNESCOs rebuilding of Mosuls historic landmarks, where war-damaged buildings including churches and mosques have been reconstructed with international funding.In other parts of the world there is the will to repair and reconstruct damaged and destroyed historic buildings, the group has stated. The National Trusts approach to Clandon Park is outdated and will deprive the nation of a special place, even as people in other countries show their affection for their built heritage.>> Also read:Rebuild the Mack, but why stop there?>> Also read:Modernist dogma should not prevent us from rebuilding the Crooked House

Buckley Gray Yeoman transformed a former industrial building into vibrant workspace, retail space and two new restaurants over five floorsBuckley Gray Yeomans body of work made the shortlist at last yearsAYAs, as the practice was named a finalist for two awards, includingRefurbishment Architect of the Year.In this series,we take a look at one of the teams entry projects and ask the firms board director, Andrew Henriques, to break down some of the biggest specification challenges that needed to be overcome.The scheme serves as the next chapter in the redevelopment of a former industrial site into Eccleston YardsWhat were the key requirements of the clients brief? How did you meet these both through design and specification?27 Eccleston Place is about the adaptation, reuse and extension of a 19th century industrial brick building set in the heart of Londons trendy Belgravia. We were appointed by the Grosvenor Estate in 2018 to consider how the building could be repurposed for workplace, retail and restaurant use. This followed the success of the Eccleston Yards project on the same urban block.We arrived at a brick building with great industrial DNA. Its character has evolved through various adaptations and extensions spanning 150 years, starting with a warehouse, changing to an ice store, and a car repair garage in that timescale.Every historical adaptation has left an imprint on the external fabric. These architectural records are revealed in the variety of brickwork, brick colour, brick coursing types and patch repair infills visible on the external walls, which become architectural tide marks.We borrowed this honest approach to layering for the new brick addition, informed by the notion of celebrating the new intervention without losing the reference to the buildings past. A new brick insertion was conceived, ensuring the new extensions were sympathetic to the host building, with the new brick blend selected based on the tonal qualities of the host brick architecture.We worked the sites orientation to bring daylight into the deeper parts of the plan. Its distinctive roof shape evolved from our daylight studies that culminated in the expression of the sawtooth, a poet nod to traditional factory roofs, the buildings heritage, as well as functionally minimising solar gain through its north-facing orientation. The expression of a contemporary brick portal quartet gives the building a unique angular hat and a new identity.The design team arrived at a brick building, its character evolved through various adaptations and extensions spanning 150 yearsWhat were the biggest specification challenges on the project and how were these overcome?The main challenge was balancing heritage qualities with modern performance requirements whilst creating a flexible, adaptable building for future change. This was addressed through:Careful specification of brickwork and brickwork bonds with subtle tonal differences to distinguish the original envelope from the new facades and infills.Integration of saw-tooth roofline with factory-style roof lights that face north to maximise natural light whilst minimising solar gain.Implementation of all-electric heating and cooling systems.Installation of rooftop photovoltaic panels.Thermal upgrade of original fabric without compromising the architectural intent. This was achieved by introducing internal insulation.Determining what fabric has intrinsic value and should be retained for reuse in the redevelopment versus what is redundant and could be recycled.Ensuring the floors are designed as loose-fit with easy access to services and column grids that allow for future modifications to fit out.What are the three biggest specification considerations for the project type? How did these specifically apply to your project?Retaining and adapting/modifying the existing industrial fabric. This included the original steelwork, brick facades and concrete base. Much of the fabric was in a poor state through decades of neglect, natural weathering and poor construction. Bringing these back to life and meeting todays modern standards for thermal and environmental comfort was key to improving air tightness and the fabrics thermal properties.Inserting new massing within the retained building fabric. It is essential to ensure the buildings lines of intervention are clearly legible for both new and original fabric.Achieving the correct glazing proportion and ensuring these balance the needs to bring daylight to deeper plan areas whilst being sensitive to neighbouring listed buildings and not exceeding required energy targets.The main challenge was balancing heritage qualities with modern performance requirementsDo you have a favourite product or material that was specified on the project?The brickwork. They were produced by a British brick manufacturer called Charnwood.Are there any suppliers you collaborated with on the project that contributed significantly?The project involved collaboration with several key consultants, including:Collins Construction (Contractor)Heyne Tillett Steel (Structural Engineers)HDR (M&E Consultant)Donald Insall Associates (Heritage Consultant)Tuffin Ferraby Taylor (Sustainability Consultant)Lazenby (Polished concrete flooring)Langsdale (Specialist brickwork contractor)What did you think was the biggest success on the project?The most significant achievement appears to be the successful transformation of a 19th century industrial building into a modern, sustainable workspace whilst celebrating its traditional architectural characteristics. The new additions continue the retrofit narrative inherent to the building, a process that has seen the building embrace change and evolve over the past 150 years. Therefore, the project exemplifies how industrial heritage buildings can be successfully adapted to balance heritage and environmental standards.1/3show captionProject detailsArchitectBuckley Gray YeomanClient Grosvenor Britain & IrelandProject manager TridentM&E consultant Hurley Palmer FlattSustainability consultant Tuffin Ferraby TaylorStructural engineer Heyne Tillett SteelQuantity surveyor Leslie ClarkPlanning consultant Gerald EveApproved inspector Approved Inspector ServicesPrincipal designer AECOMDaylight and sunlight consultants JMR SurveyorsRights of light/party wall surveyors Anstey HorneAcoustic consultant Theatre ProjectsHeritage consultant Donald Insall AssociatesFire consultant The Fire SurgeyTransport consultant SystraContractor Collins ConstructionSpecialist brickwork contractor LangsdalePolished concrete flooring LazenbyOur What made this project series highlights the outstanding work of our Architect of the Year finalists.To keep up-to-date with all the latest from the Architect of the Year Awards visithere.

