Category: Tech Lite

Categories
India News Tech Lite

Telecom Sector Faces Shortage of 2.41 Million Skilled Workers

The country will require 22 million skilled workers in 5G-focused industries by 2025, in areas such as cloud computing, robots and the Internet of Things (IoT)….reports Asian Lite News

India currently faces a shortage of 2.41 million skilled workers in the telecom sector in the 5G era, which is forecast to jump by 3.8 times by 2030, a report showed on Friday.

The country will require 22 million skilled workers in 5G-focused industries by 2025, in areas such as cloud computing, robots and the Internet of Things (IoT).

One of the key challenges is that only 40 per cent of India’s graduates in computer science, IT, and math are employable in the technology sector due to the mismatch between academic requirements and industry demands, according to the report by the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC), launched in association with enterprise decision-making platform Draup at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 here.

The number of employed talent in the Indian telecom industry is currently 11.59 million, with 2.95 million corporate talent and 8.24 million blue-collar talent.

According to the report, India is the only country expected to have a skilled labour surplus, with 1.3 million workers in the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector by 2030.

“In anticipation of the upcoming 6G era, our focus remains on aligning our skilling initiatives with cutting-edge technologies, ensuring a workforce ready for the future of telecom,” said Atul Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

The report, titled ‘Telecom Talent in 5G Era: Demand Supply Skill Gap Report 2023-24’, highlighted that across 15 top streams, network operation and maintenance and project engineering have the most corporate talent, while network operation and maintenance and sales and distribution – service segment have the most blue-collar talent.

According to Arvind Bali, CEO, TSSC, the telecom sector is the third-largest industry in India that accounts for roughly 6.5 per cent of all FDI inflow and also by 2027, the country is anticipated to account for 11 per cent of all 5G subscriptions worldwide.

“India has a good chance to close the growing demand-supply gap by 2030 with the proper reskilling and hiring strategies that target adjacent talent in tier 2 and 3 cities and university supply,” said Bali.

With the help of AI, even more powerful 6G network technologies will emerge in the future, the report mentioned.

ALSO READ: India’s Metro Network Set to Overtake USA

Categories
Business India News Tech Lite

Ford India Explores Options for Chennai Plant Sale

ford.(photo:pixabay.com)

Ford India is looking out for a buyer for its Chennai plant after it shut down Indian manufacturing operations here and in Gujarat….reports Asian Lite News

Several people have come and are coming to see the company’s plant here and have gone, but nothing concrete has come out, said a source close to Ford India Private Ltd.

Ford India is looking out for a buyer for its Chennai plant after it shut down Indian manufacturing operations here and in Gujarat.

Ford India had earlier sold its Gujarat plant to Tata Group.

The latest name that is being said as the potential buyer of the Chennai plant is steel major JSW group led by Sajjan Jindal.

“A small team of officials are working on selling the Chennai plant. There is no internal mail announcing the plant sale to Jindal group,” a senior official preferring anonymity told IANS.

“Nothing concrete seems to have happened with regard to Ford India’s Chennai plant. People are saying JSW group is interested in the plant now,” a source not wanting to be identified told IANS.

According to reports, the JSW group will be floating a new company to acquire a considerable stake in MG Motors India, holding talks with a Chinese electric vehicle company and also buying Ford India’s Chennai plant.

“We continue to explore alternatives for the Chennai plant and have nothing further to add,” Ford India told.

It was also speculated that Vietnamese automobile company VinFast was also interested in Ford India’s Chennai plant.

In September 2021, Ford India announced its decision to wind down vehicle assembly in Gujarat’s Sanand vehicle and engine manufacturing in Chennai.

Ford India had set up four plants in the country — vehicle and engine plants in Chennai and Sanand.

The company sold its Gujarat facility for Rs 725.70 crore to Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd.

The plant in Sanand includes the entire land and buildings, the vehicle manufacturing plant, along with its machinery and equipment, and transfer of all eligible employees of Ford India’s vehicle manufacturing operations.

Ford India is operating its powertrain manufacturing facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the powertrain manufacturing plant from Tata Passenger Electric.

It is said some of the former workers have been reengaged on contract basis by Ford India for maintenance of the Chennai plant.

ALSO READ: India’s Metro Network Set to Overtake USA

Categories
Tech Lite Technology

Intel working to build ChatGPT-like apps for customers

Amazon Web Services and Intel.

