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Boston Globe
24-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
‘We're able to explore more behaviors a lot more quickly': How one local robotics company uses AI
Harvard for investigating its 'continued eligibility' for a program that gives visas to international students and faculty. Columbia to restore its federal funding after the administration accused it of allowing antisemitism. President Trump's name appears in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that his administration is refusing to release, . Separately, a House committee voted to subpoena and files from the administration, while a judge rejected an administration request to unseal other documents in the case. Two fired Market Basket executives accused the grocery chain's board of dismissing them Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT In conversations about artificial intelligence, the future tense tends to get a workout. Will AI lead to mass layoffs? Which AI company will end up on top? Will the US's new AI strategy, which the White House Yet for many Americans, AI is already a daily reality. AI-powered chatbots provide customer service, That's also true for local businesses. Earlier this year, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce was looking for ways to help firms navigate AI adoption. 'People seem to be hungry for, 'Well, how are other people using it?'' said Jim Rooney, who leads the Boston Chamber. Advertisement Rooney's solution was a survey. The anonymized results, I wanted to better understand what local businesses' use of AI looks like in practice. Today's newsletter is the first in a two-part series about what I found. Advertisement Better, faster, smarter When I visited Piaggio Fast Forward on a recent Friday, the Charlestown-based robotics company's brick-walled offices were largely devoid of people. But they were populated by something else: a fleet of squat, rotund machines. This was the gita (pronounced like a Bostonian saying Derek Jeter's surname), which Piaggio unveiled in 2019. Essentially a backpack on wheels, the gita mini and gita plus — and stores groceries, gear, or other cargo beneath a central hatch. The robot's camera and sensors detect color and depth, which, with the push of a button and a warbly chime, lets it 'pair' with a specific person and automatically trundle along behind them during errands. The experience feels like having R2-D2 at your heels. (The resemblance is no longer implicit; Piaggio recently reached a licensing agreement with Lucasfilm and Disney to sell $2,875 gita mini s that So where does AI come in? When Tyson Phillips first joined Piaggio to lead its research and development team, the technology wasn't on the menu. But about two and a half years ago, he came to see it as a necessity. Phillips's engineers built their own AI models to help train the company's robots to interact with people and the environment. 'It's actually very difficult to program a robot to do something,' Phillips said. 'AI is shortening that process a lot.' To train the machines, Phillips invites paid human guinea pigs into a high-ceilinged space in Piaggio's offices. Its floor features lines of colorful tape, mannequins, and other obstacles that simulate what a robot might encounter in the outside world, like doors, walls, and people. Using motion capture cameras, Phillips records the volunteers navigating those obstacles, then distills the data into algorithms to program the robots. Advertisement A Piaggio Fast Forward employee presses a button to "pair" with one of the robotics company's gitamini robots. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Part of AI's advantage is that it isn't human. Where a flesh-and-blood observer might write off a volunteer's subtle turn or weight shift while opening a door as intuitive, AI can recognize such moves as potentially valuable datapoints. 'With AI tools, we are hoping to identify those much smaller, more nuanced behaviors,' Phillips said. And for a relatively small company like Piaggio, the added analytical firepower helps. 'We're able to explore more behaviors a lot more quickly.' That has come in handy to train Piaggio's other robot, kilo, which looks a bit like if Apple designed a flatbed cart. Built for warehouses and factory floors, kilo 'I think we'll use it to allow us to explore situations that we would've been previously uncomfortable in,' he said. Evolutionary vs. revolutionary Piaggio isn't alone. 'Every robotics company's using AI in some way,' Phillips told me. Yet some prognosticators worry that widespread adoption will cause layoffs, particularly among coders. So far, Piaggio says, AI hasn't replaced anyone on Phillips's team, which includes people with backgrounds in AI as well as in biomechanics and neuroscience. In the Boston Chamber's survey, just 7 percent of companies reported job reductions because of AI. Advertisement Instead, just as Piaggio's robots are designed to work alongside people, Phillips hopes that AI will supplement rather than supplant. His engineers still develop algorithms by hand, using AI to check their work. 