This week’s list of top data news highlights covers September 17, 2022 to September 23, 2022 and includes articles on improving store operations with a digital twin and creating an augmented reality version of the solar system.
Nvidia has created an AI system that can design virtual 3D characters and objects, such as a human avatar or vehicle. Researchers trained the system with over a million images of objects taken from various camera angles. The system’s designs are compatible with many popular graphics software programs so users can quickly transfer their character or object onto another platform.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation, a pharmaceutical research foundation based in Denmark, and the University of Copenhagen have partnered to develop a quantum computer for research in life sciences. The team plans to launch the computer by 2034.
Clearview, a U.S.-based facial recognition company, has started offering access to its facial recognition technology to public defenders and government attorneys working with indigent clients. Public defenders can use the tool to collect evidence for their client or locate a witness.
4. Updating Government Websites
The U.S. Census Bureau has updated its website to improve users’ access to survey data. The new website has redesigned navigation and search options to help researchers and other high-frequency users locate relevant data quickly.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Stanford University have created an AI system that can detect diseases in chest x-rays using the x-ray image and clinical notes. The team trained the system with over 377,000 chest x-rays and 227,000 clinical notes. The system improves upon previous systems by reducing the need for human annotation of training datasets.
Lowe’s, a U.S.-based home improvement retailer, has created a digital twin of two of its stores. The digital twins display data on customer traffic, sales performances, stock, product locations, and historical order information. Employees can view the digital twins using either a desktop computer or augmented reality headset.
Officials in Boulder County, Colorado have partnered with Pano AI, a U.S.-based software company focused on fire threats, to improve wildfire detection methods. The county has installed cameras around the region that use an AI system to detect wildfires and alert first responders.
8. Displaying Celestial Objects
NASA and Google have partnered to create augmented reality versions of celestial objects. Astronomy fans can use Google’s app to view over 60 3D models of celestial objects and spacecraft in their surrounding environment.
DeepMind, a U.K.-based AI company, has created a chatbot that is designed to be more accurate and have fewer adverse outcomes than existing models. The team trained the system using its large language dataset, Google search results, and human feedback on its output. To test the system, the team asked volunteers to determine if the system produced plausible answers to factual questions. It did so 78 percent of the time.
Uber has updated its data dashboard to provide corporate clients with information on the environmental impact of their employees’ rides. The new dashboard will show each company’s total carbon emissions, how many low-emissions rides employees have taken, and the average amount of carbon dioxide released per mile.
Image credit: Flickr user NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center