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Australian capital hit by new Covid wave

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Health authorities in Australia’s capital Canberra on Tuesday warned against a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith revealed that modeling has indicated the territory is currently experiencing another wave of Covid infections, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We are seeing those case numbers starting to increase and we expect that is potentially the start of another wave of COVID-19 through this winter period into July and potentially into early August,” she was quoted as saying.

“We are conscious of that and we are keeping a close eye on the case numbers to see if that trajectory is going to be maintained.”

It comes after the ACT set a new record for Covid-19 hospitalizations.

There were 121 people infected with thevirus being treated in ACT hospitals, marking the highest number since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, according to the latest update on Tuesday.

The ACT government said an outbreak in a cancer ward at Canberra Hospital had contributed to the increase.

Paul Craft, clinical director of the ward, said that authorities were still investigating how Covid had spread in the ward.

“It’s been a little difficult to track where the virus has spread through the population since then, we’re still working on that,” he told local media.

“It will probably be a long time before it’s exactly clear how the outbreak occurred.”

A total of 8,023,259 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Australia, with 9,704 deaths, and 226,653 active cases, according to the federal Department of Health.

There were 3,133 cases being treated in hospitals nationwide, including 111 in intensive care.

On Tuesday, Australia reported more than 30,000 new cases and over 70 deaths.

Business

OpenAI is not for sale, Board tells Elon Musk

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San Francisco, Feb 15: Sam Altman-run OpenAI on Saturday rejected billionaire Elon Musk’s offer to buy the nonprofit company for $97.4 billion.

In a statement on X social media platform, Bret Taylor, Board Chair of OpenAI, called Musk’s bid “an attempt to disrupt his competition.”

“OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition,” Taylor posted.

“Any potential reorganisation of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity,” said Taylor on behalf of the OpenAI Board of Directors.

According to reports, OpenAI has also sent a letter to Musk’s lawyer, saying that the bid was not in the best interests of its mission.

Earlier this week, Musk’s AI company, xAI, and a group of investors offered to buy OpenAI’s nonprofit for $97.4 billion.

Altman and the company’s board of directors dismissed the unsolicited proposal.

In a statement, Andy Nussbaum, the counsel representing OpenAI’s board, said Musk’s bid “doesn’t set a value for OpenAI’s nonprofit” and the nonprofit is “not for sale.”

Musk was an OpenAI co-founder and brought a lawsuit against the company and Altman, alleging that OpenAI engaged in anticompetitive behaviour and fraud, among other offences.

In October last year, Musk filed for a preliminary injunction against OpenAI for alleged anti-competitive behaviour.

The motion for an injunction accused OpenAI, its CEO Altman, President Greg Brockman, Microsoft, LinkedIn co-founder and former OpenAI board member Reid Hoffman, and former OpenAI board member and Microsoft VP Dee Templeton of “various illicit activities and seeks to halt them”.

The allegations also included converting OpenAI’s governance structure to a for-profit and “transferring any material assets, including intellectual property owned, held, or controlled by OpenAI, Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates.”

OpenAI said in a statement that “Elon’s fourth attempt, which again recycles the same baseless complaints, continues to be utterly without merit.”

The AI company had earlier called the lawsuit “blusterous” and baseless.

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Aero India 2025: Futuristic warfare tech takes centre stage at Adani’s Defence & Aerospace stall

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Bengaluru, Feb 12: The Adani Defence and Aerospace stall, showcasing futuristic technology, has been one of the main attractions at Asia’s largest five-day air show and the 15th edition of the country’s premier aerospace exhibition ‘Aero India 2025’ in Bengaluru.

Focusing on cutting-edge technology, the spacious stall features state-of-the-art weaponry. The highlight of the display is the ‘Vehicle-Mounted Counter-Drone System’, developed in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The stall presents futuristic weaponry across four layers of defence, covering protection, detection, neutralization, and the use of artificial intelligence in safeguarding national borders.

Speaking to media, Ashish Raghuvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace, stated, “All the capabilities we are working on are on display at the show. From drones to small arms, ammunition, missiles, surface-guided missiles, and most importantly, artificial intelligence and advanced machinery, Adani has been working closely with the defence sector.”

Ashok Wadhwan, Head of Land Systems, said, “We aim to become strategic partners of the defence forces. Our focus is on futuristic technology, developing products that go beyond their expectations. If they can imagine a capability, we want to turn it into reality and build those advanced systems in India.”

