Reddit a porté plainte contre Anthropic devant un tribunal de San Francisco, mercredi 4 juin. DADO RUVIC / REUTERS La plateforme Reddit a porté plainte contre Anthropic, start-up californienne d’intelligence artificielle (IA). Reddit accuse l’entreprise d’avoir utilisé sans autorisation des conversations publiques de ses utilisateurs pour entraîner ses modèles d’IA générative – parmi lesquels figure Claude, un modèle de langage et chatbot concurrent de ChatGPT. D’après la plainte, déposée mercredi 4 juin à San Francisco, Reddit reproche à Anthropic d’avoir entraîné ses modèles de langage à partir de messages « humains » postés sur Reddit. L’action en justice se base notamment sur un document de recherche publié en décembre 2021 par les équipes d’Anthropic et cosignés par le chef de l’entreprise, Dario Amodei. Le texte mentionne certaines conversations spécifiques de Reddit pouvant servir à l’entraînement de tels modèles. Celles tenues sur Wikipédia sont aussi mentionnées. La plainte allègue que malgré les déclarations publiques d’Anthropic, qui a assuré avoir bloqué l’accès à Reddit à ses systèmes automatisés de récolte des données, les robots de l’entreprise ont malgré tout continué « à se connecter aux serveurs de Reddit, et ce plus de cent mille fois » depuis juillet 2024, indique le texte. Lire aussi | Le gouvernement retire une vidéo générée par IA sur la Résistance, à la suite d’une erreur historique Anthropic conteste « Nous ne sommes pas d’accord avec les affirmations de Reddit et nous nous défendrons vigoureusement », a réagi un porte-parole d’Anthropic auprès de l’Agence France-Presse. Fondée à San Francisco par d’anciens ingénieurs d’OpenAI, Anthropic promeut de manière ostensible un développement responsable de l’IA générative. « Cette affaire porte sur les deux personnalités d’Anthropic : la personnalité publique qui tente de faire croire aux consommateurs qu’elle est une entreprise juste qui respecte les limites et la loi, et la personnalité privée qui se moque de toutes les règles qui gênent ses tentatives de s’en mettre plein les poches », accuse Reddit dans la plainte. Reddit demande désormais des dommages et intérêts, et une injonction pour obliger Anthropic à respecter les termes de son contrat d’utilisation. Ce dernier interdit depuis 2024, date d’entrée en Bourse de Reddit, l’utilisation de données issues des discussions Reddit sans qu’un accord, ou un contrat, ne soit signé avec la plateforme. Reddit, qui déclarait en octobre 2024 compter sur 97,2 millions d’utilisateurs actifs chaque jour, a déjà conclu des accords de licence avec d’autres géants de l’IA générative, dont Google et OpenAI. Ces accords permettent à ces firmes d’utiliser les contenus de Reddit suivant des conditions qui protègent les informations confidentielles des utilisateurs, et offrent une compensation financière à la plateforme. Lire aussi | Article réservé à nos abonnés Un pionnier de l’IA veut construire des systèmes non nuisibles à l’humanité Le Monde avec AFP

One of the key use cases for generative AI involves answering questions over private datasets, with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) as the go-to framework. As new RAG techniques emerge, there’s a growing need to benchmark their performance across diverse datasets and metrics.  To meet this need, we’re introducing BenchmarkQED, a new suite of tools that automates RAG benchmarking at scale, available on GitHub (opens in new tab). It includes components for query generation, evaluation, and dataset preparation, each designed to support rigorous, reproducible testing.   BenchmarkQED complements the RAG methods in our open-source GraphRAG library, enabling users to run a GraphRAG-style evaluation across models, metrics, and datasets. GraphRAG uses a large language model (LLM) to generate and summarize entity-based knowledge graphs, producing more comprehensive and diverse answers than standard RAG for large-scale tasks.  In this post, we walk through the core components of BenchmarkQED that contribute to the overall benchmarking process. We also share some of the latest benchmark results comparing our LazyGraphRAG system to competing methods, including a vector-based RAG with a 1M-token context window, where the leading LazyGraphRAG configuration showed significant win rates across all combinations of quality metrics and query classes. In the paper, we distinguish between local queries, where answers are found in a small number of text regions, and sometimes even a single region, and global queries, which require reasoning over large portions of or even the entire dataset.  Conventional vector-based RAG excels at local queries because the regions containing the answer to the query resemble the query itself and can be retrieved as the nearest neighbor in the vector space of text embeddings. However, it struggles with global questions, such as, “What are the main themes of the dataset?” which require understanding dataset qualities not explicitly stated in the text.   AutoQ: Automated query synthesis This limitation motivated the development of GraphRAG a system designed to answer global queries. GraphRAG’s evaluation requirements subsequently led to the creation of AutoQ, a method for synthesizing these global queries for any dataset. AutoQ extends this approach by generating synthetic queries across the spectrum of queries, from local to global. It defines four distinct classes based on the source and scope of the query (Figure 1, top) forming a logical progression along the spectrum (Figure 1, bottom). Figure 1. Construction of a 2×2 design space for synthetic query generation with AutoQ, showing how the four resulting query classes map onto the local-global query spectrum.  AutoQ can be configured to generate any number and distribution of synthetic queries along these classes, enabling consistent benchmarking across datasets without requiring user customization. Figure 2 shows the synthesis process and sample queries from each class, using an AP News dataset. Figure 2. Synthesis process and example query for each of the four AutoQ query classes.  About Microsoft Research Advancing science and technology to benefit humanity View our story Opens in a new tab AutoE: Automated evaluation framework  Our evaluation of GraphRAG focused on analyzing key qualities of answers to global questions. The following qualities were used for the current evaluation: Comprehensiveness: Does the answer address all relevant aspects of the question?  Diversity: Does it present varied perspectives or insights?  Empowerment: Does it help the reader understand and make informed judgments?  Relevance: Does it address what the question is specifically asking?   