Kozminski Techblog

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In October 2022, US Commerce Department issued a set of prohibitions, banning China from exporting advanced chip technology from the country. Some experts said that it is one of the year’s most important policies But why has the USA taken this action and why did the Netherlands and Japan follow?

Japan and the Netherlands are both major producers of photolithography equipment used in the manufacturing of chips. The governments of these countries want to make it more difficult for China to develop very advanced military weapons using new chip technology. Perhaps the main reason to take these legal actions was to hinder China’s development of semiconductors for use in super-computers, along with other military-related applications.

National security issues are the main risks associated with the export of chip technology and semiconductors to China. The Chinese government may be able to improve its military capabilities or engage in activities that endanger the security interests of other nations if semiconductors and chip technologies are transferred to China. These technologies are widely used in the military, aerospace, and other critical applications. Concerns also exist regarding the potential for intellectual property theft and the transfer of sensitive technologies to organizations that might be connected closely to the Chinese government.

Additionally, there are more general geopolitical and economic issues at hand, such as the growing rivalry between the US and China for technological supremacy and the impact of technology on the global power structure. 

So, how could China misuse this technology in practice?

These are all only speculations, however if we want to understand, why the United States, the Netherlands and Japan took action in this matter, it is important to think about the possible reasons.

Apart from incorporating semiconductors and chips into military equipment and systems, this technology could possibly allow Chinese government Intellectual Property Theft. China may utilize its access to these technologies to steal trade secrets and other intellectual property from other nations, undermining their ability to compete while advancing its own technological industry. Futhermore, Chinese monitoring systems may use semiconductors and chips, which could violate its citizens’ civil rights and privacy and possibly target political dissidents.

This technology can also be used to launch cyberattacks against other nations or vital infrastructure, which may have a significant negative impact on national security and the global economy.

While this decision was taken out of security concerns, it could also have negative effects.

A ban on the export of chips and semiconductors to China could affect the global semiconductor industry and the economies of countries that are major exporters of these technologies. China is a large market for semiconductors, and a ban could reduce demand for these products and adversely affect the earnings of companies involved in their production.

Moreover, it could exacerbate geopolitical tensions between the countries concerned and affect bilateral relations.

Sources:

https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/27/dutch_japanese_china_sanctions/?td=keepreading

https://www.ft.com/content/baa27f42-0557-4377-839b-a4f4524cfa20

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During the last few years, devices like smartwatches, rings, and fitness trackers have been becoming more and more popular. With the COVID-19 Pandemic beginning in 2020, gyms closed down and people began to see these gadgets as essential, rather than disposable.
Before that, there has been a trend to purchase devices like this to try them out, and after some time, many people put them back in their drawers. However, as we become more comfortable with technology in our daily life and as our society encounters new issues, we can truly see the extent of the amazing benefits they bring.

When our hearts beat out of sync, our organisms may form blood clots and pools, that’s just one example of how a small, often unnoticeable thing can seriously harm our health. Many of the deadly consequences of diseases that people suffer could be prevented if we were able to discover the earliest signs of them. And these wearable devices are a perfect way to keep track of our bodies’ well-being.

They can record over 7,500 physiological and behavioral variables.
They can detect subtle changes, that would usually go unnoticed, which leads to cheaper and faster treatment. For example, a respiratory tracker that logs your breathing activity and can tell you early signs of some respiratory system problems. A small, nice ring keeping track of a woman’s menstrual cycle, can detect pregnancy a few days after conception, preventing the individual from unknowingly drinking alcohol or smoking while expecting. Even an Apple Watch or a smartphone may enhance psychiatric diagnosis by tracking your smartphone usage.

Other obvious benefits of these devices are keeping track of a healthy sleep schedule, which is so crucial to our well-being, keeping track of our weight, and blood pressure, or minimizing stress levels.

