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L&T Technology Services Global EI Hackathon Sparks the Next Wave of AI-Native Engineering Solutions

ELE Times - 1 година 23 хв тому

L&T Technology Services, a global leader in Engineering Intelligence Solutions & ER&D Consulting Services successfully concluded Engineering Intelligence (EI) OpenHack 2026, a first-of-its-kind global innovation challenge conducted simultaneously across nine locations spanning India, the U.S. and Europe.

The hackathon brought together nearly 4,000 engineers (770+ teams) from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Vadodara, Mumbai, Dallas and Munich to tackle complex engineering challenges through AI-led innovation. More than 500 challenge statements were aligned with company’s strategic growth priorities, spanning Software Defined Mobility, Plant Buildout & Modernization, Energy & Automation, Next-Gen Compute & AI Infrastructure, Digital Manufacturing, MedTech, and Software Platforms & AI. By combining domain expertise with emerging technologies, participants developed AI-powered solutions across industrial automation, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, supply chain intelligence, enterprise optimization, and healthcare – all aimed at helping enterprises reimagine products, operations, and decision-making.

An esteemed jury comprising senior LTTS leaders and technology experts evaluated the solutions through multiple rounds, assessing entries on innovation, technical excellence, scalability, real-world relevance and effective use of AI. Winning teams were awarded cash prizes worth over INR 30 lakh, while standout innovations received opportunities for further development through Project Equinox, an LTTS platform that supports promising, scalable solutions. Patent-worthy innovations were also shortlisted for special recognition, enabling participants to transform breakthrough ideas into valuable intellectual property.

Congratulating the participants and winning teams, Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Chief Operating Officer, L&T Technology Services, said “The EI OpenHack 2026 reflects LTTS’ vision of Engineering Intelligence, where engineering expertise and AI come together to solve real-world industry challenges. What stood out was not only the scale of participation, but the ability of our engineers to apply contextual understanding, domain knowledge and AI prowess to develop solutions with tangible business relevance. Initiatives like OpenHack create opportunities for our talent to experiment, collaborate and develop solutions that will shape the future of engineering.”

The post L&T Technology Services Global EI Hackathon Sparks the Next Wave of AI-Native Engineering Solutions appeared first on ELE Times.

Keysight Targets the Hidden Cost of UI Test Authoring and Maintenance

ELE Times - 1 година 54 хв тому

Keysight Technologies today announced Keysight Eggplant Find by Description, which allows automation engineers to locate interface elements by describing them rather than capturing and matching screenshots. Each test targets an element by its description rather than its visual appearance, enabling it to keep running through redesigns, theme changes, and resolution shifts. This removes the manual recapture work that has historically wasted engineering resources.

‘Half of Organizations’ believe a chief test automation barrier is the upkeep of scripts that fail as applications change. Maintaining image-based scripts is a hidden cost, as they break when the interface shifts, even when the underlying software runs correctly. Engineers then spend hours recapturing screenshots for cases that should still pass, a cycle that repeats across every release and environment.

With Keysight Eggplant Find by Description, part of Eggplant Studio and Eggplant Functional, an engineer can describe an element, such as a ticket price for a given date, and the software locates it without reference to screenshots, document object model access, or changes to the system under test. In a Keysight demonstration, this reduced script volume by 92 percent and cut the task from over an hour to under 15 minutes. This extends Keysight Eggplant’s use of AI and computer vision in test automation, which lets a description keep working as the design changes and applies across legacy desktop, embedded, and web applications.

Gareth Smith, Software Quality Engineering General Manager, Keysight, said, “Our goal is to help teams automate more of their testing. However, for too long, the maintenance burden has held that back. Keysight Eggplant Find by Description clears one of the biggest barriers, moving us toward a future where teams automate what they want, not only what their tools allow.”

 

The post Keysight Targets the Hidden Cost of UI Test Authoring and Maintenance appeared first on ELE Times.

