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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Miles Brundage, who advises OpenAI leadership on safety and policy, announced his departure.</li><li>He said that he's leaving the company to have more independence and freedom to publish.</li></ul>Miles Brundage, a senior policy advisor and head of the AGI Readiness team at OpenAI, is leaving the company. He announced the decision today in a <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/Miles_Brundage/status/1849138802864087234/photo/1">post on X,</a> which was accompanied by a <a target="_blank" href="https://milesbrundage.substack.com/p/why-im-leaving-openai-and-what-im">Substack article</a> explaining the decision. The AGI Readiness team that he oversaw will be disbanded, with its various members distributed among other parts of the company.Brundage is just the latest high-profile safety researcher to leave OpenAI. In May, the company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/17/openai-superalignment-sutskever-leike.html">dissolved its Superalignment Team</a>, which focused on the risks of artificial superintelligence, after the departure of its two leaders Jan Leike and Ilya Sutskever. The company has also seen the departure in recent months of Chief Technology Officer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mira-murati-exits-openai-venture-capitalist-startup-2024-9">Mira Murati,</a> Chief Research Officer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-openai-employees-think-nonprofit-structure-agi-safety-mira-murati-2024-9">Bob McGrew, and VP of Research Barret Zoph.</a>OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. For the past six years Brundage has advised the OpenAI executives and board members about how best to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence that rivals that of humans and which many experts agree could fundamentally transform society. He's been responsible for some of OpenAI's biggest innovations in safety research, including instituting external red teaming, which involves outside experts looking for potential problems in OpenAI products.Brundage said that he's leaving the company to have more independence and freedom to publish. He referenced disagreements he's had with OpenAI about limitations on which research he was allowed to publish and said that "the constraints have become too much." He also said that working within OpenAI has biased his research and made it difficult to be impartial about the future of AI policy. In his post on X, Brundage referenced a prevailing sentiment within OpenAI that "speaking up has big costs and that only some people are able to do so."

Another safety researcher is leaving OpenAI

New Delhi, Global electrification, previously driven by strong electric vehicle sales, is now showing signs of growth moderation despite supply chain normalisation and price reductions by OEMs, as per a report by <keyword id="20309623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jm-financial-institutional-securities" source="keywords">JM Financial Institutional Securities</keyword>. Global automakers like <keyword id="19911527" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mercedes" source="keywords">Mercedes</keyword>, Ford, GM, VW are scaling back EV investments and turning towards <keyword id="19906936" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hybrids" source="keywords">hybrids</keyword> due to shifting consumer preferences and challenges like inadequacy and slow pace of charging infrastructure expansion. We believe the situation is no different in India, the analysts said. <keyword id="19906967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-motors" source="keywords">Tata Motors</keyword> reduced its EV sales estimate and prices recently to boost adoption, citing similar hurdles. MSIL, with its tech-agnostic approach (Hybrids, EVs, CNG, Flex-fuel, etc.), is well-positioned (&amp; hedged) amidst slowing pace of electrification, the report said. Reports indicate of MSIL's strong Hybrid model launch pipeline going forward (five models in next 2-3 years). Tax rationalisation on hybrids could act as a fillip and shift consumer preference towards this choice of powertrain, it added. Till last year, global electric vehicle sales continued to outpace supplies (partially owing to semiconductor shortages) with OEs' orderbook piling to record levels. However, despite normalisation of supply chain, pace of electrification seems to have moderated. Reduction in EV prices (by <keyword id="19895433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tesla" source="keywords">Tesla</keyword>, Ford etc.) to drive wider adoption also isn't helping. Global automakers like Mercedes, Ford, GM, VW have deferred EV related investments, reduced their EV sales guidance indicating moderation in EV growth going ahead, the research said. Few of these auto OEMs are turning their focus back to Hybrids amidst shifting consumer preference. Domestic demand scenario for electric PVs is no different. Recently, Tata Motors (market leader with 73% share) reduced its FY24 EV sales estimate by 20% (to 75-80K units) and also cut prices by upto Rs 125K/vehicle to drive wider adoption. Lack of adequate charging infra and hesitant customers (to pay premium over ICE vehicles) are the primary reasons for slower EV adoption, the report said. Currently, MSIL is working on multiple technologies (Hybrids, EVs, Flex-fuel and Bio-gas in addition to ICE/CNG) as the company believes multiple technologies can co-exist in the medium-to-long term. Its current tech-agnostic approach is again a well thought-out approach against committing resources to a single technology, the report said.

