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Utilities See Role for AI in Preventing Wildfires; Facial Recognition Slapped with Restrictions
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Welcome back. In a year marked by disasters, some suggest that smart algorithms may hold the key to a safer future. Work is under way to explore the use of artificial intelligence in preventing the kinds of wildfires that are engulfing the West Coast. AI also is being enlisted to speed up drug discovery, check on patients and even remind people to wear masks.
But as these and other capabilities expand, AI-enabled technology is also fueling privacy and national security concerns, prompting calls to strengthen protective barriers around the use of personal data in facial-recognition tools and other smart applications.
Read on for more ...
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The Golden Gate Bridge just before noon on Wednesday. PG&E is now using computer vision and artificial intelligence to more thoroughly inspect its infrastructure to head off fire risk.
PHOTO: DAVID G. MCINTYRE/ZUMA PRESS
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PG&E and other major utilities are investigating how artificial intelligence can be used to spot faulty transmission gear before it sparks a wildfire. Among other tools, they are looking into deploying drones, computer vision and machine learning to spot potential equipment issues before they fail, WSJ’s John McCormick reports.
What can go wrong. A 2018 fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, Calif., was ignited when a worn piece of metal that holds power lines, known as a C-hook, broke and dropped a high-voltage electric line on the ground in a remote area.
What AI can do. High-resolution photos of field equipment from drones, identified by computer-vision technology, could allow machine-learning software to detect wear and tear before it’s too late.
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50,000
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The number of square miles covered by Edison International’s Southern California Edison, which is conducting a pilot project using machine learning to inspect roughly 27% of its distribution and transmission lines in high-risk fire areas
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Robot Surgeons. Although the technology is still years away, researchers are developing robots that can perform surgical tasks with minimal human oversight, a boon for operations performed in rural or remote areas without access to surgeons. One project seeks to create a robotic hand with a sense of touch, writes the WSJ's Sara Castellanos.
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Where things stand. Million-dollar robotic arms currently assist surgeons with suturing, dissecting and retracting tissue, in operations that require a high degree of precision but are directed by a human doctor.
Skin in the game. “Artificial skin” would allow fully autonomous robot surgeons to differentiate between healthy tissue and tumors when making surgical incisions, says Dr. Benjamin Tee of the National University of Singapore.
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Intelligent Hospitals. Smart sensors and machine-learning algorithms are set to transform the way health care is delivered, according to a Stanford University study. It says smart hospital systems can alert caregivers when a patient gets out of bed or keep health-care workers from entering a room without washing their hands, WSJ’s Jared Council reports.
How it works. Dubbed ambient intelligence, sensors and video cameras placed throughout a hospital can track patients, doctors and nurses, feeding real-time data into software trained to detect anomalies.
Why now. “What’s fueling this is the convergence of smart sensors, much more sophisticated and effective machine-learning algorithms, but also the real need to help patients and clinicians,” said Fei-Fei Li, co-director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
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Billion-Dollar Drug Deal. Digital drug-discovery startup Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. has formed a partnership with Bayer AG after raising a $239 million venture-financing round led by Bayer’s investment arm. The latest funding boosts Recursion's valuation to more than $1 billion, WSJ Pro AI reports.
What it does. Salt Lake City-based Recursion seeks to speed up drug discovery by using AI-powered digital tools to help scientists analyze large volumes of data and search more widely for promising drug molecules.
Beneficial partnership. Bayer is providing Recursion with $30 million in upfront cash and will run clinical trials of medicines it discovers, paying more than $100 million in success-based payments for each drug-development program.
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Facial-Recognition Backlash
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A woman and children passing a mural outside a store in downtown Portland, Ore. this month. The city said facial recognition isn’t widely used by the local private sector, but business groups still urged officials to create exceptions to new restrictions.
PHOTO: CAITLIN OCHS/REUTERS
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Portland, Ore., last week set the nation’s toughest restrictions on the commercial use of facial-recognition technology, experts say. The new law bans businesses from using the AI-based tools in retail stores and other public spaces, along with similar restrictions on city agencies, WSJ’s David Uberti reports.
