Latest news with #RohitPrasad
Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘We are told the plan, not asked': 86% of elders feel valued, but unheard, excluded, says report
The youth in India primarily associate elders as being 'lonely', 'dependent', but also 'wise' and 'respected', indicating a mix of empathy and admiration, along with the existence of stereotypical views, according to a latest report by HelpAge India to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15). The first-of-its-kind national study titled 'Understanding Intergenerational Dynamics and Perceptions on Ageing' report (India Intergenerational Bonds – INBO Report) also pointed out that though 86 per cent of elders feel valued, many elders still feel emotionally distant, unheard, or excluded from meaningful engagement. The study was conducted across 10 Metro and non-Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Nagpur, and Madurai), covering the youth and the elderly population. It addresses the urgent need to understand emotional, relational, and psychological aspects of intergenerational ties in urban India. The study surveyed 5,798 respondents, with the proportion of youth (18-30 years) – 70% and elders (60 years and above) – 30%. 'This report offers both a heartening affirmation and a timely wake-up call. While respect for elders and family ties remain deeply cherished in India, with 86% of elders feeling valued, beneath the surface lies a quieter, more concerning disconnect. Many elders still feel emotionally distant, unheard, or excluded from meaningful engagement. Expressions like `We are told the plan, not asked' reflect a perception-practice gap that needs to be addressed as per the report,' Rohit Prasad, CEO, HelpAge India, said. The study combined the quantitative element along with qualitative Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to explore perceptions, interactions, and emotional dynamics between youth and elders in urban India. 'Through intentional collaboration across generations—in caregiving, digital literacy, lifelong learning, and volunteering—we can transform ageing from a phase of isolation into one of shared purpose, where generations are bridged not just in proximity, but in vision and co creation,' Prasad said in the report. As of 2025, approximately 12 per cent of the Indian population is aged 60 and above, a figure projected to rise to 19 per cent by 2050. At the same time, India also holds the distinction of being home to the world's largest youth population, with over 365 million individuals aged between 15 and 29 years. As per the data, more than half the young population (56%) felt that the senior citizens are are lonely, while some had the perception that they are 'dependent' (48%), and 'wise' (51%) and 'respected' (43%). 'Youth acknowledge the generation gap but are willing to bridge it—volunteering to talk to lonely elders, assist with errands, and support digital inclusion. They want educational institutions to help them understand ageing and organize intergenerational activities. And while elders may sometimes feel undervalued, they still want to spend more time with youth, feel uplifted after meeting them, and prefer living in family. That's the complexity to collectively address —by strengthening the positives and consciously addressing the gaps,' Anupama Datta, Policy Research and Advocacy, HelpAge India added.
Globe and Mail
31-03-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Amazon (AMZN) Launches New AI Tool that Can Perform Tasks in a Web Browser
Earlier today, e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN) launched Nova Act, which is a new artificial intelligence tool that can perform tasks in a web browser, like making purchases, booking reservations, or filling out forms. This new AI model is designed to compete with others in the space, such as OpenAI's Operator, which is backed by tech company Microsoft (MSFT) and can handle similar web-based tasks. Don't Miss Our End of Quarter Offers: Discover the latest stocks recommended by top Wall Street analysts, all in one place with Analyst Top Stocks. Make smarter investments with weekly expert stock picks from the Smart Investor Newsletter. To help developers get started, Amazon is offering a research preview of the Nova Act SDK, which gives them early access to test the tool. The company also launched a new website, where people can explore and experiment with Nova's features. Rohit Prasad, Amazon's SVP of Artificial General Intelligence, said that the goal is to give developers an easy way to test ideas and later scale them using Amazon Bedrock. The Nova AI family was first introduced in December and includes several models. There are three for generating text—Nova Micro, Lite, and Pro—and two for creating media. Nova Canvas creates images, while Nova Reel generates videos from both text and image inputs. This new launch builds on those models by adding more advanced capabilities to act directly on the web. Is Amazon Stock Expected to Rise? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on AMZN stock based on 45 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average AMZN price target of $269.38 per share implies 43.8% upside potential. See more AMZN stock analyst ratings
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Amazon Alexa is getting a refresh on February 26
Amazon has announced an event on February 26, where a new, more intelligent version of the Alexa assistant is expected to be launched. The event was teased with a quintet of images that, when joined together, have a background that spells out 'Alexa'. An AI-enhanced Alexa digital assistant that is able to respond more like a chatbot has been in the works for some time. It was expected to be announced last autumn, but had faced technical hurdles than threaten to make this new version of Alexa less useful – and more annoying – than the one we have today. According to Amazon AI head Rohit Prasad, the work-in-progress version of the assistant is susceptible to hallucinations, as he said in an interview with the FT. Hallucinations refer to the habit of LLMs, the tech that powers AI chatbots, to make stuff up. Mr Prasad told the FT that hallucinations need to be 'close to zero' before the software launches to the public. A version of the LLM-based Alexa has been available to some users as a beta for some time, unlocked using the 'let's chat' command. Whether you really want a chatty Alexa if you use it primarily to turn your smart lights on and off is up for debate. And it may come with a sting. Last year, The Washington Post reported Amazon was preparing to introduce a subscription fee for Alexa, pay-walling some AI features. And that could include this supposedly smarter take on Alexa. Amazon has sold well over 500 million Alexa devices, which include Echo speakers – it hit that milestone in 2023. The February 26 event may also be used to refresh the company's Echo line-up. While a smarter Alexa would likely not necessitate new hardware, some of the key models in the family are now quite aged. The Echo Dot had its last design update in 2022, while the larger standard Echo speaker hasn't changed since 2020. Since then, Amazon has introduced the low-cost Echo Pop in 2023, and the bedside-ready Echo Spot in 2024.
