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Media Veterans Ervin Duggan and William Kristol Join Forces, Urging FCC Hearing into Character Fitness of FOX and Murdochs to Remain Public Interest Broadcast Licensees

Raynor Ave.

Today, former PBS President Ervin S. Duggan and former Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol filed a joint informal objection to the broadcast license renewal application for Fox Corp-owned television station FOX 29 Philadelphia (WTXF-TV). The pair's informal objection urges the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to hold a hearing that examines whether Fox Corporation (FOX) and its leadership have violated the character requirements expected from public trustees granted a broadcast license. The Duggan-Kristol objection follows a formal Petition to Deny filed by the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) earlier this month. It brings high-profile bipartisan backing to the group's efforts. "As media veterans, we are acutely aware of the power afforded to those who control the information broadcast on our nation's airwaves," said Ervin S. Duggan. "Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch's role in perpetuating election falsehoods stands as a blatant violation of the character requirements expected of those the FCC entrusts to hold a broadcast license." In the pair's objection, Duggan and Kristol say that although they were members of different parties when they served in government—and had different perspectives on many issues throughout their respective careers in public service and journalism—they strongly believe that American democracy must be grounded in open, respectful, and factual debate. The objection goes on to say, "[w]e believe that media companies who are directly or indirectly granted the privilege to serve the public through the operation of FCC-licensed television stations have a corollary duty to facilitate and strengthen democracy by participating in that debate—not by hiding their opinions, nor by providing 'equal time' on all issues to outside parties, nor by merely chasing ratings or corporate stock price, but by adhering to the highest journalistic standards in reporting and distributing news to ensure that the public has solid facts upon which to make the decisions that are essential to our society's future as a democracy." "The adjudication of the Dominion case unequivocally established that Fox News Channel repeatedly disseminated false news, and the Fox cable channels and its broadcast ones are clearly intimately linked, as Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch hold the authority for decision-making over both," said William Kristol. "The Commission should follow the well-established legal framework and conduct a hearing to fully consider the fitness of FOX and the Murdochs to continue as licensees of the public airwaves." WTXF is one of 29 broadcast television stations owned and operated by FOX through its 100 percent ownership of Fox Television Stations, and the ultimate control over these enterprises rests with Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch. Their controlling interest in FOX and all its various broadcast subsidiaries means they are the de facto party seeking renewal of the WTXF license. The judge overseeing the Dominion litigation refused to excuse Rupert from the case that found both Murdochs had presided over the presentation of false news. Similarly, the FCC must refuse calls to excuse the Murdochs from accountability and at a minimum initiate a hearing, if not outright deny their license renewal application. A copy of the full Duggan-Kristol informal objection is available here. A link to MAD’s initial Petition to Deny is available here. Ervin S. Duggan is a veteran of the Lyndon Johnson White House, a former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, and former President of PBS. William Kristol is a veteran political analyst and commentator. He served in senior positions in the Ronald Reagan administration and the George H. W. Bush White House. For two decades, he edited The Weekly Standard magazine, and is now editor at large of The Bulwark and a director of the educational and advocacy group, Defending Democracy Together. For media inquiries, please contact Aaron Alberico at aalberico@raynoravenue.com. Contact Details Raynor Ave. Aaron Alberico aalberico@raynoravenue.com Company Website https://www.raynoravenue.com/

July 31, 2023 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Publisher Desk, in Partnership with PuckPedia, Has Launched an NHL Salary Cap Widget, Available to Sports Publishers

