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NCA Launches 'Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Pioneers Grants' Initiative

NCA Launches 'Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Pioneers Grants' Initiative
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NCA Launches 'Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Pioneers Grants' Initiative

NCA Launches 'Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Pioneers Grants' Initiative

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) announced the launch of the "Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Pioneers Grants" initiative. This initiative aims to empower outstanding researchers and innovators to develop breakthrough research and disruptive innovations for current and emerging cybersecurity challenges, accelerating their impact both nationally and internationally, SPA reported.
NCA is launching this initiative in collaboration with its technical arm, the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), as part of the "National Program for Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) in Cybersecurity."
The national program serves as a launch pad for transformative initiatives that unlock new horizons and foster cybersecurity industry development on a national level. Its aim is to solidify Saudi Arabia's standing as a secure global economic driver built on innovation and cybersecurity excellence.
The program prioritizes eight areas: NextGen Cyber Defense, Cyber Resilience, Cyber-Physical Technologies and IoT, AI x Cyber, Cryptography and Quantum Security, Behavioral Cyber, Future of Cyber Threats and Attacks, and Cyber Order. By nurturing robust national and international partnerships in cybersecurity RDI, the program is described as "the cornerstone of building an attractive innovation ecosystem in this critical field."
The Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Pioneers Grants initiative will provide grants for researchers, academics, experts, and university students at various levels in cybersecurity or related fields. It will nurture broader-scale advancements in cybersecurity RDI under three primary tracks: Scientific Research and Projects, Postgraduate Research Theses, and Bachelor's and Master's Graduation Projects.

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China's Baidu Launches Two New AI Models as Industry Competition Heats Up

People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)
People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)
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China's Baidu Launches Two New AI Models as Industry Competition Heats Up

People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)
People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)

China's Baidu said on Sunday it has launched two new artificial intelligence models, including a new reasoning-focused model that it said rivalled DeepSeek's model, as it vies to stand out in a fiercely competitive AI race.

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's roll-out of AI models which it says is on par with, or even better than, industry-leading models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, has roiled the industry and re-energized the global AI race.

"ERNIE X1 delivers performance on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price," Baidu said of one of the new models.

The X1 has "stronger understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution capabilities," Baidu said, adding that it is the first deep thinking model that uses tools autonomously.

Baidu said its latest foundation model ERNIE 4.5 has "excellent multimodal understanding ability. It has more advanced language ability, and its understanding, generation, logic, and memory abilities are comprehensively improved."

It also has "high EQ", and it is easy to understand network memes and satirical cartoons, Baidu said.

One of China's earliest tech giants to launch a ChatGPT-style chatbot, Baidu has struggled to gain widespread adoption for its Ernie large language model, despite claiming performance comparable to OpenAI's GPT-4, amid fierce competition.

Multimodal AI systems are capable of processing and integrating various types of data including text, video, images and audio, and can convert content across these formats.