分类： technology

Hong Kong is set to significantly enhance its surveillance capabilities by deploying tens of thousands of AI-powered cameras equipped with facial recognition technology, announced the city’s security chief, Chris Tang, on Friday. This move aligns the financial hub more closely with mainland China, where advanced surveillance systems are widely used in public spaces. Under the SmartView program, Hong Kong has already installed nearly 4,000 CCTV cameras, with plans to expand this number to 60,000 by 2028, according to legislative documents. The AI technology will be utilized for crowd monitoring, license plate recognition, and tracking criminal suspects. Tang emphasized the necessity of this initiative for national security and crime prevention, citing the program’s success in solving over 400 cases and making 787 arrests since its launch last year. Real-time facial recognition is expected to be implemented by the end of this year. However, concerns have been raised about privacy invasion, false matches leading to wrongful arrests, and the lack of independent oversight. The European Union has already banned real-time biometric identification in public spaces, except under specific circumstances. Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has not commented on its involvement in the program’s expansion. Critics, including Eric Lai of Georgetown Centre for Asian Law, argue that the current legal framework may be insufficient to prevent potential abuses of power in AI deployment.

A recent investigation by the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP) has revealed that scammers are leveraging advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to create deepfake videos of prominent figures, including former President Donald Trump, to deceive users on Meta’s platforms. These fraudulent advertisers have collectively spent $49 million on Facebook and Instagram, targeting vulnerable demographics, particularly seniors, with ads promoting fake government benefits such as stimulus checks, healthcare payments, and spending cards. The ads have reached tens of thousands of users, exploiting public confusion about social safety net programs and Meta’s content moderation gaps. Despite Meta’s policies prohibiting scams and its claims of investing in scam prevention, the report highlights that 63 scam advertisers ran over 150,600 political ads in the past year, with nearly half continuing to operate as of Tuesday. Meta has disabled 35 ad accounts, but only after they had run hundreds of ads, with six accounts spending over $1 million before being shut down. One notable example involved a deepfake video of Trump falsely promising stimulus checks, directing users to a fraudulent website. The report underscores the growing sophistication of online fraud and the challenges platforms face in combating it. Surveys indicate a significant rise in internet scams, with older adults increasingly falling victim to impersonation attacks, often losing substantial sums of money.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s digital transformation must be expedited to align with the ambitious Vision 2030 objectives, emphasizing affordability, accessibility, and digital literacy, according to Stephen Price, Vice President and General Manager of Flow. Speaking at the Caribbean Telecommunications Union ICT Conference held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Price underscored the urgency of fostering a digitally literate population to support the nation’s technological aspirations. ‘We have five years to act swiftly and decisively to achieve our goal of becoming a technology-enabled society,’ he stated. Flow, a subsidiary of Liberty Caribbean and a key sponsor of the event, has significantly expanded its digital infrastructure since the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly doubling its fibre optic coverage to 760,000 homes and extending mobile services to 98% of the population. Additionally, the company has deployed six new cell sites to enhance coverage in underserved areas such as Runaway Bay and Ocean Heights. Beyond infrastructure, Flow’s JUMP programme provides vulnerable families with devices, subsidized internet access, and digital literacy training to promote inclusivity. The call for digital inclusion was reinforced by other panellists, including Elona Cela, Senior Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation, who emphasized the need to bridge the digital divide in rural areas. ‘Children in rural communities must have equal access to broadband to unlock their full potential,’ she asserted. Charlton McFarlane, CEO of the Universal Service Fund, highlighted the impact of Jamaica’s 400 community Wi-Fi hotspots, which serve nearly 200,000 users monthly, supporting education and micro-entrepreneurship. Senator Dana Morris-Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, reiterated the government’s commitment to public-private collaboration, stating, ‘Connectivity is not a luxury but a lifeline to better healthcare, education, and civic participation.’ While acknowledging progress, Price identified systemic challenges, including infrastructure theft and vandalism, and called for stricter penalties and more competitive spectrum rates to accelerate Jamaica’s digital evolution.

