NoneThe AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Chris Walker had 16 points in Binghamton’s 78-68 victory over Army on Sunday. Walker also added five rebounds for the Bearcats (8-6). Tymu Chenery went 6 of 14 from the field (2 for 4 from 3-point range) to add 16 points. Nehemiah Benson shot 6 of 11 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points. It was the sixth straight win for the Bearcats. Josh Scovens finished with 16 points and two blocks for the Black Knights (5-6). Army also got 14 points and two steals from Jalen Rucker. Ryan Curry had 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Binghamton took the lead with 10:44 to go in the first half and did not give it up. The score was 42-33 at halftime, with Walker racking up 11 points. Binghamton outscored Army by one point in the final half, while Benson led the way with a team-high 13 second-half points. Both teams next play Sunday. Binghamton visits Marist and Army plays UTSA at home. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The availability of small language models (SLMs) and open-source AI models, as well as a greater number of skilled workers, are expected to make generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) more accessible to organisations. Data intelligence platform Statista estimated that the Thai GenAI market is projected to reach US$180 million in 2024, with annual growth of 46.5% from 2024-2030, resulting in a market volume of $1.77 billion by 2030. According to the Digital Economy Promotion Agency's Thailand Digital Technology Foresight 2035 report, by 2030 Thailand's AI market size is expected to be 114 billion baht. GenAI is a type of AI technology that can generate various types of content, ranging from text, imagery, audio and synthetic data. OPEN-SOURCE MODELS Juhi McClelland, managing partner for IBM Consulting in Asia-Pacific, said that while general-purpose large language models (LLMs) have their advantages, this one-size-fits-all approach is not the best AI solution for every company, particularly those in specialised industries. SLMs can help to reduce computing costs compared with LLMs, she said. LLMs refer to models trained on immense amounts of data, making them capable of understanding and generating natural language and other types of content to perform a wide range of tasks. Ms McClelland said scaling GenAI will require businesses to choose the right models for each use case, considering not just AI performance but also cost efficiency and trust. Anothai Wettayakorn, country general manager at IBM Thailand, said the larger the model, the more computational resources are needed, leading to delays, higher costs, increased energy consumption, and a greater environmental impact. As a result, many organisations are now exploring smaller, more efficient models that are customisable, reliable, and trained on business-specific data. These models address the unique needs and requirements of each organisation without incurring additional costs. Ms McClelland said there are four key factors which will drive AI adoption in Thailand: open-source AI models which are gaining momentum due to their transparency, flexibility, cost efficiency, and customisation options. These models reduce vendor lock-in, foster community-driven innovation, and support trustworthy AI strategies, Ms McClelland said. The AI ecosystem integrations will drive the success of open-source AI models in 2025. Application platforms must seamlessly integrate with various models to ensure greater interoperability and adaptability to new AI developments, she said. Mr Anothai said IBM will accelerate organisations' adoption of GenAI by promoting four critical factors, including the open-source AI models. He estimates 5-6% of organisations in Thailand this year adopted GenAI. IBM wants to help increase adoption to 15-20% next year to improve Thai competitiveness. MORE SKILLED WORKFORCE Vatsun Thirapatarapong, country manager of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Thailand, said GenAI is still relatively new and many projects in 2024 have been exploratory proof-of-concepts. Organisations are using these early projects to learn best practices, assess value, and build experience before scaling to full production, he added. While a proof-of-concept approach may limit larger-scale deployments in 2025, the enthusiasm and openness to experimentation lay the groundwork for greater innovation in the future, he said. "Underpinning the technology are the skills required to make innovation happen. This continues to be a bottleneck in GenAI adoption," he said. AWS aims to provide AI training to 100,000 people in Thailand by 2026 in order to meet employer demand for AI talent. Mr Vatsun said government initiatives like the cloud-first strategy and prioritising Thailand as a digital economy hub are driving demand for cloud and GenAI across industries. GenAI's potential to enhance productivity through automation makes it an attractive solution for businesses seeking operational efficiency by reducing repetitive tasks. For example, AI-powered tools can help developers complete tasks 57% faster. Additionally, GenAI enables innovative applications, products, and services, helping companies differentiate and gain a competitive edge. Key areas for GenAI adoption include banking/financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing/supply chains. "As Thai talent gains more training in AI skills and organisations grow their experience, deployment and innovation will accelerate," Mr Vatsun said. Dhanawat Suthumpun, managing director of Microsoft