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‘Survive to ’25’ mentality could extend a bit longer for Boulder Valley office marketCOLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent sitting in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Two of the men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.
Ex-employees kept network access in three gov't departments: auditorTwo men who tried to smuggle £42 million worth of cocaine into the UK have been jailed. Mark Moran, 23, and Daniel Livingstone, 25, were caught after 524kg of cocaine was found in a hire van outside a hotel where they stayed in Lelley, East Yorkshire, in May, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Moran and Colombian national Didier Tordecilla Reyes, 40, had sailed a rigid hulled inflatable boat from the Hessle slipway before returning hours later with the drugs and unloading them at a beach near Easington caravan park. On Monday, Moran, of Ardrishaig, Argyll and Bute, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to import cocaine at Hull Crown Court after being convicted by a jury. Livingstone, who had pleaded guilty to the same offence, was sentenced to seven years and nine months’ imprisonment. The NCA said Reyes, 40, who has also pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to import cocaine, is to be sentenced at a later date. Livingstone was spotted shining a torch out to sea and talking on his mobile phone as he waited for Moran and Reyes, who were seen unloading a number of bags into the van and ditching the boat on the beach. Read more: Man dies following light aircraft crash near Scottish airport Over 6,000 Scots waiting for NHS social care assessment Warning about tree was not passed on to train driver before 84mph crash – report Earlier in the day Moran had driven a hire van and the boat from Norwich to Grimsby where he met Livingstone and Reyes. They all drove on to Hessle and Livingstone filled two large jerry cans with fuel. After sentencing, NCA senior investigating officer Alan French said: “There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, but working with our partners including Humberside Police and Border Force, we have disrupted this crime group’s offending and made a huge dent in any profits they were due to make. “We are determined to do all we can to tackle the class A drugs threat activity, and protect the public from the horrific damage it causes our society.”
Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad is witnessing increased cyberfrauds, and many companies have seen loss of crores of rupees in such cases. A number of companies are creating awareness among employees engaged in the finance and accounting departments because crooks impersonate company owners or directors. Amit Singh, founder of a cybersecurity and training company, said, "The rise in cyber threats has prompted Gujarat-based companies to enhance security measures, particularly in employee screening and IT systems audits." Companies now conduct detailed background checks on senior management to mitigate insider threats and protect sensitive data. "With growing reliance on digital systems, these measures aim to prevent data breaches, safeguard intellectual property, and build stakeholder trust," said Singh. A cybersecurity expert Sunny Vaghela said, "Most of the companies are adopting Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) exercises to find out the available loopholes in their systems. Employees are targeted by cybercriminals with look-alike email IDs of company owners, and the employees should be trained to identify such emails." Awareness and training are needed for preventing cyberattacks, said a cybersecuity expert. "Apart from adopting advanced technology, we are also focused on making our employees alert. In our finance and accounting department, we are giving special training to employees about payments to any accounts. We are also setting up a process for cross-checking in case employees get WhatsApp messages or emails to make payments from the management level," said a director of a leading financial services firm. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
Will inflation stick around? What oil, gold and stocks are saying about prices - MarketWatch
Ireland could be in for a snow storm within days, with a dramatic departure from recent mild conditions to a much colder and stormier climate as the New Year approaches. Forecasters are particularly concerned about the prospects on New Year's Day when there is still some uncertainty about the track and intensity of a potential storm system. The weather models are at odds; one suggests heavy rain and strong winds, while another indicates a risk of widespread snowfall. Nonetheless, all current models concur that the impending storm will pull in Arctic air, resulting in a prolonged spell of cold weather. Read more: Ireland weather: Major weather update as 'very stormy period' predicted over New Years Eve Read more: How to get more than double the holidays with just 20 days of annual leave in 2025 According to data from various agencies, a storm system arriving overnight on January 1 will bring fierce gales and intense rain, alongside widespread snowfall, reports The Irish Mirror. It's expected to first hit land in the southwest and then travel northeast throughout