As cybercrime evolves into a trillion-dollar global industry, Jamaica’s Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) has issued a stark warning about the perilous consequences of careless online behavior. Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, marking the start of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Godphey Sterling, CIRT’s director, emphasized that while technology has advanced rapidly, many Jamaicans remain dangerously indifferent to online security. He highlighted common vulnerabilities such as weak passwords, oversharing on social media, and insecure data storage, which provide cybercriminals with easy access to sensitive information. Sterling urged the public to adopt a more vigilant approach, stating, ‘You carry your lives in your pockets. Lock your devices and treat data as your new currency.’ He also stressed the importance of securely collecting, storing, and disposing of data for businesses. Sterling revealed that many of the most severe breaches investigated by CIRT stemmed from basic errors, such as misconfigured security systems, rather than sophisticated attacks. With over three million daily internet connections in Jamaica—70% accessed via mobile devices—Sterling underscored the need for heightened caution in navigating the digital world. He also highlighted the risks posed by smart devices, which continuously collect and transmit data to build user profiles. Additionally, Sterling pointed to the influence of international conflicts on cybercrime, warning that smaller nations like Jamaica are increasingly vulnerable to spillover attacks. Despite these challenges, he identified the reluctance of victims to report incidents as the greatest barrier to strengthening Jamaica’s cybersecurity defenses. As CIRT marks its 10th anniversary, Sterling emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness across government, businesses, and individuals, aiming to develop a sustainable pipeline of local professionals to safeguard Jamaica’s digital space.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica has etched its name in history by becoming the first Caribbean nation to host the Latin America High Performance Computing Conference (CARLA) 2025. This landmark event brought together researchers, policymakers, and technology leaders from over 20 countries, spotlighting the transformative potential of high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) in driving scientific research, innovation, and sustainable development across the region. Since its inception in 2014, CARLA has been the leading HPC conference for Latin America, but its 2025 edition in Kingston marked a significant expansion of its global influence.

The conference was a collaborative effort involving the Scientific Research Council (SRC), the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Phase 3 Productions, and international organizations SCALAC and RedCLARA. It also received substantial support from global technology giants such as Dell, Nvidia, Intel, Lenovo, AMD, and Eviden.

The event commenced on September 24 with a warm welcome from Dr. Kevin Brown, Conference General Co-chair and a Jamaican researcher at the Argonne National Laboratory in the United States. Dr. Brown emphasized CARLA 2025’s role as a catalyst for fostering a globally connected yet regionally rooted computing research community. He urged participants to strengthen networks and integrate Caribbean talent into international collaborations.

Dr. Rupak Biswas of NASA delivered the opening keynote, showcasing the applications of HPC in space exploration, climate modeling, and advanced aircraft design. Other notable speakers included Professor Tannecia Stephenson of UWI Mona, Anika Shuttleworth, CIO of the Jamaica ICT Authority, and Professor Carlos Jaimee Barrios Hernández of Colombia. They collectively underscored the urgent need for the region to harness HPC and AI for climate resilience, sustainable growth, and digital transformation.

Dr. Charah Watson, Executive Director of the SRC, highlighted Jamaica’s leadership in hosting CARLA as a testament to its commitment to advancing science and innovation. She stressed the importance of demystifying science and technology to empower citizens to engage with and shape these fields. Dr. Watson also pointed out the critical role of HPC applications in areas such as climate resilience, public health analytics, and advanced industry for small developing states like Jamaica.

Education and outreach were central themes of the conference, with open days on September 25–26 inviting the public to explore exhibitions on DNA sequencing, hydrology, AI-driven code editing, and more. Sixth-form students from Immaculate Conception High and Wolmer’s Boys High participated in interactive sessions led by Dr. Brown and Professor Robinson Rivas Suárez of the Central University of Venezuela, gaining hands-on experience in data analysis.

CARLA 2025 concluded with a strong call for partnerships to enhance institutional capacity, accelerate scientific innovation, and leverage HPC and AI for the region’s development. The event not only expanded opportunities for researchers and students but also positioned Jamaica as an emerging hub for advanced computing in the Caribbean.

Digicel Jamaica has embarked on a multimillion-dollar solar power initiative, not to hike customer rates but to safeguard revenues by maintaining service continuity during grid failures. CEO Stephen Murad emphasized that the 12-month collaboration with U.S.-based Caban Energy is designed to ensure uninterrupted services across all parishes, whether during hurricanes, Jamaica Public Service (JPS) outages, or even routine incidents like road accidents. Murad clarified that the investment is not a cost passed on to customers but a strategic move to strengthen the company’s reliability. The project, which began earlier this month, involves installing solar and battery systems at 511 of Digicel’s 930 sites, with teams working on 30 to 40 sites monthly. Caban Energy CEO Alexandra Rasch highlighted that approximately 180 local personnel are engaged in logistics, finance, and construction. The initiative also extends beyond cell towers, encompassing Digicel’s downtown headquarters and regional data centers, which handle critical traffic. Murad described the investment as part of a broader technology upgrade program, including recent fiber builds in Montego Bay. While Jamaica is the first market for this project, other regions like Haiti, the Cayman Islands, and Dominica are already preparing to follow suit. Digicel, operating in 25 markets across the Caribbean, Central America, and the Pacific, serves nearly nine million customers through mobile, home, and business services, with significant operations in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti.