Accurate prediction of critical heat flux (CHF) is an essential component of safety analysis in pressurized and boiling water reactors. To support reliable prediction of this quantity, several empirical correlations and lookup tables have been constructed from physical experiments over the past several decades. With the onset of accessible machine learning (ML) frameworks, multiple initiatives have been established with the goal of predicting CHF more accurately than these traditional methods. While purely data-driven surrogate modeling has been extensively investigated, these approaches lack interpretability, lack resilience to data scarcity, and have been developed mostly using data from tube experiments. As a result, bias-correction hybrid approaches have become increasingly popular, which correct initial "low-fidelity" estimates provided by deterministic base models by using ML-predicted residuals. This body of work has mostly considered round tube geometries; annular geometry-specific ML models have not yet been deployed in thermal hydraulic codes. This study developed, deployed, and validated four ML models to predict CHF in annular geometries using the CTF subchannel code. Three empirical correlation models, Biasi, Bowring, and Katto, were used as base models for comparison. The ML models were trained and tested using 577 experimental annulus data points from four datasets: Becker, Beus, Janssen, and Mortimore. Baseline CHF predictions were obtained from the empirical correlations, with mean relative errors above 26%. The ML-driven models achieved mean relative errors below 3.5%, with no more than one point exceeding the 10% error envelope. In all cases, the hybrid ML models significantly outperformed their empirical counterparts.

The introduction of the AI Act in the European Union presents the AI research and practice community with a set of new challenges related to compliance. While it is certain that AI practitioners will require additional guidance and tools to meet these requirements, previous research on toolkits that aim to translate the theory of AI ethics into development and deployment practice suggests that such resources suffer from multiple limitations. These limitations stem, in part, from the fact that the toolkits are either produced by industry-based teams or by academics whose work tends to be abstract and divorced from the realities of industry. In this paper, we discuss the challenge of developing an AI ethics toolkit for practitioners that helps them comply with new AI-focused regulation, but that also moves beyond mere compliance to consider broader socio-ethical questions throughout development and deployment. The toolkit was created through a cross-sectoral collaboration between an academic team based in the UK and an industry team in Italy. We outline the background and rationale for creating a pro-justice AI Act compliance toolkit, detail the process undertaken to develop it, and describe the collaboration and negotiation efforts that shaped its creation. We aim for the described process to serve as a blueprint for other teams navigating the challenges of academia-industry partnerships and aspiring to produce usable and meaningful AI ethics resources.

This article explores the concept of technological singularity and the factors that could accelerate or hinder its arrival. The butterfly effect is used as a framework to understand how seemingly small changes in complex systems can have significant and unpredictable outcomes. In section II, we discuss the various factors that could hasten the arrival of technological singularity, such as advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, breakthroughs in quantum computing, progress in brain-computer interfaces and human augmentation, and development of nanotechnology and 3D printing. In section III, we examine the factors that could delay or impede the arrival of technological singularity, including technical limitations and setbacks in AI and machine learning, ethical and societal concerns around AI and its impact on jobs and privacy, lack of sufficient investment in research and development, and regulatory barriers and political instability. Section IV explores the interplay of these factors and how they can impact the butterfly effect. Finally, in the conclusion, we summarize the key points discussed and emphasize the importance of considering the butterfly effect in predicting the future of technology. We call for continued research and investment in technology to shape its future and mitigate potential risks.

As AI systems become increasingly prevalent and impactful, the need for effective AI governance and accountability measures is paramount. This paper examines the AI governance landscape, focusing on Anthropic's Claude, a foundational AI model. We analyze Claude through the lens of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and the EU AI Act, identifying potential threats and proposing mitigation strategies. The paper highlights the importance of transparency, rigorous benchmarking, and comprehensive data handling processes in ensuring the responsible development and deployment of AI systems. We conclude by discussing the social impact of AI governance and the ethical considerations surrounding AI accountability.

