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India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
IIT Madras' Renee Noronha is youngest Indian woman to finish two Ironman races
When she crossed the finish line at the Ironman European Championship in Hamburg, holding the Indian flag high as the words 'You are an Ironman' echoed around her, it was more than a personal victory. For the 18-year-old Data Science student from IIT Madras, it was the realisation of a dream she had chased since the age of 16 — to become the world's youngest Ironman and India's youngest female had no prior experience in swimming or road cycling when I signed up,' she says. 'But I was driven by a passion for challenge and the excitement of pushing beyond my limits.' At just 18 years, 1 month, and 20 days, she achieved her goal, a feat of grit and GYMNASTICS MAT TO IRONMAN FINISH LINEA former artistic gymnast, her transition to triathlons wasn't easy, but it was deliberate. 'Gymnastics gave me a strong foundation of discipline, balance, and mental resilience,' she explains. 'While the sports are very different, the focus and strength carried over and helped me tackle swimming, cycling, and running with confidence.' It's a journey, she says, that brings alive the Ironman slogan: 'Anything is Possible.'IRONMAN TRAINING MEETS IIT MADRAS RIGOUR Managing Ironman-level training alongside the academic rigour of IIT Madras is no small feat. Adding to that, she's simultaneously pursuing a Sports Science diploma at Carshalton College, London. Her secret? 'Intense discipline, structure, and time management. I plan my days carefully—training before or after lectures, using weekends for long rides, runs, and brick sessions. I always aim to stay ahead in coursework to manage both effectively.'She credits her gymnastics background for helping her manage pressure: 'Goal-setting, resilience, and mental toughness are second nature now. They help me stay on top of both academics and training.' 20 HOURS A WEEK OF PEAK DISCIPLINEDuring peak preparation, her schedule is relentless—15 to 20 hours of training spread over six days, starting at 5:15 am. 'Swims, rides, runs, brick workouts, strength or mobility work—each day has a purpose,' she says. Her weekends are booked with long rides and runs. But recovery, she insists, is just as important. 'I prioritise sleep, nutrition, stretching, and mindfulness. Rest days are when I study more intensively to stay balanced.'SHAVING OFF 2.5 HOURS BETWEEN RACESFrom her first Ironman in New Zealand to her most recent in Hamburg, she cut down her timing by over two hours in just 15 months. What changed? 'I became more strategic and data-driven,' she says. 'I tracked every session, focused on strength work, and refined my recovery and nutrition.' Despite battling thunderstorms, lightning, and rain in both races, her discipline paid off. 'With ideal weather, I could have improved by 3.5 to 4 hours,' she believes. Much of this progress, she credits to her coach, Shanker Hamburg threw everything at her — hailstorms, cold winds, and heavy rain, especially during the final 20 km of the cycling segment. 'It was brutal,' she recalls. 'I had to rely on mental resilience, focus on my breath, and just keep moving. Seeing the Indian flag and hearing the crowd kept me going.' LEARNING FROM DOUBT AND SETBACKSThere have been moments of doubt—injuries, burnout, academic pressure. But she's found a way through: 'I break down big goals into small, manageable ones. Tracking my improvements keeps me motivated.' Her support system—family, coaches, friends, and her institution—has been instrumental. 'Patience, persistence, and a positive mindset help me push through setbacks in both sport and studies.'Her mission goes beyond medals and titles. She wants more girls to believe in their potential. 'If you're unsure of your limits, know that your potential is much greater than you think. Start small, celebrate milestones, and stay consistent,' she says. 'Every challenge is an opportunity to grow. No dream is too big, no limit too great.'advertisementWHAT'S NEXT: FROM KONA TO COMRADESHer short-term goals include participating in Ironman races across all continents and qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kona and the Comrades Marathon in South Africa—all before she graduates. Academically, she plans to pursue an integrated PhD in mathematics and quantitative research. 'I want to contribute to both academia and industry through innovation and research.' Eventually, she dreams of setting up an NGO to promote endurance sports amongst women in India. 'I want to help other girls realise they can chase their dreams too. Because true growth begins the moment you decide to try.'- Ends
Time Magazine
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
California AI Policy Report Warns of ‘Irreversible Harms'
While AI could offer transformative benefits, without proper safeguards it could facilitate nuclear and biological threats and cause 'potentially irreversible harms,' a new report commissioned by California Governor Gavin Newsom has warned. 'The opportunity to establish effective AI governance frameworks may not remain open indefinitely,' says the report, which was published on June 17. Citing new evidence that AI can help users source nuclear-grade uranium and is on the cusp of letting novices create biological threats, it notes that the cost for inaction at this current moment could be 'extremely high.' The 53-page document stems from a working group established by Governor Newsom, in a state that has emerged as a central arena for AI legislation. With no comprehensive federal regulation on the horizon, state-level efforts to govern the technology have taken on outsized significance, particularly in California, which is home to many of the world's top AI companies. In 2023, California Senator Scott Wiener sponsored a first-of-its-kind bill, SB 1047, which would have required that large-scale AI developers implement rigorous safety testing and mitigation for their systems, but which critics feared would stifle innovation and squash the open-source AI community. The bill passed both state houses despite fierce industry opposition, but Governor Newsom ultimately vetoed it last September, deeming it 'well-intentioned' but not the 'best approach to protecting the public.' Following that veto, Newsom launched the working group to 'develop workable guardrails for deploying GenAI.' The group was co-led by 'godmother of AI' Fei-Fei Li, a prominent opponent of SB 1047, alongside Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Social and Ethical Implications of Computing Research, and Jennifer Tour Chayes dean of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society at UC Berkeley. The working group evaluated AI's progress, SB 1047's weak points, and solicited feedback from more than 60 experts. 'As the global epicenter of AI innovation, California is uniquely positioned to lead in unlocking the transformative potential of frontier AI,' Li said in a statement. 