The AutoE component scales evaluation of these qualities using the LLM-as-a-Judge method. It presents pairs of answers to an LLM, along with the query and target metric, in counterbalanced order. The model determines whether the first answer wins, loses, or ties with the second. Over a set of queries, whether from AutoQ or elsewhere, this produces win rates between competing methods. When ground truth is available, AutoE can also score answers on correctness, completeness, and related metrics. An illustrative evaluation is shown in Figure 3. Using a dataset of 1,397 AP News articles on health and healthcare, AutoQ generated 50 queries per class (200 total). AutoE then compared LazyGraphRAG to a competing RAG method, running six trials per query across four metrics, using GPT-4.1 as a judge. These trial-level results were aggregated using metric-based win rates, where each trial is scored 1 for a win, 0.5 for a tie, and 0 for a loss, and then averaged to calculate the overall win rate for each RAG method. Figure 3. Win rates of four LazyGraphRAG (LGR) configurations across methods, broken down by the AutoQ query class and averaged across AutoE’s four metrics: comprehensiveness, diversity, empowerment, and relevance. LazyGraphRAG outperforms comparison conditions where the bar is above 50%. The four LazyGraphRAG conditions (LGR_b200_c200, LGR_b50_c200, LGR_b50_c600, LGR_b200_c200_mini) differ by query budget (b50, b200) and chunk size (c200, c600). All used GPT-4o mini for relevance tests and GPT-4o for query expansion (to five subqueries) and answer generation, except for LGR_b200_c200_mini, which used GPT-4o mini throughout. Comparison systems were GraphRAG (Local, Global, and Drift Search), Vector RAG with 8k- and 120k-token windows, and three published methods: LightRAG (opens in new tab), RAPTOR (opens in new tab), and TREX (opens in new tab). All methods were limited to the same 8k tokens for answer generation. GraphRAG Global Search used level 2 of the community hierarchy. LazyGraphRAG outperformed every comparison condition using the same generative model (GPT-4o), winning all 96 comparisons, with all but one reaching statistical significance. The best overall performance came from the larger budget, smaller chunk size configuration (LGR_b200_c200). For DataLocal queries, the smaller budget (LGR_b50_c200) performed slightly better, likely because fewer chunks were relevant. For ActivityLocal queries, the larger chunk size (LGR_b50_c600) had a slight edge, likely because longer chunks provide a more coherent context. Competing methods performed relatively better on the query classes for which they were designed: GraphRAG Global for global queries, Vector RAG for local queries, and GraphRAG Drift Search, which combines both strategies, posed the strongest challenge overall. Increasing Vector RAG’s context window from 8k to 120k tokens did not improve its performance compared to LazyGraphRAG. This raised the question of how LazyGraphRAG would perform against Vector RAG with 1-million token context window containing most of the dataset. Figure 4 shows the follow-up experiment comparing LazyGraphRAG to Vector RAG using GPT-4.1 that enabled this comparison. Even against the 1M-token window, LazyGraphRAG achieved higher win rates across all comparisons, failing to reach significance only for the relevance of answers to DataLocal queries. These queries tend to benefit most from Vector RAG’s ranking of directly relevant chunks, making it hard for LazyGraphRAG to generate answers that have greater relevance to the query, even though these answers may be dramatically more comprehensive, diverse, and empowering overall. Figure 4. Win rates of LazyGraphRAG (LGR) over Vector RAG across different context window sizes, broken down by the four AutoQ query classes and four AutoE metrics: comprehensiveness, diversity, empowerment, and relevance. Bars above 50% indicate that LazyGraphRAG outperformed the comparison condition.  AutoD: Automated data sampling and summarization Text datasets have an underlying topical structure, but the depth, breadth, and connectivity of that structure can vary widely. This variability makes it difficult to evaluate RAG systems consistently, as results may reflect the idiosyncrasies of the dataset rather than the system’s general capabilities. The AutoD component addresses this by sampling datasets to meet a target specification, defined by the number of topic clusters (breadth) and the number of samples per cluster (depth). This creates consistency across datasets, enabling more meaningful comparisons, as structurally aligned datasets lead to comparable AutoQ queries, which in turn support consistent AutoE evaluations. AutoD also includes tools for summarizing input or output datasets in a way that reflects their topical coverage. These summaries play an important role in the AutoQ query synthesis process, but they can also be used more broadly, such as in prompts where context space is limited. Since the release of the GraphRAG paper, we’ve received many requests to share the dataset of the Behind the Tech (opens in new tab) podcast transcripts we used in our evaluation. An updated version of this dataset is now available in the BenchmarkQED repository (opens in new tab), alongside the AP News dataset containing 1,397 health-related articles, licensed for open release.   We hope these datasets, together with the BenchmarkQED tools (opens in new tab), help accelerate benchmark-driven development of RAG systems and AI question-answering. We invite the community to try them on GitHub (opens in new tab).  Opens in a new tab

Taurine supplements have been considered promising for delaying ageing, but that may not be the caseShutterstock / Eugeniusz Dudzinski The amino acid taurine was once thought to decline with age, and animal research suggested that taurine supplements could delay ageing. But a new study shows that the decline doesn’t happen consistently. In fact, taurine levels tend to increase in people over time, suggesting that low levels of the nutrient aren’t a driver of ageing. Previous research has shown that taurine concentrations decline in men as they age and that people with higher taurine levels at 60 years old tend to have better health outcomes. This, along with evidence that taurine supplements extend lifespan in mice and monkeys, suggested that low taurine contributes to ageing.Advertisement The trouble is that taurine fluctuates in response to other factors too, such as illness, stress and diet – therefore, declines in this key amino acid may not be due to ageing. Maria Emilia Fernandez at the National Institute on Aging in Maryland and her colleagues analysed taurine levels in 742 people between 26 and 100 years old. The participants, about half of whom were women, didn’t have underlying health conditions and provided three to five blood samples between January 2006 and October 2018. On average, taurine levels were almost 27 per cent higher in women at 100 years old than at 26 years old and rose about 6 per cent in men between the ages of 30 and 97. Similar results were seen in 32 monkeys that underwent three to seven blood draws between 3 and 32 years of age. Between 5 and 30 years of age, taurine levels rose 72 per cent in female monkeys and 27 per cent in male monkeys, on average. Together, these findings indicate that taurine levels are not a reliable indication of ageing. What’s more, taurine levels also varied widely between people and even within individuals over time, suggesting that other environmental factors influence them, says Fernandez. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday. Sign up to newsletter However, some people may still benefit from taurine supplementation, says Fernandez, pointing to studies that show it helps regulate blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes or obesity. But whether it can delay ageing in otherwise healthy people is an open question. Vijay Yadav at Rutgers University in New Jersey says he and his colleagues are currently conducting a clinical trial of taurine supplementation in middle-aged adults. “We hope to finish the trial by the end of 2025,” he says. “Hopefully it will generate sufficiently rigorous data to show whether or not taurine supplementation delays the pace of ageing in humans or increases health and fitness.” Journal reference:Science DOI: 10.1126/science.adl2116 Article amended on 5 June 2025We corrected Vijay Yadav's affiliationTopics:

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorJune 5, 20254 Min ReadSailGP Australia, USA, and Great Britain racing on San Francisco Bay, CaliforniaDannaphotos via Alamy StockWarren Jones is CTO at SailGP, the organizer of what he describes as the world's most exciting race on water. The event features high-tech F50 boats that speed across the waves at 100 kilometers-per-hour (62 miles-per-hour).  Working in cooperation with Oracle, Jones focuses on innovative solutions for remote broadcast production, data management and distribution, and a newly introduced fan engagement platform. He also leads the team that has won an IBC Innovation Awards for its ambitious and ground-breaking remote production strategy. Among the races Jones organizes is the Rolex SailGP Championship, a global competition featuring national teams battling each other in identical high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans at celebrated venues around the world. The event attracts the sport's top athletes, with national pride, personal glory, and bonus prize money of $12.8 million at stake. Jones also supports event and office infrastructures in London and New York, and at each of the global grand prix events over the course of the season. Prior to joining SailGP, he was IT leader at the America's Cup Event Authority and Oracle Racing. In an online interview, Jones discusses the challenges he faces in bringing reliable data services to event vessels, as well as onshore officials and fans. Related:Warren JonesWhat's the biggest challenge you've faced during your tenure? One of the biggest challenges I faced was ensuring real-time data transmission from our high-performance F50 foiling catamarans to teams, broadcasters, and fans worldwide. SailGP relies heavily on technology to deliver high-speed racing insights, but ensuring seamless connectivity across different venues with variable conditions was a significant hurdle. What caused the problem? The challenge arose due to a combination of factors. The high speeds and dynamic nature of the boats made data capture and transmission difficult. Varying network infrastructure at different race locations created connectivity issues. The need to process and visualize massive amounts of data in real time placed immense pressure on our systems. How did you resolve the problem? We tackled the issue by working with T-Mobile and Ericsson in a robust and adaptive telemetry system capable of transmitting data with minimal latency over 5G. Deploying custom-built race management software that could process and distribute data efficiently [was also important]. Working closely with our global partner Oracle, we optimized Cloud Compute with the Oracle Cloud.  Related:What would have happened if the problem wasn't quickly resolved? Spectator experience would have suffered. Teams rely on real-time analytics for performance optimization, and broadcasters need accurate telemetry for storytelling. A failure here could have resulted in delays, miscommunication, and a diminished fan experience. How long did it take to resolve the problem? It was an ongoing challenge that required continuous innovation. The initial solution took several months to implement, but we’ve refined and improved it over multiple seasons as technology advances and new challenges emerge. Who supported you during this challenge? This was a team effort -- with our partners Oracle, T-Mobile, and Ericsson with our in-house engineers, data scientists, and IT specialists all working closely. The support from SailGP's leadership was also crucial in securing the necessary resources. Did anyone let you down? Rather than seeing it as being let down, I'd say there were unexpected challenges with some technology providers who underestimated the complexity of what we needed. However, we adapted by seeking alternative solutions and working collaboratively to overcome the hurdles. What advice do you have for other leaders who may face a similar challenge? Related:Embrace adaptability. No matter how well you plan, unforeseen challenges will arise, so build flexible solutions. Leverage partnerships. Collaborate with the best in the industry to ensure you have the expertise needed. Stay ahead of technology trends. The landscape is constantly evolving; being proactive rather than reactive is key. Prioritize resilience. Build redundancy into critical systems to ensure continuity even in the face of disruptions. Is there anything else you would like to add? SailGP is as much a technology company as it is a sports league. The intersection of innovation and competition drives us forward and solving challenges like these is what makes this role both demanding and incredibly rewarding. About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