New Year's Day before making its way into the Irish Sea. Post-storm, the weather predictions indicate an enormous Arctic blast dominating the country for up to a week, with temperatures potentially plummeting to -9C in places. Irish weather specialist Alan O'Reilly commented on the looming conditions via his Carlow Weather social media platforms, saying: "Another cloudy day today but it's all eyes on New Year's Day weather models as risk of storm increases but the details still vary on models with position of storm varying. One model brings wind and rain while the other brings risk of snow. Either way cold will follow after! ". Met Eireann has forecasted a stark weather change, hinting at a colder and more unpredictable first week of January. Following a wet and breezy New Year's Eve and continued rain and strong winds on New Year's Day, the overall outlook indicates that we'll be shivering in lower temperatures soon, reports the Irish Mirror . According to Met Eireann's statement, "A change to colder, more unsettled conditions is expected to take place in the first week of the new year as colder air dips over the region, with the dry conditions experienced for the Christmas period giving way to more rainy weather." Meanwhile, the immediate predictions state: "Outbreaks of rain will affect northern and western areas on Saturday morning. The rain will become patchier as it slowly moves southeastwards during the day with minimal amounts over Munster and Leinster. Highest temperatures of 8C to 11C in light to moderate southwest winds." "Overall dry Saturday night with clear spells apart from the odd shower across western and northern counties. Colder than recent nights with lowest temperatures of 2C to 6C. Moderate southwesterly winds will freshen towards morning." "Mostly dry, and rather breezy Sunday with some sunny spells and scattered showers for the north and west. Highest temperatures of 8C to 11C in moderate to fresh southwest winds." Breezy Sunday night with rain in the northwest and well scattered showers across Atlantic counties. Lowest temperatures of 5C to 9C in fresh to strong southwest winds."
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Marvel Rivals' Wolverine Design Is Certainly a Choice - IGN Daily FixThe rapid expansion of AI has brought unprecedented challenges to data movement within AI infrastructure, in particular for traditional copper interconnects, once sufficient for data transfer, but which now struggle to meet the demands of increasingly complex AI models. This bottleneck has led to inefficiencies in compute performance, energy consumption, and overall scalability, and addressing these issues is crucial as AI adoption continues to grow across industries, requiring a more efficient solution for managing the massive data flows demanded by AI training and inference. Ayar Labs, an optical interconnect technology startup founded in 2015, is stepping up to meet this challenge and the company recently announced the completion of a $155 million Series D funding round with investments from Ventures, Capital, and , bringing its total funding to $370 million and pushes its valuation past $1 billion. Ayar Labs' seeking pivotal role The financing is aimed at accelerating the high-volume manufacturing of Ayar Labs’ in-package optical interconnects, a technology designed to replace traditional electrical I/O and overcome the limitations of copper and pluggable optics. Ayar Labs’ optical I/O technology eliminates traditional interconnect bottlenecks by enabling data movement at speeds required for large-scale AI workloads. By reducing latency, power consumption, and operational costs, the technology helps optimize AI infrastructure, making it more efficient and cost-effective. “The leading GPU providers – AMD and Nvidia – and semiconductor foundries – GlobalFoundries, Intel Foundry, and TSMC – combined with the backing of Advent, Light Street, and our other investors underscores the potential of our optical I/O technology to redefine the future of AI infrastructure,” said Mark Wade, CEO and co-founder of Ayar Labs. With AI infrastructure projected to attract over $1 trillion in investment over the next decade, Ayar Labs is hoping to play a pivotal role in shaping its future. The company says it has shipped around 15,000 units of its TeraPHY optics transport and SuperNova laser source to select customers to date, but it expects this number to grow to 100+ million units annually by 2028. The latest funding will allow the company to expand its manufacturing capabilities and boost customer engagements, the company says. Things look rosy for Ayar Labs right now, but as points out, “It is tempting to think that the investments by Nvidia, AMD, and Intel portend that these companies are looking to deploy the TeraPHY optics transport and its SuperNova laser source in some fashion in their compute engines. This may be true, but it is also true that by investing, these companies can get an inside look at what Ayar Labs is doing and move to the front of the line if they do choose to deploy its technology in some fashion. We know that Enterprise made a strategic investment and collaboration agreement with Ayar Labs back in February 2022 to add silicon photonics to its “Rosetta” Slingshot interconnect. But don’t jump to any conclusions based on funding.”
