Latest news with #SummitoftheFuture
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Australia shuts down Tehran embassy as Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia Penny Wong addresses the \"Summit of the Future\" in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2024. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File Photo SYDNEY - Australia said on Friday it had suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, citing "a deteriorating security environment" as Israel hit Iran's nuclear facilities again, and the week-old air war showed no sign yet of an exit strategy from either side. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran last Friday, calling it a preemptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied any such plans and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. "The Australian government has directed the departure of all Australian officials and dependents ... based on advice about the deteriorating security environment in Iran," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. Consular staff are being deployed to neighbouring Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran, Wong said. "We remain in close contact with other partner countries. At this stage, our ability to provide consular services is extremely limited due to the situation on the ground. The airspace remains closed," she added. Australia's ambassador to Iran, Ian McConville, would remain in the region to support the government's response, Wong said. More than 1,500 Australians and their families in Iran have sought assistance to leave the country, official data showed. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Insider
08-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
AI leaders have a new term for the fact that their models are not always so intelligent
As academics, independent developers, and the biggest tech companies in the world drive us closer to artificial general intelligence — a still hypothetical form of intelligence that matches human capabilities — they've hit some roadblocks. Many emerging models are prone to hallucinating, misinformation, and simple errors. Google CEO Sundar Pichai referred to this phase of AI as AJI, or "artificial jagged intelligence," on a recent episode of Lex Fridman's podcast. "I don't know who used it first, maybe Karpathy did," Pichai said, referring to deep learning and computer vision specialist Andrej Karpathy, who cofounded OpenAI before leaving last year. AJI is a bit of a metaphor for the trajectory of AI development — jagged, marked at once by sparks of genius and basic mistakes. In a 2024 X post titled "Jagged Intelligence," Karpathy described the term as a "word I came up with to describe the (strange, unintuitive) fact that state of the art LLMs can both perform extremely impressive tasks (e.g. solve complex math problems) while simultaneously struggle with some very dumb problems." He then posted examples of state of the art large language models failing to understand that 9.9 is bigger than 9.11, making "non-sensical decisions" in a game of tic-tac-toe, and struggling to count. The issue is that unlike humans, "where a lot of knowledge and problem-solving capabilities are all highly correlated and improve linearly all together, from birth to adulthood," the jagged edges of AI are not always clear or predictable, Karpathy said. Pichai echoed the idea. "You see what they can do and then you can trivially find they make numerical errors or counting R's in strawberry or something, which seems to trip up most models," Pichai said. "I feel like we are in the AJI phase where dramatic progress, some things don't work well, but overall, you're seeing lots of progress." In 2010, when Google DeepMind launched, its team would talk about a 20-year timeline for AGI, Pichai said. Google subsequently acquired DeepMind in 2014. Pichai thinks it'll take a little longer than that, but by 2030, "I would stress it doesn't matter what that definition is because you will have mind-blowing progress on many dimensions." By then the world will also need a clear system for labeling AI-generated content to "distinguish reality," he said. "Progress" is a vague term, but Pichai has spoken at length about the benefits we'll see from AI development. At the UN's Summit of the Future in September 2024, he outlined four specific ways that AI would advance humanity — improving access to knowledge in native languages, accelerating scientific discovery, mitigating climate disaster, and contributing to economic progress.
