Human rights principles Archives | Page 111 of 153

AI-driven remote fetal monitoring launched by Lee Health

Lee Health has launched Florida’s first AI-powered birth care centre, introducing a remote fetal monitoring command hub to improve maternal and newborn outcomes across the Gulf Coast.

The system tracks temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse for mothers and babies, with AI alerting staff when vital signs deviate from normal ranges. Nurses remain in control but gain what Lee Health calls a ‘second set of eyes’.

‘Maybe mum’s blood pressure is high, maybe the baby’s heart rate is not looking great. We will be able to identify those things,’ said Jen Campbell, director of obstetrical services at Lee Health.

Once a mother checks in, the system immediately monitors across Lee Health’s network and sends data to the AI hub. AI cues trigger early alerts under certified clinician oversight and are aligned with Lee Health’s ethi c al AI policies, allowing staff to intervene before complications worsen.

Dr Cherrie Morris, vice president and chief physician executive for women’s services, said the hub strengthens patient safety by centralising monitoring and providing expert review from certified nurses across the network.

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Secrets sprawl flagged as top software supply chain risk in Australia

Avocado Consulting urges Australian organisations to boost software supply chain security after a high-alert warning from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). The alert flagged threats, including social engineering, stolen tokens, and manipulated software packages.

Dennis Baltazar of Avocado Consulting said attackers combine social engineering with living-off-the-land techniques, making attacks appear routine. He warned that secrets left across systems can turn small slips into major breaches.

Baltazar advised immediate audits to find unmanaged privileged accounts and non-human identities. He urged embedding security into workflows by using short-lived credentials, policy-as-code, and default secret detection to reduce incidents and increase development speed for users in Australia.

Avocado Consulting advises organisations to eliminate secrets from code and pipelines, rotate tokens frequently, and validate every software dependency by default using version pinning, integrity checks, and provenance verification. Monitoring CI/CD activity for anomalies can also help detect attacks early.

Failing to act could expose cryptographic keys, facilitate privilege escalation, and result in reputational and operational damage. Avocado Consulting states that secure development practices must become the default, with automated scanning and push protection integrated into the software development lifecycle.

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UK government AI tool recovers £500m lost to fraud

A new AI system developed by the UK Cabinet Office has helped reclaim nearly £500m in fraudulent payments, marking the government’s most significant recovery of public funds in a single year.

The Fraud Risk Assessment Accelerator analyses data across government departments to identify weaknesses and prevent scams before they occur.

It uncovered unlawful council tax claims, social housing subletting, and pandemic-related fraud, including £186m linked to Covid support schemes. Ministers stated the savings would be redirected to fund nurses, teachers, and police officers.

Officials confirmed the tool will be licensed internationally, with the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand among the first partners expected to adopt it.

The UK announced the initiative at an anti-fraud summit with these countries, describing it as a step toward global cooperation in securing public finances through AI.

However, civil liberties groups have raised concerns about bias and oversight. Previous government AI systems used to detect welfare fraud were found to produce disparities based on age, disability, and nationality.

Campaigners warned that the expanded use of AI in fraud detection risks embedding unfair outcomes if left unchecked.

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UN General Assembly highlights threats of unregulated technology

World leaders opened the 80th UN General Debate with a strong call to keep technology in the service of humanity, warning that without safeguards, rapid advances could widen divides and fuel insecurity. Speakers highlighted the promise of AI, digital innovation, and new technologies, but stressed that global cooperation is essential to ensure they promote development, dignity, and peace.

A recurring theme was the urgent need for universal guardrails on AI, with concerns over regulation lagging behind its fast-paced growth. Delegates from across regions supported multilateral governance, ethical standards, and closing global capacity gaps so that all countries can design, use, and benefit from AI.

While some warned of risks such as inequality, social manipulation, and autonomous weapons, others emphasised AI’s potential for prosperity, innovation, and inclusive growth.

Cybersecurity and cybercrime also drew attention, with calls for collective security measures and anticipation of a new UN convention against cybercrime. Leaders further raised alarms over disinformation, digital authoritarianism, and the race for critical minerals, urging fair access and sustainability.

Across the debate, the unifying message was clear. The technology must uplift humanity, protect rights, and serve as a force for peace rather than domination.

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

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Spanish joins Google’s global AI Mode expansion

Google is rapidly expanding AI Mode, its generative AI-powered search assistant. The company has announced that the feature is now rolling out globally in Spanish. Spanish speakers can now interact with AI Mode to ask complex questions that traditional Search handles poorly.

AI Mode has seen swift adoption since its launch earlier this year. First introduced in March, the feature was rolled out to users across the US in May, followed by its first language expansion earlier this month.

Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese were the first languages added, and Spanish now joins the list. Google says more languages will follow soon as part of its global AI Mode rollout.

Google says the feature is designed to work alongside Search, not replace it, offering conversational answers with links to supporting sources. The company has stressed that responses are generated with safety filters and fact-checking layers.

The rollout reflects Google’s broader strategy to integrate generative AI into its ecosystem, spanning Search, Workspace, and Android. AI Mode will evolve with multimodal support and tighter integration with other Google services.