Infineon Launches SECORA ID Key S USB Security Solution

ELE Times - 2 години 54 хв тому

Infineon Technologies AG has launched the SECORA ID Key S USB, a Java Card-based solution with USB and NFC connectivity for secured authentication and digital signatures. As the first FIDO-certified Level 3+ solution and compliant with CTAP 2.1, the authenticator enables phishing-resistant, password-less authentication as well as protection against remote software and local hardware attacks. It includes preloaded applets for FIDO authentication, qualified digital signature creation, and PKI functions, while offering comprehensive customization options. Built on Infineon’s innovative system-in-package ID Key S USB hardware platform combined with an open Java Card environment, the end-to-end solution provides maximum flexibility, allowing customers to develop, migrate, and deploy proprietary applets. This supports additional use cases such as physical access, crypto wallets, and software rights management, addressing the needs of enterprises, financial institutions, and government applications.

“The demand for strong, password-less authentication has never been higher. With SECORA ID Key S USB, we are giving organizations a proven, certified solution that addresses today’s security challenges while being simple enough to deploy at scale across any environment – from enterprise workplaces to government applications and financial institutions,” says Maurizio Skerlj, Senior Vice President and Product Line Manager for Authentication and Identity Solutions at Infineon.

SECORA ID Key S USB is built on Infineon’s SLC38 crypto controller and runs a Java Card operating system compliant with Java Card 3.1 and GlobalPlatform v2.3.1. The platform provides 250 kB of user non-volatile memory (NVM), with an additional 64 kB available if the ISO file system applet is removed, as well as 7,392 bytes of free user RAM. It fully supports cryptographic operations, including secured key management and certificate processing for encrypted communication and digital signatures. Based on Infineon’s security technology, the solution combines the Infineon ID Key S USB hardware with an open Java Card-based platform, enabling flexibility and scalability for advanced password-less authentication and identity use cases. The solution is compatible with environments without integrated smart card readers and simplifies deployment within existing IT systems. It also combines hardware-level security with application diversity, meeting the requirements of both businesses and users for scalable, secured authentication.

SECORA ID Key S USB is offered in a specific System-in-Package (SiP) solution, combining the security controller with a USB bridge controller. This streamlined single package with its small form factor size (4 x 4x 0.85mm) enables seamless integration and a compact footprint. This helps reduce the bill of materials and simplifies logistics and inventory management for OEMs alike. To facilitate the integration of the SECORA ID Key S USB, Infineon provides comprehensive development tools, including Java Card development environment and the Infineon Configurator for developing custom applets and personalizing the on-board Java Card OS. In addition, various services are offered, including technical support, training, and consulting, to help customers get the most out of the SECORA ID Key S USB. Infineon is working with several ecosystem partners to develop new use cases and applications for the authentication solution, further expanding its functionality and interoperability.

The post Infineon Launches SECORA ID Key S USB Security Solution appeared first on ELE Times.

Vishay Intertechnology Automotive Optocoupler in SOP-5 Package With 3.6 mm Width Saves Space While Improving Signal Transmission

ELE Times - 3 години 18 хв тому

MALVERN, Pa.- July 9, 2026 – Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today introduced an automotive 1 MBd high speed optocoupler in a new SOP-5 package with a narrow width of 3.6 mm. Combining a comparative tracking index (CTI) of 400 with industry-leading minimum guaranteed common mode transient immunity (CMTI) of 40 kV/µS, the Vishay Semiconductors VOMHA43A is designed to deliver improved signal transmission quality and save space in applications requiring isolation voltages (VIORM) up to 707 Vpeak.

The AEC-Q102 qualified device released today is optimized for isolated data communication, fast signal switching, ground signal isolation, and logic voltage level shifting in automotive, industrial, home and building control, and telecom applications. In electric (EV), hybrid electric (HEV), and low speed electric (LSEV) vehicles, the optocoupler provides communication bus isolation for CAN, LIN, I²C, and SPI interfaces, as well as isolated drive circuit applications such as intelligent power module (IPM) drivers.

While previous SOP-5 packages offered a width of 4.4 mm, the narrower SOP-5 of the VOMHA43A requires less PCB space, while supporting stackable designs. The device’s minimum CMTI — which is more than double that of the closest competing device — provides enhanced robustness against electrical spikes and RF and EMI issues. And while competing devices offer maximum repetitive peak isolation voltages of 567 Vpeak, the optocoupler’s isolation voltage performance of 707 Vpeak meets the requirements of 400 V battery systems.

The VOMHA43A consists of a GaAlAs infrared emitting diode, optically coupled with an integrated photodetector and a high speed transistor. The photodetector is junction-isolated from the transistor to reduce miller capacitance effects. The optocoupler features an open collector output function that allows designers to adjust load conditions when interfacing with different logic systems, while a Faraday shield on the detector chip allows the device to reject and minimize high input to output common mode transient voltages.

The RoHS-compliant and halogen-free optocoupler operates over a temperature range of -40 °C to +125 °C and is pin to pin compatible with leading competing parts to provide a direct replacement and eliminate the need for electrical and mechanical redesigns.

Samples and production quantities of the VOMHA43A are available now, with lead times of six weeks.

About Vishay Intertechnology

Vishay manufactures one of the world’s largest portfolios of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components that are essential to innovative designs in the automotive, industrial, computing, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, and medical markets. Serving customers worldwide, Vishay is The DNA of tech.® Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 Company listed on the NYSE (VSH). More on Vishay at www.Vishay.com.

The DNA of tech® is a registered trademark of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.

The post Vishay Intertechnology Automotive Optocoupler in SOP-5 Package With 3.6 mm Width Saves Space While Improving Signal Transmission appeared first on ELE Times.

Rethinking automotive compute in the software-defined era

EDN Network - 4 години 26 хв тому

The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Vehicles are no longer static machines defined at production. They are becoming dynamic, software-defined platforms that evolve over time through updates, new features, and continuous improvements.

This shift is changing the role of semiconductors. What was once a supporting function is now central to how vehicles operate, differentiate, and deliver value. As software increasingly defines the vehicle experience, compute and power architectures must support far more than fixed functionality.

By the next decade, software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures are expected to dominate new vehicle platforms. Automakers are investing heavily to move toward systems that can adapt over long lifecycles, even as software and AI evolve at a much faster pace.

The result is a new set of challenges that go beyond incremental improvements in performance.

A growing mismatch between lifecycles

At the core of the SDV transition is a structural mismatch.

While vehicles must operate safely and reliably for more than a decade, software does not follow the same timeline. New capabilities are introduced continuously—through AI model updates, over-the-air (OTA) features, and evolving applications that extend beyond the original vehicle design.

This creates a system that operates on multiple timelines at once. Safety-critical control systems require stability and certification, while AI-driven functions demand flexibility and rapid iteration. Traditional architectures struggle to accommodate both.

The conventional model, built around tightly coupled hardware and software and distributed electronic control units (ECUs), cannot scale to this level of complexity. Even as industry transitions toward centralized and zonal architectures, the underlying challenge remains: how to support continuous evolution without increasing risk.

Compute is now a system-level challenge

At the same time, the demand for in-vehicle compute is increasing dramatically.

Advanced driver assistance, higher levels of autonomy, and AI-driven experiences all require high-performance processing at the edge. These workloads must operate within strict constraints—limited power, tight thermal envelopes, and automotive-grade reliability.

Monolithic system-on-chip (SoC) designs make it difficult to balance these competing demands. A single device must meet performance, cost, safety, and lifecycle requirements simultaneously, which introduces inefficiencies and limits flexibility. As a result, compute is no longer a component decision. It’s a system-level problem that affects how the entire vehicle is designed and evolves over time.

Moving toward heterogeneous and modular architectures

The industry is beginning to respond by shifting toward more flexible architectures.

Instead of integrating all functionality into a single chip, new designs increasingly rely on heterogeneous systems that combine multiple compute elements—CPUs, GPUs, and AI accelerators—working together. This approach allows different parts of the system to be optimized independently while still functioning as a unified platform.

More importantly, it enables alignment with real-world requirements. Safety-critical functions can rely on mature, well-understood technologies, while AI workloads can take advantage of leading-edge processing. Memory, connectivity, and I/O can be placed where they deliver the best efficiency.

This shift reflects a broader transition from optimizing individual components to designing systems that balance performance, cost, and lifecycle considerations.

This system-level evolution is already visible in current automotive compute platforms.