AGI will be embedded into humanoid robots, which makes white-collar and blue-collar jobs a target ... More for walking/talking automation.getty In today’s column, I examine the highly worrisome qualms expressed that the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is likely to usurp white-collar jobs. The stated concern is that since AGI will be on par with human intellect, any job that relies principally on intellectual pursuits such as typical white-collar work will be taken over via the use of AGI. Employers will realize that rather than dealing with human white-collar workers, they can more readily get the job done via AGI. This, in turn, has led to a rising call that people should aim toward blue-collar jobs, doing so because (presumably) those forms of employment will not be undercut via AGI. Sorry to say, that misses the bigger picture, namely that AGI when combined with humanoid robots is coming not only for white-collar jobs but also blue-collar jobs too. It is a proverbial double-whammy when it comes to the attainment of AGI. Let’s talk about it. This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here). Heading Toward AGI And ASI First, some fundamentals are required to set the stage for this weighty discussion. There is a great deal of research going on to further advance AI. The general goal is to either reach artificial general intelligence (AGI) or maybe even the outstretched possibility of achieving artificial superintelligence (ASI). AGI is AI that is considered on par with human intellect and can seemingly match our intelligence. ASI is AI that has gone beyond human intellect and would be superior in many if not all feasible ways. The idea is that ASI would be able to run circles around humans by outthinking us at every turn. For more details on the nature of conventional AI versus AGI and ASI, see my analysis at the link here. We have not yet attained AGI. In fact, it is unknown as to whether we will reach AGI, or that maybe AGI will be achievable in decades or perhaps centuries from now. The AGI attainment dates that are floating around are wildly varying and wildly unsubstantiated by any credible evidence or ironclad logic. ASI is even more beyond the pale when it comes to where we are currently with conventional AI. AGI Problem Only Half Seen Before launching into the primary matter at hand in this discussion, let’s contemplate a famous quote attributed to Charles Kettering, a legendary inventor, who said, “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.” I bring this up because those loud clamors right now about the assumption that AGI will replace white-collar workers are only seeing half of the problem. The problem as they see it is that since AGI is intellectually on par with humans, and since white-collar workers mainly use intellect in their work endeavors, AGI is going to be used in place of humans for white-collar work. I will in a moment explain why that’s only half of the problem and there is a demonstrative need to more carefully and fully articulate the nature of the problem. Will AGI Axiomatically Take White-Collar Jobs On a related facet, the belief that AGI will axiomatically replace white-collar labor makes a number of other related key assumptions. I shall briefly explore those and then come back to why the problem itself is only half-baked. The cost of using AGI for doing white-collar work will need to be presumably a better ROI choice over human workers. If not, then an employer would be wiser to stick with humans rather than employing AGI. There seems to often be an unstated belief that AGI is necessarily going to be a less costly route than employing humans. We don’t know yet what the cost of using AGI will be. It could be highly expensive. Indeed, some are worried that the world will divide into the AGI haves and AGI have-nots, partially due to the exorbitant cost that AGI might involve. If AGI is free to use, well, that would seem to be the nail in the coffin related to using human workers for the same capacity. Another angle is that AGI is relatively inexpensive in comparison to human labor. In that case, the use of AGI is likely to win over human labor usage. But if the cost of AGI is nearer to the cost of human labor (all in), or more so, then employers would rationally need to weigh the use of one versus the other. Note that when referring to the cost of human labor, there is more to that calculation than simply the dollar-hour labor rate per se. There are lots of other less apparent costs, such as the cost to manage human labor, the cost of dealing with HR-related issues, and many other factors that come into the weighty matter. Thus, an AGI versus human labor ROI will be more complex than it might seem at an initial glance. In addition, keep in mind that AGI would seemingly be readily switched on and off, and have other capacities that human labor would not equally tend to allow. The Other Half Is Coming Too Assume that by and large the advent of AGI will decimate the need for white-collar human labor. The refrain right now is that people should begin tilting toward blue-collar jobs as an alternative to white-collar jobs. This is a logical form of thinking in the sense that AGI as an intellectual mechanism would be unable to compete in jobs that involve hands-on work. A plumber needs to come to your house and do hands-on work to fix your plumbing. This is a physicality that entails arriving at your physical home, physically bringing and using tools, and physically repairing your faulty home plumbing. A truck driver likewise needs to sit in the cab of a truck and drive the vehicle. These are physically based tasks. There is no getting around the fact that these are hands-on activities. Aha, yes, those are physical tasks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that only human hands can perform them. The gradual emergence of humanoid robots will provide an alternative to human hands. A humanoid robot is a type of robot that is built to resemble a human in form and function. You’ve undoubtedly seen those types of robots in the many online video recordings showing them walking, jumping, grasping at objects, and so on. A tremendous amount of active research and development is taking place to devise humanoid robots. They look comical right now. You watch those videos and laugh when the robot trips over a mere stick lying on the ground, something that a human would seldom trip over. You scoff when a robot tries to grasp a coffee cup and inadvertently spills most of the coffee. It all seems humorous and a silly pursuit. Keep in mind that we are all observing the development process while it is still taking place. At some point, those guffaws of the humanoid robots will lessen. Humanoid robots will be as smooth and graceful as humans. This will continue to be honed. Eventually, humanoid robots will be less prone to physical errors that humans make. In a sense, the physicality of a humanoid robot will be on par with humans, if not better, due to its mechanical properties. Do not discount the coming era of quite physically capable humanoid robots. AGI And Humanoid Robots Pair Up You might remember that in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the fictional character known as The Strawman lacked a brain. Without seeming to anthropomorphize humanoid robots, the current situation is that those robots typically use a form of AI that is below the sophistication level of modern generative AI. That’s fine for now due to the need to first ensure that the physical movements of the robots get refined. I have discussed that