Weekly News: We’re Okay with Surveillance Tech Now

Just a few months ago, criticism was mounting in the U.K. around the facial recognition technology being tested by London’s Metropolitan Police to safeguard the city streets.  

Then came COVID-19 and our focus and priorities changed. But as many non-essential stores get ready to re-open in mid-June, the general public is again facing the dilemma of adopting monitoring tech.  

Only this time is a more contested dilemma.  

A recent Intu survey revealed that 60% of shoppers actively encourage stores to implement surveillance technologies that help make shopping safer. The proposed measures include temperature scans at entry points and CCTV to control crowds.  

It’s not facial recognition. But we’re getting there. No wonder security experts are concerned that surveillance might be here to stay.

Switching focus to cyber viruses

One thing can’t be denied about the global response to the pandemic: we weren’t ready for it although we had been told to expect it.  

To help avoid future catastrophic mistakes, the World Economic Forum has issued a call to action for businesses and institutions to prepare for the cyber pandemic we know will come.  

In today’s interconnected world, a global cyberattack with a behaviour similar to COVID-19 (highly infectious and with high rates of asymptomatic infections) could lead to major cyber outages costing $50 billion per day.  

WannaCry and other large-scale breaches were the wake-up call, just like SARS and MERS foretold the current crisis. Let’s do something about it this time.

Building a solid AI foundation

Many are the companies looking to jump on the bandwagon of the AI boom. Sometimes even too quickly.  

Stephanie Overby at The Enterprisers Project shares some counterintuitive tips on how to implement artificial intelligence into business processes. Building a solid foundation is the crux of proper AI adoption.  

Key points include taking time to evaluate current needs, as well as investing in talent and skills before tools.

Discover 5 Online Courses to Get You Up-To-Speed with AI

News from the frontlines…

This is what the tech world is doing to help fight the pandemic:  

Biotech entrepreneurs are proposing another approach to mass testing: biosensors. Different sensor technologies currently under development could be advantageous over existing testing methods like the PCR test, providing faster and more accurate results. At a privacy cost, of course.      

Also, a new wristband helps avoid blood clots in patients that remain immobilised for long periods of time due to COVID-19.    

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Finally, tech has always been about connecting people. But how about connecting people and animals? Folks in Palo Alto have created a website through which you can feed a flock of happy chickens in real time.   And don’t worry – it’s animal safe, solar-powered and you can even donate money to a pet rescue organisation.