Why it’s being banned. The private-sector ordinance cites the software’s higher error rates when identifying people of color and women and seeks to boost transparency in the private and public sectors, city officials say.
Who is affected. Local retailers stand to lose a competitive edge to stores in other cities that don't face such stringent restrictions, says the Portland Business Alliance.
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Amid talks to find a U.S. buyer, China-based ByteDance Ltd. is pushing to settle a lawsuit in Illinois court alleging its video-sharing app unlawfully collects user data, including by scanning their faces, to feed its AI-powered recommendation engine, WSJ’s David Uberti reports.
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The secret sauce. The app’s algorithm has become a sticking point in sale talks, which have included Microsoft and Oracle, despite little understanding beyond TikTok of how it even works.
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A new generation. Upstarts like TikTok have more flexibility to innovate how they collect and analyze information than older social-media platforms, which tend to stick with tried and true methods, says Shuman Ghosemajumder, head of AI at F5 Networks Inc.
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Extra: The Future Gets Smarter
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Talking Bikes, Easy-Bake Ovens
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With AI popping up everywhere these days, what does the future hold? More AI, according to the WSJ's latest roundup of tech trends.
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Talking e-bikes and scooters. “Your bike will be able to communicate with you what it needs, like if your tires are low, or your gears are messed up,” said Shabazz Stuart, founder of bike and scooter parking pod maker Oonee.
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No more burnt dinners. Thanks to smart microprocessors, “the oven of the future will basically give you microwave convenience with restaurant quality and ultimate control,” said Dave Arnold, an inventor and an owner of the Booker & Dax food-science development company.
Diagnose thyself. “With widespread use of nanotechnology, people will be able to swallow a pill and have every aspect of their health analyzed in real time,” said Lucas Werthein, founder and head of tech and production for the innovation consultancy Cactus.
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An F-16 Fighting Falcon at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan in August.
PHOTO: JOSH SMITH/REUTERS
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Military teamwork. The U.S. Air Force is calling on the Pentagon to lay the groundwork for closer collaboration between military services on AI projects, Air Force acquisition boss Will Roper said at Pentagon technology conference last week. (Air Force Magazine)
... We're on it. The Pentagon’s main AI lab is building out cloud platforms to allow developers across the military to access advanced algorithms and other tools. The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center has already shifted several applications into the system, officials say. (Bloomberg)
Robot tour guide. An autonomous robotic mascot in the Japanese town of Seika, near Kyoto, is being outfitted with AI software enabling it to answer questions from visitors and locals about tourism and municipal administration. (Asahi Shimbun)
IBM issues export warning. The tech giant says the U.S. needs to limit exports of facial-recognition systems that can be used in mass surveillance, racial profiling or other human-rights violations. (Reuters)
China to boost tech. President Xi Jinping took to state television last week to urge Chinese companies to speed up technological innovation and boost financial support for scientific research. (Reuters)
C'est la vie. As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, engineers in Paris have developed a robot that can detect whether people are wearing masks and remind them to put one on. (Reuters)
Drone maker finds new customers. Skydio, a California startup that makes high-end drones primarily for skateboarders and mountain bikers, is attracting police, firefighters and military buyers, amid mounting national security concerns around China-based DJI, the world’s leading drone maker. (Associated Press)
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The Treasury Department said it would review an agreement for Oracle Corp. and others to revamp TikTok’s U.S. operations with the aim of avoiding a ban of the popular video-sharing app because of its Chinese ownership. (WSJ)
Amazon.com Inc. plans to hire 100,000 additional employees in the U.S. and Canada, continuing a rapid expansion that began as the coronavirus pandemic forced many people to stay home and shop online. (WSJ)
SoftBank Group Corp. has reached a $33.5 billion deal to sell Arm Holdings to Nvidia Corp. for a mix of cash and stock, a move with big implications for the global semiconductor industry. (WSJ)
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