Fear of new technology in schools is exaggerated
We shouldn’t be too worried that conversational agents such as ChatGPT might be making cheats of our pupils. Schools should be empowering them to try out new technologies.

We shouldn’t be too worried that conversational agents such as ChatGPT might be making cheats of our pupils. Schools should be empowering them to try out new technologies.
Imagine being treated ‘in hospital’ via an advanced VR headset! Researchers are now making this possible with the help of local ‘health rooms’ and so-called ‘augmented reality’. Results from their experiments have so far proved to be quite promising.
This summer, a coalition of researchers led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology reported the first-ever use of a fibre-optic cable network to eavesdrop on whales in the Arctic. Now they suggest these networks be used to establish a low-cost global ocean-earth observatory.
There’s been no lack of scandals in the IT industry. When NAV, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, experienced difficulties in the middle of a major project, they changed their methods – and came up with a successful solution.
Linguistic logic rooted in classical philosophy can help us in our search for future eco-friendly materials.
If only the Norwegian building and construction industry would embrace a little more digitalisation, this alone would enable Norway to achieve its 2023 emissions target agreed with the EU.
Blind faith in data as a perfect reflection of reality is causing many businesses to make decisions on false premises.
The number of abuse cases against children via the internet has increased by almost 50 per cent in five years, according to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Researchers at NTNU in Gjøvik have developed algorithms that can help detect planned online grooming by analysing conversations.
The Earth’s oceans are crisscrossed with roughly 1.2 million km of fibre optic telecommunication cables — enough to girdle the planet 30 times. Researchers have now succeeded in using fibre in a submarine cable as a passive listening system, enabling them to listen to and monitor whales.
Drug dealers have tricked shipping cargo tracking systems to think drugs are “bananas” and unknown actors have jammed GPS signals in northern Norwegian waters. Fixing these problems requires understanding how seafarers themselves perceive cyber risks — so they can do a better job protecting themselves and their vessels.
High energy prices highlight the importance of the thousands of kilometres of insulated pipe networks and equipment in industrial plants. However, corrosion under the pipes’ insulation is hard to detect and can have severe consequences. New surveillance technology being developed by SINTEF can help combat this looming threat.
Speedy work carried out for free in Norway resulted in an IT system that protects refugees against human traffickers at the Polish-Ukrainian border. This type of aid work may become financially self-supporting.
Unauthorized people who break into an organization’s computer system can create a serious crisis. It’s critical that businesses, organizations and governments practise for possible attacks. The Norwegian Cyber Range at NTNU offers full-scale simulations of handling cyber and information security incidents.
A new app under development is using deep learning and artificial intelligence to classify different kinds of sea ice. People snapping photos during Arctic cruises and uploading them to the new app could someday help prevent Titanic -scale disasters.
New technologies, including artificial intelligence, allow us to study salmon behaviour and their living environment in large-scale commercial sea cages.
Billions could be saved and earned by digitalizing the mining and metals industry. China and Norway are working together to make it happen.
What’s needed to be able to safely send a vessel to sea with no crew? How will these vessels detect a kayaker or a recreational boat that drifts into the course of the unmanned vessel? A new Centre for Research-Based Innovation, SFI AutoShip, will look for answers to these questions – and more.
The race is on to get Norway ready for the next big technology revolution – quantum computers, and the first Norwegian centre for quantum technology is being rolled out.
The coming wave of ageing Westerners could turn into a tsunami, but new technology is available to help. What kind of technology is needed? And do urban and rural areas need the same solutions?
Do you have poor motor skills or struggle to read, write or solve math problems? Maybe it’s really because of how your brain interprets what it sees.
In the classroom, non-educational distractions are only a click or two away. However, a recent SINTEF report demonstrates that these thieves of school pupils’ attention are already being severely weakened.
Imagine yourself putting on a suit of extra muscles, seeing with super vision and inspired with new skills – with sensors making sure that you don’t overextend yourself. This is the idea behind the project called “HuMan”, which has recently delivered what looks like pure sci-fi technology to partners including an Airbus factory.
We are approaching the limit for how much more microprocessors can be developed. Gunnar Tufte proposes building computers in a completely new way, inspired by the human brain and nanotechnology.
Sometimes it’s hard to know what a person has actually died from. But post-mortem CT scans may provide a useful tool.