a said-to-be realm of Physical AI is going to be a huge breakthrough with incredible ramifications, see my analysis at the link here. The idea underlying Physical AI is that the AI of today is being uplifted by doing data training on the physical world. This also tends to include the use of World Models, consisting of broad constructions about how the physical world works, such as that we are bound to operate under conditions of gravity, and other physical laws of nature, see the link here. The bottom line here is that there will be a close pairing of robust AI with humanoid robots. Imagine what a humanoid robot can accomplish if it is paired with AGI. I’ll break the suspense and point out that AGI paired with humanoid robots means that those robots readily enter the blue-collar worker realm. Suppose your plumbing needs fixing. No worries, a humanoid robot that encompasses AGI will be sent to your home. The AGI is astute enough to carry on conversations with you, and the AGI also fully operates the robot to undertake the plumbing tasks. How did the AGI-paired humanoid robot get to your home? Easy-peasy, it drove a car or truck to get there. I’ve previously predicted that all the work on devising autonomous vehicles and self-driving cars will get shaken up once we have suitable humanoid robots devised. There won’t be a need for a vehicle to contain self-driving capabilities. A humanoid robot will simply sit in the driver’s seat and drive the vehicle. This is a much more open-ended solution than having to craft components that go into and onto a vehicle to enable self-driving. See my coverage at the link here. Timing Is Notable One of the reasons that many do not give much thought to the pairing of AGI with humanoid robots is that today’s humanoid robots seem extraordinarily rudimentary and incapable of performing physical dexterity tasks on par with human capabilities. Meanwhile, there is brazen talk that AGI is just around the corner. AGI is said to be within our grasp. Let’s give the timing considerations a bit of scrutiny. There are three primary timing angles: Option 1: AGI first, then humanoid robots. AGI is attained before humanoid robots are sufficiently devised. Option 2: Humanoid robots first, then AGI. Humanoid robots are physically fluently adept before AGI is attained. Option 3: AGI and humanoid robots arrive about at the same time. AGI is attained and at the same time, it turns out that humanoid robots are fluently adept too, mainly by coincidence and not due to any cross-mixing. A skeptic would insist that there is a fourth possibility, consisting of the possibility that we never achieve AGI and/or we fail to achieve sufficiently physically capable humanoid robots. I am going to reject that possibility. Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but it seems to me that we will eventually attain AGI, and we will eventually attain physically capable humanoid robots. I shall next respectively consider each of the three genuinely reasonable possibilities. Option 1: AGI First, Then Humanoid Robots What if we manage to attain AGI before we manage to achieve physically fluent humanoid robots? That’s just fine. We would indubitably put AGI to work as a partner with humans in figuring out how we can push along the budding humanoid robot development process. It seems nearly obvious that with AGI’s capable assistance, we would overcome any bottlenecks and soon enough arrive at top-notch physically adept humanoid robots. At that juncture, we would then toss AGI into the humanoid robots and have ourselves quite an amazing combination. Option 2: Humanoid Robots First, Then AGI Suppose that we devise very physically adept humanoid robots but have not yet arrived at AGI. Are we in a pickle? Nope. We could use conventional advanced AI inside those humanoid robots. The combination would certainly be good enough for a wide variety of tasks. The odds are that we would need to be cautious about where such robots are utilized. Nonetheless, we would have essentially walking, talking, and productive humanoid robots. If AGI never happens, oh well, we end up with pretty good humanoid robots. On the other hand, once we arrive at AGI, those humanoid robots will be stellar. It’s just a matter of time. Option 3: AGI And Humanoid Robots At The Same Time Let’s consider the potential of AGI and humanoid robots perchance being attained around the same time. Assume that this timing isn’t due to an outright cross-mixing with each other. They just so happen to advance on a similar timeline. I tend to believe that’s the most likely of the three scenarios. Here’s why. First, despite all the hubris about AGI being within earshot, perhaps in the next year or two, which is a popular pronouncement by many AI luminaries, I tend to side with recent surveys of AI developers that put the date around the year 2040 (see my coverage at the link here). Some AI luminaires sneakily play with the definition of AGI in hopes of making their predictions come true sooner, akin to moving the goalposts to easily score points. For my coverage on Sam Altman’s efforts of moving the cheese regarding AGI attainment, see the link here. Second, if you are willing to entertain the year 2040 as a potential date for achieving AGI, that’s about 15 years from now. In my estimation, the advancements being made in humanoid robots will readily progress such that by 2040 they will be very physically adept. Probably be sooner, but let’s go with the year 2040 for ease of contemplation. In my view, we will likely have humanoid robots doing well enough that they will be put into use prior to arriving at AGI. The pinnacle of robust humanoid robots and the attainment of AGI will roughly coincide with each other. Two peas in a pod.Impact Of Enormous Consequences In an upcoming column posting, I will examine the enormous consequences of having AGI paired with fully physically capable humanoid robots. As noted above, this will have a humongous impact on white-collar work and blue-collar work. There will be gargantuan economic impacts, societal impacts, cultural impacts, and so on. Some final thoughts for now. A single whammy is already being hotly debated. The debates currently tend to be preoccupied with the loss of white-collar jobs due to the attainment of AGI. A saving grace seems to be that at least blue-collar jobs are going to be around and thriving, even once AGI is attained. The world doesn’t seem overly gloomy if you can cling to the upbeat posture that blue-collar tasks remain intact. The double whammy is a lot more to take in. But the double whammy is the truth. The truth needs to be faced. If you are having doubts as a human about the future, just remember the famous words of Vince Lombardi: “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Humankind can handle the double whammy. Stay tuned for my upcoming coverage of what this entails.