High-performance SoC families such as R‑Car illustrate how architectures are adapting to SDV requirements. These platforms bring together heterogeneous compute, safety capabilities, and efficient power management in a scalable framework that can be deployed across different vehicle domains.

They are designed not only for central compute in ADAS and autonomous applications, but also to integrate with zonal controllers and broader vehicle systems. This enables automakers to build platforms that can evolve over time, rather than redesigning from scratch for each new generation.

The key point is not peak performance alone. It’s the ability to deliver consistent, predictable behavior across a wide range of use cases and over long operational lifetimes.

Supporting diverse OEM strategies

The transition to software-defined vehicles is not uniform across the industry.

Some automakers are moving toward fully centralized architectures, while others are adopting hybrid or zonal approaches. Different strategies reflect different priorities, including cost structure, time-to-market, and control over software ecosystems.

This diversity requires flexibility. Suppliers must support multiple architectural paths and allow automakers to make trade-offs that fit their specific goals. An open, scalable approach becomes increasingly important as vehicles evolve from isolated products to connected, long-lifecycle platforms.

AI is accelerating the need for change

Artificial intelligence is amplifying these challenges.

Early automotive AI focused on discrete functions such as perception. Today, vehicles must handle multiple AI-driven workloads simultaneously, from sensor fusion to planning to in-cabin interactions. These systems must operate in real time while meeting strict safety requirements.

This shifts the focus away from simplified performance metrics toward broader system considerations. Latency, determinism, power efficiency, and data movement all become critical. Supporting AI at scale requires architectures that can orchestrate diverse workloads efficiently while maintaining predictable performance. This reinforces the need for heterogeneous, system-level design.

From products to platforms

In other words, as complexity increases, the industry is moving toward integrated platforms.

Automakers are no longer looking solely for components. They are looking for solutions that combine hardware, software, and development ecosystems in a way that reduces integration risk and accelerates deployment.

This shift reflects a broader change in the semiconductor industry—from delivering individual devices to enabling complete system solutions. And this transition to software-defined vehicles is a long-term shift that will unfold over the next decade.

What is already clear is that success will depend on the ability to design systems that balance long-term reliability with rapid innovation. This requires new thinking—not just in silicon, but in architecture, development processes, and ecosystem collaboration.

The industry is moving beyond optimizing individual parts. It’s designing vehicles as cohesive, adaptable systems. And compute sits at the center of that transformation.

Vivek Bhan is senior VP and GM of high-performance computing at Renesas Electronics.

Related Content

The post Rethinking automotive compute in the software-defined era appeared first on EDN.

Aehr receives another follow-on production order from lead silicon photonics customer

Semiconductor today - 4 години 53 хв тому
Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA — which provides solutions for testing, burning-in and stabilizing semiconductor devices in wafer-level, singulated die, and packaged-part form — has received an additional follow-on production order from its lead silicon photonics customer for a fully automated FOX-XP wafer-level burn-in (WLBI) system. The system will support high-volume production burn-in of silicon photonics devices used in AI optical interconnect and hyperscale data-center applications...

Riber receives new order from 3SP for production platform

Semiconductor today - 5 годин 38 хв тому
Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system maker Riber S.A. of Bezons, France has received a new order from 3SP Technologies S.A.S. of Nozay, Essonne, France — a long-standing customer for more than 20 years — for an industrial passivation platform. The system is scheduled for delivery in 2027...

📈 КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського — серед лідерів української вищої освіти у Webometrics 2026

Новини - 6 годин 1 хв тому
📈 КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського — серед лідерів української вищої освіти у Webometrics 2026
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KPI4U-2 пт, 07/10/2026 - 10:26
Текст

У липневому випуску Webometrics Ranking of World Universities 2026 — одному з найавторитетніших міжнародних рейтингів — КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського зберіг свої позиції серед світових і українських університетів, підтвердивши статус одного з провідних ЗВО України.

Нові перемоги на ICOA 2026: як КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського готує кіберчемпіонів

Новини - 6 годин 8 хв тому
Нові перемоги на ICOA 2026: як КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського готує кіберчемпіонів
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kpi пт, 07/10/2026 - 10:19
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Четверо школярів, які пройшли всеукраїнський відбір до збірної України та інтенсивну підготовку на базі команди dcua КПІ, гідно представили нашу державу на міжнародних змаганнях з кібербезпеки та ШІ (ICOA 2026).