The Publisher Desk

The Publisher Desk, one of the country’s top integrated audience development and growth partners for digital sports publishers, today announced a partnership with PuckPedia to launch a salary cap widget and provide associated data about NHL team’s salary cap standing across the company’s portfolio of sports publishers. “Salary caps drive roster decisions across the NHL,” said Jeff Misenti, co-founder of The Publisher Desk. “But very rarely does the commentary and journalism around sports include the visual context about how salary caps affect teams. This new feature gives audiences of Sportsnaut, Forever Blueshirts, and our network of sports publishers an easy-to-understand and accessible way to access both cap and salary data for their favorite teams and players.” The Cap Tracker can be added within a relevant story, clearly displaying a team’s projected cap hit, as well as its projected and current cap space. This vital information gives fans a quick and easy way to see their team’s financial flexibility. For those who want to dig deeper, a simple click lets you explore contract details for every player across every NHL team, with all data powered by PuckPedia. A live example of the tool can be seen on the Company’s flagship sports site Sportsnaut.com here. The NHL Cap Tracker is available as an exclusive benefit to any publisher in their portfolio, as part of The Publisher Desk’s commitment to delivering a better fan experience for sports publishers. “True fans not only understand the action on the ice but also the economics behind the teams,” Misenti said. “They sound off on player performance in the context of what a salary is, and how that pay affects the cap and compensation for the whole team. Given how important salaries and caps are to sports like hockey, the more data, the better for the audience.” About The Publisher Desk The Publisher Desk, based in New York with offices in London and South Florida, is a fully integrated audience development and content monetization partner to digital publishers, in addition to publishing several owned and operated sites. The company, founded in 2014, helps websites increase advertising revenues and reduce operational costs. Our team provides the proper resources, direction, operations, technology, and support for digital business, empowering sports, lifestyle & business media brands to connect with their audience and value-aligned advertisers. About Sportsnaut Sportsnaut is the most powerful name in sports. Since launch in 2014, Sportsnaut has been dedicated to covering the big and little stories in sports without an agenda. The company, and its publishing partners, provide news, opinion, rumors, and statistics for fans of the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, NHL, Golf, NCAA Basketball, MLB, and more. Contact Details For The Publisher Desk press@publisherdesk.com Company Website https://www.publisherdesk.com/

July 31, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Human Rights Index: A Beacon for Refugee Advocacy in India

Human Rights Transparency Trust

We are excited to announce the establishment of the Human Rights Index, a platform aimed at raising awareness about the complex web of discrimination, violence, and violation of rights faced by refugees in India. Our initiative will concentrate on educating European journalists, NGOs, policymakers, businesses, and everyday citizens about this pressing issue. Rooted in a collective of concerned European citizens, the Human Rights Index is born out of a shared vision of a world that respects and safeguards the rights of every human being, regardless of their nationality or ethnic background. Our mission is to illuminate the plight of refugees in India, an issue that demands global attention. Despite its vibrant cultural tapestry and shared history with neighbouring countries, India, one of the world's most populated nations, has witnessed systemic discrimination against its refugee population. Individuals fleeing conflict, persecution, and humanitarian crises often face a new set of formidable challenges upon arrival in India. We believe in more than just awareness; we are committed to challenging the prevailing narrative, driving tangible change, and making a significant difference in the lives of the people affected by this crisis. Europe, with its longstanding commitment to human rights, is our primary focus. It is a region with the capacity and responsibility to influence global policies and practices that uphold human rights. By raising awareness among European citizens, we can collectively advocate for changes that ensure the protection of refugees worldwide. To realize this goal, the Human Rights Index will employ a range of strategies. We will present credible data on refugees' living conditions, legal status, access to essential services, and overall treatment in India. This data will form the backbone of our campaign, ensuring a factual foundation for our advocacy. Simultaneously, we will harness the power of storytelling to humanise the issue. By sharing refugees' personal experiences and stories, we aim to bridge the geographical and cultural divide, fostering empathy and understanding among our audience. Furthermore, the Human Rights Index will actively engage in educational outreach. Collaborating with schools, universities, and community groups across Europe, we aim to weave the narrative of India's refugee crisis into curriculums and community discussions. Finally, we are passionate about promoting active citizen participation. To this end, we will provide a platform for European citizens to show their solidarity with refugees in India through online campaigns, fundraising, and volunteering opportunities. While we acknowledge the magnitude of the task at hand, we firmly believe that by raising awareness and sparking dialogue, we can ignite a wave of change that will ultimately lead to a more compassionate and inclusive India. We invite you all to join us on this mission. Stand with us. Amplify the voices of the unheard, shed light on their struggles, and stand up for their rights. Together, we can make a difference. Because human rights should never be a matter of geography. For more information, please visit our website at www.hrindex.fund or contact our press office at press@hrindex.fund. About the Human Rights Index: The Human Rights Index is a platform dedicated to raising awareness about the complex crisis faced by refugees in India. Its mission is to bring attention to the history of discrimination and violence faced by religious and ethnic minorities in India. Through research and advocacy, it aims to promote human rights and support those affected by persecution. Contact Details Human Rights Index Press Team +44 7854 421001 press@hrindex.fund