'We have an idea, we test it, we check it with AI, we tweak the original idea, we tweak the AI, and it bounces back and forth,' he said. Still, that collaborative spirit helps explain why Piaggio's use of AI is mostly evolutionary, facilitating its business without radically reshaping it. But there are companies in Greater Boston trying to use the technology in more revolutionary ways. Next week, in part two of this series, I'll explore that. Related: As Massachusetts lawmakers try to lure AI data centers, environmental advocates from elsewhere warn that the centers 🧩 9 Across: 90° POINTS OF INTEREST UNITE HERE Local 26 represents Fenway Park concession workers who are threatening to strike. Cassandra Klos/Bloomberg Receipts: Massachusetts lawmakers say court-appointed lawyers should've asked the Legislature for raises sooner, rather than launching a work stoppage that has paralyzed state courts. Emails show the attorneys have been asking Labor dispute: Fenway Park concession workers Piling up: Boston 'Pawtriots': The Patriots' first day of training camp saw the team practicing without pads — Advertisement Feeling better: Eight members of a Parisian youth choir are OK Dwight Evans: The former Red Sox right fielder has another shot at making the Hall of Fame this year. Grant Watch: How a researcher from Medfield created the go-to database Changing the subject: Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, his national intelligence director, baselessly claim that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and other Democrats plotted a 'coup' against Trump years ago and that they could face criminal charges. ( Wares the beef: Beef prices are climbing across the country as drought Sentenced: A judge gave Bryan Kohberger life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing four University of Idaho students in 2022. The victims' family members excoriated Kohberger. ( BESIDE THE POINT 🌽 Cultivating community: An 18th-century farm is flourishing 🎙️ Big deal: 'The Big Dig,' GBH and PRX's nine-episode series about the infamous Boston megaproject, made Time magazine's list of the 100 best podcasts of all time. ( 🤦🏻♀️ A Miss Conduct classic: Their neighbors' floodlights shine directly into their bedroom. The neighbors 🐻 'Da Pope': A Chicago family on vacation gave Pope Leo XIV a T-shirt inspired by the nickname for the city's NFL team. ( Advertisement 📺 Don't be a Debbie Downer: 'SNL' alumna Rachel Dratch discusses 💃 A step ahead: A Boston soul line dancing group is 🎶 Don't worry: Does live music at Logan baggage claim actually reduce travel stress? Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Irish Independent
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Concerns in Mayo town over people walking on road to emergency accommodation hub
Elected representatives have expressed alarm about residents at an emergency accommodation hub who have been walking along the road to and from the facility. Bus Éireann intend to install a bus stop outside the facility following representations from Mayo County Council's Director of Services for Housing, Tom Gilligan. Mayo County Council began using the former St Anne's as emergency accommodation after it closed as nursing home in 2023. The 26-bed facility had been operating as a nursing home in the east Mayo town for 40 years and can accommodate up to 100 people. County councillors Adrian Forkan and Gerry Murray said they had received a number of representations about people walking along the road to and from the facility. 'There is somebody going to be killed along that road, and that is not 'maybe',' said Cllr Forkan. 'I drive the road myself to work every morning and during the winter especially, you cannot see people along that road,' continued the Kiltimagh-based councillor. 'It's waiting for someone to be killed along it, then they might do something about it. 'Another thing is the amount of rubbish which people are discarding along that road, and it is not fair on the people who live along that road,' he added. The Fianna Fáil representative suggested that an emergency footpath be constructed outside the facility. Charlestown-based councillor Gerry Murray said that some residents were reported walking in the middle of the road in recent weeks. 'If it went in for planning, it wouldn't have got planning, it's so far outside the town,' said the Sinn Féin councillor. Tom Gilligan said that Bus Éireann are currently preparing documentation to approve a designated bus stop at the facility, which is located on the Swinford Road outside Charlestown. 'I am hopeful that it will be this week or the next week that we will get confirmation that Bus Éireann will stop there,' said Mr Gilligan. 'It will be a positive because I am aware of issues. Some residents have their own transport, but others don't.' In line with government policy, Mayo County Council is trying to phase out the use of hotels and B&Bs as emergency accommodation. In the last week of March, 149 people in Mayo were accessing emergency accommodation.
