NVIDIA’s announcement of a foundation model platform to support development of robots and autonomous vehicles aligns well with one of our automation predictions for 2025: that one quarter of robotics projects will work to combine cognitive and physical automation. Many of the examples NVIDIA showed featured humanoid robots, but Cosmos is equally relevant to autonomous vehicles and other forms of physical robots. That’s just as well, because another of our predictions for 2025 is clear that less than 5% of robots entering factories in 2025 will walk. We first started writing about the integration of physical and cognitive automation in 2023, based on expanding orchestration capabilities combined with AI’s potential to add flexibility to physical robotics. The question being debated at Forrester is whether the January 6 launch of NVIDIA’s Cosmos world foundation model is a turning point, or just another high-value tech company jumping into the large language model (LLM) playing field. We think the former is more likely. Developers now have an “open” model designed to address physical automation use cases, meaning autonomous vehicles and robots. It’s the first LLM trained to understand the physical world. It is optimized for NVIDIA chips running in the cloud, on developers’ desktops, and out at the edge inside cars, trucks, and robots, and it plugs into expansive NVIDIA tools and frameworks. The ChatGPT moment may have arrived for our robot friends, yet two things have stalled the advance of robots in the physical world so far: solid use cases and the cost of infusing agility into robots. Generative AI, combined with rich training data (video and otherwise), goes some way to solving the agility problem, but the use case problem has proven harder to solve. In 2023, we published an adoption model showing six phases that physical automation must traverse to reach the “acceptable” sweet spot (see below). For example, janitorial robots were pushed to acceptability by the pandemic, while security robots still struggle to achieve similar acceptance. Let’s Learn From Past Mistakes The field of physical automation has, unfortunately, succumbed to the allure of media spectacle. Remember Boston Dynamics’ Spot performing backflips? This impressive feat, while captivating audiences in a “60 Minutes” feature, ultimately demonstrated limited practical applications. NVIDIA should be congratulated: It has introduced the first full developer capability that can take physical automation to the next level but now needs to show equal leadership in projecting how robots can interact with humans in both a productive and nonthreatening way.   More Physical Automation Research Is Coming Forrester analysts continue to research physical and cognitive automation, both together and separately. One piece of research later this year will specifically look at physical or embodied AI in the smart manufacturing and mobility context, along with all of the interesting things that happen when an AI system must observe and interact with the physical world around it. If you have perspectives to share, please do get in touch. source

By Matthew Perlman ( January 13, 2025, 5:28 PM EST) — The Federal Trade Commission has rejected Meta’s argument that the agency lacks authority to modify a $5 billion data privacy settlement as the social media giant continues fighting an order barring it from monetizing children’s data…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Best value: Square Best for low processing fees: Helcim Best for online businesses: PayPal Best for multichannel payment platforms: Stripe Best for invoicing: Wave Disclaimer: When I say “free,” I mean “no upfront costs, no monthly subscription fees, and no contracts.” I do not mean “no processing fees.” Every time a transaction is made electronically, whether online or in-person, a lengthy chain of stakeholders is involved in processing the transfer of funds, and each one takes a cut. So, there’s no truly free way to accept payments  — except cash, that is. That said, these merchant account providers all offer no monthly fees, long-term contracts, or monthly minimums; and, they offer competitive transaction fees. See our detailed comparison below. Top free merchant account providers compared Our rating (out of 5) Best for In-person transaction fee Online transaction fee Free card reader? Square 4.58 All-in-one solution 2.6% + $0.10 2.9% + $0.30 Yes, 1st magstripe reader Helcim 4.24 Low processing fees 1.83% + $0.08 (average) 2.27% + $0.25 (average) No PayPal 4.19 Online-only businesses 2.29% + $0.09 2.99% + $0.49 Yes, 1st card reader discounted Stripe 4.11 Selling in person and online 2.7% + $0.05 2.9% + $0.30 No Wave 3.83 Collecting payments via invoicing N/A From 2.9% N/A (online payments only) Square: Best value Our rating: 4.58 Image: Square We’re talking free, right? Well, what if we want free stuff in addition to free services? Well, that’s why Square is at the top of my list. To be clear, Square has many advantages, not just the free reader they send to new accounts when they sign on. Square often makes our best-of lists because of its convenient services and all of the payment tools it offers for free. Here are some of the things you can claim for signing up with Square for no cost other than what you pay in processing fees: A free magstripe card reader peripheral. Access to in-person card payment processing via Square’s POS. Access to virtual POS functionality and manual-entry transaction processing. Access to free website building, hosting, and online storefront support. Access to invoicing including “click to pay” buttons for your customers to pay online. Why I chose Square I