Latest news with #Hungarian-language
Budapest Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Government Commissioner Palkovics: Current AI structures unlikely to lead to consciousness
'Humanity does not accidentally create adversaries—we build tools to help us,' the government commissioner said. László Palkovics, Government Commissioner for Artificial Intelligence, stated that artificial intelligence in its current form is unlikely to become self-aware. Speaking on the latest episode of the Bold Truth About Hungary podcast hosted by State Secretary Zoltán Kovács, he emphasized that conscious AI would require deliberate intent. 'Why would humanity want to create an enemy? We already have enough,' he said. Palkovics argued that concerns over conscious AI are better suited for philosophical discussion than scientific debate. 'These are interesting fears, good for conversations—but mostly with philosophers or theologians, not mathematicians or engineers,' he added. Discussing the foundations of AI development, he outlined four critical factors: access to data, computational power, a suitable legal and financial environment, and intent paired with talent. 'Hungary possesses all four,' he said, pointing to structured national data sets in agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, and healthcare, as well as the Central Statistical Office's archives. He noted that Hungary already operates several smaller supercomputers, including the Komondor system in Debrecen, and announced plans for a procurement process to acquire a 20-petaflop machine named Levente. The country's energy mix, he added, supports the operational demands of such systems, including their need for continuous and increasingly renewable energy. Addressing calls for Hungarian-made, Hungarian-language AI models, Palkovics acknowledged their limitations compared to global systems but stressed their utility in domain-specific applications. 'The value lies in the data we train them on—and we have a lot of usable, well-structured data,' he said. He also defended Hungary's Digital Citizenship Program, rejecting fears of surveillance. 'It is a service that simplifies and improves state operations while making citizens' lives more convenient,' he stated. Reflecting on his previous cabinet role, Palkovics concluded that the government now recognizes the untapped potential of existing national data for policy preparation and public service modernization.
Budapest Times
06-08-2025
- Business
- Budapest Times
GVH launches investigation into Ryanair over suspected unfair online booking practices
The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has initiated a competition supervision proceeding against Ryanair, suspecting the Irish-based low-cost airline of engaging in unfair commercial practices during its online ticket booking process, the authority announced on Tuesday. According to the GVH, Ryanair's Hungarian-language website may mislead consumers in multiple ways, particularly when booking return trips or tickets for multiple passengers. The authority suspects that the airline fails to adequately inform users that fare package prices and optional services—such as baggage and boarding preferences—must be paid separately for each leg and for each passenger. The GVH highlighted the way prices for fare options like 'Regular', 'Plus', and 'FlexiPlus', as well as optional services like 'Priority Boarding with 2 Cabin Bags' and 'Security Fast Track', are displayed. These practices may pressure consumers into choices they would not otherwise make. The authority also raised concerns about potential psychological pressure during the booking process, citing the use of colors, visuals, and prompts that present the 'Regular' fare as more attractive than the basic fare—despite the possibility of obtaining the same services at a lower total cost by adding them manually to the 'Basic' fare. GVH further noted that pop-up windows and urgency-inducing messages promoting the 'Fast Track' service may unduly limit consumer choice, amounting to another suspected unfair practice. While the launch of the investigation does not imply that a violation has occurred, the GVH will now assess the facts and determine whether Ryanair breached Hungarian competition rules. The process may take up to three months, extendable twice for two additional months each, if needed. The GVH underlined that it has closely monitored the domestic aviation market in recent years, previously conducting a sector-wide analysis in 2022 on the use of psychological tactics and so-called 'dark patterns' by low-cost carriers and price comparison websites.
