Fujitsu awaits fate in Post Office scandal| Microsoft to level-up 100,000 Indian developers in AI

Fujitsu awaits its fate as UK government exonerates convicted subpostmasters

Over 700 subpostmasters were convicted of crimes including theft and false accounting by the Post Office between 2000 and 2015. The prosecutions were based on evidence from Fujitsu’s Horizon retail and accounting platform, which was adopted by the Post Office in 1999.

According to appeals that have overturned almost 100 of the convictions so far, discrepancies in accounting may have been down to faults within Horizon, as opposed to errors or fraud conducted by the postmasters, as was initially claimed by the Post Office.

Fujitsu has denied any wrongdoing, but the Japanese vendor now faces questions over its platform and its conduct. Some British MPs have called for the firm to be banned from future government tenders, while others have said the company should pay damages.

Lord High Chancellor Alex Chalk said ministers would want to “secure proper recompense on behalf of the taxpayer”.

Energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, added: “Once we’ve got clear evidence on who is accountable, I think it’s really important that they contribute.”

Those who have been found wrongly convicted are eligible for a £600,000 compensation payment, or potentially more, while the government has announced plans to quash any convictions linked to Horizon.

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366565715/Fujitsu-gets-stay-of-execution-as-MPs-support-exoneration-of-wrongfully-convicted-subpostmasters

Microsoft to level-up 100,000 Indian developers in AI tools and technologies

The move AI Odyssey initiative comprises of a month-long programme open to all.

Microsoft said the initiative offers a comprehensive learning experience that helps developers acquire and demonstrate the relevant skills needed to execute critical projects using AI technologies that align with business goals and outcomes.

“To participate in the programme, developers will need to register on the AI Odyssey portal, following which they will be able to access the learning modules and resources,” said an official press release from the company.

https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/microsoft-to-train-100-000-indian-developers-in-ai-technologies-tools-124010800770_1.html

Tesla recalls more than 1.6 million cars in China

The faults lie in the steering software and door-locking systems, according to the country’s regulator, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). Recall includes models S and X, and the China-made Models 3 and Y.

The problems will be fixed by remote updates to software, meaning the vehicles will not need to be taken to dealerships or garages.

“For vehicles within the scope of this recall, when the automatic assisted steering function is turned on, the driver may misuse the level two combined assisted driving function, increasing the risk of vehicle collision and posing a safety hazard,” the SAMR warned.

Tesla will also upgrade the software for 7,538 units of Models S and X cars to fix the problem of doors that could unlock in crashes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-67891080

OpenAI debuts GPT Store for customised chatbots

The new marketplace allows users to buy and sell chatbot agents based on the company’s language models.

OpenAI already offers customised bots through its paid ChatGPT Plus service. The new store will allow users to offer and monetise a broader range of tools. Chatbot agents could be developed with their own personalities or themes, including models for salary negotiating, creating lesson plans and developing recipes.

OpenAI said more than 3 million custom versions of ChatGPT have already been created. It also said it plans to highlight useful GPT tools within the store every week.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/10/openai-launches-gpt-store-customized-chatbots