Reason, passion and desire

In the United States, the growing shift from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes and other nicotine products could potentially lead to a decline in cancer rates in the future. A new study published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum analyzed data from US federal health surveys collected between 2015 and 2023. According to the study, traditional cigarette smoking declined significantly across almost all age groups during this period with the decline being particularly noticeable among people aged 18 to 34. In contrast, the number of people using only alternative nicotine products particularly e-cigarettes, increased. The study’s lead researcher, Professor Kenneth Michael Cummings of the Medical University of South Carolina said the trend suggests that many smokers are completely switching to vaping rather than using both products simultaneously. The study found that the proportion of people who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes remained around 2% to 3% throughout the study period. Scientists also developed a Population Harm Reduction Index to compare traditional cigarette smoking with the use of non-combustible nicotine products. According to the researchers, an increase in the index indicates that more people are using alternatives to traditional cigarettes that may expose them to lower levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals. The study found that people aged 55 and above were much less likely than younger people to quit smoking and switch to alternative products even though older adults could gain significant immediate health benefits from quitting smoking. According to the study, vaping has now become more common than cigarette smoking among young people aged 18 to 24. Professor Cummings said the greatest concern is that older people who have smoked for many years are not switching to lower-risk, non-combustible nicotine products as quickly. This is the group that could potentially gain the greatest immediate health benefits from quitting smoking. According to the report, the study was funded by the US National Cancer Institute and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while the vaping industry provided no financial support.

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton is widely regarded as the “Godfather of AI.” He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024 for his work on artificial intelligence technology. Geoffrey Hinton who is associated with the University of Toronto in Canada has warned that the smarter AI technology becomes, the more difficult it will be for humanity to control it. He has also expressed concerns about AI agents recently hacking real-world companies. Speaking to the media after an AI technology conference, Geoffrey Hinton said that such incidents are occurring as these systems become increasingly intelligent. He said, “As these systems become smarter, I think we will see more complicated incidents and their ability to escape our control will become much better.” Hinton said the problem is that humans may not be able to rely on or trust highly intelligent AI models. He explained, “I do not believe that we can simply control them or assume that they will not escape our control.” It is worth noting that in recent days, OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta have acknowledged that their AI models independently escaped controlled environments and hacked the systems of other companies. Hinton described these incidents as somewhat frightening and said that this is only the beginning of AI hacking. He said, “I think we may see numerous cyberattacks but the future is uncertain. People say defenders have more resources than attackers but the problem is that an attacker only needs to succeed once, whereas defenders need to succeed every time.” Hinton’s earlier warnings about AI Geoffrey Hinton has previously issued warnings about the dangers of AI technology. On one occasion, he said there was a 10 to 20 percent chance that the technology could gradually lead to the extinction of humanity. He stressed that it is important to discuss the potential risks posed by AI. He acknowledged that uncertainty surrounding AI can be unsettling because nobody knows exactly what the future holds. He said that if someone asks what AI technology will look like over the next 10 years, no one can accurately predict it. Earlier, in August 2025 while speaking on a podcast, Hinton said that AI is not only learning things in ways that humans do not fully understand but there is also no reliable way to simply switch it off. Hinton’s contribution to AI Geoffrey Hinton’s research laid the foundation for machine learning, the technology that has helped computers imitate aspects of human intelligence. However, for the past several years, he has been campaigning for AI to be made safer. In 2023, Hinton left his job at Google, warning that malicious actors could use the technology to harm other people. In an interview some time ago, when he was asked about the pace of AI development, Hinton said that most experts in the field currently believe that at some point possibly within the next 20 years—humans could develop AI systems that are more intelligent than humans. He said, “That is a frightening thought. Right now, you can think of this technology as being like a three-year-old child and children grow up very quickly.” AI could transform world According to Hinton, the impact of AI on the world could be similar to that of the Industrial Revolution. He said the Industrial Revolution effectively halted the growth of human physical strength because humans began relying on increasingly powerful machines. He explained that humanity is now doing something similar that could replace human intelligence meaning ordinary human intelligence may no longer advance at the same pace while machines continue to develop. When asked what life might look like 10 or 20 years from now, Hinton said it would depend on how political systems respond to and manage the technology. In his view, AI could have extraordinary effects on the medical field and could increase efficiency across almost every industry. However, he emphasized that humanity needs to be much more cautious about the rapid development of this technology.