mentioned several of the freebies Square throws your way in the list above. In addition to the freebies, the fees Square does charge are flat-rate, transparent, and easy to budget for. Bottom line: Square comes up so frequently because brands that sell in person, especially sole proprietors or small operations, stand to benefit dramatically from these much lower barriers to entry. And in this economy, any leg up when starting a business is welcome. Pricing Pricing plans Free — $0/month plus processing fees. Plus — $29/month plus processing fees. Premium — $89+/month plus processing fees. Processing fees In-person — 2.6% + $0.10. Online — 2.9% + $0.30. Manually entered — 3.5% + $0.15. Invoices — 3.3% + $0.30. Add-ons tools: From $5/month. Features Free Square account includes POS, online store/checkout, virtual terminal, invoicing, and more. Square includes a free mobile card reader with every signup; in-person rates are industry standard. Loads of add-ons and upgrades with valuable features at inexpensive prices. Square account balance example. Image: Square Pros and cons Pros Cons Lots of freebies, including free hardware. Less suited to businesses that accept most of their payments as card-not-present. Options for B2B services like marketing and business banking. Processing fees are not the lowest available. Custom processing rates available for high-volume sellers. SEE: Best cloud POS systems Helcim: Best for low processing fees Our rating: 4.24 Image: Helcim If the account is free, then the biggest expenses you’re likely to contend with are the processing fees. You can’t get around those fees, but you can minimize their impact by finding the ones most amenable to your organization. Helcim cuts down the costs across the board, but the numbers have to get kind of complicated to make it happen. Where Square and Stripe flatten transaction processing fees to a single price, Helcim doesn’t. The former two can only achieve a flat fee format by varying their own profit margin, meaning they sometimes take a bigger cut. Helcim does the opposite, applying the same (rather thin) profit margin to every transaction. In practice, it looks like your fees are all over the place — because they are — but you’re never paying extra just to get the flat fee. You only ever pay the interchange fees plus their flat margin. That’s why it’s known as “Interchange Plus pricing.” Why I chose Helcim In addition to interchange-plus rates, Helcim also offers pass-through fees; which allows customers and donors to pay processing fees and send you the full transaction amount. This isn’t commonly done in retail sales or other for-profit contexts. But if you’re running a nonprofit, a charity, or anything else that takes donations rather than selling goods/services, this can be quite the lifesaver. Donors are already looking to help you make the most of the money they’re giving, so the majority are happy to keep the fees from eating into what you receive. Interchange Plus and pass-through fees alone qualify Helcim for this list. Pricing No monthly fees. No contracts. Interchange Plus: Helcim’s processing fees are the base interchange rate plus its flat margin rate — .0.40% + $0.08 for in-person transactions, and 0.50% + $0.25 for online and manual entry. Features Interchange Plus pricing means you’ll pay less for processing fees with Helcim than anywhere else. Pass-through fees option so you can set up your processing to give the payee the option to eat the cost of those fees themselves. Volume-based discounts help you save more the more you sell. Helcim for Professional Services. Image: Helcim Pros and cons Pros Cons Super low processing fees, though calculations are a bit more confusing. You save less if you process mostly high-interchange transactions (e.g., AmEx). Better suited to businesses processing high volumes, nonprofits accepting donations, and organizations doing lots of ACH transactions. Fewer add-ons and

By Allison Grande ( January 15, 2025, 8:24 PM EST) — Web-hosting provider GoDaddy has agreed to overhaul its data security practices to resolve the Federal Trade Commission’s claims that the company failed to implement adequate measures to safeguard its services against cyberattacks that risked harm to its millions of customers, the commission said Wednesday…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Up Network, the user-powered AI agent operating system, has announced its partnership with DreamSmart to create Web3 AI glasses powered by Google Gemini. This product integrates state-of-the-art industrial design, AI, XR (extended reality) capabilities, and Web3 incentives, with the aim of redefining human-machine interaction and advancing the post-smartphone era. Developed under DreamSmart’s StarV brand, the Web3 AI glasses are aimed at changing how we connect with technology. Powered by Google’s Gemini, these glasses allow you to interact naturally—just by talking—while delivering seamless, intuitive experiences. They simplify complexity, adapt to your needs with context-aware intelligence, and ensure your data remains private and under your control. The glasses weigh just 44 grams, or about as much as the heavy side of ordinary glasses. They are built for all-day wear, delivering up to eight hours of battery life for uninterrupted usage. The glasses have an optical guidewave display, the glasses deliver a seamless extended reality (XR) experience for productivity, entertainment, and daily tasks. Google Gemini and other advanced AI agents, the glasses provide real-time contextual intelligence, and the companies claim they surpass current offerings from major tech players like Google and Samsung. Web3 Made Simple: AI Glasses