Providing details about the display, Wadhwan elaborated, “We have structured our technology into four layers. The first layer focuses on protection, which includes unmanned vehicles and unmanned underwater systems designed for initial surveillance and threat detection.”

He continued, “The second layer is detection, which includes aircraft converted into aerial surveillance platforms — our ‘eyes in the sky’. We are focusing on detection across land, air, and underwater domains. The third layer is neutralization, which includes loitering objects, missiles, and other ammunition. The final layer comprises advanced weaponry, including firearms.”

“In addition, we are showcasing artificial intelligence-powered solutions designed to protect forces. Our capabilities are built to detect, neutralize, and safeguard borders,” he said.

“Our primary focus is on the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, though exports are also part of our strategy. However, our priority remains our national defence forces,” Wadhwan underlined.

“We are collaborating with Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) rather than competing with them. Our aim is to partner with them to enhance national defence capabilities,” he added.

Discussing the partnership with DRDO, he explained, “We work closely with DRDO as a Development cum Production Partner (DcPP) for missiles and counter-drone systems. We have localized these technologies and successfully delivered them to the armed forces.”

Highlighting the significance of the Vehicle-Mounted Counter-Drone System, Ashish Raghuvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace stated, “Electronic warfare is a crucial aspect of future air defence. Drones pose significant threats to both civil and military establishments. The system displayed here can detect drones of all sizes and offers users multiple options for neutralization.”

“Operators can choose between a soft-kill jammer or a hard-kill laser. This innovation is a major advancement for the country, developed under a public-private partnership. We will continue to innovate and improve these solutions,” he added.

Emphasizing the importance of detection in electronic warfare, Raghuvanshi noted, “Detection is a critical component of electronic warfare. Our modular and effective solution can distinguish between a friend and a foe, enhancing operational security.”

On the benefits of partnering with DRDO, he said, “For example, DRDO’s Centre of Excellence for missiles is among the best in the world. Strengthening public-private partnerships will help elevate these technologies to the next level, ensuring India remains at the forefront of defence innovation.”

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India ready to share its experience, expertise with world to ensure AI future for all: PM Modi

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Paris, Feb 11: India is developing AI applications for the public good and has one of the world’s largest AI talent pools, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday, adding that the country is ready to share its experience and expertise to ensure that the “AI future is for Good, and for All”.

Addressing the ‘AI Action Summit’ here, PM Modi said India is also building its own large language model (LLM), considering its diversity.

“We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like computing power. It is made available to our start-ups and researchers at an affordable cost,” informed the Prime Minister.

PM Modi further stated while the positive potential of AI is absolutely amazing, there are many biases that we need to think carefully about.

“We must build quality data sets, free from biases. We must democratise technology and create people-centric applications. We must address concerns related to cyber security, disinformation, and deepfakes. And, we must also ensure that technology is rooted in local ecosystems for it to be effective and useful,” PM Modi emphasised.

AI is developing at an unprecedented scale and speed and being adopted and deployed even faster. There is also a deep inter-dependence across borders.

“Therefore, there is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards, that uphold our shared values, address risks, and build trust,” said the Prime Minister.

The country last month announced to launch its safe and secure indigenous AI model within six months at an affordable cost. Aligning with India’s broader vision to become a global artificial intelligence (AI) hub, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Union Budget speech, announced the creation of three Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in AI for education.

According to PM Modi, governance is not just about managing risks and rivalries.

“Governance is also about ensuring access to all, especially in the Global South. It is where the capacities are most lacking – be it compute power, talent, data, or the financial resources,” he mentioned.

“AI can help transform millions of lives by improving health, education, agriculture and so much more. It can help create a world in which the journey to Sustainable Development Goals becomes easier and faster,” the Prime Minister added.

To do this, the world must develop open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency.

On the debate of job losses due to AI, the Prime Minister said history has shown that work does not disappear due to technology.

“Its nature changes and new types of jobs are created. We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future,” he noted.

India has successfully built a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for over 1.4 billion people at a very low cost. It is built around an open and accessible network. It has regulations, and a wide range of applications to modernize our economy, reform governance and transform the lives of our people.

“We have unlocked the power of data through our Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture. And, we have made digital commerce democratic and accessible to all. This vision is the foundation of India’s National AI Mission,” said PM Modi.

Today, India leads in AI adoption and techno-legal solutions on data privacy.

“We are at the dawn of the AI age that will shape the course of humanity. Some people worry about machines becoming superior in intelligence to humans. But, no one holds the key to our collective future and shared destiny other than us humans,” the Prime Minister told the gathering.

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