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Explore every episode of the podcast European Parliament - EPRS Science and Technology podcasts
Dive into the complete episode list for European Parliament - EPRS Science and Technology podcasts. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What if Europe championed new AI hardware? | 13 Dec 2024 | 00:05:00 | |
Current state-of-the-art hardware is not optimised for machine learning, and both academic and private sector research is already leading to new designs. At the same time, the need for more time- and energy-efficient machine-learning hardware is increasing as more consumers and companies want access to machine-learning applications. The EU has the opportunity to leverage its strong regulatory framework for AI products as a mark of trust and safety, while also investing to support the next generation of hardware, opening up a new market for Europe's high tech industry. What would happen if the EU formulated a cohesive plan to support these technologies through both research and economic policy? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we ran out of copper? | 18 Oct 2024 | 00:03:23 | |
The copper market has recently been showing unusual instability. New EU legislation, though not always directly related, seems to be having a significant impact on copper prices. This is the case for the Chips Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act - designed to make EU industry more resilient by improving strategic autonomy - but also for laws concerning energy, artificial intelligence and digitalisation. New factors, including looming shortages in strategic raw materials - such as copper - may strongly influence political action. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if electrification transformed the EU economy? | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:05:02 | |
Electrification is gaining momentum across many sectors, including transport, buildings and industry, driven by the EU's climate ambition and security of supply. As the cost of renewable energy technologies like solar and wind continues to fall, electrification presents an opportunity to reshape the European economy, enhancing competitiveness and promoting sustainable growth. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if focusing on the system, not just the symptoms, were key to health? | 20 Jun 2024 | 00:02:51 | |
Exposure to 'forever chemicals', air pollution, stress and many other factors depends on where a person lives and their lifestyle choices. These exposures combine over the course of a lifetime, affecting human biology and health. The 'exposome' concept offers a framework for understanding and analysing this complex reality, and ultimately for informing the shaping of evidence-based policy on chemicals, food and the workplace, as well as on pollution, public health and the environment more generally. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if the problem with cars was not their method of propulsion? | 08 Mar 2024 | 00:03:27 | |
The European automotive industry is striving to adapt to market changes driven by the dual green and digital transition. Electrification has become the main strategy for reducing CO2 emissions, especially in urban traffic. At the same time, the average size and weight of cars have greatly increased. Big electric cars are the trend, but are they really the solution? Could better planning and optimisation of resources help? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| Analysis exploring risks and opportunities linked to the use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe | 02 Feb 2024 | 00:02:47 | |
Robot applications, including 'collaborative robots' - cobots - designed to collaborate with humans, are in high demand, with sales and installation figures constantly on the rise. However, it is necessary to analyse the risks and opportunities of this technology and its possible social, economic, and ethical impacts. The following study presents the current state of collaborative robotics, its benefits, and its disadvantages, with a special emphasis on key aspects such as safety. It presents possible policy options to enable the EU to remain at the forefront of this technology by taking advantage of the opportunities and avoiding the potential risks. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if generative artificial intelligence became conscious? | 12 Jan 2024 | 00:03:17 | |
Generative artificial intelligence applications, such as ChatGPT, are powered through complex learning processes by comprehensive datasets of – potentially dubious – human-created content. There are concerns that such tools could develop consciousness and spark emergent behaviour that is, by definition, unpredictable and therefore potentially unsafe. Do these concerns point to a need to look again at the relevant legislation? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if the EU were energy independent? | 08 Dec 2023 | 00:03:44 | |
