Hurricane Andrew, 1992
AP Photo This Aug. 25, 1992 file photo shows the water tower, a landmark in Florida City, still standing over the ruins of the Florida coastal community that was hit by the force of Hurricane Andrew.
AI-assisted tool helped secure satellite communication system after 2022 Russian hacking
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the same day it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia disabled thousands of satellite modems across Ukraine and other European countries, aiming to disrupt communications. A new AI-assisted tool aims to help close that kind of vulnerability amid concerns about continued Russian aggression and newer Iranian threats to cyber infrastructure. The cybersecurity company Atalanta has released “Argo” — a product that includes the technology now being used to prove the resilience of Viasat’s satellite communications network, which was targeted in the 2022 hacking ...
Workers in China worry over being replaced as they adapt to the growing impact of AI on jobs
HONG KONG (AP) — Computer programmer Fei Zhaojun’s boss asked him if artificial intelligence could soon replace humans in coding jobs. Two weeks later, he was laid off from his job in Beijing, together with about 160 of his colleagues. It’s an increasingly common scenario as artificial ...
Uber fined nearly $1 billion by Dutch regulators over automated suspensions of driver accounts
Dutch data protection authorities have fined Uber nearly $1 billion, saying the ride-hailing company used automated software to suspend driver accounts, sometimes permanently, with no human review to check for mistakes. The Dutch Data Protection Authority said Friday it is imposing a fine of 825 million euros ($964 million) because Uber violated the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. The EU’s data privacy rules prohibit fully automated decision-making. The authority also said Uber failed inform drivers about its automatic decision-making. The violations took place from 2018 ...
The world inches toward catastrophic climate events: ‘Bigger shocks are on the way’
NEW YORK (AP) — In the opening scene of American writer Kim Stanley Robinson’s “The Ministry for the Future,” a heat wave combined with a breakdown of the electrical grid in India kills 20 million people. The devastation causes the world’s nations to unite to combat climate ...
Officials warn wildland firefighters about the risks of using a supplement for smoke exposure
SEATTLE (AP) — Fire and medical officials have issued warnings about a supplement offered to Western wildland firefighters who have been exposed to toxic chemicals while battling some of the country’s biggest blazes. The supplement glutathione, given through an IV or an inhaler-like machine called a nebulizer, has not been proven to be safe or effective and could expose firefighters to illness if there is contamination while it’s produced, experts say. At least two pharmacies recalled the supplement in August due to bacterial contamination found during testing at their labs, ...