Empowering Web3 for Everyone Web3 technologies are complex, requiring users to interact with decentralized systems, manage wallets and digital assets, and engage with blockchain-based applications. They haven’t proven as popular among consumers due to the complexity. Through its integration with Up Network, the Web3 AI Glasses elevates this experience by providing hands-free, natural language interaction, with real-time and context-aware assistance, bridging the gap between complexity and accessibility. The companies said the AI agent swarms eliminate the steep learning curve and complexities of Web3. By handling tasks collaboratively and intuitively, these agents enable anyone—even crypto newcomers—to interact with blockchain and AI using natural language. They use tokenized incentives allow users to earn by interacting with AI agents, contributing insights, and engaging in decentralized activities. And users own their data as an asset, maintaining full control and privacy through on-device processing and anonymized storage. The companies said they are creating a privacy-first experience. All interactions are securely processed on-device, ensuring users retain their data sovereignty without compromising usability. “This partnership with DreamSmart to launch the first Web3 AI Glasses represents a major step forward for Up Network,” said Devansh Khatri, cofounder at Up Network, in a statement. “These glasses are not just a device—they’re a gateway to the future of computing and decentralized technology, combining AI, XR, and Web3 incentives into one powerful ecosystem.” The Web3 AI Glasses will be available in Q1 2025. Additional details on pricing, market availability, and exclusive previews will be announced soon. DreamSmart is based in China. It was founded in March, 2023, and it has more than 4,000 people. Up Network is based in Singapore and it has 15 people. Up Network was founded in the summer of 2024, and it expects to announce a funding round soon. source

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule on Jan. 6 to improve cybersecurity and better protect the U.S. health care system from a growing number of cyberattacks. The latest proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act represent the department’s first major updates since 2013, addressing some of the most pressing cybersecurity challenges. However, they also highlight areas where further innovation is needed to protect sensitive patient information in an increasingly interconnected world. If finalized, these amendments will impose stricter requirements on HIPAA-covered entities — such as health care providers and insurers — and their business associates, emphasizing proactive cybersecurity measures. Stakeholders are encouraged to review the proposed changes and submit comments by March 7. 1 Semperis Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Large, Enterprise Features Advanced Attacks Detection, Advanced Automation, Anywhere Recovery, and more 2 ESET PROTECT Advanced Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Advanced Threat Defense, Full Disk Encryption , Modern Endpoint Protection, and more 3 ManageEngine Log360 Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and more New measures aim to protect data security — but companies still have work to do The proposed HIPAA Security Rule introduces mandatory measures that reflect the growing sophistication of cyber threats. These include end-to-end encryption, which ensures electronic Protected Health Information remains unreadable to unauthorized users throughout its lifecycle. Multi-factor authentication has also become mandatory for systems containing ePHI, balancing robust security with the operational demands of clinical settings. Additionally, continuous monitoring would replace periodic risk assessments, enabling organizations to proactively identify and address potential threats through automated systems that track access and maintain detailed audit logs. While these measures bolster defenses, they primarily focus on internal systems, leaving c gaps in third-party interactions and global data-sharing practices. SEE: China-Linked Cyber Threat Group Hacks US Treasury Department Addressing third-party risks Modern health care ecosystems depend on sharing sensitive content with vendors, subcontractors, and research collaborators. However, this approach introduces substantial risks. Research shows that nearly four in 10 health care organizations share sensitive content with 2,500 or more third parties. Centralized systems with encryption and access controls are essential for managing data exchanges securely. These platforms provide visibility into external data handling while enforcing consistent security measures. Clear third-party agreements are critical in mitigating risks by outlining specific security protocols, breach responses, and reporting requirements. Regular audits and real-time monitoring further strengthen defenses, helping organizations detect and address vulnerabilities promptly. Even a minor breach in one entity can expose the entire network to significant threats without such measures. Global research collaborations add another layer of complexity, requiring alignment with international standards such as GDPR. Policies safeguarding cross-border data sharing ensure sensitive information is protected across jurisdictions, enabling organizations to maintain compliance and collaboration in an interconnected health care landscape. Must-read security coverage Leveraging AI for compliance and cybersecurity Artificial intelligence holds transformative potential for cybersecurity — but its integration into HIPAA compliance remains underexplored. AI