The EU depends on imported fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) for about 56 % of its energy needs (gross energy consumption), which in 2021 represented an energy bill of around EUR 300 billion. The domestic production of renewable energy sources has increased significantly in recent years to 22 % of total demand. The European Union can aspire to achieve energy independence through the deployment of existing and emerging technologies. Electrification, renewables and energy storage could reduce EU's reliance on conventional fossil fuels. What are the developments, expectations, concerns and societal implications associated with these technologies? What initiatives and policies can lead to a resilient EU energy system by anticipating impacts? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if Europe ran out of water? | 17 Nov 2023 | 00:03:48 | |
Droughts and water scarcity are no longer rare or extreme events in Europe. About 20 % of the European territory and 30 % of Europeans are affected by water stress, especially in Southern Europe but also around some river basins in Western and Central Europe. And climate change will only make matters worse, increasing the frequency of extreme events and making the south even drier. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if algorithms decided what we should eat by looking at our DNA? | 13 Oct 2023 | 00:03:00 | |
Diets tailored to our individual characteristics could bring about health benefits but require data on our most personal features, such as our DNA. The promises are many, but so are open questions about the interactions between genes, nutrients, environment and health, and the role of socioeconomic factors behind our food choices. Governance of precision nutrition advice, services and products will include various legislation and policies because of its position between lifestyle and health, or food and medicine. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| Splinternets': Addressing the renewed debate on internet fragmentation | 29 Sep 2023 | 00:04:40 | |
Recent events have multiplied concerns about potential fragmentation of the internet into a multitude of non-interoperable and disconnected 'splinternets'. Composed of thousands of compatible autonomous systems, the internet is by definition technically divided. Yet, the internet was also designed to be an open and global technical infrastructure. The unity and openness of the internet appear to be under great pressure from political, commercial and technological developments. This report explores the implications of the EU's recent policies in this field as well as the opportunities and challenges for EU Member States and institutions in addressing internet fragmentation. It underlines how recent EU legislative proposals – on the digital services act, digital markets act, artificial intelligence act, and NIS 2 Directive – could help to address patterns of fragmentation, but also have limitations and potentially unintended consequences. Four possible strategies emerge: stay with the status quo, embrace fragmentation, resist patterns of divergence, or frame discussions as a matter of fundamental rights. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if biosensors could help treat rare diseases? | 08 Sep 2023 | 00:03:48 | |
Most rare diseases are incurable. Biosensors are a technology that, driven by continuous advances in artificial intelligence, can help disease detection, lower the cost of novel therapies, replace placebo groups in clinical trials and foster patient-centred, personalised (e)-medicine. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we could make nuclear fusion work? | 07 Jul 2023 | 00:03:45 | |
To reach the Paris Agreement objective of keeping the global temperature increase well below 2°C, the EU must consider every possible technology to decarbonise its energy production. Nuclear fusion is the process that powers our sun and we can recreate it on Earth. However, even if we overcome the considerable engineering challenges of designing a fusion power plant, there are hard constraints to upscaling fusion power. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if open strategic autonomy could break the cycle of recurring crises? | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:03:45 | |
Open strategic autonomy ensures the capacity to cope alone if necessary but without ruling out cooperation whenever possible. It relies on foresight to identify threats and ensures resilience by anticipating the required responses. Can the resulting preparedness also prevent crises (or dissuade others from creating them) by normalising internally situations that would else become emergencies? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if nature taught us to adapt to climate change? | 05 May 2023 | 00:04:27 | |
Over the past 3.8 billion years, nature has been engineering itself to survive. It has also developed efficient and sustainable adaptation mechanisms against changing environmental conditions. To further the EU's political ambitions, could we employ biomimicry to mitigate climate change and achieve climate neutrality? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if increased energy storage could help fix climate change? | 14 Apr 2023 | 00:04:12 | |
