Differential privacy is a restriction on data processing algorithms that provides strong confidentiality guarantees for individual records in the data. However, research on proper statistical inference, that is, research on properly quantifying the uncertainty of the (noisy) sample estimate regarding the true value in the population, is currently still limited. This paper proposes and evaluates several strategies to compute valid differentially private confidence intervals for the median. Instead of computing a differentially private point estimate and deriving its uncertainty, we directly estimate the interval bounds and discuss why this approach is superior if ensuring privacy is important. We also illustrate that addressing both sources of uncertainty--the error from sampling and the error from protecting the output--simultaneously should be preferred over simpler approaches that incorporate the uncertainty in a sequential fashion. We evaluate the performance of the different algorithms under various parameter settings in extensive simulation studies and demonstrate how the findings could be applied in practical settings using data from the 1940 Decennial Census.

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have been found to be vulnerable to adversarial examples. Adversarial examples are malicious images with visually imperceptible perturbations. While these carefully crafted perturbations restricted with tight $\Lp$ norm bounds are small, they are still easily perceivable by humans. These perturbations also have limited success rates when attacking black-box models or models with defenses like noise reduction filters. To solve these problems, we propose Demiguise Attack, crafting ``unrestricted'' perturbations with Perceptual Similarity. Specifically, we can create powerful and photorealistic adversarial examples by manipulating semantic information based on Perceptual Similarity. Adversarial examples we generate are friendly to the human visual system (HVS), although the perturbations are of large magnitudes. We extend widely-used attacks with our approach, enhancing adversarial effectiveness impressively while contributing to imperceptibility. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method not only outperforms various state-of-the-art attacks in terms of fooling rate, transferability, and robustness against defenses but can also improve attacks effectively. In addition, we also notice that our implementation can simulate illumination and contrast changes that occur in real-world scenarios, which will contribute to exposing the blind spots of DNNs.

Last month (22/6/21), the Saudi Center for International Strategic Partnerships (SCISP), the Italian Embassy in Riyadh, and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) organized a virtual roundtable to discuss matters related to robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), in collaboration with several Italian agencies. During the roundtable, Saudi Arabia claimed that it is committed to becoming a global leader in AI, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. There is talk that the goal of the roundtable was to promote and discuss the Kingdom's ambitions concerning robotics and AI, and how Italy can support these ambitions. Tactical Report has prepared a 397-word report to shed more light on this subject. We are currently looking for freelance reporters.

Amidst the anticipation of the Federal Reserve's statement at 2 PM Wednesday, stocks traded mildly higher among the suspense, as the Dow Jones ticked up 20 points, the S&P 500 rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq NDAQ gained 0.2%. Based on producer prices data released on Tuesday, inflation could be growing at its fastest rate in over a decade. So eyes and ears are paying extra close attention to what the Fed will say. While no significant monetary policy shifts are expected, buckle up. The central bank could potentially say something about bond buying or interest rates that very well may move the markets one way or another.

'To be or not to be'- the ethical dilemma is a constant in human life whenever it comes to taking a decision. In the world of technology, artificial intelligence comes closest to human-like attributes. It aims to imitate the automation of human intelligence in times of operation or taking a decision. However, the AI machine can't take an independent decision and the mentality of the programmer reflects upon the operation of the AI Machine. While driving an autonomous car, in the chance of an accident, the car intelligence might have to decide whom to save first or should a child be saved before an adult.

Data processing has historically been at the very core of the insurance business, which is rooted strongly in data-led statistical analysis. Mathematical models to process data have always been used to inform underwriting decisions, price policies, settle claims and prevent fraud. There has been a pursuit of more granular datasets and predictive models, such that the relevance of Big Data Analytics for the sector is no surprise. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have accelerated the adoption of artificial intelligence, including throughout the insurance value-chain. In 2019, EIOPA launched a thematic review on the use of Big Data Analytics specifically by insurance undertakings or intermediaries.

The Hubble telescope may be'beyond repair' and this'could be the end of its story', experts have said, although NASA insists it still has multiple options to try and fix it almost three weeks after it went offline. The US space agency has dismissed fears the ageing observatory will never work again after a computer glitch caused it to shut down on June 13. Hubble, a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), has been observing the Universe for more than 30 years. Engineers have tried a range of measures to get it up and running again, including switching to a backup memory module, restarting the machine and turning on a backup version of the payload computer - but none of them solved the issue. They found that the fault was in the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit, where the payload computer sits, and so are designing a way to safely switch to a backup unit, which is a'very risky process,' said NASA. The ongoing issues have caused experts to speculate about the telescope's future, with former NASA space shuttle pilot Clayton C Anderson saying he believes Hubble is'beyond repair'. FermiLab director and leading physicist Don Lincoln also said this'could be the end of Hubble's story', but told CNN he couldn't discount the ingenuity of NASA engineers.

Machine learning, a technique used in the artificial intelligence (AI) software behind self-driving cars and digital assistants, now enables scientists to address key challenges to harvesting on Earth the fusion energy(link is external) that powers the sun and stars. The technique recently empowered physicist Dan Boyer of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) to develop fast and accurate predictions for advancing control of experiments in the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) -- the flagship fusion facility at PPPL that is currently under repair. Such AI predictions could improve the ability of NSTX-U scientists to optimize the components of experiments that heat and shape the magnetically confined plasma(link is external) that fuels fusion experiments. By optimizing the heating and shaping of the plasma scientists will be able to more effectively study key aspects of the development of burning plasmas -- largely self-heating fusion reactions -- that will be critical for ITER, the international experiment under construction in France, and future fusion reactors. "This is a step toward what we should do to optimize the actuators," said Boyer, author of a paper(link is external) in Nuclear Fusion that describes the machine learning tactics.

Maine has just passed the nation's toughest law restricting the use of facial recognition technology. LD 1585 was unanimously approved by the Maine House and Senate on June 16 and 17, respectively, and became law without the signature of Gov. Janet Mills. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, hopes that Maine's new law--which goes into effect Oct. 1--will "provide an example to other states that want to rein in the government's ability to use facial recognition and other invasive biometric technologies." The country's only other statewide law regulating facial recognition was passed in Washington in 2020, and it authorized state police to use facial recognition technology for "mass surveillance of people's public movements, habits, and associations." The Washington law--written by state Sen. and Microsoft employee Joe Nguyen-- was opposed by the ACLU.

But its valedictory report in March caused a furore. It noted that in a battle around Tripoli last year, Libya's government had "hunted down and remotely engaged" the enemy with drones--and not just any drones. The Kargu-2 was programmed to attack "without requiring data connectivity between the operator and the munition". The implication was that it could pick its own targets. Your browser does not support the audio element.