With reclaimed land previously allocated to cars, the Grijalva River boardwalk offers generous public spaces and reconnects the Mexican city of Villahermosa to its river In Villahermosa, nature reigns supreme. Surrounded by rivers, lagoons, wild vegetation and the scorching heat of a humid tropical climate, the city’s identity is shaped by intense and unpredictable natural forces. The capital of the Mexican state of Tabasco was founded in 1564 on the banks of the Grijalva River, a vital trade route that has significantly shaped the city’s development. For locals, the river has long been both blessing and threat; major floods have been recorded since the 17th century. A devastating flood in 2007 submerged what officials estimated to be 80 per cent of the city, damaging or destroying more than 120,000 homes. In the aftermath of the inundation, high concrete retaining walls were built along both banks of the Grijalva River to prevent further flooding. While this was an understandable measure at first glance, it consequently caused residents to lose both their visual and physical connection with the river. As a result, people moved, particularly from the western bank where the historical centre is located, to new areas further away from the Grijalva River. The riverfront was left to deteriorate into a troubled zone. On the eastern bank, the neighbourhood of Gaviotas was already considered unsafe before the flood, yet it maintained more of its residential character. In 2022, 15 years after the dramatic flood, then‑president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, more commonly known as AMLO, announced the construction of a new 6km‑long riverfront promenade in Villahermosa, the capital of his home state. The idea was to enable the population to once again take pride in and live with their river, looking to Paris and Rome as examples. The monumental task, with its large urban scale and the population’s psychological trauma, was entrusted to the Ministry of Agricultural, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) as part of their Programa de Mejoramiento Urbano (Urban Improvement Programme, or PMU). This programme aimed to use architecture as an ‘instrument of social transformation’. High expectations were placed on these projects; architects were asked to create ‘places of national pride’ while improving everyday living conditions. The architectural trio of Alejandro Castro Jiménez Labora, Mauricio Rocha Iturbide, and Óscar Rodríguez Castañeda, along with their teams, were commissioned to design a linear park along both banks of the Grijalva. Each architect contributed their strength: Castro brought his expertise in poetic urban furniture; Rocha his sensitive and atmospheric architectural approach; and Rodríguez his thoughtful urban and traffic planning skills. The SEDATU team provided technical and participatory expertise, enabling contextual sensitivity by sharing essential information about the site’s topography, soil conditions and water flows. From the city’s existing observatory, the Torre del Caballero landmark, visitors enjoy an excellent view over the redesigned riverbanks. The historical centre and the Gaviotas neighbourhood now form a single ensemble, while the intervention carefully responds to the different conditions found along the length of the river. The project’s main objective is to reclaim some of the land previously allocated to cars and create a promenade for pedestrians and slower vehicles, punctuated with public spaces and facilities. On both sides of the river, cars are now limited to just one or two grey asphalt lanes. Running alongside are generous cycle paths and pedestrian walkways made of earth‑coloured concrete. Speed bumps in the same material and colour connect the pavements on either side of the road while helping to limit traffic speed to 30km/h, further enhancing pedestrian safety. Several design elements are found along almost the entire promenade. A ribbon of light‑grey benches delineates the edge of the elevated riverfront; stone walls, steps and ramps are used to negotiate the slight changes in level; planters and lush vegetation soften the transition to the walkways, creating a welcome buffer from street traffic. The most visually striking components are the tall, red‑pigmented concrete light poles on the elevated path, adorned with elegant L‑shaped steel light fixtures, which establish a strong and cohesive visual rhythm. Only upon closer inspection you notice the 2007 retaining walls peeking through the dense tropical vegetation. Removing these unattractive concrete barriers was never an option; they stand as a symbol of successful flood protection for the local population. The architectural team ingeniously built the elevated promenade atop the existing wall – an effective concealment from the street side while simultaneously inviting residents to reconnect with the Grijalva.  At the foot of the observatory, directly below the retaining wall, the earth‑toned concrete platforms of the Carlos A Madrazo Becerra Park stretch towards the river. Visitors can access the park via a ramp from the promenade on the western bank or by ferry from the opposite side. In the park, concrete furnishings invite visitors to linger among tropical vegetation set against tall natural stone walls. Importantly, it is a space that is durable and requires minimal maintenance – a survival formula for public parks in the Mexican context. Small traces on the concrete benches reveal that the park weathered its baptism of fire last year: the design accommodates the river’s natural dynamics, adapting to fluctuating water levels without compromising public safety. Beyond providing much‑needed shade, the extensive planting of native, low‑maintenance plants on both riverbanks has improved soil stability. Above the park, on a broad extension of the elevated pathway, stand three long, elegant buildings with large cantilevered roofs supported by hefty beams resting on distinctive double columns. The tall glass walls that enclose the interiors are set back, creating a visual flow between interior and exterior spaces. While the beams evoke timber construction, they – like the columns – are made of the same pigmented concrete used for the promenade paving. Despite their refined composition, these structures have remained largely unused since their completion over a year ago, neither serving their intended function as restaurants nor hosting alternative uses. Even the beautifully designed park sees only limited public engagement. The ambitious goal of SEDATU with the PMU projects to ‘counteract violence and strengthen the social fabric’ appears, for now, to have fallen short in this area. According to national statistics, Villahermosa ranks first in perceived insecurity among Mexican cities. This sense of insecurity is tangible on the promenade by the city centre, where buildings that look abandoned contribute to an atmosphere of neglect. The situation is markedly different on the opposite riverbank, in the Gaviotas neighbourhood. Construction of the 3.5km promenade on this side began in 2021 with three open pavilions housing several small kiosks, which quickly evolved into popular taco stands. The Plaza Solidaridad, revitalised by the architectural trio, draws people from the surrounding vibrant neighbourhood. Further south, the final section that was built is a large sports area and children’s playground, which were embraced by the local community even before their official inauguration in February 2024. Especially after sunset, when the air cools, the well‑lit Gaviotas riverfront comes to life. During daylight hours, however, air‑conditioned shopping centres remain the preferred gathering places for the residents of Villahermosa. Rocha describes the city’s new promenade as a ‘jazz composition’, a striking metaphor that speaks of rhythmic complexity and the freedom to improvise. With just a few designed elements and carefully selected colours, the architects have harmoniously layered the river’s urban spaces. The project is earning international recognition but, in Mexico, it faced sharp criticism and was overshadowed by accusations of nepotism. Castro is a friend of AMLO’s son, and the fact that the intervention took place in the home state of the then‑president, coupled with its substantial budget by local standards, drew considerable attention. According to residents, this undermined public acceptance. When asked about the negative press, Rocha speaks of the need to develop a ‘crisis muscle’; he says architects working on public projects in Mexico must ‘let go of perfectionism’ as much lies beyond their control.  During AMLO’s six‑year term, which ended in 2024, SEDATU implemented 1,300 PMU projects in 193 highly marginalised municipalities across the country. While many of these interventions undoubtedly improved people’s quality of life, the Villahermosa riverside project also reveals architecture’s limitations, exposing some of the programme’s weaknesses: architectural interventions often act as sticking plasters on an extensively damaged urban fabric. They are handed over from a national ministry with comprehensive expertise and funding to local governments lacking the means to sustain them. Although SEDATU conducted participatory consultations during the project’s implementation, this engagement was absent once the project was completed. Public acceptance and appropriation can take time; what this project does is send an invitation out. 2025-06-05 Reuben J Brown Share AR June 2025RoadsBuy Now