Budapest Times
26-07-2025
- General
- Budapest Times
Bringing a growth mindset to learning Hungarian
When I first moved to Hungary all those years ago, I had plans. Big plans. Great plans. I was going to be the most resolute Hungarian-language student ever to set foot in the city and be fluent in six months. Within a week of arriving, I'd signed up for a course over in Buda. In the next 12 weeks, I learned a smattering of words and one sentence perfectly: Nem jól beszélek magyarul (I don't speak Hungarian well). Then I had a teacher who would show up at my flat with pictures of fruit and veg and groceries cut from magazines to prepare me for my trip to the market. I came back from holiday to find that she'd died. I hope it wasn't from frustration at my not being able to correctly pronounce tej (milk). I tried an intensive Debrecen course. Twice. Once in person (I got an A in the final exam but still hadn't mastered the accusative t) and once online (I was by far the worst in my class; because I spoke a little quite well, I was incorrectly assessed, something that would happen again, and again, and again). I made yet another attempt last year and came away frustrated and disheartened. But this time, I learned two valuable lessons. First, there is a place for ageism in language learning. My ageing brain doesn't soak up as much as the bright young med students in the same class. I don't process things as quickly as the engineer who's moved here from the Emirates. And I can't get my tongue around the sprinkles as well as someone who already speaks four other languages. And second, even though I give group workshops, I'm not a group learner. Midway through my most recent attempt earlier this year, feeling increasingly frustrated by the relentless pressure to absorb on the spot, Facebook coughed up an ad for three free sessions with a young woman called Zsófi. I was fed up and frustrated and it was free. So I signed up. Zsófi is a Hungarian living in Transylvania with her Italian husband, Mark. They met while attending agricultural college in Gödöllő, later moving to Rotterdam, where they both learned Dutch and worked in sales and marketing in the agricultural sector. Fast forward a few years, Zsófi brought Mark home to Marosvásárhely ( Târgu Mureș). They bought the oldest house in a village and began a long renovation, planting crops and raising animals, living off their savings and what little they could make from their produce. The few jobs that were available didn't offer much by way either compensation or challenge. Mark busied himself learning Hungarian, and on that learning journey, the pair spotted a huge gap in the market. Available materials were often subpar, dated, and irrelevant. The teaching was dry and devoid of cultural context and broader references. Timing was an issue, too, as weekly classes meant you had to swallow whole what was handed to you; there was little time to savour and get a feel for the lessons. And if you missed out, you missed out. Your loss. Between them they speak six languages, so they know what they're at. They didn't learn Dutch because they had to. They could have survived without it. But they wanted to integrate, to feel more comfortable, to feel as if they belonged. This is something too often ignored in traditional teaching, which is more functional than emotional. They decided to create something of value, something that they knew would work, building on what they'd learned from their own experiences. If the material isn't interesting, students give up. If the student has an internal battle of priorities going on, language learning will often lose out. If the student feels like they have to learn rather than want to learn, that makes a difference. They spent two years developing audio and visual material imbued with cultural context and references. They structured the lessons to capture the three keys to effective language learning: tools, motivation, and mindset. They built their platform with the user in mind. Mark is now fluent. Zsófi, as a true Hungarian-speaking Transylvanian, always was. The pair have something few Hungarian language teachers have, and many Hungarian students share – they have experienced Hungary from the outside. Zsófi mentioned her time in Gödöllő, where she had just one Hungarian friend. Although she identified as Hungarian, other students insisted she was Romanian. 'I have a Romanian passport', she said, 'but I was born and grew up Hungarian.' She used her time there to practise her English. Their online Hungarian Campus™ takes the complete novice from zero to fluent in five stages: Hungarian Incubator™ (for complete beginners or restarters); Hungarian Elevator™ (for those who have the basics and want to master the grammar); Hungarian Hero Maker™ (for intermediate speakers who want to level up); Hungarian Horizon™ (for the almost fluent to gain confidence and momentum); and Hungarian Speaking Club™ (for gaining fluency and practising). The first four stages contain 10 weekly modules sandwiched between an intro and a wrap-up. The Hungarian Speaking Club™ runs weekly for three-month semesters (try a free session). They know it works because 70%-75% of students move on to the next phase. I know it works because I've tried it. I signed up for the Hungarian Incubator™, wanting to start over, from the beginning. I know my level. I've been misclassified so many times. No one can say how well or otherwise I speak after a 5-minute conversation, because if I get the right questions, I can wing it. I was surprised by how quickly we were immersed in the language. Zsófi is a strong advocate of simply speaking. Of trying. Done is better than perfect, right? From the outset, we were speaking, learning new words, and forming complete sentences. Much of it I knew already, but I had been missing the reasoning, the rationale, the explanations as to why something is the way it is. For the first time, Hungarian began to make sense. I recaptured the joy of learning something new. It was fun. And when I'm having fun, I'm not stressing about what I'm doing wrong. As Mark noted, 'When you connect language learning with positive emotions and come away happy and uplifted, you're more inspired and more inclined to continue learning.' Getting a language psychologist in to talk about barriers to language learning is just one of the many innovative markers of the Hungarian Campus™. Their website boldly asks one question: Do you want to feel at home in Hungary? Yes. Yes. And yes again. Confident in the knowledge that anyone who gets a taste of their methodology will want more, they offer 60 minutes of free content over 10 videos. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself. Knowing that my life has been peppered with good intentions, I worried that I'd fall behind, which I did, and drop out, which I didn't because I could catch up. If I missed a session, I could replay the recording. I could go back over old modules. Zsófi estimates that with 90 minutes a week for the live session, 90 minutes for the module, and 90 minutes for homework, an average student will progress. That's four and a half hours a week. The games and quizzes are extras. The leaderboard plays to competitive spirits. And the contextual explanations and cultural references make Hungarian and the reasoning behind it more understandable. Zsófi and Mark want to grow the Campus, to scale up to where they can employ additional teachers and continue to build what is already a growing community from around the world who come together with a common goal – to learn Hungarian. Some do it for work. Some do it for family. Some do it to reconnect with their heritage. Just as these two former agricultural students now tend to their crops, they also tend to their students. By applying a growth mindset to teaching Hungarian, they're cultivating an appreciation for the culture and the country, for its traditions and its stories, and for the language with all its complexities. Zsófi also uses this winning combination in her 1-2-1 coaching for the Hungarian Citizenship/Residence Permit exam. Contact her at info@ Whether you're a complete beginner or already fluent but with no one to speak to, the Hungarian Campus is where you want to be. Try it and see. Mary Murphy works to help people find both their written and their spoken voice. Read more at | | |
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Copyright Office Offers Assurances on AI Filmmaking Tools
The U.S. Copyright Office declared Wednesday that the use of artificial intelligence tools to assist in the creative process does not undermine the copyright of a work. The announcement clears the way for continued adoption of AI in post-production, where it has become increasingly common, such as in the enhancement of Hungarian-language dialogue in 'The Brutalist.' Studios, whose business model is founded on strong copyright protections, have expressed concern that AI tools could be inhibited by regulatory obstacles. More from Variety 'Clean' AI Video Model to Launch in Early 2025 Targeting Hollywood Clients (EXCLUSIVE) WGA Sends Letter to Studios, Urging Lawsuits Against AI Plagiarism: 'Inaction has Harmed WGA Members' Two Animation Guild Leaders Oppose Contract Over AI Provisions: 'This Is the Time to Fight' In a 41-page report, the Copyright Office also reiterated that human authorship is essential to copyright, and that merely entering text prompts into an AI system is not enough to claim authorship of the resulting output. This is the first time the Copyright Office has weighed in on the issue since March 2023, just a few months after the release of ChatGPT. The report broadly aligns with the office's earlier positions, though it offers greater assurance of AI's legitimacy when used to supplement the creative process. 'The use of AI tools to assist rather than stand in for human creativity does not affect the availability of copyright protection for the output,' the report states. Consistent with its earlier guidance, the office also held that a work is eligible for copyright protection if the author creatively 'selects and arranges' AI-generated elements. 'Copyright protects the original expression in a work created by a human author, even if the work also includes AI-generated material,' the report states. The report marks a significant event in the two-year debate over AI in the creative fields. When the Copyright Office asked for input on the issue in 2023, it received more than 10,000 comments, including many from artists and musicians who argued that AI steals their work and poses a grave threat to their livelihoods. This is the second of three AI reports based on that input. The first, issued last July, called for legislation to combat AI-generated replicas that mimic a person's voice and likeness. A third report will tackle the fraught debate over whether AI models should be allowed to 'train' on copyrighted work without a license. In its initial AI guidance two years ago, the office emphasized that work created by a machine is not eligible for copyright protection. Copyright registrants were directed to disclaim any AI-generated material. The Motion Picture Association, which represents seven major studios, took issue with that provision, saying it was 'misguided' and that it would prove burdensome and unworkable in the context of films and TV shows. The MPA cited a series of post-production processes — such as de-aging actors, removing unwanted objects from shots, and rotoscoping — that can benefit from AI. 'Artists have expressed enthusiasm for AI tools that enhance their work, and for continued technological development of these and similar tools,' the MPA wrote. 'In short, the use of AI technology presents developing opportunities for creators and their audiences. MPA's members are optimistic about that future.' In its report, the Copyright Office referenced the MPA's comments about de-aging and other post-production effects, and said it agrees that 'assistive uses that enhance human expression do not limit copyright protection.' The office also said it has no issue with AI being used as a brainstorming tool, or to create outlines for literary works. Where it draws the line is with systems like Midjourney, which can generate images based on simple text prompts. To illustrate its point, the Copyright Office used Google's Gemini to create an image of a cat smoking a pipe. Many elements of the image — such as the human hand — appear to be random, the office found, concluding that the user does not have sufficient control to claim authorship. Some commenters argued that AI image generation is an iterative process and that the user can assert control through multiple revisions of the prompts. The Copyright Office was not persuaded by that argument. 'By revising and submitting prompts multiple times, the user is 're-rolling' the dice, causing the system to generate more outputs from which to select, but not altering the degree of control over the process,' the report states. The office also rejected the idea of creating additional copyright protection for AI-generated work, taking note of potential threats to human creators, while acknowledging that 'its effects on employment are difficult to predict.' 'We share the concerns expressed about the impact of AI-generated material on human authors and the value that their creative expression provides to society,' the office stated. 'If authors cannot make a living from their craft, they are likely to produce fewer works. And in our view, society would be poorer if the sparks of human creativity become fewer or dimmer.' Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in February 2025
