AI continues to reshape industries, education and security in ways both promising and concerning. BML Munjal University hosted ICATS 2026 at its Gurugram campus on October 6 and 7, drawing around 400 participants and over 100 research papers. The conference explored AI-driven trade ecosystems, smart supply chains and sustainable business models, with international institutions like the University of Sydney and University of Leeds joining Indian experts from IIM Indore. Industry leaders from DBS Bank India and Physics Wallah also contributed to the discussions.
Key Takeaways
- <ul><li>BML Munjal University's ICATS 2026 brought together 400 participants and 100+ research papers on AI and sustainability</li><li>Dr Cordell Robinson urged South African firms to adopt AI governance to prevent cyber security crises</li><li>Researchers found hidden trigger words in ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini could make AI robots dangerous</li><li>Siemens warns AI may eliminate entry-level jobs by preventing young workers from gaining hands-on experience</li><li>CPP Investments reports AI agents can handle key investment tasks but need tight governance and human oversight</li><li>Generative AI could produce 1.2M to 5M tonnes of e-waste between 2020 and 2030, with circular economy approaches reducing waste by up to 86%</li><li>Sam's Club faced thousands of AI-generated fake attacks on social media using spliced footage and fabricated interviews</li><li>Nutanix promotes dual-native technology enabling VMs and containers to co-exist for better AI-era security</li><li>Experts debate whether a million AI agents could collectively achieve superintelligence</li><li>UC Berkeley and Harvard researchers highlight unclear accountability for AI agent decisions in companies</li></ul>
BML Munjal University hosts ICATS 2026 on AI and sustainable growth
BML Munjal University hosted ICATS 2026 on October 6 and 7 at its Gurugram campus. Around 400 participants attended and over 100 research papers were presented. The conference explored AI driven trade ecosystems, smart supply chains and sustainable business models. Prof Jaskiran Arora and Dr. Nishu Ayedee spoke at the event. Dr. Buddha Chandrashekhar served as Guest of Honour.
BML Munjal University hosts ICATS 2026 on AI trade and sustainability
BML Munjal University organized ICATS 2026 in hybrid format at its Gurugram campus on October 6 and 7. The two day conference focused on AI implications for businesses economies and society. International institutions like University of Sydney and University of Leeds participated alongside Indian institutions like IIM Indore. Industry leaders from DBS Bank India and Physics Wallah also attended.
Can a Million AI Agents Create Superintelligence?
Ramez Naam a well known futurist is skeptical about creating superintelligence. The discussion centers on whether a million AI agents could collectively achieve superintelligence. Noah Pinion disagrees with Naam and believes this is possible. The topic has been previously explored by Nick Bostrom and Eliezer Yudkowsky.
The hidden environmental footprint of AI data centres
Generative AI could create 1.2 million to five million tonnes of electronic waste between 2020 and 2030. A 2024 study suggests a circular economy approach could reduce this waste by 16 to 86 percent. Data centres require servers processors and cooling systems that have a significant environmental impact. Canada recently launched Responsible Data Centre Development Principles to address some of these concerns.
CPP Investments' Jon Webster on AI race strategy
Jon Webster chief operating officer of CPP Investments discussed the company's AI strategy. CPP Investments' trials show AI agents can handle key investment tasks end to end. Webster emphasized that tight governance and human oversight are essential for successful AI implementation. He spoke at the Top1000funds.com Fiduciary Investors Symposium in Oxford in 2024.
South African firms urged to adopt proactive AI training and governance
Dr Cordell Robinson, CEO of Brownstone Consulting Firm, urged South African organisations to prioritise AI training and governance. He warned that ungoverned AI adoption could become a major cyber security crisis. Companies often overlook the basics, such as what data to use and how to protect intellectual property. Robinson stressed that organisations must perform due diligence before adopting AI.
China's Sam's Club hit by AI-generated fake attacks
Sam's Club reported that thousands of malicious attacks targeted the brand across social media platforms. Some attacks used AI-generated content, spliced footage and fabricated interviews. False messages claimed personal-care products, health supplements and food items were sold at Sam's Club when they were never sold there.
How dual-native technology supports VM and container co-existence in the AI era
Nutanix promotes dual-native technology, which allows virtual machines and containers to run within the same operating environment. This approach improves security, scalability and flexibility for organisations. In the AI era, dual-native helps organisations achieve sovereign security by protecting data and systems from cyber threats. Nutanix has been a leader in adopting this technology worldwide.
Secret trigger words could make AI-powered robots dangerous
Researchers at Binghamton University found that hidden trigger words in large language models could cause AI-powered robots to perform dangerous actions. Models like ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini are increasingly used to help robots with tasks. The researchers designed these attack scenarios to develop future defenses. Their goal is to ensure a secure AI ecosystem rather than exploit real-world systems.
No one knows who should manage AI agents in companies
As AI agents become more common in corporate management, questions arise about who is responsible when they make mistakes. Dr Lisa Nguyen from UC Berkeley said there is no clear line of responsibility for AI agent decisions. Dr John Smith from Harvard Business School called it a moral hazard problem. The lack of accountability could have serious consequences as companies rely more on AI for decisions.
Siemens warns AI may remove entry level jobs
Siemens says young workers must learn specific skills to check the work done by artificial intelligence. Judith Wiese, the chief people and sustainability officer, explained that routine tasks given to AI could stop young employees from gaining important hands-on experience. She noted that software developers need to write their own code so they can examine AI results and avoid being misled. While AI can help people learn faster and speed up work processes, it is too early to know exactly how it will change employment. Wiese pointed out that the company has about 30,000 software engineers and that increased productivity could mean doing more work with the same number of people.
Sources
- BML Munjal University hosts ICATS 2026 to explore how AI is reshaping trade and sustainable growth
- BML Munjal University hosts ICATS 2026 to explore how AI is reshaping trade and sustainable growth
- Can a Million AI Agents Create Superintelligence?
- Where does all the hardware go? The hidden environmental footprint of AI data centres
- CPP Investments’ Jon Webster on being ‘Einstein's friend’ in the AI race
- SA firms urged to be more proactive with AI training, governance
- China's Sam's Club hit by thousands of AI-generated fake attacks, with never-sold products added to "delisted" lists
- SPONSORED: How going dual-native means VM/container co-existence and sovereign security in the AI era
- Secret trigger words could make AI-powered robots dangerous
- Axios C-Suite: No one knows who should manage AI agents
- Germany news: Siemens warns on AI eliminating entry-level jobs
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