Millennium Systems International is an exciting and dynamic software company based inParsippany, NJ and was founded in 1987 to provide the beauty and wellness industry withforward-thinking, powerful management software and vital tools. We’ve built a companybased on revolutionary technology, outstanding support, and more importantly, a strongpassion to educate salon and spa owners on how to sustain success. Our software isutilized in thousands of salons and spas in over 36 countries, processes billions of dollarsin transactions per year and is used by hundreds of thousands of users. MillenniumSystems International is honored to have been named one of New Jersey's TopWorkplaces!We are currently searching for a Revenue Enablement professional to train and coach oursales professionals to drive team success. Seeking an enthusiastic and high energyprofessional who is passionate about the beauty/salon space!  This is a remote role.Key Responsibilities:• Develop and deliver training materials and resources, including presentations, e-learning modules, and manuals.• Tailor training programs to meet the specific needs of different sales teams,ensuring relevance to products, services, and market trends.• Continuously update training content to reflect changes in the product portfolio,sales strategies, and market conditions.• Teach core sales techniques such as prospecting, lead qualification, negotiation,closing strategies, and upselling.Focus on improving key areas like objection handling, overcoming customerresistance, and relationship-building.• Onboard new sales team members by providing them with a comprehensiveunderstanding of company products, sales processes, and culture.• Facilitate product and sales training sessions to ensure new hires are equipped toperform in their roles from day one.• Monitor the performance of sales representatives before and after training to assessthe effectiveness of the programs.• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide ongoing coaching to individualteam members to ensure continued development and goal achievement.• Partner with sales managers and senior leaders to understand team performancegaps and emerging needs.• Offer solutions and recommendations for improving sales performance throughcustomized training initiatives.• Train sales teams on the use of CRM systems, sales tools, and other relevantsoftware to improve efficiency and tracking.• Ensure the team is proficient in using digital tools to track progress, managepipelines, and close sales.• Track and measure the success of training programs, using metrics such as salesperformance improvements, knowledge retention rates, employee engagement andsuggest adjustments for continuous improvement.• Stay up to date with the latest trends in sales strategies, tools, and technologies.Qualifications:• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field (orequivalent experience).• 3+ years proven experience in sales, with a solid understanding of sales processesand techniques.• Previous experience in a sales training, enablement or coaching role is preferred.Skills:• Strong presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.• Ability to design engaging and impactful training programs.• Knowledge of CRM software and sales automation tools.• Analytical skills to assess performance and adjust training methods accordingly.• Organizational skills and attention to detail.• Motivational and coaching skills to help salespeople improve their performance.• Passionate about helping others succeed and developing their careers.• Creative thinker with a solutions-oriented mindset.Millennium Systems International is committed to providing all Team Members with competitive wages and salaries that are motivational, fair, and equitable. Our compensation program reflects our core values of Teamwork, Excellence, and Integrity, ensuring transparency and fairness while attracting top talent and fostering an environment that encourages growth and retention.We believe that every Team Member is integral to our collective success, and we value the diverse perspectives, creativity, and innovation they bring. Our compensation packages are designed to reflect individual contributions, taking into account skill set, experience, certifications, and work location.In line with our Client-Centric philosophy, we recognize that the success of our Team Members contributes directly to the success of our clients. As such, we offer compensation packages that not only motivate but also reward performance and excellence.The base salary range for this position in the United States is $54,000-$70,000. In addition to base pay, the total compensation package may also include commission, performance bonuses, benefits, and/or other applicable incentive compensation plans.At Millennium Systems International, we approach every challenge with Passion—striving to exceed expectations, solve challenges with urgency and determination, and create an environment where Team Members thrive and celebrate each other’s successes.We Offer:Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holidays: Enjoy a generous 3 weeks of Paid Time Off (PTO) that begins accruing with every pay period from your very first day! Plus, you’ll enjoy ten (10) paid holidays throughout 2025, along with five (5) paid sick days and one (1) personal day—because we believe in taking care of you!Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits: Your well-being is a priority! We offer subsidized Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, with coverage kicking in quickly. It's all about making sure you stay healthy, happy, and well-cared for.Life Insurance: Peace of mind for you and your loved ones! We provide Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D). What’s even better? Millennium Systems International fully covers the entire cost—100% on us!Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Insurance: Stay secure no matter what life brings your way. Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance.  And we’ve got your back—Millennium Systems International covers the full cost of Long-Term Disability at 100%.401(k) Retirement Plan: Plan for your future with confidence! You’ll be eligible to enroll in our robust 401(k) plan. When you do, you’ll enjoy a 100% match on up to 4% of your contributions, thanks to our Safe Harbor plan. It’s our way of helping you build a brighter tomorrow.Learning & Development Opportunities: We foster a culture of growth and professional excellence. As part of our benefits, we offer unlimited access to Udemy’s online courses, helping you refine your skills, explore new areas, and advance your career. Whether you're deepening your expertise or learning new technologies, we’re here to support your development every step of the way.  Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote Sales and Marketing JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorJune 5, 20254 Min ReadSailGP Australia, USA, and Great Britain racing on San Francisco Bay, CaliforniaDannaphotos via Alamy StockWarren Jones is CTO at SailGP, the organizer of what he describes as the world's most exciting race on water. The event features high-tech F50 boats that speed across the waves at 100 kilometers-per-hour (62 miles-per-hour).  