In this podcast we explore the potential ecological benefits of increasing our capacity to store energy, especially from renewable sources. As the availability of some renewable energy sources is variable and intermittent, devising new energy storage capacities could ensure energy security and reliability and help the EU in its efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| Towards a new EU pharmaceutical strategy | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:03:58 | |
As the European Commission prepares to launch a much awaited revised EU pharmaceutical strategy, two recent studies by the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) advance possible options to tackle current weaknesses in drug development and ensure access to high-quality medicines, including the creation of large-scale European biomedical infrastructure, and a series of targeted strategies to improve EU health research coordination and reprioritise areas of unmet therapeutic need. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we grew plants vertically? | 10 Feb 2023 | 00:04:23 | |
By 2050, an estimated two thirds of the world population will live in urban areas. Could vertical farming help feed this growing urban population sustainably by reducing the demand for agricultural land and shortening the travel distance between food production and consumption? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| Using artificial intelligence in workplace management | 13 Jan 2023 | 00:04:58 | |
As AI spreads into workplaces, workers and employers are increasingly confronted with applications and software that affect labour relations. While AI systems could be introduced with the explicit aim of improving working conditions, this cannot be expected in general and evidence suggests that it may be the exception. In this podcast, we'll talk about the impacts that artificial intelligence applications may have on our workplaces and how policymakers and legislators in the EU will need to ensure that it works for and not against us. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if quantum technologies were to revolutionise healthcare? | 09 Dec 2022 | 00:04:12 | |
Quantum technologies could be a game-changer in the digital transformation of health care. By enabling much faster and more complex data analysis, they could open the door to the accelerated discovery and development of novel therapeutics, improved diagnostics and treatments, including for rare and complex diseases, genuinely personalised medicine, and better data-driven health policy planning. However, as is also the case in other sectors, quantum technologies come with risks, particularly to cybersecurity and data privacy, as well as economics, trade, and global competition. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if a 'Trojan horse' strategy could help address antimicrobial resistance? | 18 Nov 2022 | 00:04:17 | |
Antimicrobial-resistant infections are predicted to become the second biggest cause of death worldwide by 2050. Despite increasing investment in the development of new antimicrobials, awareness campaigns on antimicrobial misuse and abuse, and monitoring of antimicrobial use and resistance in animals, humans and the environment, antimicrobial resistance continues to grow and the last three decades have not seen even one novel antimicrobial class reach the market. Could the answer lie in a 'Trojan horse' strategy to disrupt a natural physiological process common to all bacteria?
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if everyone spoke the same language? | 14 Oct 2022 | 00:05:08 | |
One language disappears every two weeks, and up to 90 % of existing languages could be gone by the turn of the century. Globalisation, social and economic pressures and political options can determine whether a language survives. Multilingualism is a cornerstone of the European project, with 24 official and 60 minority languages. In a digital era, ensuring digital language equality can help preserve linguistic diversity.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if AI could make the agri-food sector more resilient? | 30 Sep 2022 | 00:05:07 | |
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been under the limelight of so strong political and social debate that its suitability for its main original purpose of improving supply chain efficiency may come up as a surprise; but, what if, under the actual situation of stress artificial intelligence really can provide solutions for strategic sectors significantly improving their capacity to cope with pressure? More specifically, can the agri-food sector benefit from this technology to the extent of compensating for the shortages being broadly foreseen? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if microbial protein could help reverse climate change? | 09 Sep 2022 | 00:04:42 | |
Demographic, socio-political and economic pressures have made eating meat an unsustainable practice for the long term. However, meat substitutes have proved unpopular, owing to social norms and a lack of trust; some alternatives also contribute heavily to climate change. Could microbial protein be a sustainable alternative to meat that not only solves these multidimensional pressures but also contributes actively to reversing climate change? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we sequenced all human genomes? | 01 Jul 2022 | 00:05:37 | |