Thailand, said that to accelerate the adoption of GenAI, the government should define policy guidelines for both public and private sectors and set best practices. Providing incentives to encourage the private sector and academia to leverage AI will boost productivity, efficiency, and innovation, said Mr Dhanawat. "The significant investment in AI skills development is essential to ensure a skilled workforce capable of driving this technological advancement," he said. Mr Dhanawat said that AI will foster cross-industry collaboration. Among the sectors primed for transformation by AI are government, education, public health, finance, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and sustainability. Patama Chantaruck, country managing director of Accenture Thailand, said Thailand is on an exciting journey with GenAI, but faces significant challenges, including unpredictable costs, security risks, and AI hallucinations -- where AI generates convincing yet incorrect outputs -- which hinder full-scale adoption. Gartner's research shows GenAI cost estimates can be inaccurate by 500-1,000%, making it hard for businesses to justify big investments without clear returns, she added. "For GenAI to succeed, companies need to go beyond just proving its concept and focus on demonstrating its real value. This means prioritising productivity improvements, considering all potential benefits, closely tracking AI-related costs, and monitoring expenses in real-time to avoid financial mistakes," Ms Patama said. "In 2025, we're seeing unprecedented openness to GenAI across Thailand's sectors. Industries like banking, life sciences, communications, media, and software are actively exploring AI-driven transformation." In 2024, businesses began moving from AI ambition to AI action, linking technology directly to business value and return on investment (ROI), said Ms McClelland. "Looking towards 2025, the focus will shift from experimentation to real business outcomes, with organisations deploying AI at scale for substantial ROI," she said. FUTURE OF AI Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive of global AI chip maker Nvidia, said during his recent visit to Thailand that the first generation of AI is digital and information-based, like chatbots. The second generation combines AI with robotics, creating self-driving cars and robots used in agriculture and other industries. The future will see robots that are integrated into human workspaces, enhancing productivity and transforming industries, he added. "The future of AI in Thailand requires three critical steps for its development, including the establishment of AI infrastructure which can produce intelligence and transform the industries," said Mr Huang.Colts coach Shane Steichen feeling heat after playoff elimination
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Former BBC News journalist Rory Cellan-Jones said the Parkinson’s community “felt absolutely left out in the cold”, after being honoured at Buckingham Palace. The broadcaster’s former technology correspondent, 66, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to journalism on Wednesday. Cellan-Jones announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he has since contributed to a podcast, Movers And Shakers, discussing life with the disease. Discussing the success of the podcast, which also features Jeremy Paxman, Cellan-Jones told the PA news agency: “It’s been an absolute scream. “We’ve had the most extraordinary reaction from the Parkinson’s community. “There is a community which felt absolutely left out in the cold and this award was for services to journalism, but I can’t help but think that maybe that played some part too.” Cellan-Jones said he talked to Anne about fundraising for Parkinson’s and how technology could possibly be used to monitor the disease. The journalist added: “She showed real interest in it. “Mike Tindall, whose father’s got it, is very active in fundraising – so we talked about that.” Cellan-Jones said the OBE was “very unexpected when it came”, adding that he felt “very privileged”. He said his rescue dog from Romania, named Sophie, was “making slow progress” after becoming a social media sensation with thousands of people following her recovery online. Speaking at Buckingham Palace, Cellan-Jones said several courtiers had asked after Sophie, adding: “She’s still incredibly nervous. She’s waiting at home, she wouldn’t have liked it here – a bit too busy. “She’s making slow progress, but she’s wonderful, and she’s been very important to us.” Earlier on Wednesday, broadcaster Alan Yentob, 77, was formally made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media. The retired television executive, who was born in Stepney, London, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968. He devised the flagship arts programme Imagine..., which he presented on, and was creative director of the broadcaster from 2004 until 2015. Yentob stepped down from the role in the wake of the collapse of the charity Kids Company, where he was chairman. The broadcaster said Charles had been “incredibly supportive” of him. Discussing Charles, Yentob told the PA news agency: “He’s been incredibly supportive, as I said to him, on many fronts, including the fact that I was the chairman of Kids Company, and he was incredibly supportive of that in the most difficult times. “And I think the way he’s come out about his illness, and the way the Princess of Wales has too, has been admirable.” Yentob said it would be “reckless” to not support the BBC, adding “it’s a place which embraces everyone”. The broadcaster added: “If you look at the figures, it’s still doing well, even though a very substantial part of its income has been removed.” Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera, 73, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to music. His most well-known band, featuring singer Bryan Ferry, is famed for hits such as Love Is The Drug and More Than This – topping the singles charts once with a cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Discussing the honour, Manzanera told the PA news agency: “It’s very moving and humbling to be amongst all these people who do absolutely incredible things. “But, obviously, I am very happy to get it for services to music and music production, because I think music helps us all in our lives in terms of improving the fabric of our lives, and it’s a great support for so many people.” The musician said he discussed his upbringing in South America and central America with Anne, having grown up in Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. Manzanera said Anne told him that her father, Prince Philip, “once flew a Viscount plane to Caracas airport”. He said his upbringing was central to his musicianship, adding: “It’s in my DNA, the rhythms of South America. “And the musicians that we’ve all come to know through the Buena Vista Social Club were the kind of music that I started playing guitar with. “It wasn’t Bert Weedon’s Play in a Day for me, it was the music of Cuba.” Actress Shobna Gulati, 58, was formally made an MBE for services to the cultural industries, Scottish professional golfer Stephen Gallacher, 50, was made an MBE and former Arup deputy chairwoman Dervilla Mitchell, 66, received a damehood for services to engineering.Optex Systems Announces $2.0 Million Order for Laser Filter Units and Window Assemblies
For more than a decade, the United States has sought to keep out of Syria's political debacle, seeing no viable partner. Islamist rebels' toppling of strongman Bashar al-Assad has forced a change of tune -- and a debate over just what US interests are. Donald Trump, who returns to the White House in little more than a month, on the eve of Assad's fall called Syria "a mess" and stated in his plain-speaking style that the United States should not be involved. Joe Biden's administration, after putting Syria on the backburner in a turbulent region, has offered a tacit rebuttal by stating that clear US interests are at stake -- including preventing Syria from fragmenting and avoiding a resurgence of the Islamic State extremist group. Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Trump's and Biden's statements could be combined and "together they make a kind of decent policy." The United States needs to address real concerns about the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda but "as far as getting involved in arranging the politics of Syria, I think that no good can come from it," Cook said. Since the presidency of Barack Obama, the United States has walked a fine line on Syria that critics often derided as a non-policy. The United States questioned the legitimacy of Assad, demanding accountability for brutality in one of the 21st century's deadliest wars, but stopped short of prioritizing his departure due to suspicions about the main rebels. The Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has now led Assad's ouster, traces its roots to Syria's Al-Qaeda branch and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. Since Obama's time, the United States instead has allied itself in Syria with a smaller fighting force of the Kurdish minority -- over strenuous objections of neighboring Turkey, which backs HTS -- with a narrow mission to counter the Islamic State group. Some 900 US troops remain in Syria. Assad fell in a lighting surprise offensive as his protector Russia is bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine and after Israel's military heavily degraded Assad's other key supporters -- Iran and Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Robert Ford, the last US ambassador to Syria, helped spearhead the terrorist designation of HTS in 2012 but said that the group since then has not attacked US or Western targets and has instead fought Al-Qaeda and Islamic State forces. Ford also pointed with hope to post-victory statements by rebel chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, including welcoming international monitoring of any chemical weapons that are discovered. "Can you imagine Osama bin Laden saying that?" said Ford, now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. "I'm not saying 'trust Jolani.' He's obviously authoritarian. He's obviously an Islamist who doesn't believe that Christians have an equal right to power as Muslims. But I sure as hell want to test him on some of these things," Ford said. He said that the United States should encourage HTS, as well as other Syrian actors, to reach out and reassure the country's diverse communities including Christians, Kurds and Alawites -- the sect of the secular-oriented Assad. Beyond that, Washington should take a back-seat and let Syrians sort out their future, he said. "We should learn from the experience in Iraq that trying to impose exiles on a population traumatized by a brutal dictatorship and war is not a recipe for success," Ford said. Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday offered US recognition to a future government that is "credible, inclusive and non-sectarian." Trump in his first term, at the urging of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, abruptly said he would pull troops out of Syria. He backtracked after intense criticism at home and appeals from French President Emmanuel Macron, who pointed to the risk of Islamic State filling the vacuum. Trump has not indicated how he would change Syria policy this time. But he has shown no reluctance in the past to negotiate with foreign adversaries on the US blacklist, from Afghanistan's Taliban to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said there was no legal restriction on US contact with designated terrorists, although he indicated there was no direct dialogue with HTS. Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Syria could face "devastating economic and humanitarian consequences" unless the United States reconsiders the terrorist designation of HTS, which impedes aid groups. "That said," she said, "if there isn't sort of an established framework for negotiations and good behavior now, before that designation is lifted, that could potentially also be a major mistake down the line for Syria's future." sct/smsCam Inman: Kittle’s place in 49ers lore is secure but contract issue looms
Apple’s UK engineering teams have ‘doubled in size in five years’Former BBC News journalist Rory Cellan-Jones said the Parkinson’s community “felt absolutely left out in the cold”, after being honoured at Buckingham Palace. The broadcaster’s former technology correspondent, 66, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to journalism on Wednesday. Cellan-Jones announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he has since contributed to a podcast, Movers And Shakers, discussing life with the disease. Discussing the success of the podcast, which also features Jeremy Paxman, Cellan-Jones told the PA news agency: “It’s been an absolute scream. “We’ve had the most extraordinary reaction from the Parkinson’s community. “There is a community which felt absolutely left out in the cold and this award was for services to journalism, but I can’t help but think that maybe that played some part too.” Cellan-Jones said he talked to Anne about fundraising for Parkinson’s and how technology could possibly be used to monitor the disease. The journalist added: “She showed real interest in it. “Mike Tindall, whose father’s got it, is very active in fundraising – so we talked about that.” Cellan-Jones said the OBE was “very unexpected when it came”, adding that he felt “very privileged”. He said his rescue dog from Romania, named Sophie, was “making slow progress” after becoming a social media sensation with thousands of people following her recovery online. Speaking at Buckingham Palace, Cellan-Jones said several courtiers had asked after Sophie, adding: “She’s still incredibly nervous. She’s waiting at home, she wouldn’t have liked it here – a bit too busy. “She’s making slow progress, but she’s wonderful, and she’s been very important to us.” Earlier on Wednesday, broadcaster Alan Yentob, 77, was formally made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media. The retired television executive, who was born in Stepney, London, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968. He devised the flagship arts programme Imagine..., which he presented on, and was creative director of the broadcaster from 2004 until 2015. Yentob stepped down from the role in the wake of the collapse of the charity Kids Company, where he was chairman. The broadcaster said Charles had been “incredibly supportive” of him. Discussing Charles, Yentob told the PA news agency: “He’s been incredibly supportive, as I said to him, on many fronts, including the fact that I was the chairman of Kids Company, and he was incredibly supportive of that in the most difficult times. “And I think the way he’s come out about his illness, and the way the Princess of Wales has too, has been admirable.” Yentob said it would be “reckless” to not support the BBC, adding “it’s a place which embraces everyone”. The broadcaster added: “If you look at the figures, it’s still doing well, even though a very substantial part of its income has been removed.” Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera, 73, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to music. His most well-known band, featuring singer Bryan Ferry, is famed for hits such as Love Is The Drug and More Than This – topping the singles charts once with a cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Discussing the honour, Manzanera told the PA news agency: “It’s very moving and humbling to be amongst all these people who do absolutely incredible things. “But, obviously, I am very happy to get it for services to music and music production, because I think music helps us all in our lives in terms of improving the fabric of our lives, and it’s a great support for so many people.” The musician said he discussed his upbringing in South America and central America with Anne, having grown up in Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. Manzanera said Anne told him that her father, Prince Philip, “once flew a Viscount plane to Caracas airport”. He said his upbringing was central to his musicianship, adding: “It’s in my DNA, the rhythms of South America. “And the musicians that we’ve all come to know through the Buena Vista Social Club were the kind of music that I started playing guitar with. “It wasn’t Bert Weedon’s Play in a Day for me, it was the music of Cuba.” Actress Shobna Gulati, 58, was formally made an MBE for services to the cultural industries, Scottish professional golfer Stephen Gallacher, 50, was made an MBE and former Arup deputy chairwoman Dervilla Mitchell, 66, received a damehood for services to engineering.