Does placing Wi-Fi router on floor weaken signals?

By Arooba Younas The surge in the use of Artificial Intelligence by businesses, corporations, and organisations has been illustrated by the latest McKinsey Global Survey on the state of AI. Accordingly, 88 per cent of organisations reported the regular use of AI in at least one business function, a 10 per cent increase from the results of the survey conducted in the preceding year. Indicative of business leaders’ desire to boost productivity and reduce operational costs, companies adopted AI to achieve greater efficiency. The reverberations of AI integration are felt in the splintering of the organisational pyramid, driven by the expansion of what a single individual can accomplish. However, flattening hierarchies is not tantamount to flattening skill hierarchies or democratisation of expertise. Research has shown that Generative AI (GenAI) has the greatest impact on the level of expertise required to perform jobs, resulting in an accelerated learning curve for entry-level workers. Whilst shortening the learning curve and the time it takes novices to gain competence at new tasks, the limits of GenAI in upskilling workers have been revealed in an experiment conducted by researchers from Harvard Business School’s Data Design Institute and Stanford University, involving 78 employees from IG Group, a UK-based fintech company. Dividing the employees into three groups of occupational insiders (professional writers), adjacent outsiders (marketing specialists), and distant outsiders (technologists), the experiment attempted to gauge whether marketing specialists and technologists could match the performance of professional writers in conceptualising and drafting articles for IG Group’s website while receiving GenAI assistance. The results revealed that AI levelled the playing field at the conceptualisation stage. However, when the nature of the task shifted to executing the ideas by putting them in writing, a prominent expertise gap emerged. Both with and without GenAI’s help, the writers produced the best work, with marketers coming close and technologists lagging behind regardless of AI use. The divergence in performance, despite AI support, is a portrayal of the “GenAI Wall”, depicting the point at which GenAI does not sufficiently reduce the expertise gap between occupational insiders and outsiders. This is indicative of GenAI’s limit in how far it can carry workers outside their domain expertise. Without foundational knowledge, it becomes difficult for outsiders to distinguish between effective and flawed suggestions generated by GenAI. As a result, they may rely on its outputs without applying the necessary refinement, critical judgement and contextual understanding. Nonetheless, the experiment has implications for business organisations, particularly for leaders who overestimate the abilities of AI. It can only hasten the competency of individuals who are adjacent to a domain, and not conjure expertise out of thin air. In this regard, work structure, which is already undergoing change, can be rethought along the lines of expertise. A more fluid work environment can be created, where, in lieu of strict job roles, boundaries can blur by converging adjacent specialists. However, the experiment is not an advocacy for hiring fewer novices. Studies have shown a reduction in entry-level role postings, falling by 32 per cent in 2025 compared to 2019-2022. This suggests a myopic conclusion drawn from GenAI’s putative capabilities, for it is beginners who, when assimilated into the company’s culture and learn through practice, become experts. By thwarting the pipeline of learners by letting AI take over early-career work, which actually led to the making of experts, today’s efficiency may be sacrificed for impoverished talent tomorrow. The latter has been represented by the AI boomerang effect – recent AI-related layoffs, which are now being quietly reversed – as reports indicated employers regretting layoff decisions. This is because of AI hallucinations as well as its inadequacy to replace the required context or institutional knowledge, which human employees possessed. Although the IG Group experiment was conducted in a Western context, its implications can be generalised across the world, particularly as the allure of AI has diffused across continents. However, the embracing of AI in the Global South, whether in businesses or other sectors, has to be accompanied by digital literacy, localised governance, and a research ecosystem. This is significant lest the adoption of AI brings with it downsides in the form of overdependence and a putative magic bullet solution to solving complex issues ranging from bad governance to climate-related disasters. Additionally, GenAI’s exposure to the labour market has caused faster materialisation of disruptions rather than productivity gains due to a higher risk of job losses, as AI-driven automation can close clerical and administrative positions, which have historically served as pathways to decent work. Conclusively, GenAI has brought the promise of enabling individuals to bridge their capability gaps. However, AI cannot replace expertise or be an all-encompassing fix because it relies on pattern recognition rather than understanding real-world context. Thus, the future of work is where humans can learn to effectively partner with AI, grounded in human judgement, and not replacing it.   Arooba Younas is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore. She can be reached at info@casslhr.com.  

Beijing: Chinese scientists have proposed a new planetary defense strategy to deflect or destroy potentially hazardous asteroids that could collide with Earth. According to the proposed approach, placing a nuclear device inside an asteroid and detonating it could be one of the most effective ways to deal with a major impact threat. According to a report, researchers at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology said that large asteroids have always posed a serious threat to human civilization. In the distant past, asteroid impacts caused mass extinctions and triggered devastating environmental changes. The scientists noted that astronomers have discovered several asteroids hundreds of meters wide passing very close to Earth in recent years prompting increased research into new planetary defense methods. The study suggests that a nuclear explosion could be the most effective strategy for either destroying a large asteroid or deflecting it away from Earth particularly when there is very little time to respond. Under the proposed plan, a spacecraft would first create a deep crater on the asteroid. A nuclear device would then be placed inside the crater and detonated to alter the asteroid’s trajectory or break it into smaller pieces. According to the research, a 100-meter-wide asteroid could be completely destroyed by an explosion with a yield equivalent to 200 times the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Similarly, detonating a nuclear device at a depth of 20 meters inside an asteroid about one kilometer wide could change its velocity enough for it to safely miss Earth. The researchers said the study could help pave the way for future planetary defense strategies against large near-Earth asteroids.