The rapid growth of genetic databases worldwide, coupled with fast-decreasing costs and increased technological speed, has raised the possibility of every human genome on Earth being sequenced within this century. This brings to the forefront ethical and legal questions on data privacy and ownership. While a world genomic database would revolutionise preventive medicine and research, new forms of surveillance, discrimination and power imbalances could emerge. The global interplay between the individual, the state and private individuals could shift, requiring modern and flexible legislation to protect the rights of the individual. - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we built cities on water? | 03 Jun 2022 | 00:05:13 | |
Rising sea levels place coastal cities under constant threat. An estimated 250 million people currently live on land below projected annual flood levels, often in coastal cities such as London, Lagos, Mumbai or Shanghai; and this number may rise to 630 million by the end of the century. An additional 318 million people have been displaced since 2018, due to climate disasters. Could it be that, instead of humankind fleeing from water, building on it could serve as a better long-term solution? What would the creation of entire water cities entail for societies, economies and the environment? What if populations could live on water instead of facing displacement and migration? - Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if AI regulation promoted innovation? | 29 Apr 2022 | 00:03:16 | |
'Innovation' is often used as a shorthand for improved technical, economic and social processes. However, any specific innovation involves the redistribution of costs and benefits, creating winners and losers. For some, regulation of technology should be avoided in case it hinders innovation, while, for others, regulation is an essential measure to mitigate risks. However, regulation and innovation are not a zero-sum game. Debates about regulatory (in)action and its impact on innovation would benefit from greater specificity about which innovation paths are considered desirable, for whom, and how policy choices would help to achieve them.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| Responding better to future pandemics | 29 Apr 2022 | 00:03:16 | |
Managing the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic remains a challenge. While EU vaccination rates have reached three quarters of the population, new SARS-CoV-2 variants keep emerging in the EU. Although these variants appear to be generally less severe, they still pose challenges to health systems. The implementation of a globally effective vaccine strategy remains key to enhancing Europe's resilience.
If measures are successful, it is expected that SARS-CoV-19 – while still present – will enter a stage of seasonality, characterised by higher case numbers in the winter months, similarly to the flu.
To achieve this, rethinking present surveillance and monitoring schemes, ensuring the distribution of vaccines worldwide and implementing an action plan against disinformation and misinformation could be crucial.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if machines made fairer decisions than humans? | 01 Apr 2022 | 00:04:56 | |
Automated decision-making by systems that use machine learning to dynamically improve performance are still seen as lacking the 'human perspective' and flexibility to adapt to the particular nuances of specific cases. But perhaps, as they lack the 'cunning' to hide their biases, automated systems actually make fairer decisions than do humans, when these decisions are based on data that have been properly curated.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we killed all microorganisms in our bodies? | 11 Feb 2022 | 00:03:54 | |
While killing all microorganisms in our bodies may seem tempting to some germaphobes, scientific evidence indicates that beneficial microorganisms (that live in nearly ubiquitous communities called microbiota) are an essential component of human health, and could form a new frontier for personalised medicine to fight non-communicable diseases and improve human health. In this podcast, we'll look at the microorganisms that live in our bodies and the incredible role they play in assuring our health.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if xenotransplantation made up for the shortage of organ donation? | 14 Jan 2022 | 00:04:47 | |
Following the first successful organ transplant in 1954, this procedure has become increasingly prevalent as it has revolutionised the treatment of end-stage organ failure. Nevertheless, organ shortage remains a critical problem which could potentially be overcome with xenotransplantation, regarded a promising alternative approach. In this podcast, we'll talk about the transplantation of animal derived organs and cells into humans. A medical procedure known as xenotransplantation that could open the door to a renewable source of desperately needed organs.
- Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if hydrogen accelerated decarbonisation of European Industry? | 10 Dec 2021 | 00:04:53 | |
The European Union has an ambitious climate strategy and is looking for ways to boost technologies that will make it possible. Could hydrogen and the deployment of related technology and infrastructure become a decisive factor in decarbonising specific industry sectors? In this podcast, we'll talk about hydrogen and its potential to accelerate the decarbonisation of European industry.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if ecolabels could nudge us to choose greener food? | 19 Nov 2021 | 00:06:39 | |
The way most food is produced is harming the planet. A profound change is needed, involving all agri-food actors. As consumers, we sit at the end of the agri-food chain. Our daily dietary choices implicitly support certain food systems, production methods and types of food. What could help us make better choices? In this podcast, we'll talk about ecolabels and their potential to nudge us towards more sustainable food choices.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if novel drug delivery methods revolutionised medicine? | 15 Oct 2021 | 00:04:54 | |
Nanoparticles lie at the heart of a new method for delivering medicines inside the body – and they were crucial to the success of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. This new drug delivery method and others could transform the way we treat disease, potentially boosting the treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and HIV, among others. Insulin and Covid-19 vaccines might even become available as pills. In this podcast, we'll look into new drug delivery methods that could simplify the way we treat diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website - Subscription to our RSS feed in case your have your own RSS reader - Podcast available on Deezer, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, YouTube Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if the Internet failed? | 01 Oct 2021 | 00:03:43 | |
Since its early development in the 1960s, Internet infrastructure has become almost as important as electricity and transport infrastructures in contemporary societies. More and more key services such as banking, food retail, and health care, rely on Internet connections. Despite its original resilient decentralised design, the increasing importance of a few central players and centralising developments have made the Internet more vulnerable to failure. What repercussions would that entail? Listen to our podcast to know more! https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2021)690044 https://youtu.be/wggqWelXPLk Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if deepfakes made us doubt everything we see and hear? | 10 Sep 2021 | 00:03:16 | |
Deepfakes are hyper-realistic videos created through artificial intelligence techniques. They present many possibilities, but also dangers. A wide range of malicious uses have been identified, including fraud, extortion and political disinformation. The impacts of such misuse can be financial, psychological and reputational. While the technology itself is legal, some malicious uses are not, and a combination of legal and technical measures may be mobilised to limit their production and dissemination. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2021)690046 https://youtu.be/m2FfdjMWBr0 Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we chose new metaphors for artificial intelligence? | 02 Jul 2021 | 00:05:44 | |
Artificial intelligence (AI) policy debates are replete with metaphors. In this podcast, we explore some challenges presented by the central metaphor of ‘intelligence', examine how AI metaphors emphasise competition at the cost of cooperation, and ask whether new metaphors could help us to articulate ambitious visions for AI, and new criteria for success. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2021)690024 https://youtu.be/McfLzteWrEo Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if objects around us flocked together to become intelligent? | 04 Jun 2021 | 00:03:18 | |
The internet of things is already making us reimagine daily life, but could artificial intelligence be the key to reaching the full potential of this technology? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2021)656344 https://youtu.be/czGzqz2JTrM Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if blockchain could guarantee ethical AI? | 14 May 2021 | 00:04:13 | |
As artificial intelligence (AI) companies and other organisations are seeking ways to comply with ethical principles and requirements, blockchain, under specific circumstances, could be seen as a means to safeguard that AI is deployed in an ethically sound manner. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)656334 https://youtu.be/JpNf0uqzVcs Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if consumers could use devices to sequence DNA? | 30 Apr 2021 | 00:04:51 | |
Sequencing and analysis of the human genome, all the genetic information stored in our DNA, enable understanding about a person's ancestry, health and various traits. DNA sequencing greatly benefits medicine and the life sciences by allowing them to predict and cure diseases. While DNA sequencing technologies continuously improve and become less costly, what if we all soon possessed our personal, smart DNA sequencers and apps to analyse DNA? https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/eprs-multimedia-centre_15406_pk https://youtu.be/PCtgcZpswdU Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we could engineer the planet to help fight climate change? | 05 Mar 2021 | 00:04:00 | |