Fun stuff from school trash

Reddit:Electronics - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 23:41
Fun stuff from school trash

I like going through the electronics trash bins at my college, here's some stuff i found today.

The second item is a speaker part, the ring is super magnetic it was a challenge to pry it apart!

submitted by /u/SwabluOnACloud
[link] [comments]

Закріплення освітніх програм за структурними підрозділами університету

Новини - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 17:20
Закріплення освітніх програм за структурними підрозділами університету

Забезпечення якості освіти і визнання на ринку праці – головні завдання навчального закладу, що готує фахівців для економіки країни. В Національному технічному університеті України „Київський політехнічний інститут імені Ігоря Сікорського” здійснюється підготовка фахівців за широким списком освітніх програм.

kpi чт, 07/09/2026 - 17:20

📰 Газета "Київський політехнік" № 25-26 за 2026 (.pdf)

Новини - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 16:45
📰 Газета "Київський політехнік" № 25-26 за 2026 (.pdf)
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Інформація КП чт, 07/09/2026 - 16:45
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Вийшов 25-26 номер газети "Київський політехнік" за 2026 рік

Нове життя лабораторного обладнання: міжнародна підтримка електрохімічної освіти в КПІ

Новини - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 15:58
Нове життя лабораторного обладнання: міжнародна підтримка електрохімічної освіти в КПІ
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kpi чт, 07/09/2026 - 15:58
Текст

Кафедра технології електрохімічних виробництв Національного технічного університету України «Київський політехнічний інститут імені Ігоря Сікорського» отримала цінне лабораторне обладнання від французьких партнерів.

I built a wireless-powered Newton's Cradle that never stops swinging.

Reddit:Electronics - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 15:34
I built a wireless-powered Newton's Cradle that never stops swinging.

A traditional Newton's Cradle only swings for a few seconds before friction stops it. I wanted to build one that keeps swinging continuously while still looking completely normal. The system uses an ESP32-C3, an inductive proximity sensor, and an electromagnet to replace only the energy lost during each swing. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the design!

submitted by /u/Objective_Net_1378
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Carl Sagan’s prescient thoughts on AI and robots

EDN Network - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 15:00

Revisiting the past can leave the reader with a range of reactions, including both bemusement at then-embryonic developments and amazement at the accuracy of forecast extrapolations.

After reading the sentence that follows this one, pause for a moment and guess when it was first written, prior to plunging forward in my own prose:

The amount of effort and money put into artificial intelligence has been quite limited, and there are only about a half-dozen major centers of such activity in the world.

Clearly, this quote is a “few” years old! Consider, for example, that last September Gartner forecasted that worldwide spending on AI would hit $1.5 trillion for that (last) year. The above quote is from renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan’s treatise, “Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science”, first published in 1979, with which I recently reconnected over a long weekend read.

Most people overestimate what they can achieve in one year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years. (Bill Gates)

Specifically, it came from chapter 20, “In Defense of Robots”, which in its original form was titled “In Praise of Robots” and appeared in the January 1975 edition of Natural History magazine. Unsurprisingly, given that the source material is more than a half-century old at this point, some of it is charmingly dated. Consider, for example, this chapter excerpt:

There will be strong pressures for continued miniaturization of intelligent machines. It is clear that remarkable miniaturization has already occurred. Vacuum tubes have been replaced by transistors, wired circuits by printed circuit boards, and entire computer systems by silicon chip microcircuitry. Today, a circuit that used to occupy much of a 1930 radio set can be printed on the tip of a pin.

Or, speaking of the current state of intelligent machines, this passage:

The ten best chess players in the world still have nothing to fear from any present computer, but the situation is changing. Recently, a computer for the first time did well enough to enter the Minnesota State Chess Open. This may be the first time that a non-human has entered a major sporting event on the planet Earth…The computer did not win the chess open, but this is the first time one has done well enough to enter such a competition. Chess playing computers are improving extremely rapidly.

