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Showing posts from May, 2024

Berlin startup Cloover bags $114M to help consumers switch to solar

Climate and fintech startup Cloover has announced a funding round of $114mn (€105mn) to further boost Europe’s switch to renewable energy. The Berlin-based startup was founded in 2022 by Peder Broms, Jodok Betschart, Tony Kirmo, and Valentin Gönczy. Their vision is to facilitate the energy transition, with a particular focus on residential solar power. Clover has built a platform that connects installers, prosumers, manufacturers, energy providers, and investors. It enables vendors to offer their services as a subscription, enabling consumers to rent renewable technologies — particularly solar panels but also other applications such as batteries — instead of committing to upfront… This story continues at The Next Web https://ift.tt/x8O2uny Read full article: The Next Web

‘Deadbots’ and the ‘digital afterlife industry’ risk haunting the living, researchers warn

AI ethicists have called for urgent safeguards against an emerging “digital afterlife” industry. The concerns centre on chatbots that mimic the appearances, speech, and personalities of dead people. Known as “deadbots” or “griefbots,” these AI clones are trained on data about the deceased. They then provide simulated interactions with virtual recreations of the departed. This “postmortem presence” can social and psychological harm, according to researchers from Cambridge University. Their new study highlights several risks. One involves the use of deadbots for advertising. By mimicking lost loved ones, deadbots could manipulate their vulnerable survivors into buying products. Another concern addresses therapeutic applications. The researchers… This story continues at The Next Web https://ift.tt/A0E8Unz Read full article: The Next Web

Dutch minister fears ‘national security risk’ from Chinese ownership of Anteryon

Another Dutch tech firm has been caught in the simmering tensions between the West and China. Amid growing calls to curb Chinese access to chipmaking equipment from ASML, a Dutch minister has raised a separate alarm about the sale of Philips spinoff Anteryon. Although the digital-optics developer remains based in Eindhoven, the business was bought in 2019 by China’s Jingfang Optotelectronics. The Suzhou-based firm reportedly spent between €40mn and €50mn on the acquisition. Following a separate buyout in 2021, the chip company China Wafer became Jinfang’s majority shareholder. These deals attracted the concerns of Micky Adriaansens, the outgoing Dutch Economy… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Security https://ift.tt/DTdO2kb Read full article: The Next Web

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