can monitor systems in real time, detect anomalies in file and email sharing, file transfer, and other sensitive content communication channels, and analyze historical data to anticipate and counter emerging threats. Predictive threat modeling and automated compliance tools simplify documentation and generate actionable insights. Clear regulatory standards are needed to harness AI’s potential. This includes validation protocols and ethical guidelines for its deployment. Integrating AI-driven solutions with existing security frameworks will enhance compliance and create a dynamic and adaptive defense against evolving cyber threats. SEE: Timeline: 15 Notable Cyberattacks and Data Breaches How AI plays a role in detecting and addressing cyber threats Real-time monitoring has significantly improved data security, but its effectiveness depends on integrating advanced technologies. Centralized audit logs are crucial, offering a consolidated view of data access and changes, which supports continuous monitoring and incident response. By maintaining detailed records, organizations can quickly detect and address anomalies. AI plays a pivotal role in enhancing these efforts. Machine learning algorithms dynamically analyze risks, identifying potential vulnerabilities before they escalate. AI can also detect patterns indicative of data misuse or unauthorized collaboration, ensuring proactive threat mitigation. Additionally, blockchain technology complements these efforts by providing immutable records that enhance transparency and accountability. Together, these innovations create a robust framework for continuous monitoring, making systems more resilient to sophisticated cyberattacks. Bridging the gaps in compliance Despite progress, several compliance challenges persist. Smaller providers often face difficulties in creating comprehensive documentation due to limited resources. The absence of standardized benchmarks across the industry leads to inconsistencies, while the lack of uniform reporting frameworks complicates audit processes. Centralized audit logs are key to addressing these gaps. Audit logs provide clear, actionable insights into data access, usage, and potential vulnerabilities by consolidating all compliance-related activities into a single system. These logs enable organizations to streamline reporting, ensure consistency, and simplify compliance audits by offering a transparent, real-time view of all activities. To further enhance compliance, organizations should adopt platforms that integrate automated reporting tools and dashboards with these audit logs. Real-time assessments and AI-driven analysis can identify anomalies and help prevent compliance breaches. Collaboration with trusted technology providers can also result in tailored solutions that address specific security and compliance challenges. By centralizing compliance management and leveraging technology, health care organizations can build scalable frameworks that align with regulatory requirements and enhance overall data protection. Ample patient-centric benefits of cybersecurity Stronger cybersecurity measures do more than prevent breaches; they foster trust. Patients are more likely to engage with providers who are committed to protecting their data. This trust supports broader innovations, such as personalized medicine and real-time health monitoring, ultimately enhancing the quality of care. Health care organizations can achieve operational

By PK Chakrabarti ( January 15, 2025, 2:57 PM EST) — The new federal government will likely bring significant changes in U.S. patent policy. These changes, spanning leadership transitions at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, industry policies, legislative initiatives and international trade strategies, will reflect the government’s renewed focus on strengthening intellectual property rights, fostering innovation and enhancing the nation’s competitive edge…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Researchers at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) have announced the release of LlamaV-o1, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence model capable of tackling some of the most complex reasoning tasks across text and images. By combining cutting-edge curriculum learning with advanced optimization techniques like Beam Search, LlamaV-o1 sets a new benchmark for step-by-step reasoning in multimodal AI systems. “Reasoning is a fundamental capability for solving complex multi-step problems, particularly in visual contexts where sequential step-wise understanding is essential,” the researchers wrote in their technical report, published today. Fine-tuned for reasoning tasks that require precision and transparency, the AI model outperforms many of its peers on tasks ranging from interpreting financial charts to diagnosing medical images. In tandem with the model, the team also introduced VRC-Bench, a benchmark designed to evaluate AI models on their ability to reason through problems in a step-by-step manner. With over 1,000 diverse samples and more than 4,000 reasoning steps, VRC-Bench is already being hailed as a game-changer in multimodal AI research. LlamaV-o1 outperforms competitors like Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Gemini 1.5 Flash in identifying patterns and reasoning through complex visual tasks, as demonstrated in this example from the VRC-Bench benchmark. The model provides step-by-step explanations, arriving at the correct answer, while other models fail to match the established pattern. (credit: arxiv.org) How LlamaV-o1 stands out from the competition Traditional AI models often focus on delivering a final answer, offering