Recent industry developments
Automating workplace tasks may backfire
Businesses try to automate repetitive office tasks by making use of AI-based tools, but workers aren't that keen to use them. Software robots can now double-check payrolls, fill-in various customer emails fields, review job applications, transcribe and share notes from sales meetings, make reservations for business lunches, etc.
Technology can't make cities smarter
Believe it or not, technology can't be of great help when it comes to solving some of today's urban problems. Human-powered research is essential when working with city governments; otherwise, information discrepancies can lead to trouble. Not only that, but somebody has to decide what processes are essential.
Tech widens gender employment gap
A recent International Monetary Fund report has revealed that women can lose their jobs to technology in greater numbers in comparison with their male counterparts. According to IMF, over 25 million women who work in developed countries may remain jobless if technology continues to advance at the current rate.
Google builds speech recognition software
Voice recognition software is all the rage these days, but the best products can be expensive. Google has recently launched Project Euphonia, an initiative that aims to make speech technology accessible to people with disabilities. With Euphonia, Google intends to collect voice data from people with impaired speech.
Parking technology improves security
Urban mobility and security are two of the key problems that are faced by big cities. Carolina Edelstein, CEO of Coopark, has created a platform which provides an advanced booking solution for parking spaces, assignment of spaces for employees, and an application that helps people pay by making use of QR codes.
Hackers stole 7,000 bitcoins from Binance
The biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, which provides a trading platform for over 100 cryptocurrencies, has been hacked. Hackers have used phishing, viruses, and other types of cyber attacks to steal around $40 million from Binance. Withdrawals will be suspended for a week, until a full security audit will be finished.
Tech cuts children off from adults
Peter Fonagy, professor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis, who has spent over 50 years studying child development, warns that technology reduces the amount of time that parents and children are spending together. Emotional disorders have become very common among young women aged 14 to 19.
Electronic implant treats drug addition
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used to treat movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, for quite some time. And now, specialists at Shanghai's Ruijin Hospital plan to use DBS for methamphetamine and opioid addiction. Surgeons implant a tiny device, which will act as a pacemaker for the patient's brain.
