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EU needs to ‘speed up work on AI laws’

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BERLIN: The European Union needs to speed up work on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, Commission vice president Margrethe Vestager said Monday, as policymakers wrestle with the risks from the emergent technology.

“There is no time to waste” on passing rules to control the use of AI, Vestager told reporters in Berlin.

The European Commission put forward regulatory proposals in early 2021, but progress on the legislation has been slow.

EU member states set out their views on the Commission’s ideas at the end of 2022, while MEPs will put the matter to an initial vote in committee in Strasbourg on Thursday.

The Parliament’s opinion should be confirmed in a plenary vote in June, before negotiations between the EU’s institutions begin in earnest.

“What I think is important is speed. We really need our legislation to get in place,” Vestager said.

“I really hope that we can have the first meeting of the political negotiation before summer so that we can end it this year.”

The arrival of new AI tools such as ChatGPT has reinvigorated the debate over regulation and spurred a response from governments.

ChatGPT can generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts, and has proved itself capable of passing some tough exams.

But it has been dogged by concerns that its abilities could lead to widespread cheating in schools or supercharge disinformation on the web.

The chatbot can only function if it is trained on vast datasets, raising concerns about where its maker OpenAI gets its data and how that information is handled.

Italy temporarily banned the programme in March over allegations its data-gathering broke privacy laws, while French and German regulators have opened their own probes.

“When it comes to artificial intelligence like ChatGPT it will also be caught by the (EU’s) AI Act,” Vestager said.

The proposed legislation is “future proof” because it targets the uses of AI, not the specific technologies behind it, Vestager said.

The EU’s draft rules outlaw certain uses such as “generalised surveillance”, while companies must authorise themselves for other “high-risk” uses, such as facial recognition.

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WhatsApp launches bulk channel management functionality

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WhatsApp has initiated testing of a bulk channel administration feature on iOS for select beta users, enabling the simultaneous selection of many channels, hence enhancing the efficiency of managing following channels.

This essential update enables users to perform bulk activities, including muting many channels simultaneously, designating them as read, and altering notifications. If the chosen channels are muted, users will now have the option to activate notifications. Users can swiftly silence unmuted channels in one action.

Additionally, this feature enables users to unfollow many channels simultaneously, thereby optimizing the process of decluttering their channel list. This change is particularly beneficial for users that oversee numerous subscriptions, as reported by WABetaInfo.

Previously, users were required to manage each channel individually, rendering tasks such as muting or designating channels as read laborious and time-consuming.

The functionality provides enhanced flexibility and control over channel subscriptions, enabling users to efficiently manage notifications. The solution streamlines laborious operations for consumers who subscribe to numerous channels, hence enhancing their entire experience.

Accessibility
The bulk management feature is presently accessible exclusively to a limited number of beta testers who installed the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS using the TestFlight application. WhatsApp, owned by Meta, plans to expand the feature’s availability to a larger user base in the next weeks.

This update demonstrates WhatsApp’s dedication to enhancing user experience by offering a clear and efficient method for managing channels and notifications.

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Pakistani internet slowdown: ongoing submarine cable issue

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Even after two weeks, the global submarine cable AAA-1 problem that was discovered on January 2 near Qatar has not been fixed, causing sluggish internet connection in several Pakistani towns.

According to a representative for Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the issue has affected customers’ capacity to effectively access social media applications and browse the online. Even with initiatives to fix the problem, social networking sites still lag during busy times.

Internet traffic has been redirected via alternate channels to lessen the impact, and more capacity has been set up to stabilize the service.

The PTCL representative promised that “Internet service across the country is operating normally, and there will be no issues with web browsing,” noting that social media applications’ lag is common during

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Government and SIFC Work Together to Advance the IT Sector: Youth Skills ICT Training Portal Launched

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In an effort to better prepare young people for opportunities in the quickly changing technology sector, the government has launched a new ICT training portal.

To allow graduates to work with IT companies, Huawei and the Ministry of IT have struck an agreement. This program will give participants hands-on exposure to cutting-edge technology, including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).

There is now a training program that offers three-year internships to graduates. Huawei has also stated that it is dedicated to helping with training initiatives and contemporary technology.

In order to strengthen technical training, Huawei signed an MOU with COMSATS University Islamabad, further demonstrating its support.

Plans call for establishing training facilities in Karachi and growing the initiative across the country.

These projects funded by the Special Investment Facilitation Council are key to revitalizing Pakistan’s economy and fostering growth in the IT sector.

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