little insight into how they arrived at their conclusions. LlamaV-o1, however, emphasizes step-by-step reasoning — a capability that mimics human problem-solving. This approach allows users to see the logical steps the model takes, making it particularly valuable for applications where interpretability is essential. The researchers trained LlamaV-o1 using LLaVA-CoT-100k, a dataset optimized for reasoning tasks, and evaluated its performance using VRC-Bench. The results are impressive: LlamaV-o1 achieved a reasoning step score of 68.93, outperforming well-known open-source models like LlaVA-CoT (66.21) and even some closed-source models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet. “By leveraging the efficiency of Beam Search alongside the progressive structure of curriculum learning, the proposed model incrementally acquires skills, starting with simpler tasks such as [a] summary of the approach and question derived captioning and advancing to more complex multi-step reasoning scenarios, ensuring both optimized inference and robust reasoning capabilities,” the researchers explained. The model’s methodical approach also makes it faster than its competitors. “LlamaV-o1 delivers an absolute gain of 3.8% in terms of average score across six benchmarks while being 5X faster during inference scaling,” the team noted in its report. Efficiency like this is a key selling point for enterprises looking to deploy AI solutions at scale. AI for business: Why step-by-step reasoning matters LlamaV-o1’s emphasis on interpretability addresses a critical need in industries like finance, medicine and education. For businesses, the ability to trace the steps behind an AI’s decision can build trust and ensure compliance with regulations. Take medical imaging as an example. A radiologist using AI to analyze scans doesn’t just need the diagnosis — they need to know how the AI reached that conclusion. This is where LlamaV-o1 shines, providing transparent, step-by-step reasoning that professionals can review and validate. The model also excels in fields like chart and diagram understanding, which are vital for financial analysis and decision-making. In tests on VRC-Bench, LlamaV-o1 consistently outperformed competitors in tasks requiring interpretation of complex visual data. But the model isn’t just for high-stakes applications. Its versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of tasks, from content generation to conversational agents. The researchers specifically tuned LlamaV-o1 to excel in real-world scenarios, leveraging Beam Search to optimize reasoning paths and improve computational efficiency. Beam Search allows the model to generate multiple reasoning paths in parallel and select the most logical one. This approach not only boosts accuracy but reduces the computational cost of running the model, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. LlamaV-o1 excels in diverse reasoning tasks, including visual reasoning, scientific analysis and medical imaging, as shown in this example from the VRC-Bench benchmark. Its step-by-step explanations provide interpretable and accurate outcomes, outperforming competitors in tasks such as chart comprehension, cultural context analysis and complex visual perception. (credit: arxiv.org) What VRC-Bench means for the future of AI The release of VRC-Bench is as significant as the model itself. Unlike traditional benchmarks that focus solely on final answer accuracy, VRC-Bench evaluates the quality of individual reasoning steps, offering a more nuanced assessment of an AI model’s capabilities. “Most benchmarks focus primarily on end-task accuracy, neglecting the quality of intermediate reasoning steps,” the researchers explained. “[VRC-Bench] presents a diverse set of challenges with eight different categories ranging from complex visual perception to scientific reasoning with over [4,000] reasoning steps in total, enabling robust evaluation of LLMs’ abilities to perform accurate and interpretable visual reasoning across multiple steps.” This focus on step-by-step reasoning is particularly critical in fields like scientific research and education, where the process behind a solution can be as important as the solution itself. By emphasizing logical coherence, VRC-Bench encourages the development of models that can handle the complexity and ambiguity of real-world tasks. LlamaV-o1’s performance on VRC-Bench speaks volumes about its potential. On average, the model scored 67.33% across benchmarks like MathVista and AI2D, outperforming other open-source models like Llava-CoT (63.50%). These results position LlamaV-o1 as a leader in the open-source AI space, narrowing the gap with proprietary models like GPT-4o, which scored 71.8%. AI’s next frontier: Interpretable multimodal reasoning While LlamaV-o1 represents a major breakthrough, it’s not without limitations. Like all AI models, it is constrained by the quality of its training data and may struggle with highly technical or adversarial prompts. The researchers also caution against using the model in high-stakes decision-making scenarios, such as healthcare or financial predictions, where errors could have serious consequences. Despite these challenges, LlamaV-o1 highlights the growing importance of multimodal AI systems that can seamlessly integrate text, images

By Catherine Marfin ( January 14, 2025, 8:26 PM EST) — Texas’ push before the U.S. Supreme Court for a relaxed standard of judicial review in First Amendment cases is unlikely to come to fruition, as decades of precedent work against the state’s law requiring age verification on pornography sites…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source