July 31, 2023 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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WHAT'S COOL FOR SCHOOL 2023

News Media Group, Inc.

Contact Details Karl Wayne +1 334-440-6397 karl@newsmg.com Company Website https://newsmg.com/

July 28, 2023 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Kevel Establishes OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media

Kevel

Platform monetization leader Kevel today announced the formation of an industry working group to establish an OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media, a groundbreaking update to the OpenRTB framework. The protocol will set new standards for programmatic advertising in retail media and address challenges industry stakeholders are facing in privacy and data protection, data optimization, and transparency. “We are in the midst of a retail media rebellion, where it has never been more clear that retail media needs to seize control of platforms, infrastructure and data to stay competitive in a crowded marketplace,” says James Avery, CEO and founder, Kevel. “The OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media is going to fix that by setting a standard to address challenges concerning efficiency, flexibility, and trust. With this newly established framework, we’re offering the industry a comprehensive set of updates and enhancements that can help streamline the programmatic advertising ecosystem.” Kevel’s OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media will provide industry stakeholders with many benefits and features including: Biddable Product Sponsored Listings: the new framework supports biddable product-based sponsored listing creative formats, enabling advertisers to bid on relevant in-store sponsored listing ad inventory with real in-stock products based on their product catalog. Enhanced Privacy and Data Protection: adhering to the latest privacy regulations and industry best practices, offering improved user consent management and data protection mechanism enables publishers and advertisers to prioritize user privacy while delivering relevant and personalized advertising experiences. Bidstream Data Standardization: introduces standardized bidstream data, ensuring consistency and compatibility across different platforms and technology providers. This facilitates seamless integration between buyers and sellers, leading to increased operational efficiency and reduced friction. Supply Chain Optimization: advertisers gain improved visibility and control over the programmatic supply chain, allowing them to detect and mitigate fraud, verify ad placements, and optimize campaign performance more effectively. Increased Transparency and Trust: promotes greater transparency by providing clear and standardized mechanisms for transactional data sharing, supply path optimization, and ad fraud detection. This fosters trust among industry participants and strengthens the overall programmatic advertising ecosystem. “OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media marks a significant milestone on how we can improve digital and programmatic advertising now and for the future," says Avery. “By introducing these cutting-edge standards and capabilities, we are giving publishers, advertisers, and technology providers the tools needed to navigate the dynamic digital landscape with confidence and achieve their goals more efficiently." Are you ready to join the rebellion? Kevel invites all stakeholders in the digital advertising industry to explore OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media and leverage its powerful features. Click here for information. ABOUT KEVEL Kevel offers the infrastructure APIs needed to quickly build custom ad platforms for sponsored listings, internal promotions, native ads, and more -- allowing brands to drive new revenue in a user-first way. Kevel is committed to the vision that every online retailer and publisher should be able to add privacy-focused ad revenue streams and take back the Internet from Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other digital monopolies. Customers like Ticketmaster, Yelp, Strava, Klarna, and many more have already launched successful ad platforms on Kevel. The company has received many accolades, most recently winning the 2021 Digiday Technology Award for Best Monetization Platform for Publishers and recognized by Insider as one of the hottest adtech companies of 2021. Learn more at www.kevel.com. Contact Details Veronica Ruth +1 845-430-8743 kevel@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.kevel.com/

July 27, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Bluepeak Internet Ranks First in Communities in Wyoming, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota

Bluepeak

Bluepeak internet service is ranked number one for fastest internet speeds, most consistent network and lowest latency in several markets in its service area. That’s the conclusion of Ookla’s newly released SpeedtestTM Market Index report for the second quarter of 2023, including data collected from millions of consumer-initiated tests across the country. The report – which ranks mobile and fixed broadband speeds from internet service providers around the world monthly – shows that Bluepeak is ranked highest for delivering the fastest median download and upload speeds, most consistent network and lowest latency to its internet customers in several different places during the second quarter of 2023.* The achievements for each market where Bluepeak service received a top ranking, verified by Ookla®, are as follows: Wyoming The fastest download and upload speeds, most consistent network and the lowest latency in all of Wyoming. The fastest download and upload speeds and most consistent network in Cheyenne and Laramie County. The fastest download and upload speeds, most consistent network and the lowest latency in Laramie. The fastest download and upload speeds in Casper and Natrona County. Oklahoma The fastest download and upload speeds and most consistent network in Stillwater and Payne County. The fastest download and upload speeds in Lawton. The fastest download and upload speeds in Altus. The fastest download and upload speeds in Bartlesville and Washington County. North Dakota The fastest download and upload speeds and most consistent network in Grand Forks and Grand Forks County. South Dakota The fastest upload speeds in Springdale Township. The fastest upload speeds in Madison and Lake County. Minnesota The fastest upload speeds in Marshall. As a result of Bluepeak’s competitive service, residents of these communities benefit from greater choice among their internet options. Research shows, greater competition for consumer goods – like internet – benefits consumers by lowering prices, boosting investment and enabling innovation. In addition, a 2020 report by Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond on “Bringing Broadband to Rural America” determined that broadband access and adoption are linked to increased job and population growth, higher rates of new business formation, higher home values, and lower unemployment rates. Ookla® is the global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights. Over eighteen million tests are actively initiated by consumers each day across all Speedtest platforms, with over 45 billion tests completed to date. As a result, Ookla has the most comprehensive analytics on worldwide internet performance and accessibility. For more information on Bluepeak, visit mybluepeak.com. *Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data for median download speeds, upload speeds and consistency score, and multi-server latency, in the identified geographies, U.S., Q2 2023. About Bluepeak Bluepeak is building a faster, more reliable internet without the things that get in the way of great service - like red tape, hidden fees, and slow response times. Offering up to 5 gigabits of speed for residential customers and 10 gigabits for businesses, Bluepeak is a whole new ballgame - from internet to TV, to connecting every device in a home, to powering a business, Bluepeak not only provides the best fiber connections in the communities it serves, but also meets the growing needs for how its customers live. Contact Details Bluepeak Jesse Granger +1 720-703-4315 jesse.granger@mybluepeak.com Company Website https://www.mybluepeak.com

July 26, 2023 09:23 AM Mountain Daylight Time

PBX Pickleball partners with Zinc Agency to Provide the Ultimate Corporate Pickleball Experiences with Retired Professional Athletes