Global automakers scale back electric vehicles, turn towards hybrids

In an astonishing breakthrough, scientists in India have <keyword id="23249685" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genetically-engineered-bacteria" source="keywords">genetically engineered bacteria</keyword> capable of performing <keyword id="23249686" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mathematical-operations" source="keywords">mathematical operations</keyword>. Researchers from the <keyword id="23249687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saha-Institute-of-Nuclear-Physics" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics">Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics</keyword> (SINP) in Kolkata have demonstrated that clusters of bacterial cells can add, subtract, and even identify prime numbers between 0 and 9. This accomplishment marks a crucial step toward the development of biocomputers—computational devices made from <keyword id="23206086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="living-cells" source="keywords">living cells</keyword> that could revolutionise how we think about computing in the future. <h2>A history of <keyword id="23249688" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biological-computing" source="keywords">biological computing</keyword> </h2>The concept of using living cells for computation is not entirely new. Over the past two decades, researchers worldwide have explored the potential of biological systems to perform computational tasks. The first major breakthroughs came in the early 2000s when scientists developed synthetic biology techniques to engineer cells with logic gates—the fundamental components of digital computers. These biological logic gates allowed simple operations such as "AND," "OR," and "NOT," mimicking the operations seen in silicon-based processors. Following this, scientists advanced by using various microbes, such as <keyword id="22608696" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="E-coli" source="keywords">E. coli</keyword> and yeast, to perform basic mathematical operations like addition and subtraction. Researchers were able to construct networks of genes and proteins within the cells, programming them to respond to specific chemical inputs. While these early studies were promising, the computational tasks performed by cells were relatively simple and far from rivalling the capabilities of modern microprocessors. However, SINP's latest research takes a significant step forward by using a more sophisticated approach. The integration of artificial neural network concepts with genetic engineering enabled these bacterial cells to solve more complex and abstract problems, such as identifying prime numbers — tasks traditionally considered the domain of human brains or advanced computers. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="103532224" title="Scientist engineered bacteria to generate electricity from wastewater" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Turning <keyword id="6376020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacteria" source="Orion">bacteria</keyword> into living machines </h2>The research team modified the E. coli genomes, incorporating 14 distinct genetic circuits, to create different bacterial types. These bacteria can be combined and arranged in liquid environments to execute various computational functions. In one set of experiments, the scientists were able to get them to add, subtract, and solve ten different computational problems, including determining prime numbers between 0 and 9. The bacteria's ability to answer yes-or-no questions, like "Is 4 a prime number?" or "Is 7 a prime number?" was particularly astonishing. When the bacteria were questioned chemically, they responded by secreting proteins that indicated their answers — green for "yes" and red for "no." This development underscores their capacity to function as living computers. The implications of this research are immense, not only for computational science but also for fundamental biology. “Mammalian cells make decisions all the time, and we currently have very little understanding of this decision-making process,” said Mohit Kumar Jolly, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. This study offers fresh insights into biological decision-making and could open new avenues for understanding how living organisms process information. As scientists continue to explore the computational power of living cells, the possibilities are endless. Bacteria, once considered simple organisms, may well hold the key to the future of computing. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110909568" title="A living computer? This AI made from interconnected &amp;quot;mini-brains&amp;quot; requires a million times less power than ChatGPT!