'Realizing this promise, however, demands thoughtful and responsible stewardship—grounded in human-centered values, scientific rigor, and broad-based collaboration,' she said. "Foundation model capabilities have rapidly advanced since Governor Newsom vetoed SB 1047 last September," the report states. The industry has shifted from large language AI models that merely predict the next word in a stream of text toward systems trained to solve complex problems and that benefit from "inference scaling," which allows them more time to process information. These advances could accelerate scientific research, but also potentially amplify national security risks by making it easier for bad actors to conduct cyberattacks or acquire chemical and biological weapons. The report points to Anthropic's Claude 4 models, released just last month, which the company said might be capable of helping would-be terrorists create bioweapons or engineer a pandemic. Similarly, OpenAI's o3 model reportedly outperformed 94% of virologists on a key evaluation. In recent months, new evidence has emerged showing AI's ability to strategically lie, appearing aligned with its creators' goals during training but displaying other objectives once deployed, and exploit loopholes to achieve its goals, the report says. While 'currently benign, these developments represent concrete empirical evidence for behaviors that could present significant challenges to measuring loss of control risks and possibly foreshadow future harm,' the report says. While Republicans have proposed a 10 year ban on all state AI regulation over concerns that a fragmented policy environment could hamper national competitiveness, the report argues that targeted regulation in California could actually 'reduce compliance burdens on developers and avoid a patchwork approach' by providing a blueprint for other states, while keeping the public safer. It stops short of advocating for any specific policy, instead outlining the key principles the working group believes California should adopt when crafting future legislation. It 'steers clear' of some of the more divisive provisions of SB1047, like the requirement for a "kill switch" or shutdown mechanism to quickly halt certain AI systems in case of potential harm, says Scott Singer, a visiting scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a lead-writer of the report. Instead, the approach centers around enhancing transparency, for example through legally protecting whistleblowers and establishing incident reporting systems, so that lawmakers and the public have better visibility into AI's progress. The goal is to 'reap the benefits of innovation. Let's not set artificial barriers, but at the same time, as we go, let's think about what we're learning about how it is that the technology is behaving,' says Cuéllar, who co-led the report. The report emphasizes this visibility is crucial not only for public-facing AI applications, but for understanding how systems are tested and deployed inside AI companies, where concerning behaviors might first emerge. 'The underlying approach here is one of 'trust but verify,'" Singer says, a concept borrowed from Cold War-era arms control treaties that would involve designing mechanisms to independently check compliance. That's a departure from existing efforts, which hinge on voluntary cooperation from companies, such as the deal between OpenAI and Center for AI Standards and Innovation (formerly the U.S. AI Safety Institute) to conduct pre-deployment tests. It's an approach that acknowledges the 'substantial expertise inside industry,' Singer says, but 'also underscores the importance of methods of independently verifying safety claims.'
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Artificial Intelligence For Business: Another Good Intro To The Issues
Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence for Business, Kamales Lardi, is another good introductory book to the subject that suffers the same weaknesses as most of the other books I've read on the subject. Let's start with the good. The book is a very accessible, easy to read review of what business management wants to know about artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial Intelligence for Business, Kamales Lardi At a high level, the review of AI is good, but ignore the details. I'm not sure if it's because of confusion or a consultant's need to use the buzzwords, but I'm not thrilled with some of the details. For instance, machine learning isn't really limited to AI and was around in the business intelligence (BI) era. One thing good about the book is that it does mention BI, but doesn't focus on the area I've mentioned in previous reviews. A lot being pitched for AI's value has been done by BI for decades, including categorization and clustering. The difference is the volume of data that can lead to both higher precision and higher costs. It's up to management to look at the necessary precision for a problem and decide if the ROI for BI or AI is better in each situation. Both AI academics and consultants want to push it, but remember it's a key part of a modern solution and not a panacea. A section of the book I really liked was chapter four, ethics. Ms. Lardi does a very good job covering both the concepts and examples. It's the 'must read' of the book. The chapter before that is ok, where it covers AI working with other modern technologies. Again, at a high level, it's good; but the details are questionable. For instance, distributed ledgers are a key component of blockchain but that isn't clearly defined. While distributed ledgers in supply chains and elsewhere are valuable, the examples I've seen have only uses that because consensus slows down real business processes and isn't really needed. Again, I'm suggesting the reason that isn't made clear is the 'need' to push the blockchain buzzword. Another mixed blessing is the chapter on the future of work. While the author does make an excellent case for massively increased unemployment, that case is mitigated with the usual apologia that 'AI-driven automation does not substitute human labour completely … the human workforce will be able to focus on complex tasks.' As previously articles in this column, and those of plenty of other writers, have pointed out, there is a major problems with that thesis. People can do the complex tasks in a process because they began as rookies with simpler tasks and moved up to the complex ones as they gained skill. If AI does the simple tasks, how are humans to learn the complex ones. Are business owner more likely to take new hires and spend significant time training them for the complex task or demand AI that moves upstream and allows them to replace all employees? Yes, that's a rhetorical question. The rest of the book is a good explanation of what's needed to begin the process of expanding AI's use in business and, of course, setting up the reasons why a consultant can help the reader. The first part is good. The second is neither good nor bad, just what is to be expected. This is another book where the reader should always remember the author's background and purpose. It's far better than many coming out of academia, think tanks, and the blend of the two – people who came from academia, made a bunch of money at a startup without really understanding business, and who now think they know everything. The author is a consultant in the industry. The purpose of the book is to take her real life business experience, explain it to her market and, of course, drum up business. Remember that and it will be a positive read.