“How Social Stigma, Institutional Challenges, and Delayed Justice Continue to Discourage Women from Reporting Violence in Pakistan” For many women in Pakistan, reporting violence is not simply the first step towards justice, it is often the beginning of another struggle. While laws have evolved to provide greater protection against domestic violence, sexual assault, workplace harassment, acid attacks, and other forms of gender-based violence, countless women continue to hesitate before approaching the police or the courts. Their reluctance is not always born out of ignorance of the law; rather, it stems from fear of social stigma, institutional barriers, prolonged legal proceedings, and uncertainty about whether justice will ever be delivered. This reality raises an important question: if legal safeguards exist, why do so many women still fear reporting violence? The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan provides a strong foundation for the protection of women’s rights. Article 9 guarantees the right to life and liberty, Article 14 safeguards the dignity of every individual, Article 25 ensures equality before the law and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, while Article 34 directs the State to ensure the full participation of women in all spheres of national life. These constitutional guarantees are reinforced by various legislative measures, including the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention laws, and provincial domestic violence legislation. Together, these laws demonstrate that Pakistan has made significant progress in recognizing and protecting women’s rights. However, legislation alone cannot guarantee justice. The effectiveness of any legal framework depends upon its implementation. For many survivors, the greatest obstacle is not the absence of legal remedies but the fear of navigating the justice system itself. Reporting violence often means facing uncomfortable questions, social judgment, pressure from family members, financial hardship, and emotional trauma. In many cases, victims worry that their complaints will not be taken seriously or that the legal process will take years to reach a conclusion. Such concerns discourage many women from seeking legal protection altogether. The problem is further aggravated by the slow pace of criminal proceedings. Delayed investigations, repeated adjournments, and prolonged trials can force survivors to relive traumatic experiences for years. Justice delayed not only prolongs suffering but also weakens public confidence in the legal system. When victims believe that reporting a crime will expose them to further hardship without a timely or meaningful remedy, silence often appears to be the safer option. In this sense, delayed justice becomes a denial of safety, discouraging others from coming forward and allowing perpetrators to act with greater confidence. Several high-profile incidents have highlighted both the urgency of reform and the limitations of existing mechanisms. The Motorway rape case in 2020 sparked nationwide outrage and prompted important legislative reforms, including the enactment of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021. While these reforms strengthened the legal framework, they also reminded the nation that effective implementation, victim-sensitive investigations, and timely prosecution remain equally essential. Similarly, acid attacks and cases of so-called honour based violence have continued to expose the gap between legal protections and the realities faced by many women, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Legal reforms must therefore be accompanied by institutional reform. Police officers, prosecutors, judges, and medico-legal professionals require continuous training to handle cases involving gender-based violence with professionalism, sensitivity, and respect for victims’ dignity. Fast-track procedures for serious offences against women should be implemented effectively to reduce unnecessary delays. Victim and witness protection mechanisms must be strengthened so that survivors feel safe throughout the judicial process. Equally important is ensuring that legal aid and psychological support are readily available to those who seek justice. Beyond the courtroom, society itself has a crucial role to play. Victim-blaming, social stigma, and cultural stereotypes remain among the greatest barriers preventing women from reporting violence. Questions such as “Why did she report it now?” or “What was she doing there?” unfairly shift attention away from the offender and onto the survivor. Such attitudes discourage reporting and perpetuate a culture of silence. A justice system can function effectively only when society supports victims rather than subjects them to suspicion and criticism. Protecting women’s rights is not solely a legal obligation; it is a constitutional, moral, and social responsibility. Laws are meaningful only when they inspire confidence in those, they are designed to protect. A woman should never have to choose between her safety and the fear of navigating the justice system. She should have confidence that her complaint will be heard fairly, investigated promptly, and decided without unnecessary delay. Pakistan has undoubtedly taken important legislative steps to combat violence against women. The challenge now lies in translating those legal guarantees into practical realities. Stronger enforcement, efficient investigations, timely trials, greater institutional accountability, and increased public awareness are essential to restoring confidence in the justice system. Justice cannot be measured merely by the number of laws enacted; it must be measured by the willingness of victims to seek its protection without fear. A society where women hesitate to report violence is a society where justice remains incomplete. The true success of any legal system is not reflected in the statutes it enacts but in the trust it inspires. Until every woman feels secure enough to report violence without fear of stigma, intimidation, or delay, the promise of equal justice will remain only partially fulfilled. Justice delayed is not merely justice denied it is safety denied. A legal system earns public confidence not when it promises protection, but when it delivers it.