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Did you know that genetically engineered bacteria can do math?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia's economy is growing but headed for big trouble, researchers wrote in a recent article. </li><li>They pointed to Russia's outsized military spending, which has come at the cost of its private sector.</li></ul>Russia's wartime economic boom is masking much deeper problems, according to a group of researchers.The authors of a recent article, who hail from institutions including the Yale School of Management, the Wharton School, the Carnegie Endowment, and the Kyiv School of Economics, cast a stark warning for Russia's economic situation despite the nation posting strong growth numbers since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Russia's economy is expected to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/RUS">expand another 2.4% this year</a>, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund. However, much of that growth stems from the Kremlin's wild spending spree, and Russia's economy is hindered by a number of problems that could set it up for trouble in the long run, the researchers said."The reality of Russia's economic situation is far more complex and concerning than some would have you believe. The productive core of the Russian economy has been severely compromised," the group wrote in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://fortune.com/europe/2024/08/19/an-economic-catastrophe-is-lurking-beneath-russias-gdp-growth-as-putin-throws-everything-into-the-fireplace/">an op-ed for Fortune</a> this week.Russia has been spending heavily on its military and defense sectors, setting a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-putin-ukraine-war-military-spending-budget-kremlin-inflation-2023-10">record military budget for 2024</a>. But that spending has come at a cost to Russia's private sector, some economists say, with other areas of its economy being slammed by a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-lacks-workers-ukraine-war-labor-crisis-worker-shortage-2023-12">severe shortage of workers</a> as resources get funneled into Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Private firms are showing signs they're unable to keep up with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-war-spending-casualties-manpower-mobilization-labor-shortage-inflation-2024-8">consumer demand</a>. That imbalance has caused <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-war-economy-boosts-wages-salaries-beat-inflation-labor-crunch-2024-2">wages</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-inflation-outlook-ukraine-war-gas-prices-oil-sales-2024-7">inflation</a> to spiral in the nation, prompting central bankers in Russia to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/russian-central-bank-hikes-rates-by-200-bps-18-highest-more-than-two-years-2024-07-26/#:~:text=MOSCOW%2C%20July%2026%20(Reuters),an%20overheated%20economy%20come%20down.">hike interest rates to 18% in July.</a>"Simply put, Putin's administration has prioritized military production over all else in the economy, at substantial cost," the researchers wrote. Higher borrowing costs could spell trouble for Russian consumers, who are increasingly burdened by debt. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/russia/household-debt--of-nominal-gdp">Household debt</a> accounted for 20% of Russia's total GDP at the end of the first quarter, according to CEIC data. Higher interest rates, in that backdrop, could set the nation up for a "looming crisis," the researchers added.Meanwhile, Russia's finances aren't squaring, partly because the nation is taking in less money from its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russian-energy-revenue-crude-oil-prices-gas-exports-sanctions-ukraine-2024-1">oil and gas trade. </a>The nation is running a 2% budget deficit — which is "significant" by Russia's standards, the researchers added. "In conclusion, the apparent resilience of the Russian economy is largely illusory, built on a precarious foundation of unsustainable government spending and short-term market factors," the researchers wrote. "A looming economic catastrophe driven by the fundamental flaws in Russia's current strategy will likely set the stage for severe long-term consequences that will play out in the years ahead," they added.Experts have warned of a dire future for Russia as it drags its economy through a third year of war. On the extreme end, forecasters are calling for the nation to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-collapse-recession-moscow-ukraine-war-us-dollar-energy-2024-7">enter a severe recession</a>, with most experts agreeing that the nation has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-real-situation-economist-ukraine-war-sanctions-growth-inflation-2023-11">poor prospects for long-term growth</a>.

