A severe heatwave is gripping large parts of India, with the capital city of New Delhi topping 46 degrees Celsius and some northern regions breaking temperature records, meteorologists warned on Monday.
Experts from India's meteorological department predict that the extreme heat will persist in parts of the country through Thursday and Friday, posing major challenges for outdoor workers.
"The hot weather has caused us a lot of trouble. Even in the evening, it would still be 42 or 43 degrees Celsius, and on Tuesday, the temperature hit 46 degrees. Workers cover their heads up like this to shield from the sun, try to stay in the shade as much as possible, and cut back on time outdoors. We always carry lemon water and drink plenty to stay healthy, just barely managing to keep working," said Umakant, an outdoor worker in New Delhi. Apart from the capital, Uttar Pradesh and other regions are also suffering intense heat. In some parts of Uttar Pradesh, the temperatures reached up to 48.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the highest recorded there since 1951.
Forecasters expect the scorching conditions to continue across much of India for at least another week.
Northern India swelters as temperatures hit record highs
Northern India swelters as temperatures hit record highs
Artificial intelligence is developing faster than governments and institutions across the world can respond, highlighting the need for a global platform to address emerging challenges, Rein Tammsaar, co-chair of the United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, said on Monday.
Speaking in a media briefing session on the sidelines of the two-day UN Global Dialogue on AI that opened on Monday, Tammsaar, who is also the permanent representative of Estonia to the UN, said the dialogue would serve as an opportunity to further build international consensus and lay a solid foundation for improving AI global governance under the UN framework.
"It is true that the AI development is happening quicker than anyone can react to this. And we see it around the world, frankly. We're able here to start something, meaningful discussion, on a global level, create a platform and to address few issues," said Tammsaar.
Attendees of the dialogue believe that AI is both an important engine for promoting economic and social development, and requires the establishment of corresponding international rules to seek a balance between encouraging innovation and preventing risks.
In addition to focusing on AI security governance, the dialogue also emphasized discussions on capacity building in developing countries, digital infrastructure and technology sharing. Many developing countries expressed their welcome and appreciation for China's AI open-source initiatives, hoping that more countries can share in the benefits of AI development.
Chinese scientists with UN's Independent International Scientific Panel on AI spoke on relevant topics, and gave an overall presentation on China's achievements in AI development, governance experience and international contributions.
Global AI dialogue aims to keep pace with rapid technological changes: UN official
