European Parliament

Study 17-03-2022

This study describes two main dimensions of 5G technology, i.e. privacy and security. This research paper focuses on the analysis of cybersecurity risks and threats, privacy challenges and 5G technology opportunities at EU level and worldwide, as well as the relationship between cybersecurity risks and privacy issues. The methodological framework for this assessment of the impact of 5G technology is built on three pillars: (i) a document-based analysis; (ii) a parallel analysis with stakeholder involvement; and (iii) a selection of relevant case studies. The complexity of the 5G ecosystem, where new use cases are constantly emerging, also led the authors to assess the prospects of using new 5G-enabled technologies, such as the internet-of-things, robotics and AI. Moreover, policy options are defined and put forward for consideration by the European Parliament’s Committees on Legal Affairs, Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, as well as by other EU institutions and the Member States.

PDFs available at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_STU(2022)697205

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Topics

Electrohypersensitivity

Geneva

Occupational Health

Millimeter Waves

Telehealth

3.5 GHz: Are health risks “unlikely” ?

The Well Being of Children

Robotics that could eventually fuse organic tissue with machines

Robotics and Cyber Security

Ionizing Radiation

Latest on the Havana Syndrome

Our April 2021 Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/millimeter-waves

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BY BRANDI VINCENT, STAFF CORRESPONDENT, APRIL 22, 2021

A scientist from the Army Research Lab gave a glimpse into its early work with biohybrid robotics.

Looking to pave the way for the production of nimble robots that can move more like living creatures than bulky androids, Army Research Laboratory scientists are embarking on fresh, high-risk studies in biohybrid robotics that could eventually fuse organic tissue with machines.

“This is wholly new to the lab, and the field itself is still relatively young. The publications associated with the first idea of successfully integrating muscle tissue or cells into some larger architecture to control motion with that same biological device didn’t really start until after 2000—and really spooled up in the early 2010s. So it’s very young, even as a discipline,” explained Dr. Dean Culver, a research scientist at the laboratory. “And that kind of gave us an opportunity to see how we could help move it forward and what expertise that we had that we could levy in that direction to really make an impact.”

In a recent interview, he briefed Nextgov on this future-facing research and the breathtaking applications it could spur.

A Potential Huge Step Forward

Culver studied mechanical engineering, and while in graduate school at Duke University, he became increasingly interested in energy management, and what he deemed the complicated ways beings get motion out of stored energy.

“After I graduated, one of the natural extensions of that is ‘Hey, how exactly do muscles work? How do organisms store energy and turn that into motion?’” he noted. “And it turns out that we knew less about the answer to that question than I had originally anticipated. So, there are obvious applications of that in robotics, and the design of mechanisms and new vehicles, for the Army. That brings us to today—I’m still working on that problem.”

It’s a complex pursuit that Culver has been tackling with the lab since about 2017. Ultimately, he envisions being able to give engineers the capability to design devices that last a long time, are really resilient, quiet—and don’t run hot. 

“And those are all things that biological systems offer,” Culver explained.

Some existing, state-of-the-art robots that the Army uses can carry things across various locations, or record what their surrounding environments look like. They typically have four wheels, are a foot or two in height, and move over paved terrain at about two miles per hour. But there’s an issue, according to Culver, who noted that researchers are reaching a point where they’re experiencing diminishing returns in the design of these robots with wheels as their primary locomotor, and batteries as their centralized power system.

“We look at a wolf in nature: It probably weighs about the same, can pull much more and can travel hundreds of miles without really eating, take a nap and do the same thing the next day,” he said. “There’s a huge performance disparity between those two things. And if we can offer the ability for robots to go out on these long missions, based on these design principles that we can understand from observing nature—that’s a huge step forward.”

Read more at: https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/04/army-explores-equipping-robots-living-muscle-tissue/173559/

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https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00868-5

Kate Crawford

During the pandemic, technology companies have been pitching their emotion-recognition software for monitoring workers and even children remotely. Take, for example, a system named 4 Little Trees. Developed in Hong Kong, the program claims to assess children’s emotions while they do classwork. It maps facial features to assign each pupil’s emotional state into a category such as happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise and fear. It also gauges ‘motivation’ and forecasts grades. Similar tools have been marketed to provide surveillance for remote workers. By one estimate, the emotion-recognition industry will grow to US$37 billion by 2026.

There is deep scientific disagreement about whether AI can detect emotions. A 2019 review found no reliable evidence for it. “Tech companies may well be asking a question that is fundamentally wrong,” the study concluded (L. F. Barrett et al. Psychol. Sci. Public Interest 20, 1–68; 2019).

And there is growing scientific concern about the use and misuse of these technologies. Last year, Rosalind Picard, who co-founded an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up called Affectiva in Boston and heads the Affective Computing Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, said she supports regulation. Scholars have called for mandatory, rigorous auditing of all AI technologies used in hiring, along with public disclosure of the findings. In March, a citizen’s panel convened by the Ada Lovelace Institute in London said that an independent, legal body should oversee development and implementation of biometric technologies (see go.nature.com/3cejmtk). Such oversight is essential to defend against systems driven by what I call the phrenological impulse: drawing faulty assumptions about internal states and capabilities from external appearances, with the aim of extracting more about a person than they choose to reveal.

Countries around the world have regulations to enforce scientific rigour in developing medicines that treat the body. Tools that make claims about our minds should be afforded at least the same protection. For years, scholars have called for federal entities to regulate robotics and facial recognition; that should extend to emotion recognition, too. It is time for national regulatory agencies to guard against unproven applications, especially those targeting children and other vulnerable populations.