Russia's economic growth is masking a looming 'economic catastrophe,' researchers say

Union Minister of Road Transport Highways, <keyword id="19897455" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nitin-gadkari" source="keywords">Nitin Gadkari</keyword> on Tuesday said that <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> will soon be in a position to export <keyword id="459398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lithium-ion-batteries" source="Orion">lithium-ion batteries</keyword>. Speaking at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM's) 64th convention in New Delhi, the Union Minister said," I'm confident that we'll be in a position to export <keyword id="1607661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lithium-ion" source="Orion">lithium-ion</keyword> batteries to the different parts of the world. At the same time, the research is going on. The aluminium, ironic oil, and different types of chemistry. I feel that it is also a good thing and there is a huge market for that." <keyword id="19934966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gadkari" source="keywords">Gadkari</keyword> said with government initiatives and incentives many Indian companies are venturing into lithium-ion battery manufacturing. "The good thing is that lithium-ion manufacturing is now <keyword id="19898586" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="adani" source="keywords">Adani</keyword>, <keyword id="19904884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata" source="keywords">Tata</keyword>, Maruti, LG, and Samsung. They are all coming in this business. Because...Take the example of semiconductors the government adopted is such a good policy because of that after 2 three years we will be the number one in the manufacturing of the semiconductors in the world," he said. Going further, Gadkari stated that India's EV market is expected to grow to one crore units of annual sales by 2030 and will create five crore jobs. Indian EV market has the potential to become Rs 20 lack crore by 2030. Gadkari asked the industry to focus on quality, better designs, and use the latest technology if they want to compete in the segment and boost exports. Consumers are now conscious of quality. The government is working on establishing a testing agency for better research and testing of vehicle manufacturing. CIIT Training Institute will be established in Pune with a sanctioned cost of Rs 450 crore. "Regarding the Testing Agency for Better Research and Development and Development world-class Testing Agency in CIIT Pune we have decided to start a new venture there with international standards and having all types of the facility which are available in the world and my department has sanctioned 450 Cor or that already DPR is in process and next three months we will try to start this project and that is to be very important for the industry where we will get maximum service and maximum to all the industry," he said. The Union Minister requested the automobile industry to support and cooperate with the government for India's scrappage policy. Gadkari asked the industry to promote and come up with better incentives for the scrappage of old vehicles. The vehicle manufacturers of the USA and Europe have increased their sales by 9 to 12 per cent by promoting scrappage policy. He also thanked the industry for the decision to provide a 3 percent discount for vehicle owners for scrapping their vehicles, adding that the cost of components can be reduced by 20-40 per cent due to the move. Gadkari urged the industry to establish their own scrappage centres. In his remarks, Gadkari said, "The automobile industry plays a pivotal role in realizing the Prime Minister's vision of transforming India into a 5 trillion-dollar economy and elevating it to the third largest economy globally. Our ambition is to extend it as the number one auto manufacturing industry worldwide. As we target a carbon-neutral status by 2070, innovation and sustainable practices in the auto sector are crucial." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ather-energy-looks-to-raise-3100-crore-files-ipo-papers-with-sebi/articleshow/113214971.cms">Ather Energy looks to raise ₹3,100 crore, files IPO papers with SEBI</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iphone-16-pro-iphone-16-pro-max-india-price-specifications/articleshow/113204340.cms">iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with bigger displays, A18 Pro chipset launched starting at ₹1,19,900</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-iphone-16-iphone-16-plus-price-specs/articleshow/113203568.cms">iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chipset launched starting at ₹79,900</a>

India will soon be in a position to export Lithium-ion batteries: Nitin Gadkari

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Modern humans have a small amount of Neanderthal DNA, and those genes still impact our health today.</li><li>Scientists think they've figured out when the two groups started interbreeding and swapping DNA.</li></ul>We might consider Neanderthals to be ancient and unknowable relatives, but humans were once on very intimate terms with them.Our ancestors, for example, had babies with the shorter, stockier species and swapped DNA for thousands of years.Now researchers think they've figured out when much of this <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/some-more-neanderthal-dna-others-scientists-why-2023-10">interspecies intermingling</a> took place, which could provide clues about why humans outlasted their ancient cousins.Studying genomic data from both ancient and modern humans, scientists learned that Neanderthals and humans were having sex around 47,000 years ago then stopped less than 7,000 years later — relatively brief in terms of evolution."This study gives us the most accurate picture showing how some Neanderthals joined into the modern human gene pool, and then what happened to their genes afterward," John Hawks, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who was not involved in the research, told Business Insider.All humans have at least a little Neanderthal DNA, a 2020 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30059-3">study</a> found. These <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-interbreeding-between-humans-and-neanderthals-affects-our-health-today-2023-6">genes may impact</a> everything from metabolism to our risk for diabetes.Finding out when humans acquired them can help scientists understand how these genes evolved and why they might have been beneficial to our ancestors and stuck around in our DNA for millennia.<h2 id="64b33196-5a80-4c02-9e77-14f882e71692">When did humans and Neanderthals start interbreeding?</h2><div type="image" title="Two Neanderthal skeletons on display at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History" height="1585" width="2003" msid="110804461" hostid="261" sizebytes="198430"></div>The basic story of human-Neanderthal relationships goes like this: We <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/may/neanderthals-and-modern-humans-diverged-least-800000-years-ago">shared</a> a common ancestor over 500,000 years ago then went our separate ways.Then, around 75,000 years ago, Neanderthals were living in Asia and Europe when some humans started moving out of Africa. The two groups began having children together shortly after that, sometime between 60,000 and 50,000 years ago.But by 40,000 years ago, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neanderthals-extinct-humans-naked-neanderthal-book-2024-2">Neanderthals were extinct</a>.For this latest study, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of California, Berkeley looked at DNA from 59 humans who lived between 45,000 and 2,200 years ago.To figure out when our ancient human ancestors hooked up with Neanderthals, the researchers compared stretches of Neanderthal DNA in their genomes. Individuals from about 40,000 years ago had long stretches of gene-containing chromosomes that matched the other species.The researchers saw that after just a few thousand years, these segments were shorter. This means those humans were more distantly related to Neanderthals, Hawks said.Using computer software, the scientists created models to estimate how many generations had passed since a Neanderthal entered their family tree. From that, they set the starting date of human-Neanderthal hookups at around 47,124 years ago and estimated that interbreeding lasted for about 6,832 years."The conclusion is fairly strong," Hawks said, because the estimates fit both the earlier and later human genomes. <h2 id="9369ca5b-0d18-47d4-a530-2bf60b9f8c51">The Neanderthals that live on inside us</h2><div type="image" title="Neanderthal Evolution" height="1969" width="3500" msid="110804459" hostid="261" sizebytes="390290"></div>In addition to ancient human DNA, the researchers also studied the genomes of 275 modern people from various backgrounds to learn more about how humans and Neanderthal genes have evolved over the millennia."It is possible to track the fate of single parts of chromosomes that were once in a Neanderthal individual, came into that individual's modern descendants, and were passed on until the present day," Hawks said.For example, the researchers found both current and ancient humans have Neanderthal genes that affect metabolism, immunity, and skin pigmentation.They speculate that these characteristics may have benefited ancient humans who inherited them and then kept passing them on. One <a target="_blank" href="https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/ancient-dna-and-neanderthals">hypothesis</a> is that paler skin would have helped increase Vitamin D levels in gloomier climates.Other studies have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neanderthals-humans-belong-to-same-species-could-rewrite-history-evolution-2023-12">linked Neanderthal genes</a> to autoimmune diseases and diabetes. On the other hand, some DNA from the species seems to protect people from West Nile, hepatitis C, and SARS.The study's results don't necessarily apply to everyone. For instance, no present-day people of African ancestry were included because only about 0.5 % of their DNA comes from Neanderthals.However, almost everyone else in the world is about 2% Neanderthal, so learning more about the species' genes could shed light on many peoples' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neanderthal-dna-and-modern-humans-2014-1">susceptibility to certain diseases</a>.The researchers published their work in a pre-print <a target="_blank" href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.13.593955v1.full">study</a>, which hasn't been peer-reviewed yet.

Humans and Neanderthals only had sex for a brief period, but it still fundamentally changed our DNA

Geneva [Switzerland], June 29 (ANI): Aspartame, one of the world's most common artificial sweeteners, is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a leading global health body, pitting it against the food industry and regulators, reported Reuters. Aspartame is used in products from Coca-Cola diet sodas to Mars' Extra chewing gum and some snapple drinks. The <keyword id="665762" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-agency-for-research-on-cancer" source="Orion">International Agency for Research on Cancer</keyword> (IARC) and the <keyword id="43588" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="Orion">World Health Organization</keyword>'s (WHO) cancer research arm will list it as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" for the first time in July, according to two sources with knowledge of the process. Following a meeting of the group's external experts earlier this month, the IARC ruling is intended to assess whether something is a potential hazard or not, based on all the published evidence. It does not take into account how much of a product a person can safely consume. This advice for individuals comes from a separate WHO expert committee on food additives, known as the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization's Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), alongside determinations from national regulators, Reuters reported. In the past, similar IARC rulings for different substances have raised concerns among consumers about their use, led to lawsuits, and pressured manufacturers to recreate recipes and swap for alternatives. This has led to criticism that the IARC's assessments can be confusing to the public. JECFA and the WHO committee on additives are also reviewing aspartame use this year. Its meeting began at the end of June and is due to announce its findings on the same day that the IARC makes public its decision on July 14, as per Reuters. Since 1981, JECFA has said aspartame is safe to consume within accepted daily limits. For example, an adult weighing 60 kg (132 pounds) would have to drink between 12 and 36 cans of diet soda - depending on the amount of aspartame in the beverage - every day to be at risk. Its view has been widely shared by national regulators, including in the United States and Europe. An IARC spokesperson said both the IARC and JECFA committees' findings were confidential until July. But they added that they were "complementary", with IARC's conclusion representing "the first fundamental step to understand carcinogenicity". The additives committee "conducts risk assessment, which determines the probability of a specific type of harm (e.g., cancer) to occur under certain conditions and levels of exposure," Reuters reported. Whereas, industry and regulators fear that holding both processes at around the same time could be confusing, according to letters from U.S. and Japanese regulators seen by Reuters. Nozomi Tomita, an official from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare wrote in a letter on March 27 to WHO's deputy director general, Zsuzsanna Jakab, "We kindly ask both bodies to coordinate their efforts in reviewing aspartame to avoid any confusion or concerns among the public." The letter also called for the conclusions of both bodies to be released on the same day, as is now happening. The Japanese mission in Geneva, where the WHO is based, did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters. However, Frances Hunt-Wood, the secretary general of the <keyword id="17858097" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-sweeteners-association" source="Orion">International Sweeteners Association</keyword> (ISA) said, "IARC is not a food safety body and their review of aspartame is not scientifically comprehensive and is based heavily on widely discredited research," The body, whose members include <keyword id="6042988" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mars-wrigley" source="Orion">Mars Wrigley</keyword>, a Coca-Cola unit and Cargill, said it had "serious concerns with the IARC review, which may mislead consumers". Kate Loatman, the International Council of Beverages Associations' Executive Director said public health authorities should be "deeply concerned" by the "leaked opinion", and also warned it "could needlessly mislead consumers into consuming more sugar rather than choosing safe no-and low-sugar options," Reuters reported. Aspartame has been extensively studied for years. Last year, an observational study in France among 100,000 adults showed that people who consumed larger amounts of artificial sweeteners including aspartame had a slightly higher cancer risk, according to Reuters. Furthermore, it followed a study from the <keyword id="17858098" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ramazzini-institute" source="Orion">Ramazzini Institute</keyword> in Italy in the early 2000s, stating that some cancers in mice and rats were linked to aspartame. However, the first study could not prove that aspartame caused the increased cancer risk. The questions were raised about the methodology of the second study, including by EFSA, which assessed it, reported Reuters. The IARC said it had assessed 1,300 studies in its June review. Aspartame is authorized for use globally by regulators who have reviewed all the available evidence. Also, major food and beverage makers have for decades defended their use of the ingredient. The soft drinks giant Pepsico tweaked recent recipes which demonstrated the struggle the industry has when it comes to balancing taste preferences with health concerns. Pepsico removed aspartame from sodas in 2015, bringing it back a year later, but removed it again in 2020, according to Reuters. Sources close to the IARC said that Aspartame has been listed as a possible carcinogen which is intended to motivate more research, which will help agencies, consumers and manufacturers draw firmer conclusions. But it will also likely ignite debate once again over the IARC's role, as well as the safety of sweeteners more generally. Last month, the WHO published guidelines and advised consumers to not use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control. The guidelines caused an uproar in the food industry, which argues that they can be helpful for consumers wanting to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, reported Reuters. (ANI)