Together with a custom natural language chatbot interface powered by Intel AI hardware and software, BCG employees were able to retrieve and summarise information via semantic search that was previously buried in long lists of multi-page documents…reports Asian Lite News

Chip-maker Intel is reportedly working with multiple consulting firms to build ChatGPT-like apps for customers, as AI boom catches up with almost every tech company especially rival chipmakers such as Nvidia and Broadcom.

According to a report in The Information, citing sources, Intel is also selling its specialised AI, app-building software directly to corporate customers.

“Intel began the project with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) earlier this year but has added additional consulting-firm partners,” the report mentioned. Intel was yet to comment on the report.

In May this year, BCG and Intel announced a strategic collaboration to enable generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) using end-to-end Intel AI hardware and software, bringing fully custom and proprietary solutions to enterprise clients while keeping private data in the isolation of their trusted environments.

Together with a custom natural language chatbot interface powered by Intel AI hardware and software, BCG employees were able to retrieve and summarise information via semantic search that was previously buried in long lists of multi-page documents.

“Generative AI requires a truly democratised approach that enables more secure and scalable choice so enterprises can safely benefit from the technology,” according to Sandra Rivera, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center and AI Group, Intel.

“Our collaboration with BCG allows us to help customers build generative AI applications that require technology optimized across the entire stack completely inside their chosen security perimeter,” Rivera had said in an earlier statement.

Intel has also teased a “Windows refresh” for 2024, reportedly preparing its Meteor Lake desktop platform for Windows 12 amid AI push.

The company recently previewed the next generation of Intel Xeon processors, revealing that 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors will bring a combination of performance improvements and faster memory, while using the same amount of power, to the world’s data centres when they launch on December 14.

Intel has said that AI is giving rise to the ‘Siliconomy,’ a new era of global expansion driven by the magic of silicon and software where AI PCs will dominate our lives.

ALSO READ-Google develops AI to spot misinformation

Categories
-Top News Tech Lite

Google develops AI to spot misinformation

Google said it is taking several steps to reduce the threat of misinformation and to promote trustworthy information in generative AI products…reports Asian Lite News

Google on Thursday said it has developed a prototype that leverages recent advances in Large Language Models, or LLMs, to assist in identifying content abusive at scale. LLMs are a type of artificial intelligence that can generate and understand human language.

“Using LLMs, our aim is to be able to rapidly build and train a model in a matter of days — instead of weeks or months — to find specific kinds of abuse on our products,” said Amanda Storey, senior director, trust and safety.

Google is still testing these new techniques, but the prototypes have demonstrated impressive results so far. “It shows promise for a major advance in our effort to proactively protect our users especially from new, and emerging risks,” Storey added.

The company, however, did not specify which of its many LLMs it is using to track misinformation. “We’re constantly evolving the tools, policies and techniques we’re using to find content abuse. AI is showing tremendous promise for scaling abuse detection across our platforms,” said Google.

Google said it is taking several steps to reduce the threat of misinformation and to promote trustworthy information in generative AI products.

The company has also categorically told developers that all apps, including AI content generators, must comply with its existing developer policies, which prohibit the generation of restricted content like child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and content that enables “deceptive behaviour”.

To help users find high-quality information about what they see online, Google has also rolled out the “About this image” fact-check tool to English language users globally in Search.

ALSO READ-Google Maps to get new AI-powered search updates

Categories
Tech Lite

Google Maps to get new AI-powered search updates

Google Map shows 'Dry January' no more the case for drinkers

Chris Phillips, Vice President and General Manager of Geo at Google, stated that AI has “supercharged the way we map” and is crucial in assisting users with navigation and making vital choices…reports Asian Lite News

Google is introducing AI-powered upgrades to its Maps app. The new features include immersive navigation, easier-to-follow driving directions, and better-organized search results, The Verge reported.

Google wants Maps to be more like Search: a place where people can obviously come get directions or find coffee shops and EV chargers but also enter vague queries like “fall foliage,” “latte art,” or “things to do in Tokyo” and get a whole bunch of actually useful hits. Google said it wants people to use Maps to discover new places or experiences, all while under the auspices of its all-powerful algorithm.

Chris Phillips, Vice President and General Manager of Geo at Google, stated that AI has “supercharged the way we map” and is crucial in assisting users with navigation and making vital choices.

