In this paper, we introduce a novel adaptation of the Raft consensus algorithm for achieving emergent formation control in multi-agent systems with a single integrator dynamics. This strategy, dubbed "Rafting," enables robust cooperation between distributed nodes, thereby facilitating the achievement of desired geometric configurations. Our framework takes advantage of the Raft algorithm's inherent fault tolerance and strong consistency guarantees to extend its applicability to distributed formation control tasks. Following the introduction of a decentralized mechanism for aggregating agent states, a synchronization protocol for information exchange and consensus formation is proposed. The Raft consensus algorithm combines leader election, log replication, and state machine application to steer agents toward a common, collaborative goal. A series of detailed simulations validate the efficacy and robustness of our method under various conditions, including partial network failures and disturbances. The outcomes demonstrate the algorithm's potential and open up new possibilities in swarm robotics, autonomous transportation, and distributed computation. The implementation of the algorithms presented in this paper is available at https://github.com/abbas-tari/raft.git.

Recent advancements in large language models have demonstrated remarkable capabilities across various NLP tasks. But many questions remain, including whether open-source models match closed ones, why these models excel or struggle with certain tasks, and what types of practical procedures can improve performance. We address these questions in the context of classification by evaluating three classes of models using eight datasets across three distinct tasks: named entity recognition, political party prediction, and misinformation detection. While larger LLMs often lead to improved performance, open-source models can rival their closed-source counterparts by fine-tuning. Moreover, supervised smaller models, like RoBERTa, can achieve similar or even greater performance in many datasets compared to generative LLMs. On the other hand, closed models maintain an advantage in hard tasks that demand the most generalizability. This study underscores the importance of model selection based on task requirements

This paper presents the results of an extensive study investigating the opinions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) of a sample of 4,006 European citizens from eight distinct countries (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden). The aim of the study is to gain a better understanding of people's views and perceptions within the European context, which is already marked by important policy actions and regulatory processes. To survey the perceptions of the citizens of Europe we design and validate a new questionnaire (PAICE) structured around three dimensions: people's awareness, attitude, and trust. We observe that while awareness is characterized by a low level of self-assessed competency, the attitude toward AI is very positive for more than half of the population. Reflecting upon the collected results, we highlight implicit contradictions and identify trends that may interfere with the creation of an ecosystem of trust and the development of inclusive AI policies. The introduction of rules that ensure legal and ethical standards, along with the activity of high-level educational entities, and the promotion of AI literacy are identified as key factors in supporting a trustworthy AI ecosystem. We make some recommendations for AI governance focused on the European context and conclude with suggestions for future work.

You may have watched the original run of Twin Peaks so many times that you exclaim "damn fine coffee" each and every time you grab a cup, but have you ever played the story through the eyes of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper? You'll soon be able to do just that via the magic of video games. A small French developer called Blue Rose Team has been prepping Twin Peaks: Into the Night for a while now, and it just dropped a demo of the fan-made game. The graphics are retro and decidedly PS1-flavored, which makes sense given how the show premiered in 1990. The gameplay looks to be full of exploration, complete with conversations with the town's many oddball residents, though there's a survival horror element reminiscent of the original Resident Evil titles.

From the creepy to the downright bizarre, the world's most ingenuous robotic creations are on display at the eighth World Robot Conference in China this week. The annual event, a platform for promoting business in the robotics sector, is taking place at Beijing's Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center. Among the machines on show are realistic humanoids with synthetic skin, four legged'dogs' and hospitality robots serving customers food and drink. Meanwhile, agile robotic arms with multiple joints for use in factories show off their abilities amid local concerns of machines taking over human's jobs. Among the Chinese public there's been a growing sense of unease about the reliance of technology for public-facing roles that used to be taken by humans.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his administration's environmental efforts at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, California, on June 19, 2023. CATCHING HEAT – Biden angers Americans with refusal to offer details about his trip to Hawaii: 'Buffoon'. MAKE OR BREAK: Fox News Power Rankings analyze the outsiders fighting tooth and nail in the 2024 race. REDACTED – Police force uses unique argument to keep nearly all its officers' names secret Continue reading … TAX RELIEF – Hunter Biden misdemeanor charges dismissed by judge following plea deal breakdown. CONSERVATIVE'CONVERSATION' - They may not be at the top of the polls, but these candidates are still gaining ground.

NASA's Curiosity rover has spent 11 years searching far and wide for signs of life on Mars. And now it has emerged that the car-sized robot may have found something. In 2021, it detected an unusual array of polygon-shaped cracks within the soil that scientists now believe is evidence that the Red Planet once had Earth-like conditions that could have allowed microorganisms to survive 3.6 billion years ago. The mysterious mud cracks on the bed of an ancient lake hint that wet and dry cycles comparable to the seasons we experience on our planet today may have existed on Mars. Such cycles are vital for encouraging the formation of carbon-based'polymers' - known as the building blocks of organic compounds and even DNA.

Fake AI pictures and videos will be nearly impossible to discern from real images as the technology behind deepfakes advances, University of California, Berkeley professor says. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) must consider whether it needs to set rules to prevent political campaigns from using artificial intelligence to create ads intended to deceive voters as the 2024 election cycle moves into full swing, an AI image analyst said. "The FEC will need to consider whether and how to regulate a campaign's use of manipulated media in the service of its own candidate," Hany Farid, a University of California, Berkeley professor, wrote in a recent opinion piece for The Hill. "Manipulating the photographic record is only the first step in spreading lies." Presidential campaigns have already started using artificial intelligence to deceptively manipulate their campaign ads.

Author Brad Meltzer reacts after the York, Pa., school district banned his children's book, 'I Am Rosa Parks,' along with others that involve race and history. A school district in Iowa used artificial intelligence to examine library books and help identify which contain sexually explicit material that needed to be removed from school property to comply with a new state law. In May, Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a parental rights bill, which requires all books in public school libraries describing sex acts be removed. The law took effect July 1. To comply with the new law, the Mason City Community School District got creative and used artificial intelligence technology to sift through voluminous amounts of text and determine which books were subject to removal.

Over 60% of the Self-Defense Forces personnel who claimed to have been harassed did not use a consultation system set up to aid in such cases, a survey by the Defense Ministry showed Friday. The survey found that many SDF personnel are distrustful of the consultation system. According to the survey, 1,325 cases of harassment have been reported. Power harassment accounted for 77% of the total and sexual harassment for 12%. Of the total, 850 cases, or 64.2%, did not use the harassment consultation system, according to the survey.