WHO's views on sweetener Aspartame may pit it against the food industry and regulators

Defence Research and Development Organisation (<keyword id="19948662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DRDO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="DRDO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="DRDO">DRDO</keyword>) will collaborate with <keyword id="19906424" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Institute-of-Technology" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Institute of Technology" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Institute of Technology">Indian Institute of Technology</keyword> (<keyword id="19906425" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit" source="keywords">IIT</keyword>) Bhubaneswar for artificial intelligence (AI) driven surveillance and other projects, officials said. A meeting was held between DRDO and <keyword id="19971391" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Bhubaneswar" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="IIT Bhubaneswar" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="IIT Bhubaneswar">IIT Bhubaneswar</keyword> officials here on Tuesday. Binay Das, director general (DG) of Electronics and Communication Systems (ECS) cluster, DRDO, and many senior scientists and officials of both institutions were present in the meeting. During the meeting, nine sanctioned projects of the ECS Cluster of DRDO were handed over to IIT Bhubaneswar while another 7 projects are in process to be sanctioned with Rs 18 crore funding. IIT Bhubaneswar will work on the sanctioned projects, which would be beneficial in electronics warfare, <keyword id="21571619" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-driven-surveillance" source="keywords">AI-driven surveillance</keyword>, power systems, radar systems etc, officials said. S R Samantaray, head of the School of Electrical sciences of IIT said the collaboration of IIT Bhubaneswar and DRDO will contribute to the emerging research and development need of defence applications, creating a platform for 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat'. This form of collaboration will enhance the sustainability of defence research programmes and will be part of the eco-system for nation building, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Binay Das advised researchers and faculty members associated with various DRDO-sanctioned projects to work systematically with proper review and risk management systems to complete the projects in time and come up with unique solutions. He said that DRDO is going through a transformation from technology chasers to become technology enablers and trendsetters. "The goal is now to move beyond attaining self-reliance to setting standards for the Indian armed forces, for others across the globe, to emulate. In this context, this collaboration, and the further opportunity to set up a Centre of Excellence at IIT Bhubaneswar would prove crucial," he added. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/aadhar-housing-finance-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/109919298.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/aadhar-housing-finance-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/109919298.cms" target="_blank">Aadhar Housing Finance IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-april-2024-tata-punch-continues-to-dominate/slidelist/109909744.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-april-2024-tata-punch-continues-to-dominate/slidelist/109909744.cms" target="_blank">Top-selling cars in India in April 2024 – Tata Punch continues to dominate</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/worldwide-tablet-shipments-grow-in-q1-2024-after-two-years-of-decline/articleshow/109876390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/worldwide-tablet-shipments-grow-in-q1-2024-after-two-years-of-decline/articleshow/109876390.cms" target="_blank">Worldwide tablet shipments grow in Q1 2024 after two years of decline</a>

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