United News of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Telangana: Woxsen University, IBM India sign MoU across business & technology disciplines
Hyderabad, June 5 (UNI) Woxsen University has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IBM India Private Limited, forming an academic-industry partnership aimed at technology education across business and technology disciplines. The five-year collaboration will enhance curriculum, foster hands-on industry training, and offer globally recognized IBM certifications, Hyderabad based University said in a release here on Thursday. The collaboration spans Woxsen's School of Business and School of Technology, directly benefiting students enrolled in MBA (Business Analytics) and BBA (Data Science & Artificial Intelligence), while extending its impact to technology students across the university. Students from both schools will gain exposure to IBM's enterprise tools used by Fortune 500 companies. Dr Raul Villamarin Rodriguez, Vice President of Woxsen University, said, 'Our partnership with IBM is not an add-on, it is a structural shift in how we envision higher education. By embedding enterprise-grade tools and certifications into the DNA of our curriculum, we are placing Woxsen students on the same technological footing as professionals in Fortune 500 companies. This alliance breaks down the traditional silos between business and technology education, enabling a business analyst to speak the language of AI and a data scientist to understand market strategy. This collaboration ensures our graduates are ready from day one and are equipped to lead with technological fluency, strategic sharpness and global agility.' A key highlight of the collaboration is access to IBM's full technology ecosystem, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and advanced analytics, which are complemented by globally recognized certifications. Subject matter experts from IBM will co-deliver modules with Woxsen faculty, incorporating real-world business scenarios and professional-grade platforms into academic instruction. The partnership will also provide students with opportunities for internships and placements through IBM's extensive global network, with many students expected to secure pre-placement offers through project-based learning and mentorship during their academic journey. Dr Hemachandran, Vice Dean of School of Business at Woxsen University, noted, 'The initiative addresses a crucial gap in higher education by bridging academic learning with evolving industry requirements. With IBM's active role in curriculum design and delivery, Woxsen students will gain firsthand exposure to industry tools, frameworks, and methodologies, ensuring job readiness from the day they graduate." UNI KNR SS
National Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Cosentino Optimizes Sales and Manufacturing Processes with Gurobi
Article content Global surface manufacturer streamlines operations and prevents bottlenecks with help from Gurobi-powered optimization. Article content Article content BEAVERTON, Ore. — Gurobi Optimization, LLC, the leader in decision intelligence technology, is helping Cosentino, a global leader in innovative mineral design surfaces, optimize several key processes for enhanced efficiency across sales and production. Article content With its products reaching over 100 countries, Cosentino's commercial teams must generate efficient two-week sales visit plans for more than 1,000 representatives—balancing time constraints, sales potential, and market conditions. Meanwhile, Cosentino's manufacturing teams aim to maximize efficiency by eliminating bottlenecks across multiple production lines. Article content By leveraging Gurobi's mathematical optimization solver, Cosentino can successfully optimize its sales routes, saving time and increasing commercial effectiveness, while also streamlining production processes to maintain seamless operations. Article content 'With Gurobi, our Data Science team can be confident; they can disconnect at the end of the day, and they can focus on solving problems, not worrying about whether the technology is reliable or not,' said Antonio Carrasco Pérez, Data Analytics Director at Cosentino. Article content 'From smarter sales planning to optimized manufacturing, we're proud to help innovative companies like Cosentino drive impact by leveraging the power of mathematical optimization,' said Duke Perrucci, CEO of Gurobi. Article content With Gurobi's decision intelligence technology, customers can make optimal business decisions in seconds. From workforce scheduling and portfolio optimization to supply chain design and everything in between, Gurobi identifies the optimal solution, out of trillions of possibilities. Article content As the leader in decision intelligence, Gurobi delivers easy-to-integrate, full-featured software and best-in-class support, with an industry-leading 98% customer satisfaction rating. Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content
