Month: January 2025

Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Global Economy and Technology Advancements

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Abstract

The profound impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the global economy spans a diverse spectrum of consequences, with Cognitive Computing emerging as a catalyst for significant economic advancement. This transformative force notably augments productivity nurtures innovation, and contributes to worldwide economic expansion. Its influence is conspicuous across healthcare, finance, and manufacturing sectors, where intelligent systems optimize processes and ignite imaginative thinking. Moreover, AI plays a pivotal role in globalization, fortifying international competitiveness and enabling seamless worldwide economic integration. This chapter embarks on a journey to elaborate on the extensive economic impact of AI advancements, deftly navigating the intricate implications of cutting-edge technologies. We unravel AI’s role as a catalyst for heightened productivity and enhanced decision-making, skillfully addressing ethical and regulatory challenges. Shifting focus to economic growth and productivity, our exploration delves deeply into AI’s transformative influence in improving operational efficiency and fostering innovation on a global scale. The narrative then seamlessly transitions to labor market dynamics, unveiling evolving employment patterns and emphasizing the collaborative potential between humans and AI while thoughtfully integrating ethical considerations. Adopting a sector-specific lens, our narrative investigates AI’s pervasive influence across diverse industries, showcasing its impact from manufacturing automation to healthcare innovations and sustainable practices. This chapter is a holistic guide, offering nuanced insights into the multifaceted dimensions of AI’s economic impact. It ensures a comprehensive understanding of the evolving economic landscape shaped by artificial intelligence in this scientific survey.

Climate Change Effects on Characteristic Values of Temperature Loadings

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Abstract

The assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures is currently a critical task to be dealt with by engineers and practitioners. Specifically, bridges and viaducts, that are composing important links in the infrastructure system, are subjected to changes in both the structural capacity and the demand over time, e.g., due to aging and structural deterioration processes as well as the evolution over time of intensity and frequency of climatic actions. In fact, climate change may have a significant impact on this evolution of both resistance and solicitations. In this context, assessing existing structures should be sustained by properly characterizing the actual loadings. In this paper, the impact of climate change on the evolution of climatic loadings is studied. The minimum and maximum temperatures are evaluated for the case of a cable-stayed viaduct located in France. The obtained results are eventually compared with the uniform temperature considered during the original design phase, and the ones proposed by the current Eurocodes regulations, with a discussion on the benefits and the limitations of the analysis, with emphasis on future developments.

Design and Architecture of Mobile Cross-Border Services Building Blocks

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Abstract

The growing trend of mobile services usage compared to desktop services necessitates the development of mobile-accessible e-government to cater to citizens’ growing digital needs. Secure and efficient solutions for strong authentication and cross-institutional data exchange are crucial in this context, particularly within the eID (electronic Identification) and SDG (Single Digital Gateway) domains. This work presents an advanced technical architecture developed as part of the H2020 mGov4EU project, which addresses these challenges by offering a comprehensive set of mobile-tailored building blocks that could serve as a basis when using e-Government. The proposed architecture consists of four building blocks: (1) eID Interoperability System, enabling mobile-based cross-border authentication; (2) Digital Wallet System, providing a user-friendly platform for citizens to manage their eID credentials and (SDGR) evidence; (3) SDG Interoperability System, enabling efficient cross-border data exchange and user-authorization access point; and (4) eSignature Interoperability System, ensuring secure and efficient creation of electronic signatures. Integrating these building blocks, the mGov4EU project enhances the baseline of e-Government in a mobile environment.

Data Journalism in Latin America: The Duality and Tensions of Normative and Indigenous Values

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Abstract

This chapter delves into the intricate landscape of data journalism in Latin America, a region marked by its rich colonial heritage, varied political interplay, and socio-cultural heterogeneities. By contrasting the aspirational democratic ideals, commonly propagated by the North American journalistic tradition, with the complex geopolitical realities of Latin America, this piece attempts to theorise the unique values shaping the region’s data journalism.

At its core, Latin American journalism has often grappled with ideals of truth, autonomy, and public service, principles deeply embedded in its historic struggle for democracy. Yet, the realisation of these principles is frequently challenged by factors such as government control, media ownership, corruption, and the lingering vestiges of authoritarianism and populism. Consequently, data journalism in the region cannot be only conceptualised in terms of data-driven narratives; the practice is deeply mediated by ontologies of resilience, resistance, and resourcefulness. The chapter further differentiates between the values that guide data journalism across distinct sub-regions: the Southern Cone, Andean nations, Caribbean Basin, Central American territories, Brazil, Mexico, and the Guianas. Despite shared overarching values of accountability, transparency, resourcefulness, protective discretion, solidarity, or innovation, to name a few, each sub-region, with its unique colonial history and contemporary political setting, displays its own specialised data journalism ethos.