By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.NoneApple AAPL.O is closing in on a historic $4 trillion stock market valuation, powered by investors cheering progress in the company's long-awaited AI enhancements to rejuvenate sluggish iPhone sales. The company has pulled ahead of Nvidia NVDA.O and Microsoft MSFT.O in the race to the monumental milestone, thanks to an about 16% jump in shares since early November that has added about $500 billion to its market capitalization. The latest rally in Apple shares reflects "investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and an expectation that it will result in a supercycle of iPhone upgrades," said Tom Forte, an analyst at Maxim Group, who has a "hold" rating. Valued at about $3.85 trillion as of the last close, Apple dwarfs the combined value of Germany .GDAXI and Switzerland's .SSMI main stock markets. More: 'Apple Card failures,' including mishandling disputes, trigger millions in penalties Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors. The Silicon Valley firm, driven by the so-called iPhone supercycles, was the first U.S. company to hit previous trillion-dollar milestones. In recent years, the company has attracted criticism for being slow to map out its artificial intelligence strategy, while Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta Platforms have pulled ahead to dominate the emerging technology. Shares of Nvidia, the biggest AI beneficiary, have surged more than 800% over the past two years, compared to the near doubling in shares of Apple during the same period. Apple earlier in December started integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its devices after unveiling plans in June to integrate generative AI technology across its app suite. The company expects overall revenue to increase "low- to mid-single digits" during its fiscal first quarter - a modest growth forecast for the holiday shopping season - sparking questions about the momentum for the iPhone 16 series. However, LSEG data showed analysts expect revenue from iPhones to rebound in 2025. "Although near-term iPhone demand is still muted ... it is a function of limited Apple Intelligence features and geographic availability, and as both broaden, it will help to drive an improvement in iPhone demand," Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring said in a note, reiterating Apple as the brokerage's "top pick" heading into 2025. The recent surge in shares has pushed Apple's price-to-earnings ratio to a near three-year high of 33.5, compared to 31.3 for Microsoft and 31.7 for Nvidia, according to LSEG data. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway BRKa.N has sold shares of Apple - its top holding - this year, as the conglomerate broadly retreated from equities on concerns over stretched valuations. "I suspect the stock in three years will not look as expensive as it does today," said Eric Clark, portfolio manager of the Rational Dynamic Brands Fund, which holds Apple shares. Apple faces the risk of retaliatory tariffs if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump delivers on his promise to slap tariffs of at least 10% on goods coming from China. "We believe it's likely Apple gets exclusions on products like iPhone, Mac and iPad, similar to the first round of China tariffs in 2018," Woodring said. Apple's shares tumbled last Wednesday amid a Wall Street selloff after the Federal Reserve forecast a slower pace of rate cuts next year but investors expect the broad trend of monetary easing to support stock markets next year. "Technology has been regarded by investors as a new form of a defensive sector because of their earnings growth," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. The Fed's action "could end up having a greater impact on some of the other cyclical areas such as consumer discretionary and financials and less so on technology." "Apple's approach to $4 trillion market cap is a testament to its enduring dominance in the tech sector. This milestone reinforces Apple's position as a market leader and innovator," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive officer of 50 Park Investments. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Aditya Soni and Purvi Agarwal; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila
Trump still wants to buy GreenlandImagine a world where your device doesn’t just listen to what you say but also understands how you feel. Also known as affective computing, Emotion AI is rapidly transforming the way machines interact with humans by enabling them to interpret, simulate, and respond to emotional cues. By leveraging technologies such as facial recognition, voice modulation analysis, and physiological data, Emotion AI is not only reshaping industries like healthcare, education, and security but is also raising significant ethical and legal concerns about privacy, surveillance, and the potential for misuse. The global market for Emotion AI is projected to exceed $90 billion by 2030, with countries across the world—including China, India, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan—actively exploring its applications. As this technology continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly vital to address the growing concerns surrounding its ethical implications, particularly its use in sensitive sectors such as the legal system, national security, and military operations. The technical backbone of Emotion AI Emotion AI enables machines to recognise, interpret, and simulate human emotions, by using advanced algorithms and data processing. It gathers emotional signals from facial expressions, voice tone, speech patterns, and physiological indicators like heart rate and skin conductance. This multi-dimensional approach allows AI systems to understand emotional states in real-time, making it a game-changer for industries like customer service, healthcare, and security. Key technologies driving Emotion AI Facial recognition technology is one of the most powerful tools in Emotion AI, with AI systems now able to detect micro-expressions—subtle facial movements that convey emotions like happiness, sadness, and anger. Research from UCSD shows that people can recognise emotions from facial expressions with 90 percent accuracy, which is why brands like Coca-Cola use emotion analytics to evaluate consumer responses to ads. Voice analysis also plays a crucial role, detecting emotions based on speech patterns. A study from the University of Southern California demonstrated an 83 percent accuracy rate for emotion detection from speech alone. Moreover, physiological signals like heart rate variability (HRV) offer insights into emotional states, allowing AI to detect stress levels even before they manifest physically. As the global market for Emotion AI grows—projected to reach $90 billion by 2030—companies like Microsoft and Wysa are leveraging these technologies for applications in customer service and mental health. Microsoft’s Emotion API helps analyse facial expressions, enhancing user interactions across products like Xbox, while mental health apps like Woebot use emotion-based AI to deliver tailored therapeutic interventions. Where to apply and how to benefit The applications of Emotion AI are vast and transformative. In healthcare, AI-powered mental health apps, such as Wysa, use emotion analysis to offer personalised support. With mental health disorders affecting one in four people globally, as noted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Emotion AI is seen as a tool to bridge the gap in care, especially for those in remote or underserved regions. The mental health chatbot market, valued at $1.3 billion in 2023, is expected to grow significantly by 2027. In customer service, Emotion AI helps improve interactions by allowing AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants to adjust their responses based on a user’s emotional state. This technology has been integrated into platforms like Cogito, which enhances customer service efficiency by understanding the mood of the person on the other end of the line. Cybersecurity and privacy risks Despite its benefits, Emotion AI poses significant cybersecurity and privacy concerns. Emotional data, which provides deep insights into a person's psychological state, is highly sensitive. Hackers targeting such data could lead to privacy violations or psychological manipulation. In fact, Symantec reports a rise in cyberattacks targeting biometric data, including emotional information. The security of this data is crucial to avoid breaches that could result in identity theft, blackmail, or exploitation. One of the most controversial uses of Emotion AI was China’s 2018 Smart Courts initiative, where AI analysed defendants' emotional states during trials. The programme aimed to assess the emotions of individuals to gauge their truthfulness, but it raised serious concerns about fairness, bias, and privacy. Critics argue that emotional states are subjective and may lead to unjust conclusions when used in legal settings. Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has warned about the use of emotion-detection AI in US courts, fearing that it could exacerbate racial biases. Studies show that AI systems often perform less accurately when identifying emotions in people of colour, raising concerns about fairness in legal processes. Why regulation is imperative Emotion AI’s rapid development brings with it ethical concerns. The ability of machines to analyse and react to human emotions raises questions about privacy, consent, and the potential for misuse. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has taken steps to address these issues by requiring explicit consent before collecting biometric data, including emotional data. However, the regulation’s global applicability remains a challenge. As AI moves into surveillance and national security, such as Russia’s use of Emotion AI to assess soldiers' morale, it further complicates the ethical landscape. The ability to monitor emotions in public protests or mass gatherings could lead to abuses in authoritarian regimes, reinforcing surveillance over personal freedom. Responsible development Emotion AI holds transformative potential for various industries, from enhancing mental health care to improving customer service. However, as with any powerful technology, its application must be carefully managed. Strict