The Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), whose 2020 event concluded Wednesday, showcases the innovators harnessing the power of technology to address the greatest challenges facing humanity and our planet.
Young Sohn, corporate president and chief strategy officer for Samsung Electronics, and the co-founder of XTC, said the 80 judges who evaluate the contestants were looking for something different this year due to COVID-19 conditions.
"We used to look at the message, but now, we really want a viable business... we are looking for a startup management team that has the ability to drive and achieve their mission," Sohn said. "I think providing a very viable business plan that can be developed and discussed by the community is really what we are looking for."
This year's global winner was Genecis, a cleantech startup that converts food waste into biodegradable plastics and other high-value materials. Microgen Biotech's Xuemei Germaine won the Female Founder Award, and the COVID-19 Innovation Award went to TytoCare.
Sohn said it was important that companies were working towards implementing the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals.
"Whether it's the food issues, medicine, inclusion issues, equality, education. And we want to make sure these kinds of areas are well-captured, along with the technology to enable these applications to develop," he noted.
But achieving these goals takes inspiration and teamwork, and Sohn is hoping that the collaboration of ideas between bigger companies can bring greater results. He also gave credit to one world leader for providing the inspiration for creating this competition.
"I give a lot of credit to [French] President [Emmanuel] Macron for inspiring us to really rework our goals... working with big corporations like Samsung and Intel and Microsoft to accelerate the innovation path. In the process, together, I think we could have a bigger impact."
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
The Islamic State group and other militant organizations are experimenting with artificial intelligence as a tool to boost recruitment and refine their operations. National security experts say that just as businesses, governments and individuals have embraced AI, extremist groups also will look to harness the power of AI. That means aiming to improve their cyberattacks, breaking into sensitive networks and creating deepfakes that spread confusion and fear. Leaders in Washington have responded with calls to investigate how militant groups are using AI and seek ways to encourage tech companies to share more about how their products are being potentially misused.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
Waymo's self-driving taxis have been in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. This week, the automated ride-hailing taxis went viral after a San Francisco woman gave birth inside a Waymo taxi while on her way to the hospital. A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the unusual delivery. It said the company's rider support team detected unusual activity inside the vehicle and alerted 911. The taxi arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Waymo's popularity is growing despite heightened scrutiny following an illegal U-turn and the death of a San Francisco cat. The company, owned by Alphabet, says it is proud to serve riders of all ages.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