Image: The Pokmon CompanyEarlier this year, Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket rolled out its trading feature and certain aspects didn't exactly go down well with the playerbase.This feedback was taken on board, and the development team has now returned with information on how exactly this experience will be changed. Most notably, is the removal of trade tokens - with this update scheduled to be implemented by the "end of autumn 2025".Trainers can also expect multiple other changes. Here's the notice in full (via social media):Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWatch on YouTube Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket - Trading UpdateThank you for sharing your feedback on the trading feature in Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket. Were continuing to read your comments and investigate ways to improve the feature.Today, wed like to introduce the following updates to trading that will be implemented by the end of autumn 2025. With these changes, we hope that trading cards between players will be more accessible and enjoyable.Removal of Trade Tokens- Trade tokens will be completely removed and players will no longer need to exchange cards to obtain the currency required for trading.- Instead, trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust.- When you open a booster pack, shinedust will be automatically earned if you obtain a card that is already registered in your Card Dex.- Currently, shinedust is also required to obtain flair, so we are looking into increasing the amount offered since it will also be needed for trading. Altogether, this change should allow you to trade more cards than you could before this update.- Trade tokens you currently own can be converted to shinedust when the item is removed from the game.- There are no changes in how one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards are traded.Additional Updates in Development- A feature will be added that allows you to share cards youre interested in trading for via the in-game trading function.We hope that these changes will make trading cards more accessible and allow more players to enjoy making trades.In addition to the changes above, we are also looking into how to accommodate cards that are currently unavailable for trades, such as promo cards and two-star rarity cards. Keep an eye out for more information about this topic in the future.We look forward to hearing your feedback as updates are released and remain committed to developing the best possible Pokmon TCG Pocket experience.Thank you for being part of our community.You can see the original announcement about the update to trading in TCGP in our previous post here on Nintendo Life. "We have received a large number of comments"Jim used Reminisce!What are your thoughts about this change? How have you found trading so far? Let us know in the comments.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPokmon Scarlet & Violet: Mystery Gift Codes ListAll the current Pokmon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codesNiantic Sells Pokmon GO And Entire Gaming Division For $3.5 BillionPikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now are also goingNintendo & Pokmon Company Had An "Adversarial Relationship", Say Former NOA Staffers"There was a little bit of salt"Splatoon 3 Version 9.3.0 Arrives This Week, Here Are The Full Patch NotesThe first update of 2025Video: Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection 2.0 UpdateMGS2 and 3 have definitely "improved"

In BriefPosted:9:48 PM PDT March 13, 2025Image Credits:WaymoWaymo was slapped with nearly 600 parking tickets last year in SF aloneWaymo now has more than 300 driverless vehicles zipping passengers around San Francisco, but while they follow traffic laws, parking is another matter entirely. According to city records cited by the Washington Post, these rolling robots racked up 589 citations totaling $65,065 in fines last year for parking violations that ranged from blocking traffic to street-cleaning restrictions to parking in prohibited areas.In fairness to Waymo, getting a parking ticket in San Francisco is aggravatingly easy. The city hands them out like flyers. (Per the San Francisco Standard, the rough number last year was 1.2 million.)A Waymo spokesman tells The Post that the company is working on solving the problem, but wed hazard a guess that wont happen until every car is driverless. Waymo cars sometimes stop in commercial loading zones to drop off riders when the only other option is a congested main road or a spot far from the riders destination. They also occasionally park briefly between trips if theyre too far from a Waymo facility. Theyre the same trade-offs human drivers make all the time, and until were out of the picture, Waymos vehicles will probably make the same calls and get the same tickets.Topics

Five businesses adopt AI every minute in Europe, yet a concerning gap is emerging between nimble ... [+] startups and cautious enterprises AWS's latest report reveals what's at stake and how to win in this transformative race.Adobe StockFive businesses every minute. That's how quickly artificial intelligence is being embraced across Europe, according to AWS's latest research report: 'Unlocking Europes AI Potential in the Digital Decade 2025. But beneath this headline figure lies a more complex reality one where startups and larger enterprises are approaching AI from drastically different angles, potentially creating a two-tier economy that could reshape European business for decades to come.In a recent conversation with Tanuja Randery, Vice President and Managing Director of AWS EMEA, I explored these findings and what they mean for businesses navigating the AI landscape. The insights reveal both tremendous opportunities and concerning challenges that demand immediate attention.The Unprecedented Acceleration Of AI Adoption"AI adoption has increased. The number of firms that regularly use AI has gone up to 42%," explains Randery. "Compared to last year, that's an increase of 27%. It's quite a significant increase."What's particularly striking is how this technological revolution compares to previous ones. As Randery notes, "We believe