Business Insider
07-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
AI leaders have a new term for the fact that their models are not always so intelligent
Progress is rarely linear, and AI is no exception. As academics, independent developers, and the biggest tech companies in the world drive us closer to artificial general intelligence — a still hypothetical form of intelligence that matches human capabilities — they've hit some roadblocks. Many emerging models are prone to hallucinating, misinformation, and simple errors. Google CEO Sundar Pichai referred to this phase of AI as AJI, or "artificial jagged intelligence," on a recent episode of Lex Fridman's podcast. "I don't know who used it first, maybe Karpathy did," Pichai said, referring to deep learning and computer vision specialist Andrej Karpathy, who cofounded OpenAI before leaving last year. AJI is a bit of a metaphor for the trajectory of AI development — jagged, marked at once by sparks of genius and basic mistakes. "You see what they can do and then you can trivially find they make numerical errors or counting R's in strawberry or something, which seems to trip up most models," Pichai said. "I feel like we are in the AJI phase where dramatic progress, some things don't work well, but overall, you're seeing lots of progress." In 2010, when Google DeepMind launched, its team would talk about a 20-year timeline for AGI, Pichai said. Google subsequently acquired DeepMind in 2014. Pichai thinks it'll take a little longer than that, but by 2030, "I would stress it doesn't matter what that definition is because you will have mind-blowing progress on many dimensions." By then the world will also need a clear system for labeling AI-generated content to "distinguish reality," he said. "Progress" is a vague term, but Pichai has spoken at length about the benefits we'll see from AI development. At the UN's Summit of the Future in September 2024, he outlined four specific ways that AI would advance humanity — improving access to knowledge in native languages, accelerating scientific discovery, mitigating climate disaster, and contributing to economic progress.
Kuwait Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Crown Prince pushes forward Kuwait's strategic growth
From Riyadh to Osaka, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled amplifies Kuwait's voice KUWAIT: Kuwait celebrates Monday the first anniversary of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah's appointment as Crown Prince, continuing the nation's developmental journey and strengthening its regional and global standing. His Highness was born in 1953 and earned a degree in Political Science in 1977. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and later served as Kuwait's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the country's representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation from 1995 to 1998. In 1998, he was appointed Head of the National Security Bureau with ministerial rank. Over the years, he held several key ministerial roles, including Minister of Social Affairs (2006–2007), Minister of Information (2008–2009), and Minister of Foreign Affairs starting in 2011. In 2012, he was named Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, a position he held through 2017. On November 19, 2019, he was appointed Prime Minister and went on to form four successive governments between 2019 and 2021. His Highness' journey as Crown Prince began with the issuance of an Amiri order on June 1, 2024, in which His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah nominated him as Crown Prince. The following day, June 2, an Amiri decree was issued appointing him to the role, receiving widespread public approval. NEW YORK: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah leads Kuwait's delegation to the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, where he also represented His Highness the Amir at the Summit of the Future. DOHA: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled delivers a speech at the third Asian Cooperation Dialogue Summit. RIYADH: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled meets with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. In a speech on the occasion, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled pledged to His Highness the Amir: 'I vow with resolve and determination to remain true to my oath, loyal to my duty, your steadfast supporter and sincere advisor, devoted to serving my country, safeguarding its interests, ensuring its security and stability, upholding its values, authenticity, and unity, striving for its advancement, and committed to the principles of our Islamic faith and our national values.' On the same day, the Cabinet held a special session chaired by His Highness the PM Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, during which council ministers pledged allegiance to His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled as Crown Prince. His Highness then took the constitutional oath before the Cabinet. Throughout the past year, His Highness closely followed up on development plans, attended national events, inaugurated new facilities, welcomed Arab and international officials, honored distinguished national figures, and conducted regional and international tours. KUWAIT: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah takes his constitutional oath before His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Crown Prince attends a special cabinet session, during which council ministers pledged allegiance to His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled. DOHA: Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled meets Deputy Amir of Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani. Key highlights of the year: June 11, 2024: Visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on bilateral relations and regional developments. September 19, 2024: Led Kuwait's delegation to the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, where he also represented the Amir at the Summit of the Future. October 2, 2024: Headed Kuwait's delegation to the third Asian Cooperation Dialogue Summit in Doha, highlighting the role of sports diplomacy and calling for collective action on major regional challenges including Palestine and Lebanon. November 4, 2024: Represented the Amir at the high-level conference 'Strengthening International Cooperation in Counter-Terrorism and Building Agile Border Security Mechanisms – The Kuwait Phase of the Dushanbe Process.' November 11–12, 2024: Led Kuwait's delegation at the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh and then traveled to Azerbaijan to head the delegation at the COP29 Global Climate Summit. March 4, 2025: Headed Kuwait's delegation to the extraordinary Arab Summit in Cairo. May 25, 2025: Chaired Kuwait's delegation at the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur. May 28–31, 2025: Visited Japan, where he held high-level meetings culminating in an agreement to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership and signed several agreements. He also visited Expo 2025 in Osaka, exploring the pavilions of Kuwait, Japan and the GCC. Arab and international relations His Highness' career has seen pivotal moments in shaping Kuwait's diplomacy over the past two decades and addressing major national and international challenges. He has consistently supported GCC unity and cooperation across all sectors. In Arab forums, His Highness emphasized Kuwait's commitment to Arab integration and solidarity, particularly supporting the Palestinian cause and advocating for international resolutions regarding it. He has maintained Kuwait's firm foreign policy based on mutual respect, non-interference, international legitimacy, and peaceful conflict resolution in accordance with the UN Charter. — KUNA
Daily News Egypt
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Standing Between Conflict and Hope: Time to Equip UN Peacekeepers for Tomorrow's Challenges
As the United Nations (UN) marks its 80th anniversary, the legacy of UN peacekeeping stands as one of the clearest and most enduring expressions of multilateral cooperation. For nearly eight decades, the service and sacrifice of Blue Helmets have saved and changed lives—helping countries navigate the difficult path from war to peace. From Cyprus to Lebanon, and from the Central African Republic to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 76,000 civilian, military, and police personnel currently serve in 11 missions around the world. These men and women offer a lifeline to millions living in some of the world's most fragile political and security environments. In light of these growing pressures, it is essential to rethink the role of peacekeeping within the broader international peace and security architecture. As President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has rightly asserted 'peacekeeping—while a vital tool of the international community—should not be viewed as the sole means of maintaining peace'. H.E further emphasized that 'it cannot substitute preventive diplomacy, mediation, peacebuilding, or the political, economic, and social measures necessary to address root causes and mend societal fractures', underscoring that 'peacekeeping must not become the default or immediate response to every crisis'. This year's International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed under the theme 'The Future of Peacekeeping'—a theme that could not be more timely or relevant. Peacekeeping today faces mounting and unprecedented challenges. Conflicts are growing longer, deadlier, and more complex. They increasingly spill across borders and are exacerbated by terrorism, organized crime, cyber warfare, disinformation, and the weaponization of technology. Climate change, meanwhile, deepens instability in already-vulnerable regions. And divergent views within the UN Security Council have made consensus more elusive — slowing the pace of action, precisely when urgency is most needed. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres bluntly put it: 'Trust is in short supply among—and within—countries and regions… This is a grim diagnosis, but we must face facts.' Among the most urgent issues is the growing and persistent mismatch between what peacekeeping missions are asked to achieve and the resources that are not available to do so. This undermines effectiveness and places peacekeepers in situations 'where there is little or no peace to keep'. The Pact for the Future, adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future, offers a moment of reckoning—and opportunity. It affirms that peace operations can only succeed when backed by political will and accompanied by inclusive strategies that address the root causes of conflict. It rightly emphasizes the need for peacekeeping missions to be supported by predictable, adequate, and sustained financing. The Pact also mandates a comprehensive review of UN peace operations—a chance to rethink and reform the peacekeeping model. Today's high-risk environments demand that missions be equipped with the right tools, partnerships, and strategies to protect civilians and support peacebuilding effectively. Egypt, through its 65 years of active participation in United Nations peacekeeping has long demonstrated a strong, sustained and unwavering commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Since it first deployed troops to the UN Operation in the Congo in 1960, Egypt has contributed over 30,000 of its sons and daughters to 37 missions across 24 countries and has consistently remained