PBX Pickleball

PBX Pickleball, a new organization that unites the pickleball community with retired professional athletes, announced a partnership with Zinc Agency to lead the planning and implementation for customized corporate experiences centered around the game of pickleball. Zinc becomes the official corporate sales and hospitality partner of PBX Corporate Experiences, which is one of four platforms of PBX Pickleball that will feature top retired professional athletes from all major sports, including baseball, hockey, football, and basketball. “Through PBX Pickleball, we plan to create the ultimate pickleball experience and provide a new client entertainment platform for business leaders to participate with their clients and prospects alongside professional retired athletes,” said Gary Rosenberg, Chief Revenue Officer at Zinc Agency. “Golf has always been considered the ‘sport of business,’ but we see pickleball opening up a new channel for client engagement and relationship building.” Zinc Agency has over 25 years of experience creating customized corporate events across various lifestyle categories. The company is known for leveraging professional talent to curate customized private experiences with professional athletes, chefs, speakers, musicians, illusionists, and other entertainers. “As the fastest growing sport in America that anyone can play, pickleball is the perfect activity for businesses to leverage for entertainment, networking, and team building outside of boardrooms and video calls,” said Jason Clement, CEO of The Sports Facilities Companies, the parent company for PBX Pickleball. “Zinc Agency has a successful track record of selling corporate experiences across various sports and entertainment categories. When we add the element of retired pro athletes as PBX Pros, we thought Zinc was the ideal partner to create that ultimate experience.” PBX Pickleball consists of four experiences: PBX Tour brings together retired sports stars turned avid pickleball players, starting with athletes who previously competed at the highest levels of their sports. Each player represents their respective sports in PBX Pickleball tournaments for audiences watching in person, via television broadcasts, and through digital media. PBX Pro-Ams allow amateur pickleball players to play with and against former male and female stars of major sports teams. PBX Pickleball Pro-Ams align with professional pickleball tour stops and occur adjacent to these events, including the PBX Tour. PBX Dream Weekends offer the ultimate pickleball experience for amateur participants. Pickleball enthusiasts can learn from professional pickleball players and interact with dozens of retired athletes. PBX Corporate Experiences are fully customizable with turnkey services to support corporate meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Your employees, partners and prospects can play pickleball with retired professional athletes. Since forming in June 2023, PBX Pickleball has also confirmed partnerships with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) and the NHL Alumni Association. About PBX Pickleball PBX Pickleball creates memorable experiences by uniting well-known retired professional athletes with amateur pickleball players and fans. Established in 2023, PBX Pickleball consists of four experiences: the PBX Tour, PBX Pro-Ams, PBX Dream Weekends, and PBX Corporate Experiences. The company is part of The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), the nation’s leading resource for the management and development of sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. To learn more about PBX Pickleball, go to https://pbxpickleball.com or follow @pbxpickleball on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About Zinc Agency Zinc is an agency focused on curating creative, one-of-a-kind experiences that leverage the power of talent in sports, music, fashion, the culinary world, theater, and any of life’s other passions. Zinc’s approach is to always deliver a truly memorable experience that allows our clients to build and strengthen relationships with their customers. Zinc works hard to conceptualize unique themes, whether attached to a specific personality or aligned with a major event. From there, Zinc ensures all the details are flawlessly executed with a turnkey approach to event management. In addition to client entertainment, Zinc delivers entertainment solutions for corporate retreats, conferences and sales incentive trips. For more information, go to www.zincagency.com. Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.pbxpickleball.com/

July 26, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Locality Appoints Michael Mayer as Chief Product Officer

Locality

Locality, the industry’s preeminent local television solutions provider, today announces the appointment of Michael Mayer as Chief Product Officer. Mayer brings 25+ years experience in building ad platforms and in driving the industry forward through his work in streaming, broadcast, and cable to his new role. He will report to Keith Kazerman, President of Streaming and Ann Hailer, President of Broadcast at Locality. Mayer joins Locality following his involvement as a founding member of the leadership team at Peacock, where he helped form the team and launch the product, steering NBCU into streaming. Prior to this role, Mayer spent seven years within NBCU Ad Sales, building the Ad Sales Platform which unified media selling across broadcast and digital platforms. Throughout his 25+ year career, Mayer has proven himself to be a leader in helping organizations transform and succeed. Mayer's experience will be instrumental in reshaping the ways Locality enables brands to form meaningful connections with local audiences at scale. “Here at Locality, we are dedicated to increasing collaboration across broadcast and streaming” said Kazerman. “Mike’s expertise in building teams, streamlining processes, and delivering innovative solutions will help deliver transformative results, meet our customers' evolving needs, and ultimately drive more dollars to local video. His strong relationships with leading industry partners, and systems experience to know where to build and where to buy will be key in Locality’s continued growth.” "We believe in empowering our team with the best talent, and Michael Mayer's addition reinforces this commitment. With his vast experience in building ad platforms and transforming organizations, we look forward to his leadership in shaping a game-changing go-to-market strategy for local television. We are actively investing in product and technology to build a converged future, and Michael's appointment aligns with this mission,” said Hailer. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Locality team to lead on product strategy, innovation, and development,” said Mayer. “I believe in Locality’s goal of creating seamless processes between broadcast and streaming and look forward to working with the team to develop simplified solutions to drive growth.” Locality is the industry’s preeminent local television solutions provider, committed to addressing the evolving needs of advertisers by unlocking the power of local and driving dollars to the local video marketplace. Formed through the union of CoxReps and Gamut, Locality brings together the best talent in both broadcast and streaming. With more than 11 locations in the US, Locality helps brands tap into the mindset of the local consumer and precisely reach optimal markets, nationally. Having served more than 1,500 ad agencies and 4,500 advertisers, to date, Locality offers the best premium inventory that the industry has to offer to help brands optimize their spend and target audiences at scale. For more information, please visit www.locality.com. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Kerriann Becker kerriann@kitehillpr.com