And then there’s this, focusing on Sagan’s primary area of expertise, space:

In the exploration of Mars, unmanned vehicles have already soft-landed, and only a little further in the future they will roam about the surface of the Red Planet as some now do on the Moon.

What would Sagan have thought about the fact that, as I’m writing these words, NASA just announced that its Perseverance rover has traveled the distance of a marathon on Mars, notably much of it autonomously? He wouldn’t, I’d argue, be at all surprised. And that, dear readers, is at the core of why I’m focusing on his book, and this chapter in particular, today. To wit, immediately after the prior quote, he elaborated on his prognostication “tease”, writing:

The Viking landers deposited on Mars in summer of 1976 have a very interesting array of sensors and scientific instruments, which are the extension of human senses to an alien environment. The obvious post-Viking device for Martian exploration, one which takes advantage of the Viking technology, is a Viking rover in which the equivalent of an entire Viking spacecraft, but with considerably improved science, is put on wheels or tractor treads and permitted to rove slowly over the Martian landscape.

But now we have a new problem, one that is never encountered in machine operation on the Earth’s surface.  Although Mars is the second closest planet, it is so far from the Earth that light travel becomes significant. At a typical relative position of Mars and the Earth, the planet is 20 light minutes away. Thus, if the spacecraft were confronted with a steep incline, it might send a message of inquiry back to Earth. Forty minutes later, the response would arrive saying something like, “For heaven’s sake, stand dead still!” But by then, of course, an unsophisticated machine would have tumbled into a gully.

Consequently, any Martian rover requires slope and roughness sensors. Fortunately, these are readily available and are even seen in some children’s toys. When confronted with a precipitous slope or large boulder, the spacecraft would either stop until receiving instructions from the Earth in response to its query and televised picture of the terrain, or back off and start in another and safer direction. Much more elaborate contingency decision networks can be built into the onboard computers of spacecraft of the 1980s.

Any sufficiently advanced technology no longer distinguishes itself from pure magic. (Arthur C. Clarke)

The fundamental point of In Defense of Robots, at least per my interpretation of it, is to provide Sagan with a platform to answer a question he posited at the beginning:

The powerful abilities of computing machines to do arithmetic hundreds of millions of times faster than unaided human beings are legendary. But what about really difficult matters? Can machines in any sense think through a new problem? Can they make discussions of the branch-contingency-tree variety with which we think of as characteristically human?

Sagan’s answer to that question was an unqualified “yes”, and here’s what he thought it would look like, again specific to astrophysics and related topics:

In the development of such machines we find a kind of convergent evolution. Viking is, in a curious sense, like some great outsized clumsily constructed insect. It is not yet ambulatory and is certainly incapable of self-reproduction, but it has an exoskeleton, it has a wide range of insect-like sensory organs, and it is about as intelligent as a dragonfly.

But Viking has some advantages that insects do not. It can, on occasion, by inquiring of its controllers on Earth, assume the intelligence of a human being. The controllers are able to reprogram the Viking computer on the basis of the decisions they make.

As the field of machine intelligence advances, and as increasingly distant objects in the solar system become accessible to exploration, we will see the development of increasingly sophisticated onboard computers, slowly climbing the phylogenetic tree from insect intelligence to crocodile intelligence to squirrel intelligence and, in the not very remote future, I think, to dog intelligence.

That said, Sagan was also keen to expand far beyond astrophysics with his forecasts, even to the realm of psychoanalysis. Consider chatbots’ increasingly common use as virtual therapists, albeit with diverse user experiences and outcomes, as you read the following excerpt:

In a time when more and more people in our society seem to be in need of psychiatric counseling, and when timesharing of computers is widespread, I can even imagine the development of a network of computer psychotherapeutic terminals something like arrays of large telephone booths in which for a few dollars a session we are able to talk to an attentive tested and largely non-directive psychotherapist. Ensuring the confidentiality of the psychiatric dialogue is one of the several important steps still to be worked out.

Or consider something a bit “closer to home” for the broad engineering community, that of humanoid and other robotic systems for industrial and other related applications:

If intelligent machines for terrestrial mining and space exploratory applications are pursued, the time cannot be far off when household and other domestic robots will become commercially feasible…There are many common tasks, ranging from bartending to floor washing, that involve a very limited array of intellectual capabilities, albeit substantial stamina and patience.