regulations and robust cybersecurity protocols are essential to ensure that the emotional data it collects is used responsibly and securely. To fully realise the benefits of Emotion AI while mitigating its risks, governments and industries must collaborate to establish clear ethical guidelines. By doing so, Emotion AI can be harnessed in ways that benefit society, rather than exploit it. Healthcare and mental health In Pakistan, where an estimated 50 million people are affected by mental health disorders, Emotion AI could serve as a game changer in the healthcare sector. AI-powered chatbots and virtual mental health assistants could offer support, particularly in rural areas where access to professionals is limited. However, the integration of such technologies must be backed by stringent cybersecurity measures to safeguard personal data. In India, startups like Wysa are already using Emotion AI to personalise mental health support. The app adapts its responses based on the user’s emotional cues, delivering therapeutic content in real time. However, ensuring the security of users' emotional data remains a critical issue. China’s leading role: surveillance and control China remains at the forefront of integrating Emotion AI into its vast surveillance infrastructure. The country’s social credit system, which includes tracking citizens’ behaviours and emotional responses, has raised serious concerns about privacy and government overreach. While proponents argue it enhances governance, critics warn that it could manipulate emotional and social behaviors on a large scale. China’s ability to monitor emotional responses during public protests or large gatherings could influence how authorities manage civil unrest. It has also sparked global debates about privacy, free speech, and personal freedom, particularly as its technology evolves. Military and security applications in Russia Russia has increasingly turned to Emotion AI for military and security purposes. These systems are also being applied in the detection of deception during interrogations, raising concerns about the ethics of psychological manipulation in high-stakes environments. This prompts ethical questions regarding psychological control and significant implications for human rights and personal freedom, especially in conflict zones. Iran’s strategic use in conflict Iran has recognised the potential of Emotion AI, particularly within the context of warfare. Amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East, notably the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, Iran has explored how AI can be used for psychological warfare. By analysing the emotional states of military leaders, soldiers, or adversaries, Iran could potentially gain strategic advantages by influencing emotions or predicting actions. While the potential for AI to shape military strategies through emotional manipulation is significant, it also raises complex ethical concerns. Pakistan’s emerging role In Pakistan, the integration of Emotion AI is still in its nascent stages, yet the potential applications are wide-ranging. In the education sector, Emotion AI can assist in understanding students' emotional states and tailoring teaching methods to better meet their needs. Given that mental health remains a critical issue in the country, Emotion AI could help address the needs of millions of individuals who lack access to mental health professionals. However, as Emotion AI technologies gain traction, Pakistan must confront significant challenges surrounding data security. In 2021, a data breach exposed the personal information of 22 million Pakistani citizens, highlighting the vulnerabilities in the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure. As Emotion AI requires the collection and processing of highly sensitive personal data, it is imperative to implement strong security protocols to prevent exploitation by malicious actors. In the legal system, the potential use of Emotion AI to assess the emotional states of suspects during investigations or trials could have profound implications for justice and fairness. While AI may enhance efficiency, the risk of misinterpreting emotional cues raises concerns about the accuracy of legal judgments, potentially leading to biased or unjust outcomes. Furthermore, in the area of national security, Pakistan’s growing interest in Emotion AI raises questions about privacy. The use of Emotion AI for surveillance, particularly in public spaces, could lead to government overreach, infringing on citizens' rights. To protect individual freedoms, it is crucial for Pakistan to develop clear regulatory frameworks that govern the ethical use of Emotion AI in such sensitive domains. Facebook experiment One of the most controversial instances of Emotion AI misuse was Facebook’s 2014 emotional contagion experiment, in which the company manipulated the news feeds of nearly 700,000 users to study the spread of emotions across social networks. The lack of informed consent from users sparked outrage and raised concerns about privacy and the ethical use of emotional data. There is a critical need for transparency and user consent when employing Emotion AI technologies. While China’s use