Working in cooperation with Oracle, Jones focuses on innovative solutions for remote broadcast production, data management and distribution, and a newly introduced fan engagement platform. He also leads the team that has won an IBC Innovation Awards for its ambitious and ground-breaking remote production strategy. Among the races Jones organizes is the Rolex SailGP Championship, a global competition featuring national teams battling each other in identical high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans at celebrated venues around the world. The event attracts the sport's top athletes, with national pride, personal glory, and bonus prize money of $12.8 million at stake. Jones also supports event and office infrastructures in London and New York, and at each of the global grand prix events over the course of the season. Prior to joining SailGP, he was IT leader at the America's Cup Event Authority and Oracle Racing. In an online interview, Jones discusses the challenges he faces in bringing reliable data services to event vessels, as well as onshore officials and fans. Related:Warren JonesWhat's the biggest challenge you've faced during your tenure? One of the biggest challenges I faced was ensuring real-time data transmission from our high-performance F50 foiling catamarans to teams, broadcasters, and fans worldwide. SailGP relies heavily on technology to deliver high-speed racing insights, but ensuring seamless connectivity across different venues with variable conditions was a significant hurdle. What caused the problem? The challenge arose due to a combination of factors. The high speeds and dynamic nature of the boats made data capture and transmission difficult. Varying network infrastructure at different race locations created connectivity issues. The need to process and visualize massive amounts of data in real time placed immense pressure on our systems. How did you resolve the problem? We tackled the issue by working with T-Mobile and Ericsson in a robust and adaptive telemetry system capable of transmitting data with minimal latency over 5G. Deploying custom-built race management software that could process and distribute data efficiently [was also important]. Working closely with our global partner Oracle, we optimized Cloud Compute with the Oracle Cloud.  Related:What would have happened if the problem wasn't quickly resolved? Spectator experience would have suffered. Teams rely on real-time analytics for performance optimization, and broadcasters need accurate telemetry for storytelling. A failure here could have resulted in delays, miscommunication, and a diminished fan experience. How long did it take to resolve the problem? It was an ongoing challenge that required continuous innovation. The initial solution took several months to implement, but we’ve refined and improved it over multiple seasons as technology advances and new challenges emerge. Who supported you during this challenge? This was a team effort -- with our partners Oracle, T-Mobile, and Ericsson with our in-house engineers, data scientists, and IT specialists all working closely. The support from SailGP's leadership was also crucial in securing the necessary resources. Did anyone let you down? Rather than seeing it as being let down, I'd say there were unexpected challenges with some technology providers who underestimated the complexity of what we needed. However, we adapted by seeking alternative solutions and working collaboratively to overcome the hurdles. What advice do you have for other leaders who may face a similar challenge? Related:Embrace adaptability. No matter how well you plan, unforeseen challenges will arise, so build flexible solutions. Leverage partnerships. Collaborate with the best in the industry to ensure you have the expertise needed. Stay ahead of technology trends. The landscape is constantly evolving; being proactive rather than reactive is key. Prioritize resilience. Build redundancy into critical systems to ensure continuity even in the face of disruptions. Is there anything else you would like to add? SailGP is as much a technology company as it is a sports league. The intersection of innovation and competition drives us forward and solving challenges like these is what makes this role both demanding and incredibly rewarding. About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

Fog and mist offer photographers an exceptional opportunity to create deeply atmospheric, moody, and mysterious imagery. By embracing these unique weather conditions, you can transform ordinary scenes into captivating visual stories filled with depth, emotion, and intrigue. Here’s how to effectively harness fog and mist to elevate your photography. Understanding the Appeal of Fog and Mist Fog and mist naturally diffuse light, softening contrasts and textures within a scene. This soft diffusion creates a dreamlike ambiance and adds emotional depth to photographs, often evoking feelings of tranquility, solitude, or mystery. By obscuring and revealing elements selectively, fog and mist invite viewers to engage deeply with the visual narrative, filling in unseen details with imagination. Ideal Conditions and Timing The most atmospheric fog and mist usually occur during early mornings or evenings, especially near bodies of water or in valleys and lowlands. Paying close attention to weather forecasts can help you predict ideal conditions. Early preparation and scouting locations ahead of time ensure you’re ready when the perfect atmospheric conditions arise. Composition Techniques for Foggy Scenes Creating impactful foggy compositions involves thoughtful techniques: Layers and Depth: Use the fog’s varying densities to emphasize depth. Layering foreground, midground, and background elements adds visual complexity and interest. Silhouettes and Shapes: Fog reduces detail, emphasizing strong shapes and silhouettes. Compose your images around distinctive shapes, trees, or structures to anchor your photograph. Simplify the Frame: Minimalism is especially effective in foggy conditions. Embrace simplicity by isolating single elements or subjects against misty backdrops for dramatic effect. Lighting and Exposure Considerations Fog significantly impacts exposure and lighting conditions: Soft Light: The diffused, gentle lighting conditions in fog and mist reduce harsh shadows, creating flattering, ethereal images. Exposure Compensation: Fog often tricks camera meters into underexposing scenes. Consider slightly increasing your exposure compensation to accurately capture the brightness and subtle details of foggy conditions. Creative Opportunities with Fog and Mist Fog and mist open diverse creative possibilities: Black-and-White Photography: Foggy conditions lend themselves exceptionally well to monochrome photography, highlighting contrasts, textures, and shapes dramatically. Color Tones and Mood: Color images in foggy conditions can carry gentle pastel tones or cool hues, enhancing the atmospheric and emotional impact of your imagery. Enhancing Foggy Images Through Post-Processing Post-processing can refine foggy scenes: Contrast and Clarity Adjustments: Fine-tune contrast and clarity subtly to maintain the softness and mood without losing important detail. Selective Sharpening: Apply selective sharpening to key elements or subjects, ensuring they stand out within the foggy environment without diminishing the atmospheric quality. Fog and mist provide photographers with unique conditions to craft images rich in mood, narrative, and visual intrigue. By thoughtfully considering composition, timing, lighting, and post-processing, you can harness the power of fog and mist to produce atmospheric photography that deeply resonates with viewers. Embrace these ethereal elements, and transform everyday scenes into extraordinary visual stories. Extended reading: Alpine views: 12 breathtaking mountainscapes to celebrate the chilly season The post Crafting Atmospheric Images with Fog and Mist appeared first on 500px.

A novel vision sensor inspired by the neural transmission mechanisms of the human brain has been developed to efficiently and accurately extract object outlines even under fluctuating lighting environments. This advancement promises to significantly