one of the top contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping. Egypt currently has 1205 peacekeepers, including women, serving across five missions in Africa Egypt's longstanding record of service and sacrifice in peacekeeping is globally recognized. This is reflected in its re-election as Rapporteur of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, its recent election to the UN Peacebuilding Commission, and its appointment as co-facilitator for the upcoming 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review in both the General Assembly and the Security Council. Egypt's leadership in peacekeeping is not limited to troop contributions. It plays an active role in shaping strategic thinking around reform. Through the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA)—an African Union Center of Excellence. Egypt has championed context-sensitive, innovative, and inclusive peace operations. The CCCPA emphasizes prevention, civilian protection, and regional partnerships while strengthening the participation of women in peacekeeping, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Through the CCCPA annual Aswan Forum, Egypt further promotes African-led solutions and stronger peacekeeping–peacebuilding synergies. This work, carried out in close cooperation with the UN in Egypt, is a prime example of effective South-South cooperation and the value of locally driven solutions. Egypt also actively contributes to training African and international uniformed peacekeepers through specialized facilities operated by the Ministry of Interior via the Egyptian Center for Peacekeeping Operations, and by the Ministry of Defense through its Liaison Agency with International Organizations (LAWIO). Egypt is also a staunch supporter of the UN Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative. In 2018, Egypt convened a landmark high-level international conference aimed at improving peacekeeping effectiveness. The event led to the 'Cairo Roadmap for Peacekeeping Operations,' a concrete framework of shared commitments that was later endorsed by the African Union in 2020. This year, as we remember the 4,430 peacekeepers who have given their lives in the pursuit of peace, we must go beyond commemoration by upholding the principles for which they paid the ultimate sacrifice. Over 60 Egyptian peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives while serving as part of UN operations across the globe. Their sacrifice is a sobering reminder of the growing risks peacekeepers face, and our collective duty to ensure they are provided with the necessary means to fulfill their mandates. At the recently concluded 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin this May, Egypt reaffirmed its strong commitment to advancing UN peacekeeping through planned deployments, the preparation of well-trained officers, and expanded training efforts. It pledged to provide specialized capabilities, deploy qualified personnel to UN missions, and enhance training in coordination with international partners. Egypt also highlighted the importance of integrating technology, drawing on lessons from regional transitions, and promoting gender parity—underscoring its intention to surpass the UN's targets for women's participation in uniformed roles. As the United Nations continues to face significant challenges and in the context of a region affected by multiple conflicts, Egypt has stood firm as a staunch and reliable partner to global peace and security. Furthermore, Egypt has expressed its readiness to provide all necessary support for the UN80 initiative this year in order to help make it a success to achieve effectiveness and rationalization to help meet the acute financial challenges faced by the United Nations and peacekeeping. In that regard, Egypt's readiness and preparedness to host United Nations' agencies, programs and offices that might be up for relocation as per the UN80 initiative is to be highly commended. Egypt's strategic location—at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East—positions it as a natural hub for connectivity and cooperation. Its central time zone and proximity to key regions make it an ideal and cost-effective location, reducing travel time and facilitating seamless coordination. With direct access to both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal – a vital artery of global trade – Egypt offers unmatched maritime connectivity. It's highly connected international airports and geographical proximity to conflict zones further enhances its relevance as a center for diplomacy, crisis response and peacekeeping efforts. Egypt's vast experience with peacekeeping and related provision of humanitarian assistance are certainly also worth highlighting as advantageous. As host to multiple international and regional organizations and offices including the seat of the League of Arab States and with over 140 represented embassies in Cairo, Egypt remains a geo-political hub with an already strong United Nations' presence, a modern infrastructure, and well-recognized levels of safety. As the Secretary-General has said: 'Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations—and the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today's realities and tomorrow's challenges.' Peacekeeping missions are under strain. However, with renewed multilateral resolve, adequate resourcing, and bold reforms, we can empower UN peacekeepers to remain a vital force for peace, stability, and hope in a troubled world, and Egypt, in cooperation with the United Nations remains at the forefront of nations providing such support. Joint Op-ed by Ambassador Khaled El Bakly, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs for Multilateral & International Security Affairs Elena Panova, UN Egypt Resident Coordinator
