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 Drones


This Defense Company Made AI Agents That Blow Things Up

WIRED

Scout AI is using technology borrowed from the AI industry to power lethal weapons--and recently demonstrated its explosive potential. Like many Silicon Valley companies today, Scout AI is training large AI models and agents to automate chores. The big difference is that instead of writing code, answering emails, or buying stuff online, Scout AI's agents are designed to seek and destroy things in the physical world with exploding drones. In a recent demonstration, held at an undisclosed military base in central California, Scout AI's technology was put in charge of a self-driving off-road vehicle and a pair of lethal drones. The agents used these systems to find a truck hiding in the area, and then blew it to bits using an explosive charge.


South Korea says civilians sent drones to North Korea four times, harming ties

The Japan Times

Fragments of a drone lie scattered on the ground in the Muksan-ri area, Kaepung District, Kaesong City, North Korea, after North Korea said on Saturday that South Korea sent another drone into North Korean airspace on Jan. 4, according to North Korean state media KCNA, in this picture released on Jan. 10. SEOUL - South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on Wednesday that three civilians had sent drones to North Korea on four occasions since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year, harming inter-Korean ties. The trio flew the aircraft between September and January, Chung said, citing an ongoing investigation by police and the military. Drones crashed on two occasions in North Korea, in line with claims made by Pyongyang, he said. On two other attempts the drones returned to Paju, a border settlement in South Korea, after flying over Kaesong, a city in North Korea, Chung said.


Russia-Ukraine talks to resume in Geneva as US claims 'meaningful' progress

Al Jazeera

How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia's winter war Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? Russia-Ukraine talks resume in Geneva as US claims'meaningful' progress Day two of the third round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States is under way in Geneva, Switzerland, as the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour looms next week, with vague references to "progress" but nothing tangible yet shared. Little has been made public about the talks' contents since negotiations kicked off on Tuesday behind closed doors and continued on Wednesday morning. The thorniest of issues, territory and the yielding of it, remains the key sticking point.


A delivery robot battles the elements in West Hollywood, gets support from online fans: 'Go coco, go!'

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. A delivery robot battles the elements in West Hollywood, gets support from online fans: 'Go coco, go!' Coco Robotics describes its delivery bots, pictured in 2023, as being "weather proof" and "engineered for efficient city travel." That description was put to the test during this latest storm. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .


Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,455

Al Jazeera

How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia's winter war Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? Three people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a civilian car in the city of Mykolaivka in the Kramatorsk district of Ukraine's Donetsk region, the state's emergency service said in a statement. The three people, as well as another person injured in the attack, were workers at the Sloviansk Thermal Power Station, the Kyiv Independent news outlet reported. A woman died after being injured in a Russian drone attack in Ukraine's Zaporizhia region, Governor Ivan Fedorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.


US president's son Eric Trump invests in drone maker with gov't contracts

Al Jazeera

Why was El Paso airspace shut down? US president's son Eric Trump invests in drone maker with gov't contracts United States President Donald Trump's son Eric is investing in an Israeli drone manufacturer, prompting renewed conflict-of-interest concerns as the Trump family expands its business holdings during its patriarch's second term as president. Eric Trump is investing in a $1.5bn merger between Israeli drone maker Xtend and Florida-based JFB Construction Holdings, a small construction company, in a deal aimed at taking Xtend public this year, JFB said in a news release on Tuesday. Drone maker Unusual Machines, which tapped Eric's brother Donald Trump Jr in November 2024 as an adviser, is also investing in the merger, JFB said. JFB builds commercial and residential properties, including multifamily communities and shopping centres.


The Secret Life of a Winter Olympics Drone

Slate

You have a very important role! As a first-person-view camera drone, you soar high above the action at the Milan Cortina Games, capturing aerial footage of Olympic athletes as they fly through the snow and slide down the ice. You will zoom around at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour, capturing immersive, verité-style footage that makes these inherently exciting sports feel even more exciting. You make the luge come alive! Here the head of Olympic Broadcasting Services, @YiannisExarchos takes us through the journey of the drone at the fastest winter sport, luge.



Russia-Ukraine talks live: Attacks continue before US-led negotiations

Al Jazeera

How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia's winter war Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? The United States is set to host talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday and Wednesday, days before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of its neighbour. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says diplomacy will be more effective with "justice and strength", after Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack at targets across Ukraine. For its part, Russia also reported dozens of Ukrainian drones were fired overnight.


Drone attack on busy market in Sudan kills at least 28

Al Jazeera

War in Sudan: Life returns to South Kordofan's Dilling but drones keep residents in fear Drone-fired missiles have hit a market in central Sudan's Kordofan region, killing at least 28 people and wounding dozens of others, a rights group says. Emergency Lawyers, a group tracking violence against civilians, said in a statement on Monday that drones bombed the al-Safiya market in the town of Sodari in North Kordofan state. "The attack occurred when the market was bustling with civilians, including women, children and the elderly," the group said. "The repeated use of drones to target populated areas shows a grave disregard for civilian lives and signals an escalation that threatens what remains of daily life in the province. Therefore, we demand an immediate halt to drone attacks by both sides of the conflict," the statement said.