The B5G/6G evolution relies on connect-compute technologies and highly heterogeneous clusters with HW accelerators, which require specialized coding to be efficiently utilized. The current paper proposes a custom tool for generating multiple SW versions of a certain AI function input in high-level language, e.g., Python TensorFlow, while targeting multiple diverse HW+SW platforms. TF2AIF builds upon disparate tool-flows to create a plethora of relative containers and enable the system orchestrator to deploy the requested function on any peculiar node in the cloud-edge continuum, i.e., to leverage the performance/energy benefits of the underlying HW upon any circumstances. TF2AIF fills an identified gap in today's ecosystem and facilitates research on resource management or automated operations, by demanding minimal time or expertise from users.

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) holds the promise of revolutionizing educational practices by offering personalized learning experiences, automating administrative and pedagogical tasks, and reducing the cost of content creation. However, the lack of standardized practices in the development and deployment of AIED solutions has led to fragmented ecosystems, which presents challenges in interoperability, scalability, and ethical governance. This article aims to address the critical need to develop and implement industry standards in AIED, offering a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape, challenges, and strategic approaches to overcome these obstacles. We begin by examining the various applications of AIED in various educational settings and identify key areas lacking in standardization, including system interoperability, ontology mapping, data integration, evaluation, and ethical governance. Then, we propose a multi-tiered framework for establishing robust industry standards for AIED. In addition, we discuss methodologies for the iterative development and deployment of standards, incorporating feedback loops from real-world applications to refine and adapt standards over time. The paper also highlights the role of emerging technologies and pedagogical theories in shaping future standards for AIED. Finally, we outline a strategic roadmap for stakeholders to implement these standards, fostering a cohesive and ethical AIED ecosystem. By establishing comprehensive industry standards, such as those by IEEE Artificial Intelligence Standards Committee (AISC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO), we can accelerate and scale AIED solutions to improve educational outcomes, ensuring that technological advances align with the principles of inclusivity, fairness, and educational excellence.

The Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) businesses operating within the energy sector are recognizing the increasing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Many EPC companies and their clients have realized the benefits of applying AI to their businesses in order to reduce manual work, drive productivity, and streamline future operations of engineered installations in a highly competitive industry. The current AI market offers various solutions and services to support this industry, but organizations must understand how to acquire AI technology in the most beneficial way based on their business strategy and available resources. This paper presents a framework for EPC companies in their transformation towards AI. Our work is based on examples of project execution of AI-based products development at one of the biggest EPC contractors worldwide and on insights from EPC vendor companies already integrating AI into their engineering solutions. The paper covers the entire life cycle of building AI solutions, from initial business understanding to deployment and further evolution. The framework identifies how various factors influence the choice of approach toward AI project development within large international engineering corporations. By presenting a practical guide for optimal approach selection, this paper contributes to the research in AI project management and organizational strategies for integrating AI technology into businesses. The framework might also help engineering companies choose the optimum AI approach to create business value.

A House Democrat is warning artificial intelligence could become a tool of "digital colonialism" if the U.S. doesn't take steps to work with Western Hemisphere nations to create AI systems that reflect diversity and inclusion. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., proposed a resolution during the August break that says the U.S. must champion a "regional" AI strategy that includes Western Hemisphere nations as this new technology is developed. "United States-led investments in the development of AI in the Western Hemisphere would promote the inclusion and representation of underserved populations in the global development and deployment of AI technologies, ensuring that no individual country dominates AI but rather collaborative developments in the Western Hemisphere," his resolution asserted. WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? Rep Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., is calling on the U.S. to work closely with Western nations as it develops artificial intelligence systems and guidelines.

In this week's real-time analytics news: Several companies announced generative AI offerings or enhancements to their product lines. Keeping pace with news and developments in the real-time analytics market can be a daunting task. We want to help by providing a summary of some of the important real-time analytics news items our staff came across this week. Salesforce launched Einstein GPT, a generative AI CRM technology, which delivers AI-created content across every sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT interaction. Einstein GPT will infuse Salesforce's proprietary AI models with generative AI technology from an ecosystem of partners and real-time data from the Salesforce Data Cloud.

Like everyone and their brother, I've been playing with ChatGPT and asking it life's essential questions. It confidently tells me things, and some of those things are incredibly insightful. However, people and chatbots that are wrong often state things confidently. I saw a recent Google Answer posted on Mastodon. In this "answer," Google suggested that there were benefits to disposing of used car batteries in the ocean, including charging electric eels and powering the Gulf Stream.