this has the potential to be even more transformative than [cloud]. The growth rate is surpassing that of the uptake of mobile phones that we saw in the 2000s."This isn't just hype businesses are seeing tangible benefits driving this adoption. Randery identifies three key motivations: "One, the contribution that this technology can make to efficiency and productivity. The other is innovation, really being able to innovate faster with the resources that teams have available. And then the third is, of course, a direct result of both of those, which is a contribution to growth."The real-world examples are compelling. BT Group deployed Amazon Q developer solution and freed up 12% of their software developers' time previously spent on tedious coding tasks. In France, YSEOP is accelerating medical regulatory approvals, transforming months of document navigation into mere seconds dramatically speeding up the delivery of new medications. Even the European Parliament has created an 'Ask the European Parliament Archives Bot' that allows people worldwide to search records in multiple languages, reducing document search time by 80%.The Emerging Two-Tier AI EconomyDespite this progress, an alarming pattern is emerging. Large enterprises and startups are taking dramatically different approaches to AI implementation, creating what could become a dangerous innovation gap."Large companies are consistently using AI. In fact, what we see in this report is 50 percent of the larger enterprises are consistently using AI," Randery explains. But there's a crucial difference: "What startups do differently from the large companies is startups are actually building entirely new products and services, creating new business models, completely rethinking how they write the core of their code."By contrast, established enterprises are primarily focusing on productivity and efficiency gains rather than transformative innovation. Randery would like to see more large companies "embedding AI across core processes" in areas like energy, healthcare, and drug discovery.This divergence stems from three significant barriers that larger organizations face:The Skills Gap: The Most Critical BottleneckRandery identifies skills as the primary obstacle hindering AI adoption. "Large enterprises, in particular, are finding a hard time getting the digital skills that they require to be able to implement and execute this technology at pace. It's not the technology actually that's a blocker. It's really this access to skills."Solving this challenge could unlock tremendous value. "The impact of closing the skills gap can be quite phenomenal," says Randery. "For 46 percent of businesses in Europe, it could really boost growth."The solution requires a multifaceted approach: democratizing education, updating university curricula, addressing economic disparities through free learning programs, and creating space for continual learning within organizations. AWS has already trained 31 million learners worldwide through various free programs.But perhaps most importantly, Randery emphasizes the need for experimentation: "It's not just about reading a book or a manual. It's also learning by doing, and making these technologies available so people can experiment, teams can experiment is key. Because if you don't allow experimentation at the edge, you won't actually innovate."Legacy Complexity And Business TransformationThe second major challenge centers on complexity. Large enterprises must navigate far more complex business environments and legacy systems compared to digitally-native startups that are "cloud-first and AI-first" from inception.This requires significant change management across finance, HR, manufacturing, and maintenance processes transformation that must happen before technology can deliver its full value.Regulatory Uncertainty: A Major Investment DeterrentPerhaps most concerning is the effect of regulatory uncertainty. The report found that businesses are investing 28 percent less in AI due to compliance confusion. Randery likens navigating AI regulations in Europe to "solving a puzzle while the pieces are still changing."This creates a substantial cost burden "4 euros out of 100 euros you could spend on technology is spent on compliance," Randery notes.The solution isn't abandoning regulation in fact, AWS supports responsible AI regulation. But Randery emphasizes the need for "regulation that is innovation-friendly, regulation that's consistent internationally and across markets, regulation that is much more use case specific rather than the technology, regulation that doesn't create these cost burdens."The Path Forward: A Three-Point Plan For SuccessFor businesses and governments looking to harness AI effectively, Randery outlines several critical actions:For individuals and businesses of all sizes, this is "a time for accelerated learning and development" about the technology.For enterprises specifically, the focus should be on embedding AI "in the core of their processes" rather than pursuing small, disconnected projects that won't meaningfully impact business performance.For startups, ensuring continued access to venture capital funding is essential to maintain innovation momentum.For governments, secure adoption of the technology, responsible AI education, and continued investment in skill-building through public-private partnerships are all critical priorities.The European AI OpportunityEurope has strong foundations for AI success robust research capabilities, strong institutions, innovative startups, and public sector adoption. The current adoption trends are encouraging, particularly in healthcare and sustainability.But maintaining this momentum requires addressing the challenges outlined in the report. As businesses and policymakers navigate this landscape, the decisions made today will determine whether Europe creates a thriving, inclusive AI economy or allows a concerning gap to widen between AI leaders and laggards.Those five businesses adopting AI every minute represent tremendous potential for European economic growth and innovation. The question is whether large enterprises will match the startup community's ambition and truly transform their businesses for the AI era ahead.