These wearables can transform diabetes, which in 80% of cases could be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and noticing disturbing changes early.
Continuous, consistent tracking can do what a brief doctor consultation once in a while can, allowing people to take care of their health day in and day out.
Using a diabetes tracking app or device also reduces the cost of healthcare expenses, in a case of a diabetic person, by $1,400-$5000 (in the US).

These devices are also a great way to make sure our loved ones are healthy and safe. It’s often that people live alone, and in case of a heart attract, a swoon, or any other type of medical emergency, there is nobody around to help them. Therefore, people can purchase wearables for their families to make sure their closest are okay and in case of any emergency, these devices will contact the families and healthcare professionals, as soon as something horrible happens.

From a medical standpoint, wearable technology can revolutionize digital healthcare and allows us to take care of ourselves every day, making sure that if something unusual starts to happen, we will know it as early as possible and take further action, by consulting a doctor and take the right steps to prevent diseases.

Sources:

https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/05/02/wearable-devices-are-connecting-health-care-to-daily-life

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/05/05/wearable-technology-promises-to-revolutionise-health-care

https://engage.3m.com/3M-Respiratory-Tracker

Wearable Technology: The Coming Revolution in Digital Health

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In the last few years, AI chatbots have become utterly popular, especially in customer service. Recently, Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization providing sexual health care in the US and globally, used this technology for the greater good. They launched Roo – an AI chatbot that aims to spread sex-ed knowledge. Roo was designed by Work&Co and tested in high schools to get the feedback necessary for its improvement and launching.

The main reason for this project was Planned Parenthood’s desire to create a completely free, safe, and comfortable space for young people to ask personal questions about sex, reproductive health, and relationships.

Ambreen Molitor, the senior director of the digital products lab at Planned Parenthood says

 “This is independent of the fact of whether you have sex-ed at your high school, whether you have a friendly relationship with your parents and family members or not, [Roo] just allows you to have a safe space and an outlet for you to ask all of the questions and get accurate information to those questions, as well.”

 ,, Roo answers all the awkward questions about sexual health, relationships, growing up, and more.’’ – its slogan perfectly demonstrates what the chatbot does.

It gives teenagers from all around the world access to reliable, fact-based sexual education. The chatbot operates 24/7.

Roo users can access the chatbot through Planned Parenthood’s website: https://roo.plannedparenthood.org/chat.

They can then choose the option to talk to Roo to find answers to their questions of choice or to talk to a health educator, all through the same webpage.

Either option they choose, they have to answer a few basic questions about their name, age, sex, etc.

Then they can opt for browsing dozens of available topics about sexual health, relationships, pregnancy, bodies, etc., or asking custom questions. 

Roo provides intelligent, fact-based, personalized answers and analyzes users’ words and inquiries to sometimes recommend talking to an expert or healthcare professional.  The bot has gone through 6 months of machine learning before launching and with every question asked, it enlarges its database. Moreover, the bot is inclusive of different genders and sexualities. 

Since its launch in 2019, Roo has conducted over 3,5 million conversations. 78% of chatbot users are teens between the ages of 13 and 19 years old. 

The chatbot is completely anonymous, Planned Parenthood made sure the data will never be accessed or shared by anyone but the user, nor will it be sold, so there is no need to be concerned about privacy and safety on the chatbot’s website.

I think this webpage is one of the best ways of educating people on sexual health. 

Since many adolescents did not have a proper sex-ed in school, these topics are still surrounded with a lot of confusion and are often taboo. Therefore, giving youngsters access to easily available, reliable information ensures that the new generation is well-informed and doesn’t perpetuate further any harmful sex-related stereotypes.

Resources :

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/roo-sexual-health-chatbot

https://www.bustle.com/p/planned-parenthoods-chatbot-roo-wants-to-keep-teens-informed-on-sex-ed-womens-health-15898104

https://mashable.com/article/planned-parenthood-sexual-health-chatbot

https://work.co/clients/planned-parenthood/

https://theindexproject.org/award/nominees/4618