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2024 AI Index Report

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The “2024 AI Index Report” from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence represents a comprehensive analysis of the current trends in AI, both on the development and implementation side. Moreover, ample space is also dedicated to diversity in the industry surrounding these technologies and to public opinion and perception of AI.

According to the report, AI performance has surpassed human performance in several benchmarks but still lags behind in complex tasks such as planning and visual commonsense reasoning. Moreover, in 2023, AI has been instrumental in aiding scientific development and innovation. At the same time, the number of AI-related regulations has increased sharply in the last year, especially in the US, where it grew by 56.3% compared to the previous year.

The report is structured as follows:

  • Section 1 brings forward trends in the research and development of AI

  • Section 2 offers an overview of the technological advancements of AI

  • Section 3 examines trends regarding the responsible development of AI

  • Sections 4 to 7 analyse the implementation of AI in different sectors

  • Section 8 is dedicated to diversity in the development of AI

  • Section 9 showcases public opinion of AI

Joint Research Centre (JRC) 2023 Highlights Report

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The 2023 Highlights Report provides examples on how the Joint Research Centre has impacted the European society. A prominent focus is given to quotes from relevant partners, such as the Head of the AI Unit at the OECD or the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, showcasing how they collaborated with the JRC.

The report brings forward 11 examples in different sectors. Among these the most noteworthy are the securing of critical raw materials, the fight against disinformation and the support to the EU in shaping the digital market. 

Concerning critical raw materials, the JRC raised awareness on the necessity of action from the Commission’s side through science-policy briefings and provided scientific evidence that helped shape the proposal for the Critical Raw Materials Act in the report ’Supply chain analysis and material demand forecast in strategic technologies and sectors in the EU – a foresight study’.

In  the fight against disinformation, the JRC analyzed over 1 million text items to find common narratives and to provide policymakers with a clear understanding of the situation. This analysis went from topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change, political elections and the war in Ukraine.

Finally, on the digital side, the JRC has been instrumental in contributing empirical evidence to the impact assessment of the Digital Market Act but also in providing studies and reports to base the Act on. Moreover, in the future the JRC will support the enforcement of the Act.

Concerning the JRC involvement in the Digital Services Act, the Centre worked with Directorate General Communications Networks, Content and Technology to prepare scientific and technical data. Finally, the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT), a new branch of the JRC instituted to support the Commission in the supervision and enforcement of the DSA, has been researching the long-running impact of algorithmic system to inform policy-making. 

Furthermore, the JRC has collaborated with the OECD to establish a framework for the classification and definition of AI system and the ECAT will continue to collaborate with AI unit to harness the potential of AI and mitigate the risks that come with it.

As a complete overview, the 11 sections are:

  • Critical raw materials

  • Energy Security

  • Digital

  • Strategic Foresight

  • International Partnership

  • Nuclear Excellence

  • Emergency Response

  • Climate Neutrality

  • Food Fraud

  • Biodiversity

  • Disinformation

The Impact of Technology on People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review

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Autistic people (ASD) often enjoy interacting with computers due to the perceived safety and reliability of such interactions. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of existing research on the utilization of technology for educating individuals with ASD. The review encompasses 94 studies, illustrating how technology integration in educational settings supports the enhancement of various skills among individuals with ASD. 

 

Additionally, it delves into considerations of user experience, usability, and accessibility, highlighting the incorporation of game elements to enhance learning environments. The systematic literature review underscores the promising trajectory of developing and assessing systems and applications tailored for ASD users. Leveraging technological advancements such as virtual agents, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality fosters a conducive learning environment that facilitates continuous growth for individuals with ASD.

 

The article is organized as follows: Section 2 presents the theoretical background, Section 3 describes the research methodology, Section 4 analyzes the results obtained, and finally, Section 5 highlights the conclusions and recommendations for future work.