I have added two new sections to the Current Events blog post. One is about new photos and videos. The other is about startups.The new sections may not appear every week, just when I have something new to share.
Thanks to Geoff Paul for sharing this amazing drone spectacular. Ukraine is doing a lot with large numbers of drones also – dropping bombs from them on Russian tanks.
On July 21, I gave a lecture on AI @FoundersHallCT. Justin McGown of the Westfair Business Journal wrote a story about the talk. It was titled An introductory journey into AI’s potential.
In addition to current events and outlooks, I told the audience about Robot Attitude: How Robots and Artificial Intelligence Will Make Our Lives Better. A video of the lecture is below.
According to Bard AI, following are some of the latest developments in AI. As usual, the list contains some very positive things along with some scary things.
- AI can now predict passwords from keystroke sound with 95% accuracy. A team of researchers in the United Kingdom developed a deep learning model that can accurately predict what you are typing based on the sounds from keyboard keystrokes. This could be used to improve password security or to develop new ways of eavesdropping on people’s conversations.
- AI is being used to create personalized learning experiences for students. Adaptive learning platforms that use AI can assess students’ strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles to provide them with the most effective instruction. This can help students learn more effectively and efficiently.
- AI is being used to develop new medical treatments. AI-powered systems can now diagnose diseases more accurately than human doctors, and they are also being used to develop new drugs and treatments. For example, AI is being used to develop a new treatment for cancer that is more effective and less toxic than traditional treatments.
- AI is being used to improve the efficiency of businesses. AI-powered chatbots can now answer customer questions and resolve issues without the need for human intervention. This can free up employees to focus on more complex tasks, and it can also improve customer satisfaction.
- AI is being used to create new forms of art and entertainment. AI-powered tools are being used to create new forms of music, art, and literature. For example, AI has been used to create a new type of poem that is entirely generated by a computer.
These are just a few of the latest developments in AI this week. AI is a rapidly growing field, and it is constantly evolving. We can expect to see even more exciting developments in the coming months and years.
The startup I am sharing this week is Voatz. I first learned about Voatz back in 2016 when I was doing research for Election Attitude – How Internet Voting Leads to a Stronger Democracy. I offered my advice pro bono for several years. When they went live on the Wefunder crowd funding platform in early 2022, I made an investment. They raised $2,140,846 from 153 investors. Following are some highlights about Voatz.
One criticism of Ukraine has been corruption. Here is how President Zelenskyy put it….
Ukraine is at war. And those who are not fighting on the frontline must help fight. All of the country’s adrenaline, all of the country’s emotions, all of the country’s forces must be there – in battles for the sake of the state. For Ukraine. This is the primary cause. Any other or personal causes will come later, once we have won.
He is taking action…
The President of Ukraine has signed a decree dismissing all regional military commissars. Zelenskyy announced the decision on August 11.
“This system must be managed by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is high treason,” the President emphasized.
Crypto has been languishing at depressed levels and, as of Friday morning, has taken a big dive. SpaceX and Tesla have apparently sold off some (or maybe all) of their BTC holdings. Analysts are divided on what lies ahead. Some see the lull as a precursor to a significant move. Some say up and some say down. I remain longterm optimistic. Coinbase Bytes reported this week 87% of Americans believe “the financial system needs changes, or a complete overhaul.”
The U.S. government has not been supportive of crypt, but the Federal Reserve might include a blockchain-based protocol as part of its new FedNow instant-payments system. The new FedNow will allow financial institutions to settle payments between each other instantly, 24/7. This could be a major step to allow Americans to send and receive money instantly, paychecks could be withdrawn prior to the end of pay cycles, invoices could be settled immediately, and insurance payouts could be instant. If FedNow uses blockchain technology, I believe this would be a big boost for crypto.
Patrick McCorry, a long-time crypto expert said the price of cryptocurrency assets has long yo-yoed up and down, with huge highs and crashing lows. Those who have been engaged in the market for the long term began making jokes about the situation, mockingly saying the last week had caused them to lose their faith in crypto. “It’s just another day in crypto,” he says.
Bard AI summarized the market for today….
The US stock market closed lower today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.84%, the S&P 500 down 0.77%, and the Nasdaq Composite down 1.17%. The decline was broad-based, with all 11 major sectors in the S&P 500 closing in the red.
There were a number of factors that weighed on the market today, including rising interest rates, concerns about a global economic slowdown, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.04%, its highest level since December 2018. This is a negative for stocks, as it makes it more expensive for companies to borrow money and invest.
Investors are also worried about the global economy. The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its growth forecast for the world economy in 2023, citing the war in Ukraine and rising inflation. This is adding to concerns about a recession in the United States.
Finally, there is ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. The situation in Ukraine remains volatile, and there are concerns about a wider conflict. This is also weighing on investor sentiment.
It is too early to say whether the current decline in the stock market is the start of a bear market. However, the factors that are weighing on the market today are likely to continue to be a challenge in the near term.
JRP comments: For the NASDAQ, it was the longest weekly losing streak since December. Techs got hammered. The GAMMNAT stocks were down a half-trillion$ for the week. Hard to say where tech stocks go from here, but I remain optimistic.
Following are videos of talks I gave this year. I have been fortunate to be able to share my thoughts on technology with a number of groups.
On July 21, I gave a lecture on AI @FoundersHallCT. I wan’t sure how many would turn out. It was a lot. Great interest in the topic. In addition to current events and outlooks, I told the audience about Robot Attitude: How Robots and Artificial Intelligence Will Make Our Lives Better.
On March 8th I was the guest speaker at the first meeting of Probus in Palm Coast, Florida on March 8. Probus is a worldwide organization of retired and semi-retired men and women who come together to make new friends, learn new things, and have fun. There are over 4,000 Probus clubs in more than 100 countries, with over 400,000 members. Probus clubs are non-political, non-sectarian, and non-profit. They are self-governing and autonomous, and each club sets its own policies and activities.
On March 30, I gave my 12th annual lecture called Tech Talk at Hammock Dunes Club in Palm Coast, Florida where I live in the winter.
On March 23, gave a town hall-like speech and Q&A with the IT special interest group (SIG) of the New York Executive Forum. The event was via Zoom.
On April 19, I gave a talk and Q&A with a group of Union Carbide retirees. Some years ago, Union Carbide had its headquarters about a mile from where I live in Connecticut. The event was via Zoom.
There are many more videos of my lectures, interviews, etc. on my YouTube channel which you can find here.