July 26, 2023 09:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

AI Singapore Awards S$20M in Research Funds to Address Challenges Relating to Increase Use of AI in Emerging Apps

AI Singapore

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 26 July 2023 - AI Singapore (AISG) announced today that it will award up to S$20 million, through the Robust AI Grand Challenge and the AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenge, to support five multidisciplinary teams which will address challenges related to the increasing use of AI in emerging applications. AISG launched both Grand Challenges in December 2022 in collaboration with the Future Systems and Technology Directorate (FSTD), MINDEF Singapore, and DSO National Laboratories (DSO). Each Challenge is a first-of-its-kind and represents a major milestone in research collaboration between the academia and defence ecosystems. The research outcomes will have the potential for dual-use applications and can be leveraged by both the industry and defence to benefit Singapore. The grant awards were presented by Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State for Defence at the Joint Grant Awards Ceremony. In his speech, Mr Heng said, "The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will open up new possibilities and MINDEF/SAF is poised to harness its power to build important capabilities for our future. MINDEF's approach is to collaborate extensively with local and global partners from research institutes, and institutes of higher learning and industry. MINDEF's Defence Technology Community, which designs and develops technological capabilities for the SAF, will play a key role in this effort. "Moving forward, we will also be expanding our partnerships with industry, to accelerate progress in developing AI technologies and applications. I encourage the various communities to come together to co-ideate and co-innovate. I would like to invite all researchers and practitioners with bold ideas to reach out to us. Together, let's collaborate, innovate and build an exciting and better future, he added." Professor Mohan Kankanhalli, Deputy Executive Chairman for AISG, said that the current development efforts and outcomes can be translated into better and safer technologies for everyday living. "The problems that are being addressed have dual-use applications and can be leveraged by both industry and defence ecosystems to benefit Singapore. We are excited to work with our valued collaborators, FSTD and DSO, as they have deep expertise in both grand challenges to advise, guide and empower our research teams to develop novel AI solutions that can effectively address important problems faced by Singapore and the world. We believe that there is potential for these technologies to be scaled globally in the future". Robust AI and AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenges AISG's Grand Challenge programme takes an outcome-driven approach to solve important problems faced by Singapore and the world through multidisciplinary collaboration and translation of AI-based solutions from research to deployment. Researchers from local Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and Research Institutes (RIs), along with their collaborators from the public and/or private sectors, were invited to propose ground-breaking research ideas that adopt AI techniques to address both Grand Challenges' statements. Each challenge statement was jointly defined by AISG, DSO and FSTD. Robust AI Grand Challenge - "How can we design robust CV systems for AVs that can recover at least 80% of their original accuracy after physical testing-time adversarial attacks?" Computer vision (CV) systems based on AI/ML are vulnerable to adversarial attacks which could compromise their safety and security, thus limiting their performance and adoption in critical environments. In the field of autonomous vehicles (AV), these could result in delays, accidents and potentially, even death. This Grand Challenge aims to encourage the development of innovative approaches that increase the robustness of these CV systems, to accelerate the adoption of CV systems in critical environments. AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenge - "How can AI accelerate inverse material design to discover advanced materials that are 50% lighter while retaining and/or enhancing their functional properties?" Technological breakthroughs and the development of next-generation systems such as lightweight transportation vehicles and energy-efficient buildings are often underpinned by the discovery and development of new and advanced materials. However, this discovery process can be prohibitively long and expensive. In addition, conventional methods can be limited by a scientist's personal experience, knowledge and even biases, resulting in only incremental