Daily Post Nigeria No fewer than 20 children killed in Pakistan airstrikes – UN confirms Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News No fewer than 20 children killed in Pakistan airstrikes – UN confirms Published on December 26, 2024 By Ochogwu Sunday The United Nations in Afghanistan on Thursday confirmed that it received credible reports that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika province. The UN statement said Tuesday’s airstrikes were a violation of international law and called for an investigation. “International law obliges military forces to take necessary precautions to prevent civilian harm, including distinguishing between civilians and combatants in operations,” the UN statement added. The UN Children’s Agency, UNICEF, said at least 20 children were killed in the attack. “Children are not and must never be a target,” UNICEF South Asia Director Sanjay Wijesekera said on X. Afghan authorities reported that at least 46 civilians were killed in the airstrikes. The victims were said to be refugees from the Waziristan region in Pakistan. Afghanistan had summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat in Kabul to protest the attack. The Pakistani diplomat was handed a “serious protest note” informing Pakistan that the protection of Afghanistan’s territory is “a red line” and that such “irresponsible actions” will have consequences, the Afghan foreign ministry said. Pakistan claims that the airstrikes targeted suspected Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP militant hideouts. The TTP is a militant group that has been responsible for numerous attacks in Pakistan. Related Topics: United Nations Don't Miss CNPD raises alarm over alleged plot to ‘pull down’ Senate President, Akpabio You may like Nigeria on right track to fighting corruption – UN At 64, Nigeria not ripe for UN permanent seat – Lawyer Iraq demands termination of UN assistance mission by end of 2025 UN stresses importance of press freedom as Israel shuts Al Jazeera S/Sudan: UN deploys peacekeepers amid fresh intercommunal violence Sudan: UN seeks int’l engagement in fighting sexual violence Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdMatthew Knies Is Growing Into the Maple Leafs X-Factor

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More It is now just over two years since the first appearance of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. At the time of its launch, OpenAI viewed ChatGPT as a demonstration project designed to learn how people would make use of the tool and the underlying GPT 3.5 large language model (LLM). A LLM is a model based on the transformer architecture first introduced by Google in 2017, which uses self-attention mechanisms to process and generate human-like text across tasks like natural language understanding. It was more than a successful demonstration project! OpenAI was as surprised as anyone by the rapid uptake of ChatGPT, which reached one hundred million users within two months. Although perhaps they should not have been so surprised. Futurist Kevin Kelly, also the co-founder of Wired , advised in 2014 that “the business plans of the next 10,000 startups are easy to forecast: Take X and add AI. This is a big deal, and now it’s here.” Kelly said this several years before ChatGPT. Yet, this is exactly what has happened. Equally remarkable is his prediction in the same Wired article that: “By 2024, Google’s main product will not be search but AI.” It could be debated if this is true, but it might soon be. Gemini is Google’s flagship AI chat product, but AI pervades its search and likely every other one of its products, including YouTube, TensorFlow and AI features in Google Workspace. The bot heard around the world The headlong rush of AI startups that Kelly foresaw really gained momentum after the ChatGPT launch. You could call it the AI big bang moment, or the bot heard around the world. And it jumpstarted the field of generative AI — the broad category of LLMs for text and diffusion models for image creation. This reached the heights of hype, or what Gartner calls “The Peak of Inflated Expectations” in 2023. The hype of 2023 may have diminished, but only by a little. By some estimates , there are as many as 70,000 AI companies worldwide, representing a 100% increase since 2017. This is a veritable Cambrian explosion of companies pursuing novel uses for AI technology . Kelly’s 2014 foresight about AI startups proved prophetic. If anything, huge venture capital investments continue to flow into startup companies looking to harness AI. The New York Times reported that investors poured $27.1 billion into AI start-ups in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2024 alone, “accounting for nearly half of all U.S. start-up funding in that period.” Statista added : “In the first nine months of 2024, AI-related investments accounted for 33% of total investments in VC-backed companies headquartered in the U.S. That is up from 14% in 2020 and could go even higher in the years ahead.” The large potential market is a lure for both the startups and established companies. Hype does not equal use, at least not immediately A recent Reuters Institute survey of consumers indicated individual usage of ChatGPT was low across six countries, including the U.S. and U.K. Just 1% used it daily in Japan, rising to 2% in France and the UK, and 7% in the U.S. This slow uptake might be attributed to several factors, ranging from a lack of awareness to concerns about the safety of personal information. Does this mean AI’s impact is overestimated? Hardly, as most of the survey respondents expected gen AI to have a significant impact on every sector of society in the next five years. The enterprise sector tells quite a different story. As reported by VentureBeat , industry analyst firm GAI Insights estimates that 33% of enterprises will have gen AI applications in production next year. Enterprises often have clearer use cases, such as improving customer service, automating workflows and augmenting decision-making, which drive faster adoption than among individual consumers. For example, the healthcare industry is using AI for capturing notes and financial services is using the technology for enhanced fraud detection. GAI further reported that gen AI is the leading 2025 budget priority for CIOs and CTOs. What’s next? From gen AI to the dawn of superintelligence The uneven rollout of gen AI raises questions about what lies ahead for adoption in 2025 and beyond. Both Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggest that artificial general intelligence (AGI) — or even superintelligence — could appear within the next two to 10 years, potentially reshaping our world. AGI is thought to be the ability for AI to understand, learn and perform any intellectual task that a human being can, thereby emulating human cognitive abilities across a wide range of domains. Sparks of AGI in 2025 As reported by Variety , Altman said that we could see the first glimmers of AGI as soon as 2025. Likely he was talking about AI agents, in which you can give an AI system a complicated task and it will autonomously use different tools to complete it. For example, Anthropic recently introduced a Computer Use feature that enables developers to direct the Claude chatbot “to use computers the way people do — by looking at a screen, moving a cursor, clicking buttons and typing text.” This feature allows developers to delegate tasks to Claude, such as scheduling meetings, responding to emails or analyzing data, with the bot interacting with computer interfaces as if it were a human user. In a demonstration, Anthropic showcased how Claude could autonomously plan a day trip by interacting with computer interfaces — an early glimpse of how AI agents may oversee complex tasks. In September, Salesforce said it “is ushering in the third wave of the AI revolution, helping businesses deploy AI agents alongside human workers.” They see agents focusing on repetitive, lower-value tasks, freeing people to focus on more strategic priorities. These agents could enable human workers to focus on innovation, complex problem-solving or customer relationship management. With features like Computer Use capabilities from Anthropic and AI agent integration by Salesforce and others, the emergence of AI agents is becoming one of the most anticipated innovations in the field. According to Gartner , 33% of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI by 2028, up from less than 1% in 2024, enabling 15% of day-to-day work decisions to be made autonomously. While enterprises stand to gain significantly from agentic AI, the concept of “ambient intelligence” suggests an even broader transformation, where interconnected technologies seamlessly enhance daily life. In 2016, I wrote in TechCrunch about ambient intelligence, as a “digital interconnectedness to produce information and services that enhance our lives. This is enabled by the dynamic combination of mobile computing platforms, cloud and big data, neural networks and deep learning using graphics processing units (GPUs) to produce artificial intelligence (AI).” At that time, I said that connecting these technologies and crossing the boundaries necessary to provide seamless, transparent and persistent experiences in context will take time to realize. It is fair to say that eight years later, this vision is on the cusp of being realized. The five levels of AGI Based on OpenAI’s roadmap, the journey to AGI involves progression through increasingly capable systems, with AI agents (level 3 out of 5) marking a significant leap toward autonomy. Altman stated that the initial impact of these agents will be minimal. Although eventually AGI will “be more intense than people think.” This suggests we should expect substantial changes soon that will require rapid societal adjustments to ensure fair and ethical integration. How will AGI advances reshape industries, economies, the workforce and our personal experience of AI in the years to come? We can surmise that the near-term future driven by further AI advances will be both exciting and tumultuous, leading to both breakthroughs and crises. Balancing breakthroughs and disruptions Breakthroughs could span AI-enabled drug discovery, precision agriculture and practical humanoid robots. While breakthroughs promise transformative benefits, the path forward is not without risks. The rapid adoption of AI could also lead to significant disruptions, notably job displacement. This displacement could be large, especially if the economy enters a recession , when companies look to shed payroll but remain efficient. If this were to occur, social pushbacks on AI including mass protests are possible. As the AI revolution progresses from generative tools to autonomous agents and beyond, humanity stands on the cusp of a new era. Will these advancements elevate human potential, or will they present challenges we are not yet prepared to face? Likely, there will be both. In time, AI will not just be part of our tools — it will seamlessly integrate into the fabric of life itself, becoming ambient and reshaping how we work, connect and experience the world. Gary Grossman is EVP of technology practice at Edelman and global lead of the Edelman AI Center of Excellence. DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation. If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers. You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers

NEW YORK — Same iconic statue, very different race. With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren't your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football's most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. "The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I'm representing the whole position." With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. "I'm not a watch guy, but I like it," said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation's most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football's answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. "I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways," Hunter said. "It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you'll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery." Hunter is Colorado's first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed flashy coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. "It just goes to show that I did what I had to do," Hunter said. Next, he'd like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. "I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football," Hunter said. "Being here now is like a dream come true." Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year's College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year's Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football's top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history — topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he's attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. "I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind," Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. "I just think there's a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position," Ward said. 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Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty says she and husband are so close with 49ers teammate and his wife, , that they consider each other like family — and even swap holiday gifts! "I think in the football world, we're really all such a family, especially because the football season does overlap with the holiday season," Kristin, 30, tells PEOPLE. Because of that overlap, Kristin, who has made custom clothing for stars like and , says that she and Kyle, 33, exchange gifts with George, 31, and Claire, 30. The couples also "definitely celebrate holidays together" during the NFL season, she says. On Christmas Day, both Kristin and Claire shared a photo on their Instagram Stories of the Kittles' gift this year: adorable rugs modeled after the Juszczyks' Samoyed dogs, Mozzarella and Pierogi. "The best gift ever," Kristin wrote on Instagram. Related: Kristin tells PEOPLE that tight end George, in particular, is "so much fun" to buy gifts for. "He's just a true kid at heart. So whether that's a Lego set or any type of toy, George gets so excited over that kind of stuff," she says. Charley Gallay/Getty Game days can get hectic, so Kristin says she and Kyle "don't have any specific traditions" for the holiday season themselves but "but we definitely celebrate holidays together, left and right." "And they're our family just as much as our blood family," she adds. As the couple heads into a new year, Kristin says she and Kyle are focused on their crafts and mindfulness. Related: "I'm always trying to stay as present as I possibly can, but at the same time making sure I manifest the year ahead of me," Kristin says. "And making sure I go into the next year with the intentions I want to bring, but I just want to keep working really hard and continue to design," she continues. Envisioning her perfect 2025, Kristin says, "I love doing what I do, and Kyle continues to work hard at his craft, and us just kind of becoming the best version of ourselves for our career and for our family." Read the original article on

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