The future of Google Maps, according to Phillips, is a product that’s more “visual and immersive” but also one that helps you make “more sustainable choices,” like riding transit or a bike. Google is also expanding its API offerings to developers, cities, and especially automotive companies, so they can tweak and improve Maps for the in-car navigation experience.

One of the ways Google is using AI to make Maps more like Search is to analyze “billions” of user-uploaded photos to help people find random items, like coffee shops that offer lattes with panda faces, said Miriam Daniel, Google Maps team leader. People can type specific questions into Maps, much in the way they do with Search, and get a list of results for nearby businesses or locations that match the query based on a real-time analysis of user photos. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Google Hit with $1.1 Million Penalty in Gender Bias Lawsuit

Categories
Tech Lite

Local Innovation Powers India’s Electric Vehicle Transformation

It is important to note that the diversity of EV technology is also a huge factor. Three-wheeler vehicles, scooters, and rickshaws are popular in India, and having the electric version of these vehicles in India is a game-changer…writes Raghav Arora

The era of the electric vehicle (EV) represents a hallmark in the evolution of automobiles. Since the 19th century when the first gas engine-powered vehicle was patented, what now adorns our roads as flashy and durable cars have metamorphosed from simple three-wheeler vehicles to high-tech machines today. Nearly 150 years later, more everyday cars are now powered by electricity, showing the ingenuity of man to evolve with technological advancements.

Electric mobility is becoming more popular today in many parts of the world including India. In fact, as of August 2023, there were more than 2.8 million registered EVs in the country. This comes as part of a consistent push by the nation to go green and embrace a sustainable means of transport for the health and safety of the people and the planet. However, it is clear that India’s EV revolution is still in its early stages, even though it is one of the world’s fastest-growing EV markets.

How technological advancement is driving EV growth in India

In the last year, EV registrations in the world’s most populous nation rose 209% from the previous year, keeping up with trends observed since 2020. The reason why EVs continue to grow in India and elsewhere is the continued growth of technology. Technological advancements have made it possible for more players to flood the market, localising EV technology, and gain increased access to required parts.

This tech revolution is further driving exponential growth in the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) segment as many more innovations emerge to make commercial manufacturing easier and more efficient. EVs are no longer the vehicle of the future, but of the present as sales continue to surge with each passing day. For the first few years of its commercial entry into the market, EVs were an exclusive preserve for early adopters and experimental buyers. Today, it is more commonplace as more Indians are becoming EV owners.

It is important to note that the diversity of EV technology is also a huge factor. Three-wheeler vehicles, scooters, and rickshaws are popular in India, and having the electric version of these vehicles in India is a game-changer. This means EVs are not only quickly creeping into the personal car space, but have also found a footing with e-scooters, e-trucks, and e three-wheelers.

Furthermore, there is now an emphasis on precision technology that is seeing EV manufacturers target efficiency in manufacturing in a bid to bring the cost of production down and also reduce the price of EV units. This is not possible without the support of the Indian government through initiatives like the PLI scheme where incentives are provided for manufacturers to create local technological hubs and support local production of EVs for Indians.

R&D, Technology Advancement, and the Future of EVs

Being able to manufacture EVs in commercial quantities is only a starting point for India. Thankfully, there is an equally growing EV charging market where professional companies are plying their trade and ensuring that EV owners in the country can enjoy their drive time. There are now charging stations across most big cities where EVs are more prevalent and several more are set up on a daily basis.

India has, in the last few years, invested in R&D and has continued to work to ensure improved technologies to boost vehicle capabilities, especially with regard to torque, speed, reliability, range, and other needs of the average driver. Furthermore, tech advancements have also helped to increase battery power and reduce charging time to make EVs more practical and seamless to use. While the gains are commendable, Indian EV players are not resting on their oars, but proactively working to ensure EVs fully take over the automobile market in the near future.

The future will be dominated by efficient, high-speed cars, that are clean, smooth, and easy to drive. Beyond the offer of clean energy and the benefit to the environment, EVs have also proven to be more fashionable, smoother to drive, and offer better features all around, making them the ideal choice for the average car enthusiast.