Read more at: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00868-5

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Abstract

The recent digital revolution led robots to become integrated more than ever into different domains such as agricultural, medical, industrial, military, police (law enforcement), and logistics. Robots are devoted to serve, facilitate, and enhance the human life. However, many incidents have been occurring, leading to serious injuries and devastating impacts such as the unnecessary loss of human lives. Unintended accidents will always take place, but the ones caused by malicious attacks represent a very challenging issue. This includes maliciously hijacking and controlling robots and causing serious economic and financial losses. This paper reviews the main security vulnerabilities, threats, risks, and their impacts, and the main security attacks within the robotics domain. In this context, different approaches and recommendations are presented in order to enhance and improve the security level of robotic systems such as multi-factor device/user authentication schemes, in addition to multi-factor cryptographic algorithms. We also review the recently presented security solutions for robotic systems.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10207-021-00545-8

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The pandemic is forcing us to rethink everything, even how we teach. What if robots are the future of education?

This content was published on March 1, 2021 – 15:39

Sara Ibrahim

Christian Raaflaub

Thymio, Lexi, Elias, Pepper, Nao, Anastasia, Kaspar: they could be your child’s new classmates. They are diligent but not competitive, they know a lot but are not arrogant, they learn from others while helping them to learn. But instead of being flesh-and-blood children, they have a metal heart and an electronic brain. They are robots and are mainly used in education and schools.

According to forecasts, the market for educational robots is set to expand significantly in the coming years. The growing demand for collaborative robots in education and industry could also reverberate in the creation of new jobs.

In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic and school closures could significantly drive the long-term development of the educational robotics market.

But what’s special about these intelligent machines? Robots in schools and universities can act as responsive mentors and assist students and teachers through more interactive teaching that encourages sociability rather than isolation. A robot can become such a developed physical, social and emotional interface that it can read children’s facial expressions.

Read more at: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/robots-in-schools–new-teaching-methods-on-the-horizon-/46410282

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In his video message on his prayer intention for November, Pope Francis emphasizes that progress in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) be oriented “towards respecting the dignity of the person and of Creation”.

By Vatican News staff writer

During the month of November, Pope Francis draws our attention to the epochal change that humanity is experiencing thanks to advances in artificial intelligence.  He, therefore, invites us to pray that this progress always “serve humankind,” respecting human dignity and taking care of Creation.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yxnc2ngc

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4IR technologies include: artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, advanced biotechnology, robotics, the Internet of Things, blockchain, speedy connectivity in the form of 5G and Wi-Fi 6, and 3D printing. 5G is an integral technology that will be necessary for these to fulfil their potential within the 4IR.  

2019: According to Wits University, 5G is seen as the key technology of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), which is changing the way we live, work, play and consume services. The 4IR is a key focus for the future growth and development of South Africa’s economy. Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Wits: “The skills, knowledge, innovation and creativity would be the cornerstones for development in the 4IR.” The free training is provided by Huawei South Africa. https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/research-news/2019/2019-05/first-5g-training-in-sa-for-ict-postgrads-at-wits.html

In 2019 Minister of basic education Angie Motshekga announced that Ms Zora, an artificial intelligence-based educational platform, will be rolled out across South African schools to support the introduction of the coding and robotics curriculum.

Motshekga reaffirmed the importance of fourth industrial revolution skills and the role of the new online platform in the new curriculum: “It is critical that we implement science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) platforms now to empower students at an early stage to be responsive to the demands of the changing world.”

“The new curriculum will provide learners with an understanding of coding and robotics while developing their skills and competencies to prepare them for the future workplace. Hence, this important partnership with Africa Teen Geeks in launching Ms Zora.”

Motshekga told ITWeb that Ms Zora would assist teachers to effectively integrate technology into subject areas, while increasing access to the quality of education for all South African pupils, regardless of their location, proficiency level and socioeconomic circumstances.

The e-learning platform, unveiled at the announcement of the 2019 National Senior Certificate Results at Vodacom World, in Midrand, is a robotics and coding software tool aimed at empowering school pupils across all grades to develop and improve their 21 century skills by serving as both a teacher’s assistant and a personal tutor to the learner. https://www.itweb.co.za/content/xnklOvzbQP2v4Ymz

In February 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa (in the State of the Nation Address) said that the government will introduce Coding and Robotics in Grades R to 3, in 200 schools – with a plan to implement it fully by 2022.

https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/government-introducing-coding-robotics-grades-r-3

A critical evaluation of SA’s education system points to the following challenges relating to readiness for 4IR: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/371/193213.html

• Current school curriculum does not equip learners with the right skills or education for the 4IR.

• Computer science skills are at the centre of this revolution, however, very few primary and high school learners have access to computers. Some learners reach Grade 12 without ever interacting with a computer.

• Access to fast and reliable internet is a national problem, while for those who can access the internet, this is a costly exercise.

• Coding an important technical skill for future jobs is not part of the curriculum. This is an important skill even for students who take up non-technical subjects.

My Broadband: Government’s plan to teach coding and AI at South African schools

Bradley Prior 23 September 2020: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/government/368663-governments-plan-to-teach-coding-and-ai-at-south-african-schools.html?utm_source=newsletter

“A major long-term infrastructure funding programme for schools is needed, with attention to mobile and other wireless network infrastructure, at sufficient levels of connectivity to make online access meaningful in educational terms.”

To achieve this, the DCDT said that the government needs to foster well-structured and well-designed public-private partnerships and the necessary asset funding partnership regulations will need to be prepared specifically for digital infrastructure.

“Opportunities for infrastructure funding partnerships can be formulated through Treasury Regulations, through the proposed Digital Development Fund, and through other infrastructure funding initiatives, such as SIP15,” said the DCDT.

National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper of 2016 » National Digital and Future Skills Strategy South Africa National Gazettes, No. 43730 of 23 September, 2020,

EMFSA:

In order to achieve the required digital infrastructure many more similar towers will be needed.

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