of Emotion AI in legal systems has raised significant concerns about fairness and the accuracy of legal processes, Iran’s exploration of Emotion AI in military and security contexts must be addressed to prevent abuse and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. The road ahead From improving healthcare outcomes to transforming education, the possibilities are limitless, but the ethical and legal risks cannot be ignored. To mitigate the risks of misuse, it is imperative to implement strong cybersecurity frameworks and establish international regulations. Countries must collaborate to create ethical guidelines for the use of Emotion AI, balancing technological innovation with the protection of individual rights. The European Union’s AI Act offers a potential model for regulating AI technologies, setting a precedent for the responsible development and deployment of Emotion AI. The future of Emotion AI hinges on finding the right balance between technological progress and the protection of fundamental rights. By addressing these challenges, we can pave the way for a future where Emotion AI serves humanity, rather than exploiting it. Ayaz Hussain Abbasi is an IT professional, cybersecurity expert, and legal analyst All facts and information is the sole responsibility of the writeThink your phone is listening to you? That’s proximity advertising
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Lucknow, Dec 23 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that at a time when many countries are at war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is binding the world in the thread of peace, harmony and unity through the message of Lord Buddha. Welcoming a delegation led by Governor of Japan’s Yamanashi Province Kotaro Nagasaki at his official residence here, Adityanath described UP as a state of “Unlimited Potential”. An MoU was signed between the Uttar Pradesh government and Yamanashi Prefecture (Japan) for industrial cooperation, tourism and vocational education in the presence. “The roots of strategic, cultural and global cooperation have been connected between the two countries for more than a millennium. Today, when many countries of the world are at war, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is binding the world in the thread of peace, harmony and unity through the message of Lord Buddha,” Adityanath said. “The strong relations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister of Japan, late Shinzo Abe, have also taken the political, economic and business relations of India-Japan to new heights,” he said. “The state government is keen to cooperate with Japanese companies. Japan also provided great support as a partner country for the Global Investors Summit-2023,” Adityanath said. On behalf of the state government, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of the Governor’s Policy Planning Bureau of Yamanashi Province Junichi Ishidera exchanged the MoU, the UP government said in a statement. Adityanath said the MoU is a result of the prime minister’s commitment to work together with the Quad countries for humanity on the basis of shared democratic values. Currently, more than 1,400 Japanese companies are operating in India, including seven major firms — Mitsui Technologies, Honda Motors, Yamaha Motors, Denso, Toyodrunk, Nissin ABC Logistics, Sekisui DLJM Molding — operating in Uttar Pradesh. Economic co-operation between India and Japan is very rich, he said, and added that bilateral trade between the two countries has been USD 22.854 billion in the financial year 2023-24. During this period, USD 17.69 billion was exported from Japan to India and USD 5.15 billion was imported. Adityanath told the Japanese delegation that Uttar Pradesh is getting a new identity as an ‘expressway state’. After the construction of the Ganga Expressway, Uttar Pradesh will have 55 per cent share in the total expressways of the country. At present, five expressways of a total length of 1,130 km are operational, he said. The UP CM said that in the electronics and IT/ITES sector, Uttar Pradesh has the distinction of contributing about 45 per cent of India’s total mobile manufacturing. About 55 per cent of India’s mobile components are manufactured here. About 26 per cent of India’s mobile manufacturers are active in Uttar Pradesh and more than 200 ESDM companies are located in the state. The state government is developing clusters for semi-conductor manufacturing and fab-units. Apart from this, Uttar Pradesh is rapidly emerging as the main hub of data centers in India, he said. On this occasion, Governor Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan, Kotaro Nagasaki said there have been spiritual and historical relations between Yamanashi Prefecture and Uttar Pradesh. Expressing happiness over the MoU, he said that Japan will provide mutual cooperation in labour skilled development, renewable energy, hydro power, exchange of knowledge and technology. He told the chief minister that “Japan is your second home”, the statement said, adding Adityanath also spoke a few lines in Japanese. PTI NAV/MAN TIR TIR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );
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