ALSO READ-Electric vehicle sales set to jump 80% in 2021

Categories
-Top News Tech Lite UAE News

UN Appoints Al Olama to Top AI Advisory Body

Guterres introduced the establishment of a new international organization aimed at facilitating collaboration among stakeholders to govern artificial intelligence (AI), especially in light of significant technological advancements….reports Asian Lite News

 The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, chooses Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, for the membership of the High-Level AI Advisory Body tackling the international challenges, opportunities and governance of Artificial Intelligence.

Guterres announced the formation of the body as a new, international entity responsible for promoting stakeholders cooperation on governing AI in the face of pressing technical breakthroughs, and thereby contributing to better-governed AI globally.

The high-level Advisory Body includes 38 international top government officials, hi-tech entrepreneurs, academics, experts and specialists, most prominent of whom is Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence in Spain; Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group; Natasha Crampton, Chief Responsible AI Officer at Microsoft; Hiroaki Kitano, Chief Technology Officer of Sony Group; Haksoo Ko, Lead of the Personal Information Protection Commission, Korea; Mira Moratti, Chief Technology Officer of Open AI; and Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General Envoy on Technology.

Omar Al Olama: The UAE is a world leader in anticipating future challenges

Omar Al Olama stated that being selected for the membership of the UN body reflects the leading position that the UAE has reached, thanks to the directives of the wise leadership, by focusing on anticipating the challenges of the future, adopting and developing advanced AI-based solutions, and enhancing international cooperation for shaping a better future.

“Joining the UN Advisory Body on AI is a great opportunity for driving a qualitative leap in the joint international efforts aiming to establish a comprehensive governance system for AI-related fields. The new system shall leverage AI opportunities, enable countries and societies to participate in the process of technological development, while maintaining the balance between humans and machines within a safe, inclusive, technological future ecosystem for all,” he added.

Ongoing international efforts for AI governance

The UN Advisory Body will support the UN Secretary-General and member states to build a global consensus on the AI-related risks and challenges, explore the means to employ artificial intelligence to achieve the sustainable development goals, and the mechanisms for promoting international cooperation in managing artificial intelligence.

The AI Advisory Body will study and develop recommendations in three main fields: international AI governance, understanding risks and challenges, and the potential to benefit from AI in accelerating the achievement of the UNSDGs.

The Advisory Body aims to establish common grounds by identifying priorities for government and private sectors to better respond to the rapid advancement in the fields of AI and technology. The Body, which will comprise experts from government, private sector and civil society, will engage and consult widely with existing and emerging initiatives and international organizations to bridge perspectives across stakeholder groups and networks.

The UN Secretary-General announced the launch of the high-level Advisory Body last July, in a speech before the UN Security Council, highlighting that it will encompass multiple stakeholders to undertake analysis and advance recommendations for the international governance of AI.

ALSO READ: China Bans Tibetan Language in Sichuan School Curriculum

Categories
Business Tech Lite Technology

Loughborough Rebrands Biz School, Targets India

As part of a major branding makeover, the university renamed its School of Business and Economics to ‘Loughborough Business School’…reports Asian Lite News

The UK-based Loughborough University has announced rebranding of its business school as it aims to become the first-choice business school for purpose-led people and organisations.

As part of a major branding makeover, the university renamed its School of Business and Economics to ‘Loughborough Business School’.

Renowned globally for its sports teaching and student experience, the varsity was also the training ground for India’s Olympic Javelin Champion Neeraj Chopra in 2023 season.

In an exclusive chat with IANS, Sarah Bostock, Associate Director of Marketing and Advancement at Loughborough University, said that the institution enrolled its highest-ever intake of more than 700 Indian students in 2023, which makes nearly 900 Indian students on its campus currently.

She added that the university identifies India as a “strategic priority country” in line with its vision to “progress with purpose”.

“As part of our vision ‘Progress with Purpose,’ we see ourselves as a first-choice business school for purpose-led people and organisations. Our mission at Loughborough entails reshaping our learning environment and delivering new student experiences. This rebranding will help us raise our profile and reputation globally, as well as open up more avenues for international students through business partnerships,” said Bostock, who is in charge of raising Loughborough University’s global profile and reputation.

In India, Loughborough has well-established links with several prestigious education institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology of Bombay, Delhi, Roorkee and Madras and emerging links with institutions such as Anna University, Chennai and Symbiosis International University.

“We have long-standing links with India. Our first-ever student from India graduated in 1937. We will continue to strengthen our existing partnerships in India by providing access to career guidance, alumni mentoring and work-based learning opportunities to students,” Bostock said.