All-purpose ambulatory household robots, which perform domestic functions as well as a proper 19th century butler, are probably many decades off, but more specialized machines, each adapted to specific household functions, are probably already on the horizon. It is possible to imagine many other civic tasks and essential functions of everyday life carried out by intelligent machines.

Much in life is simply a matter of perspective. It’s not inherently good or bad, a success or failure; it’s how we choose to look at things that makes the difference. (David Niven)

But I can’t help but wonder: was Sagan too sanguine about the societal upheaval caused by AI-powered robotic (and broader AI) supplant?

For the development of domestic and civic robots to be a general civic good, the effect of re-employment of those human beings displaced by the robots must be of course arranged. But over a human generation, that should not be too difficult, particularly if there are enlightened educational reforms. Human beings enjoy learning.

If anything, he seemed more concerned that human beings’ overreaction (at least in his eyes) to such displacement might unnecessarily delay or even preclude this transition and broader transformation, to the broader detriment of our species (thereby at least in part explaining, I suspect, the shift from robot “praise” to “defense” from the 1975 article to 1979 book chapter):

We appear to be on the verge of developing a wide variety of intelligent machines capable of performing tasks too dangerous, too expensive, too onerous, or too boring for human beings. The development of such machines is, in my mind, one of the few legitimate spin-offs of the space program. The efficient exploitation of energy and agriculture, upon which our survival as a species depends, may even be contingent on the development of such machines.

The main obstacle seems to be a very human problem, the quiet feeling that comes stealthily and unbidden, and argues that there is something threatening or inhuman about machines performing tasks as well or better than human beings, or a sense of loathing for creatures made of silicon and germanium rather than proteins and nucleic acids. But in many respects, our survival as a species depends on our transcending such primitive chauvinisms.

In part, our adjustment to intelligent machines is a matter of acclimatization. There are already cardiac pacemakers that can sense the beat of a human heart. Only when there is the slightest hint of fibrillation does the pacemaker stimulate the heart. This is a mild but very useful sort of machine intelligence. I cannot imagine the wearer of this device resenting its intelligence [EDITOR NOTE: as regular readers will likely already understand, I particularly resonated with this point].

I think in a relatively short period of time there will be a very similar sort of acceptance for much more intelligent and sophisticated machines. There is nothing inhuman about an intelligent machine. It is indeed an expression of those superb intellectual qualities that only human beings, of all creatures on this planet, now possess.

Whether or not you resonate with Sagan’s perspectives in the excerpts I’ve shared, I suspect you’ll (near-)universally agree with my admiration for the accuracy of his prophecies, along with the rare combination of intelligence and open-mindedness (with at least one notable exception) that were at their foundation. Regardless, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science and give it a read for yourself.

It’s only $6.99 on Kindle as I write this (and as I read it), and I also commonly come across both hardcover and paperback copies of it at used bookstores. There’s always also your public library, of course. And worst case, I stumbled across a YouTube video of someone reading the (bulk of the) text of the In Praise of Robots chapter:

Fair warning: there’s at least one several-paragraph section missing (I suspect due to a multi-“take” merging edit error, not intentionally), ironically the one from which the quote that opened this writeup came. And the regularly changing “psychedelic” special effects (which I suspect were an attempt, apparently successfully, to circumvent copyright infringement algorithms) compel me to encourage you to focus solely on the audio. But, hey…free!

Regardless of how you end up consuming Broca’s Brain, I hope you find it a fruitful experience, versus a waste of time. Be sure to come back here afterward and share your thoughts in the comments, ok? Thanks!

Brian Dipert is the associate editor, as well as a contributing editor, at EDN.

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The post Carl Sagan’s prescient thoughts on AI and robots appeared first on EDN.

🏆 7 PhD-дослідницьких проєктів КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського стали переможцями конкурсного добору МОН України!

Новини - Чтв, 07/09/2026 - 12:40
🏆 7 PhD-дослідницьких проєктів КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського стали переможцями конкурсного добору МОН України!
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KPI4U-2 чт, 07/09/2026 - 12:40
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✅ Це один із найкращих результатів у межах

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