discoveries. This Grand Challenge aims to advance the state-of-the-art applications of AI in materials discovery, to develop solutions that can help scientists accelerate material discovery process and overcome the constraints of conventional methods. This would in turn enable them to keep pace with the increasing demand for new and advanced materials for next-gen systems. AISG received 16 (7 Robust AI; 9 AI for Materials Discovery) quality research proposals from multidisciplinary teams in response to both grant calls. The teams comprise lead Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). They also involve industry partners and/or collaborators from overseas universities. An Evaluation Committee comprising members from various stakeholders in the AI ecosystem selected five projects to be awarded Stage 1 funding: Robust AI Grand Challenge Holistic Moving Target Defence for Autonomous Driving Perception (by Associate Professor Rui Tan, NTU) - This project will develop a Moving Target Defence (MTD) approach that creates and deploys AI mechanisms that are diverse and rapidly changing to limit the exposure of vulnerabilities and opportunities for attacks, increase the complexity and cost for attackers. Development of Stable Robust and Secure Intelligent Systems for Autonomous Vehicles (by Professor Shuzhi Sam Ge, NUS) - This project will harness the collective strengths of machine learning, stable control and generative AI to develop a robust and intelligent system that can adjust its neural network's behaviour and characteristics in real- time to counter adversarial attacks in complex environments. Towards Building Unified Autonomous Vehicle Scene Representation for Physical AV Adversarial Attacks and Visual Robustness Enhancement (by Professor Yang Liu, NTU) - This project will develop novel multi-view and multi-modal defences based on a unified framework that comprises a novel AV scene representation that will be used to generate realistic scenes with diverse conditions and attack vectors. The projects are expected to deliver suites of multi-modal attack and defence techniques that can be deployed in the real world to increase the robustness of AI models applied in multi-sensor CV systems. AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenge MATAI: An AI-Powered Generalist Material Discovery Platform (by Professor Bo An, NTU) - This project will develop an AI-powered generalist platform with three key components: a holistic material database, a foundational material property predictor and a generalist multi-property material designer in a large search space. Design Beyond What You Know: Material Informed Differential Generative AI (MIDGAI) for Light-Weight High-Entropy Alloys and Multi-functional Composites (by Professor Ivor Tsang, A*STAR) - This project will develop a generative AI framework for materials design that combines with discriminative models to enhance robustness and overcome data scarcity. By incorporating domain knowledge, the AI model will enable a more controllable, directed, and efficient exploration of material design spaces through advanced optimisation algorithms. The projects are expected to deliver AI solutions that can be used by AI and materials researchers to (i) discover novel materials based on performance needs, (ii) efficiently explore beyond the boundaries of conventional methods, (iii) exploit new and existing scientific knowledge and (iv) reduce resource and time cost of material discovery cycles. In Stage 1, the teams will be awarded up to S$4M each to work on their project for the next three years. Funding support for Stage 2 will be determined as part of the final evaluation near the end of Stage 1. Selected teams could be funded up to S$5M over 2 years where the teams will have the opportunity to work with agencies to adapt and scale up the developed AI techniques for dual-use applications. About AI Singapore AI Singapore (AISG) is a national programme launched by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to catalyse, synergise and boost Singapore's artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to power our future, digital economy.AISG will also bring together all Singapore-based research institutions and the vibrant ecosystem of AI start-ups and companies developing AI products, to perform use-inspired research, grow the knowledge, create the tools, and develop the talent to power Singapore's AI efforts.AISG is driven by a government-wide partnership comprising NRF, Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Economic Development Board (EDB), Enterprise Singapore (ESG), amongst others. Contact Details Communications Consultant Joseph Rajendran +65 9228 7801 joseph@wiredcomms.sg Company Website https://aisingapore.org/

July 26, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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