To further enhance their strategy for India, she said they have appointed two special regional envoys from amongst their senior academic community, Professor Bala Vaidhyanathan and Dr Kirti Ruikar.

“India is currently our second-largest international grouping and the largest for postgraduate-taught students. We will strive to deliver accelerated learning and professional development opportunities for prospective students and partners. Ultimately, as thought leaders and innovators, we want to enable learners in creating ethical, sustainable and technologically advanced businesses of the future,” Bostock said.

Loughborough University’s new brand identity for its business school comes at a time when the next generation of startups and corporate firms the world over are seeking innovative business models and strategies to help them achieve success.

In India, Loughborough University has also contributed towards the design of a high-performance sport centre in Ahmedabad and recruited 18 PhD students for its first overseas split-site PhD programme on the built environment, hosted in partnership with NICMAR University.

ALSO READ: GenAI Investments to Outpace Overall AI Spending

Categories
Tech Lite Technology

X takes on WhatsApp

The new feature allows audio and video calls from people in your address book, people you follow, verified users, or all of the three options….reports Asian Lite News

In a bid to take on Meta-owned WhatsApp, Elon Musk-owned X Corp has started to roll out support for audio and video calls.

Several X (formerly Twitter) users received a notification while opening the social media app that reads: “Audio and video calls are here!”

There’s also a new “Enable audio and video calling” toggle within the app’s settings. It says you can “turn the feature on and then select who you’re comfortable using it with,” reports The Verge.

“Early version of video and audio calling on X,” posted Musk.

X teased users with a cryptic post saying “ready for it…?” before the new feature started appearing.

The new feature allows audio and video calls from people in your address book, people you follow, verified users, or all of the three options.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino had confirmed last month that video calls will arrive on the platform as part of its transition into an “everything app.” The X CEO said that soon, “you’ll be able to make video chat calls without having to give your phone number to anyone on the platform”.

Musk always wanted Twitter to become “an everything app” like China’s WeChat. X will soon roll out two new paid premium tiers and one of that tier with ads will cost lower than the current $8 a month. The other tier will be a more expensive one, which will remove all ads, the billionaire said.

“Two new tiers of X Premium subscriptions launching soon. One is lower cost with all features, but no reduction in ads, and the other is more expensive, but has no ads,” the X owner posted.

ALSO READ: GenAI Investments to Outpace Overall AI Spending

Categories
Business Tech Lite Technology

Intel Explores ChatGPT Apps

Amazon Web Services and Intel.

Intel is also selling its specialised AI, app-building software directly to corporate customers….reports Asian Lite News

Chip-maker Intel is reportedly working with multiple consulting firms to build ChatGPT-like apps for customers, as AI boom catches up with almost every tech company especially rival chipmakers such as Nvidia and Broadcom.

According to a report in The Information, citing sources, Intel is also selling its specialised AI, app-building software directly to corporate customers.

“Intel began the project with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) earlier this year but has added additional consulting-firm partners,” the report mentioned.

Intel was yet to comment on the report.

In May this year, BCG and Intel announced a strategic collaboration to enable generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) using end-to-end Intel AI hardware and software, bringing fully custom and proprietary solutions to enterprise clients while keeping private data in the isolation of their trusted environments.

Together with a custom natural language chatbot interface powered by Intel AI hardware and software, BCG employees were able to retrieve and summarise information via semantic search that was previously buried in long lists of multi-page documents.

“Generative AI requires a truly democratised approach that enables more secure and scalable choice so enterprises can safely benefit from the technology,” according to Sandra Rivera, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center and AI Group, Intel.

“Our collaboration with BCG allows us to help customers build generative AI applications that require technology optimized across the entire stack completely inside their chosen security perimeter,” Rivera had said in an earlier statement.

Intel has also teased a “Windows refresh” for 2024, reportedly preparing its Meteor Lake desktop platform for Windows 12 amid AI push.

The company recently previewed the next generation of Intel Xeon processors, revealing that 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors will bring a combination of performance improvements and faster memory, while using the same amount of power, to the world’s data centres when they launch on December 14.

Intel has said that AI is giving rise to the ‘Siliconomy,’ a new era of global expansion driven by the magic of silicon and software where AI PCs will dominate our lives.

ALSO READ: GenAI Investments to Outpace Overall AI Spending