Boston Globe
10-03-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Families of Revere women who died in Belize call for ‘transparent' investigation
'The circumstances surrounding this tragedy remain unclear and suspicious, and we are seeking answers to understand what happened in Belize,' the families said in a statement issued on their Authorities in Belize have said the women appeared to have froth been frothing at their mouths and investigators found alcohol and 'gummies' in the room. There was no sign of forced entry or injuries. Advertisement In the statement, relatives recalled each of the women. Wafae El Arar 'was full of life, dreams, and unwavering faith. Her name, meaning faithfulness and loyalty, was a true reflection of who she was — honest, kind, and deeply devoted to the people she loved,' relatives said. She was 'on a personal journey of faith, planning to wear the hijab this Ramadan alongside her younger sister.' Wafae El Arar cuts a cake in celebration of her graduation. (Family Photo) Family Photo El Arar graduated from Revere High School in 2017 and Stonehill College in 2021 with a degree in biochemistry, according to her LinkedIn profile. El Arar was a research technician at the Mitchell Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital focused on women's health. She was 'committed to making a difference in an area often overlooked in healthcare,' relatives said. 'She was so proud to have recently Advertisement Imane Mallah 'had a unique ability to listen deeply, making everyone feel heard and valued,' relatives said. 'She was a radiant spirit, and a beacon of kindness. She embraced life wholeheartedly, cherishing every soul that shared the journey with her.' Her friends considered her 'a warm, comforting light, guiding them through even the darkest of times,' the family wrote. She was a graduate of Revere High School. Imane Mallah. (Family Photo) Family Photo Mallah worked with Phoenix Protective Service, a Charlestown-based security firm, according to a Her family wrote that 'Imane poured her heart into everything she did. Her laughter was contagious, and her stories were filled with humor and wisdom, leaving those around her both entertained and inspired ... She was our greatest love and we will miss her every day for the rest of our lives.' Kaoutar Naqqad was 'the light in our lives, someone whose kindness and warmth touched everyone she met,' her relatives said. 'As the youngest daughter of four siblings, she held a special place in our family, bringing joy, laughter, and love into our home every single day.' She was attending college and also worked at a group home for 'troubled youth,' her family wrote. Her professional goal was to become part of law enforcement. Kaoutar Naqqad. (Family Photo) Family Photo Naqqad, also a graduate of Revere High School, had taken the civil service exam and recently took the civil service exam for the State Police. Advertisement Naqqad had a fear of flying but set that aside to visit Belize with her two close friends. She was planning to visit Morocco with her parents this summer, according to relatives. 'Her heart was full of generosity, always putting others before herself and offering a listening ear, a comforting word, and unwavering support,' the family wrote. 'We cannot put into words the depth of our grief and the void that Kaoutar's passing has left in our hearts.' The families expressed thanks for the outpouring of support they have received in Revere and among the Muslim and Moroccan communities in the area. 'We ask for continued prayers, patience, and privacy as we navigate this profound sorrow,' they said. 'May their beautiful souls rest in eternal peace.' John R. Ellement can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Mass. medical examiner's office to review deaths of three Revere women in Belize
Police Commissioner Chester Williams told Belizean media that investigators found vomit beside the women's bodies, suggesting a drug overdose. He said that autopsy results were inconclusive. Friends of the three women, who were of Moroccan descent, have expressed doubt about the possibility that they overdosed, noting that at least one of them made a point of abstaining from drugs and alcohol. Advertisement 'When I graduated, Imane didn't want me to go to a party, she said she didn't want to go because there would be drinking there,' Hajar El Khalfaoui told WCVB-TV. 'That was the kind of person she was. So when they said that it was OD, I will never believe that was true.' The death of the three women has stunned 'I have heard widespread concern from the families and community members about the lack of transparency in this investigation, and the media narrative painted by Belizean authorities,' Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe said in a statement this week. Al-Marhama Islamic Burial Services in Brighton said Thursday it would handle the bodies once they arrived in the United States. State investigators had not received the bodies as of Friday morning, Driscoll said. On Thursday, Kaoutar Naqqad's sister, Nisrine Naqqad, of Tewksbury, said that 'as soon as they have landed and are buried, we are going to provide all of the information we got from the investigation. But for now, we want to wait until everything is done.' Advertisement The US State Department is 'in touch with and collaborating closely with the local authorities' investigation into the deaths,' a department spokesperson said Thursday. The three friends were graduates of Revere and Malden high schools. El Arar was a gynecologic research technician based out of Massachusetts General Hospital, while Mallah worked at a Charlestown-based private security firm. Material from previous Globe coverage was used. This story will be updated. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
