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The Star
01-08-2025
- Science
- The Star
US tech companies skewered over false tsunami information
X users blasted the chatbot for the mistakes, with one calling AI a disaster for real time events. — AP When a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's Pacific coast on Tuesday, one core worry immediately emerged: A life-threatening tsunami. Around the Pacific Ocean, weather authorities leapt into action, modelling the threat and releasing warnings and advisories to prepare their communities for what could be a horrific night. As the news unfolded, residents of Hawaii, Japan and North America's West Coast jumped onto their devices to seek evacuation plans and safety guidance. Online, some got their information from artificial intelligence chatbots. And in the moment of potential crisis, a few of those newly prevalent tools appear to have badly bungled the critical task at hand. Grok, the chatbot made by Elon Musk's Bay Area-based xAI and embedded in the social media site X, repeatedly told the site's users that Hawaii's tsunami warning had been cancelled when it actually hadn't, incorrectly citing sources. Social media users reported similar problems with Google Search's AI overviews after receiving inaccurate information about authorities' safety warnings in Hawaii and elsewhere. Thankfully, the tsunami danger quickly subsided on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning without major damage. Still, the issues speak to the growing role of AI tools in people's information diets – above other search results, Google often places AI overviews that compile information from around the Internet, and Grok, the chatbot, automatically responds to users that tag "@Grok" on X posts – and to the tools' potentially dangerous fallibility. On Tuesday evening, Grok wrote that the National Weather Services's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had cancelled Hawaii's tsunami warning at 3.23pm local time "after data showed no significant waves. No impacts occurred – Hawaii is safe." This wasn't true. Authorities had issued the tsunami warning at 2.43pm, and waves didn't reach the islands until later in the evening. In reality, the Honolulu-based weather authority kept its warnings active until after 10.30pm, when it downgraded the guidance to an advisory. (Grok wasn't wrong everywhere; just four minutes after its "3.23pm" claim, it accurately told another user that "evacuations are ongoing" and that warnings were active for Hawaii and parts of Alaska.) X users blasted the chatbot for the mistakes, with one calling AI a "disaster for real time events." Another user tagged Musk and included several screenshots of Grok's errors, writing that the chatbot had "spread life-endangering misinformation during the tsunami event." A critic of Google – who prompted the search tool to show an AI overview by adding "+ai" to their search – called the text that showed up "dangerously wrong." X did not respond to SFGATE's request for comment. Google, which dubs high-stakes queries "Your Money or Your Life," said in a May document explaining the AI overviews that such queries give the tool "an even higher bar for showing supporting information from reliable and trustworthy sources." Google spokesperson Ned Adriance wrote, "Search quickly and automatically updates based on fresh web content and the latest information. In this case, Search now shows a dedicated alert feature that provides up-to-date information for people searching about this topic." ("Tsunami" searches on Wednesday morning by this reporter yielded a small "advisory" symbol and then, once the advisory was cancelled in the Bay Area, just a selection of news stories.) Grok, in reply to one of the posters complaining about its errors, wrote, "We'll improve accuracy." – SFGate, San Francisco/Tribune News Service
San Francisco Chronicle
31-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Matson: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
HONOLULU (AP) — HONOLULU (AP) — Matson Inc. (MATX) on Thursday reported net income of $94.7 million in its second quarter. The Honolulu-based company said it had profit of $2.92 per share. The ocean transportation and logistics services company posted revenue of $830.5 million in the period. _____
Daily Mirror
30-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Japan tsunami: Everything we know about disaster as first waves hit Hawaii
Massive tsunami waves have hit Hawaii, Japan and Russia, triggering warnings following one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula A huge earthquake has triggered a monster tsunami that is currently rippling around the world, with millions of people told to evacuate in the wake of crashing waves. People in Hawaii, parts of the US west coast and Japan were told to evacuate after the 8.8-magnitude tremors erupted from far eastern Russia on Wednesday morning. Authorities have confirmed that waves are "now impacting Hawaii", while Alaska, parts of Japan and Russia were also affected. 'Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,' the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an update, as videos show waves advancing quickly up the coast in Japan and beyond. So what do we know so far? Warnings issued On Wednesday morning, a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. It is one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded and was centered about 74 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. People were advised to move to higher ground around much of the Pacific and warned that the potential danger may last for more than a day. In Hawaii, Governor Green said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people. 'But please do not put yourself in harm's way,' he said. The Honolulu-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center explained how the quake could cause damage along the entirety of the Hawaiian coastline should it strike. The warning called for "urgent action" to "protect the lives and property" of those who live there. President Donald Trump said a 'Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States' and urged people to 'STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE' in a social media post. Authorities in a number of small island nations in the South Pacific Ocean urged people to stay away from coastlines, familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and await further guidance from officials, but did not order evacuations. Some tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world 's most imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas. Officials in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands all issued cautions to stay away from beaches. The small Northern California community of Crescent City turned on its tsunami sirens to warn residents about possible waves. 'You are hearing a Tsunami Siren. We are under a Tsunami Warning. Please stay away from beaches and waterways. A predicted wave may hit at 11:55 pm. We are waiting on additional information about any level of evacuation,' read a post from the City Hall Facebook account. A tsunami of less than 30 centimetres (under 1 foot) was forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island in western Canada. China 's Ministry of Natural Resources' Tsunami Warning Center has issued an alert for parts of the country's east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces. Mexico's Navy says waves between 30 to 100 centimetres (1 to 3.3 feet) are expected on the Mexican Pacific coast. New Zealand authorities issued warnings of 'strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges' along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation. Waves were not expected to arrive until late Wednesday night local time, officials said. Where have there been tsunamis? Ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia near the quake's epicentre were flooded as residents fled inland, and white waves washed up to the shore in northern Japan. A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia 's Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido. A tsunami height of up to nearly four metres was recorded in Kamchatka, 60 centimetres on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and over 40 cm feet above tide levels were observed in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Waves under 30 centimetres above tide levels were observed in the Alaskan communities of Amchitka and Adak, said Dave Snider, tsunami warning co-ordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska. Waves of 1.2 metres were also recorded off Oahu, Hawaii. Hawaii governor Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is between Japan and Hawaii, measured waves from peak to trough of 1.8 metres. Green said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it is too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a 3ft wave riding on top of surf, he said. Cars jammed streets and major roads in Honolulu, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline. Damage Most places where tsunami waves have already washed ashore have reported no significant damage so far. Russia's Tass news agency reported from the biggest city near the epicentre, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, that many people ran out into the street without shoes or outerwear. Cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed in the street and balconies on buildings shook noticeably. Tass also reported power outages and mobile phone service failures in the capital of the Kamchatka region, quoting a local Russian official as saying residents on Sakhalin Island were being evacuated and emergency services were working at full capacity. Russian news agencies quoted the regional health ministry saying several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported. Footage from Japan has now emerged showing four whales washing ashore in Tateyama City, in Chiba. It was broadcast on live TV in the country, with the first tsunami waves hitting the city of Hokkaido at 10:40am local time (2:40am BST). Japanese nuclear power stations have reported no abnormalities. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant damaged by the 2011 tsunami said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter on higher ground at the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety.
Daily Mirror
30-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Hawaii tsunami: No flights into state as residents evacuate their homes in bid for safety
All flights into Hawaii have been scrapped and locals are being told to evacuate after a tsunami wreaked havoc across the world today. This morning, coastal parts of Russia and Japan were submerged after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck - with two million people across Japan issued urgent evacuation warnings. Warnings have also been issued for the east coast of the US and a major evacuation has been launched for Hawaii after the devastating earthquake - which is said to be the most powerful to strike the world since 2011. In a joint statement, Hawaiian and Alaskan Airlines said after monitoring the tsunami warnings, a decision has been made to ground their operations to the 50th state. LIVE: Tsunami warning for US, Russia and Japan after strongest earthquake since 2011 The statement reads: "'We are monitoring a tsunami warning for the Hawaiian Islands and portions of the state of Alaska and assessing our flight operations. We are holding flight departures to the Islands on Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines. 'As a safety precaution, flights en route to Hawai'i are returning to the mainland or diverting as needed. Guests with travel to, from or within the Hawaiian Islands should check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. We are monitoring airport conditions with government agencies and could see operational impacts. A waiver is in place allowing guests to adjust their travel plans. More information can be found on Hawaii Governor Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters). He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three foot (90 centimeter) wave riding on top of surf, he said. Gov Green told a news conference that a wave that size could move cars and throw fences around. "It can dislodge trees, that's why you can't just be out there. The impact is at great speed. Any any structure that gets loose and strikes the individual could take them out. And people can drown quite easily with the force of that kind of wave." He said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people. He added: "But please do not put yourself in harm's way." The Honolulu-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center explained how the quake could cause damage along the entirety of the Hawaiian coastline should it strike. The warning called for "urgent action" to "protect the lives and property" of those who live there. The first wave was expected to strike at 7pm Tuesday (6am Wednesday UK time). Hawaiian officials have set up evacuation shelters at schools and community centres across the densely populated island. Honolulu won't operate bus trips scheduled to start after 6pm local time. Drivers still on routes after that and who are in inundation zones will head to higher ground. "We want everyone to stay safe. Evacuate early so you don't put yourself in a tough situation," said Honolulu Fire Department Chief Sheldon Hao. The US National Weather Service has warned people against going to the coast to look for tsunami waves. The National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area office posted on X: "This will NOT be a single wave. Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos." The agency warned people could put themselves and any rescue teams that may be out at risk. The Bay Area is under a tsunami advisory. Communities further north are under a warning.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) Stock Is Up Today
What Happened? Shares of hawaiian banking company First Hawaiian (NASDAQ:FHB) jumped 3.3% in the pre-market session after the company reported strong second-quarter financial results that surpassed Wall Street's expectations for both earnings and revenue. The Honolulu-based bank posted a net income of $73.2 million, or $0.58 per share, which comfortably beat the average analyst estimate of $0.49 per share. Revenue for the period also topped forecasts. This performance was driven by a rise in net interest income to $163.6 million, supported by an expanded net interest margin of 3.11%. The bank also saw growth in noninterest income and improved its efficiency ratio, indicating solid operational management. Further boosting investor confidence, the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share and revealed it had repurchased 1.04 million shares. After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $25.32, up 0.6% from previous close. Is now the time to buy First Hawaiian Bank? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. What Is The Market Telling Us First Hawaiian Bank's shares are not very volatile and have only had 5 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today's move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business. First Hawaiian Bank is down 1% since the beginning of the year, and at $25.32 per share, it is trading 10.5% below its 52-week high of $28.30 from November 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of First Hawaiian Bank's shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,498. Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next.
