The Wall Street Journal
Mithril Defense is installing high-speed drones at schools in Florida and Georgia under state-funded programs to increase security and respond to gun violence. The company’s remotely-controlled “Black Arrow” drones can fly up to 100 mph, break through windows, provide real-time surveillance, and deploy deterrents like pepper gel. Some experts worry the drones could be vulnerable to cyberattacks, lead to abuses of force, or use limited resources that could be spent on more effective safety resources.
From "Drones Coming to Schools to Stop Mass Shootings"
The Wall Street Journal (04/05/26) Christopher Kuo
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Axios
Nearly half of respondents to a new Lumina Foundation-Gallup survey of 3,801 adults pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree said they've thought at least "a fair amount" about changing their major or field of study because of AI's potential impact. Another 16% said they’ve changed majors because of the impact AI might have on the job market.
From "AI Is Making College Students Change Majors"
Axios (04/02/26) Avery Lotz
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Reuters
The Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday issued draft regulations to oversee the development of online digital humans, requiring clear labeling and banning services that could mislead children or fuel addiction. The proposed rules require labels on virtual human content and would prohibit digital humans from providing "virtual intimate relationships" to those under 18 and prevent the use of other people's personal information to create digital humans without consent, or using virtual humans to bypass identity verification systems.
From "China Moves to Regulate Digital Humans"
Reuters (04/03/26) Ethan Wang; Ryan Woo
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Bloomberg
Ireland on Friday launched a test phase of its national digital wallet, including an age verification capability. The country, one of several considering a ban on social media for teens, sees age verification as one step toward potential implementation. The digital wallet will hold digital versions of birth certificates, driving licenses, and other official documents. All EU member states are required to have digital wallets in place by the end of this year, but how they are used is up to each individual country.
From "Ireland Tests Digital ID to Verify Age of Social Media Users"
Bloomberg (04/03/26) Olivia Fletcher
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IEEE Spectrum
At the recent IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, graduate student Yasuto Narukiyo of Japan's Institute of Science Tokyo presented a Wi-Fi receiver capable of withstanding the radiation inside a nuclear reactor, as part of a potential system for robotics used to decommission reactors. To harden the 2.4-gigahertz Wi-Fi receiver against intense levels of radiation, Narukiyo and his team changed its mix of components, minimized the total number of transistors, and altered the geometry of the remaining transistors.
From "Wi-Fi Receiver Withstands a Nuclear Reactor"
IEEE Spectrum (04/02/26) Katherine Bourzac
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Nature
Described at the SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning conference in February, a chipmaking breakthrough from ASML uses advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography to create features on chips as small as 8 nanometers, the smallest ever produced in a single step. The system allows chips to pack nearly three times more transistors, boosting computing power while improving energy efficiency.
From "Breakthrough Computer Chip Tech Could Help Meet AI-Driven Demand"
Nature (04/02/26) Katherine Bourzac
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