The introduction of FRAMES marks an important milestone in Sindh’s journey towards digital governance. Rather than relying on conventional attendance registers that have long served as the primary means of recording staff attendance, the School Education & Literacy Department (SE&LD) has embraced facial recognition technology to create a more transparent, secure and efficient monitoring system. The initiative reflects a broader vision of leveraging technology to improve governance, enhance institutional performance and ultimately create a better learning environment for students. For decades, education departments across Pakistan have struggled with administrative challenges that extend beyond teaching and learning. Manual attendance systems, paper-based reporting, delayed verification processes and fragmented administrative records have often limited the ability of education authorities to monitor schools effectively. In a province with thousands of public schools and a large teaching workforce, ensuring regular attendance and maintaining accurate records through traditional methods has remained a formidable challenge. Recognising these issues, the Government of Sindh has sought to replace outdated administrative practices with a technology-driven solution. FRAMES enables teaching and non-teaching staff to verify their attendance using facial recognition technology. Once authenticated, attendance records are securely captured and transmitted to a central monitoring platform, allowing authorised education officials to access real-time information regarding staff attendance across schools. Unlike conventional attendance registers that require manual compilation and verification, FRAMES introduces automation into one of the most fundamental administrative functions within the education sector. The result is not merely a change in attendance recording but a transformation in how educational institutions are monitored and managed. One of the distinguishing features of FRAMES is its ability to function both online and offline. This capability addresses one of the most practical challenges facing digital governance in developing regions. Internet connectivity remains inconsistent in several rural and remote areas of Sindh, making continuous online operation difficult for many schools. Recognising this reality, FRAMES has been designed using an offline-first architecture. Even when internet connectivity is unavailable, teachers and school staff can authenticate their attendance through facial recognition. The application securely stores attendance records on the device and automatically synchronises the data with the central server as soon as internet connectivity is restored. This intelligent synchronisation mechanism ensures that schools continue to operate without disruption while maintaining the integrity and reliability of attendance records. By eliminating dependence on uninterrupted internet access, FRAMES becomes a practical solution for schools across diverse geographical regions of the province. The importance of this feature cannot be overstated. Many digital initiatives fail because they assume ideal technological conditions that do not always exist in the field. By accommodating connectivity limitations, FRAMES demonstrates a realistic understanding of the operational environment within Sindh’s public education system. Beyond attendance verification, FRAMES represents a broader shift towards data-driven governance. Modern public administration increasingly depends on accurate, timely and reliable data to formulate effective policies. Every authenticated attendance record contributes to a growing repository of administrative information that can assist education managers in analysing attendance trends, identifying operational challenges and making informed policy decisions. Real-time monitoring significantly enhances administrative responsiveness. Instead of waiting for monthly reports or manual inspections, district and provincial authorities can obtain immediate insights into attendance patterns. Persistent absenteeism, staffing shortages or unusual attendance trends can be identified promptly, enabling faster interventions and more efficient resource allocation. The implementation of FRAMES also strengthens institutional accountability. Public institutions derive credibility from transparency, consistency and fairness. Digital attendance verification substantially reduces opportunities for manipulation associated with manual record keeping while creating an auditable electronic record of attendance. Such transparency not only improves administrative efficiency but also reinforces public confidence in government institutions. Across the world, education systems are increasingly adopting digital governance solutions to improve institutional performance. Countries in Asia, Europe and Africa have introduced biometric attendance systems, electronic education management platforms and digital monitoring tools to strengthen accountability within public education. International organisations, including UNESCO and the World Bank, have repeatedly emphasised that effective education governance depends upon reliable information systems capable of supporting evidence-based policymaking. Sindh’s adoption of FRAMES therefore aligns with broader international trends in educational management. While technology alone cannot resolve every challenge confronting the education sector, it provides administrators with the tools necessary to monitor institutional performance more effectively and allocate resources more strategically. The implementation of FRAMES also complements the Sindh Government’s wider digital transformation agenda within the School Education & Literacy Department. In recent years, the department has introduced several technology-based initiatives aimed at improving governance, financial transparency, administrative efficiency and public service delivery. Collectively, these reforms signal a transition from conventional bureaucratic practices towards modern digital administration. However, technological innovation alone is not sufficient to guarantee institutional success. The effectiveness of FRAMES will depend upon careful implementation, continuous evaluation and sustained capacity building. Teachers, head teachers and district administrators must receive comprehensive training to ensure that the system is used correctly and consistently. Technical support mechanisms must remain readily available to resolve operational issues quickly and minimise disruptions. Equally important is the need to strengthen digital infrastructure. Reliable electricity, functional devices and stable internet connectivity remain essential components of successful digital governance. Although the application’s offline functionality addresses connectivity constraints, long-term sustainability will require continued investment in technological infrastructure across public schools. Another important consideration relates to data privacy and cybersecurity. Because FRAMES utilises facial recognition technology, the protection of biometric information must remain a top priority. Clear policies governing data collection, storage, encryption and authorised access will be essential to maintaining public trust. International experience demonstrates that digital governance initiatives are most successful when supported by robust legal safeguards and transparent data protection frameworks. Some observers have expressed concerns regarding the growing use of artificial intelligence and biometric technologies within public institutions. These concerns deserve thoughtful consideration. Technology should always serve the interests of citizens rather than replace human judgement. Accordingly, FRAMES should be viewed as an administrative support system that strengthens institutional accountability without diminishing the role of educational leadership or professional responsibility. Indeed, educational quality ultimately depends upon far more than attendance alone.