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Yale students explore AI through clubs and fellowships

Across Yale, membership in AI-focused clubs such as the Yale Artificial Intelligence Association (AIA), Yale Artificial Intelligence Alignment (YAIA) and Yale Artificial Intelligence Policy Initiative (YAIPI) has grown rapidly.

The organisations offer weekly meetings, projects, and fellowships to deepen understanding of AI’s technical, ethical, and societal implications.

Each club has a distinct focus. YAIA addresses long-term risks and safety, while the AIA emphasises student-led technical projects and community-building. YAIPI explores ethics, governance and policy, particularly for students without technical backgrounds.

Fellowships, paper-reading groups and collaborative projects allow members to engage deeply with AI issues.

Membership numbers reflect this surge: AIA’s mailing list now includes around 400 students, YAIPI has over 200 subscribers, and YAIA admitted 25 students to its safety fellowship. The clubs are also beginning to collaborate, combining technical expertise with policy knowledge for joint projects.

Professional schools and faculty-led initiatives, including law and business-focused AI groups, further expand opportunities for student engagement.

AI’s role in classrooms remains varied. Some professors encourage experimentation with generative tools, while others enforce stricter rules, particularly in humanities courses. Yale’s Executive Committee warned first-year students against using AI platforms like ChatGPT without attribution.

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Gemini brings conversational AI to Google TV

Google has launched Gemini for TV, bringing conversational AI to the living room. The update builds on Google TV and Google Assistant, letting viewers chat naturally with their screens to discover shows, plan trips, or even tackle homework questions.

Instead of scrolling endlessly, users can ask Gemini to find a film everyone will enjoy or recap last season’s drama. The AI can handle vague requests, like finding ‘that new hospital drama,’ and provide reviews before you press play.

Gemini also turns the TV into an interactive learning tool. From explaining why volcanoes erupt to guiding kids through projects, it offers helpful answers with supporting YouTube videos for hands-on exploration.

Beyond schoolwork, Gemini can help plan meals, teach new skills like guitar, or brainstorm family trips, all through conversational prompts. Such features make the TV a hub for entertainment, education, and inspiration.

Gemini is now available on the TCL QM9K series, with rollout to additional Google TV devices planned for later this year. Google says additional features are coming soon, making TVs more capable and personalised.

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AI-powered OSIA aims to boost student success rates in Cameroon

In Cameroon, where career guidance often takes a back seat, a new AI platform is helping students plan their futures. Developed by mathematician and AI researcher Frédéric Ngaba, OSIA offers personalised academic and career recommendations.

The platform provides a virtual tutor trained on Cameroon’s curricula, offering 400 exam-style tests and psychometric assessments. Students can input grades and aspirations, and the system builds tailored academic profiles to highlight strengths and potential career paths.

OSIA already has 13,500 subscribers across 23 schools, with plans to expand tenfold. Subscriptions cost 3,000 CFA francs for locals and €10 for students abroad, making it an affordable solution for many families.

Teachers and guidance counsellors see the tool as a valuable complement, though they stress it cannot replace human interaction or emotional support. Guidance professionals insist that social context and follow-up remain key to students’ development.

The Secretariat for Secular Private Education of Cameroon has authorized OSIA to operate. Officials expect its benefits to scale nationwide as the government considers a national AI strategy to modernise education and improve success rates.

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Waterloo study links blood patterns to spinal injury prognosis

Routine hospital blood samples could help predict spinal cord injury severity and even mortality, a University of Waterloo study has found. Researchers used machine learning to analyse millions of data points from over 2,600 patients.

The models identified patterns in routine blood measurements, including electrolytes and immune cells, collected during the first three weeks following injury. These patterns forecast recovery outcomes even when neurological exams were unreliable or impossible.

Researchers said the models were accurate in predicting injury severity and mortality as early as one to three days after admission. Accuracy improved further as more blood test data became available over time.

Unlike MRI or fluid-based biomarkers, which are not always accessible, routine blood tests are low-cost and widely available in hospitals. The approach could help clinicians make more informed and faster treatment decisions.

The team says its findings could reshape early critical care for spinal cord injuries. Predicting severity sooner could guide resource allocation and prioritise patients needing urgent intervention.

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Genetic experts and Microsoft design AI assistant to streamline sequencing

Microsoft, Drexel University, and the Broad Institute have developed a generative AI assistant to support genome sequencing. The study in ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems demonstrates how AI can accelerate searching, filtering, and synthesising data in rare disease diagnosis.

Whole genome sequencing often takes weeks and yields a diagnosis in fewer than half of cases. Analysts must decide which unsolved cases to revisit as new research appears. The AI assistant flags cases for reanalysis and compiles new gene and variant data into a clear, usable format.

The team interviewed 17 genetics professionals to map workflows and challenges before co-designing the prototype. Sessions focused on problems such as data overload, slow collaboration, and difficulty prioritising unsolved cases, helping ensure the tool addressed real-world pain points.

The prototype enables collaborative sensemaking, allowing users to edit and verify AI-generated content. It offers flexible filtering to surface the most relevant evidence while keeping a comprehensive view, saving time and improving decision-making.

Microsoft-led researchers plan to test the assistant in real-world environments to measure its effect on diagnostic yield and workflow efficiency. They emphasise that success will depend on collaboration among developers, genetic experts, and system designers to build trustworthy and explainable tools.

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