Efforts to curb carbon emissions are falling short. As climate change impacts become all too clear, geoengineering is again in the spotlight. Some see it as a last-resort option to fight climate change. Detractors highlight the risks and uncertainties. Will governments end up ‘tinkering with Earth's thermostat'? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2021)656339 https://youtu.be/PvaAMyBxPwM Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What If Technology And Culture Combined To Boost A Green Recovery? | 05 Feb 2021 | 00:02:47 | |
With its recent European Green Deal framework, the EU is striving to achieve climate neutrality in its economy by 2050 and, simultaneously, bring itself on the path of recovery from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology will inevitably play a significant part in this process. However, historical experience tells us that culture and aesthetic have too had significant roles in recovery from a crises, be it war, economic recession, or an epidemic. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)656332 https://youtu.be/STAUrZIfjJw Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if AI took care of traffic as well as driving? | 15 Jan 2021 | 00:02:42 | |
Even if autonomous vehicles need to detect traditional signals and allocate uncertainty areas while sharing the public thoroughfare with non-autonomous vehicles, pedestrians and even animals, an efficient exchange of information with as many other vehicles as possible will greatly increase, not only their performance but also their safety. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)656317 https://youtu.be/tQyrPMoEQBU Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if AI could assist thermal imaging in fighting coronavirus? | 15 Jan 2021 | 00:03:24 | |
As schools re-open, employees return to work and airports get busier, thermal imaging cameras powered by artificial intelligence are proving a quick and effective way to survey large groups of people and detect high temperatures… But are they the magic bullet for COVID-19 fever detection? And what are the legal and ethical implications of such mass surveillance technology? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)656299 https://youtu.be/UmYgPiBw_7w Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if we could renew all our cells? | 11 Dec 2020 | 00:03:13 | |
Regenerative medicine (RM) is an interdisciplinary field that applies engineering and life science techniques to restore tissues and organs damaged by age, disease or trauma, as well as those with congenital defects. Promising data supports the future capability of using RM across a wide array of organ systems and contexts, including surface wounds, cardiovascular diseases and traumas and treatments for certain types of cancer. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)656297 https://youtu.be/IXOuenBovB4 Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if AI could help us become ‘greener'? | 20 Nov 2020 | 00:03:55 | |
While some argue that AI can potentially be useful or even indispensable in ‘green transitions', important questions remain open. Should AI be only used in resolving various specific problems (for example, intelligent pollinating robots replacing a declining bee population) or should be employed in ‘governing' the sustainability of complex socio-economic systems such as mobility, food or energy? While the latter option is currently technically unattainable and may be ethically dubious , it marks the axis of a political debate about possible synergies between sustainability and AI. https://youtu.be/uRaztkJ8i0Q Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if 'rewilding' could help reverse biodiversity loss in Europe? | 02 Oct 2020 | 00:04:01 | |
Globally one out of eight million species are threatened with extinction, and Europe is no exception to this trend… The EU's 2030 diversity strategy wants to put nature on the path to recovery. But what if one of the ways to do that was to let nature take care of itself? It's called rewilding! Let's take a walk on the wild side!
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)641556 https://youtu.be/PAqjv74slhI Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if fashion were good for the planet? | 03 Jul 2020 | 00:03:20 | |
We shop ‘til we drop, and chuck out just as fast… But this fast fashion, throwaway consumer culture is destroying our planet and creating huge social problems. So, if the EU is serious about achieving its green objectives, it will need to find a way to turn fast fashion into clean, ethical fashion… https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)656296 Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if insects were on the menu in Europe? | 03 Jul 2020 | 00:03:20 | |
While commonly consumed in many parts of the world, insects have long been off the menu in Europe…but they could soon be creeping their way onto our plates! With Europe's focus shifting towards a more sustainable agri-food sector, entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, is now gaining serious interest… But are Europeans ready for an insect-based diet? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)641551 Source: © European Union - EP | |||
| What if AI could advance the science surrounding dementia? | 12 Jun 2020 | 00:03:27 | |
With no reliable prognosis or effective treatment, dementia is a growing public health concern in Europe and world-wide...But what if artificial intelligence applications could help advance the science on dementia? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)641546 Source: © European Union - EP | |||
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