The Know Daily - Wednesday 31 May 2023

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Lauren Spencer Smith}

The Saving Wildcats Project has hit another key milestone as four wildcat kittens, bred in captivity, will soon be released into the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. While some wildcats still roam in the Highlands, their numbers are under threat from habitat loss and cross breeding with domestic cats - so we reckon this is simply purrfect news.

🔌 A highly charged topic

Industry leaders are concerned that electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure is failing to keep pace with demand, after new data revealed that the gap between the number of EVs on the road and public charging points has more than doubled in some parts of the country in a year.

What did the data say?
Across the UK, there were 36 electric cars on the road for every standard public charger last year, compared with 31 at the end of 2021, according to industry figures obtained by The Times.

The northwest of England was the worst-served area, with 85 EVs for every charger at the end of 2022, compared with 49 in 2021. London was the best-served, with 11:1 compared with 10:1 in 2021.

Why is this a problem?
According to The Times, these latest findings will likely “intensify concerns” over drivers’ range anxiety - which is the fear that an EV will not have enough battery charge to reach its destination. A recent study found that concerns related to driving range are the main barrier to making EV purchases.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), told the paper that the “danger” was that people would switch back to petrol and diesel cars because of inadequate charging infrastructure.

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars is set to end in 2030 as part of government plans to reach net zero by 2050.

What’s being done to address this?
A spokesperson for industry body Charge UK said that a record number of chargers had been installed at the beginning of this year. “We are working closely with the government and others to break down barriers to installing new infrastructure,” they said.

Do you drive an electric vehicle and have issues with charging it? Hit reply to let us know.

🤖 Could AI help us grieve better?

Increasing numbers of companies have started using ChatGPT and other AI programmes to create digital representations of late loved ones - with some charging families thousands of dollars for the service. But how ethical are so-called griefbots?

Tell me more.
For a short while now, individuals and companies have been using old photos, recordings and messages to train specific AI chat programmes - known as griefbots - to imitate the dead, offering mourners the chance to “speak” with them again.

It’s “AOL Instant Messenger” but with a “disembodied version of your late loved one”, explained The Hustle.

How widely are they used?
Griefbot services have been around for a few years, but only now are they beginning to take off more widely. “Generative AI’s rapid advancement in the last year has pushed the power and accessibility of griefbots to a whole new level,” said Insider.

One US-based startup is working on a new service called Seance AI, which summons “a digital representation of the deceased so that the living can have one last conversation”, said Futurism. Likened to a high-tech Ouija board, the AI product is designed “to provide a conversation for closure and emotional processing”, explained its creator.

What do the experts have to say?
Sue Morris, director of bereavement services at a cancer institute in the US, reckons we shouldn’t be surprised that griefbots are now a thing. “It’s natural for humans to change the way they mourn as technology evolves,” she told Insider.

Nevertheless, she believes that griefbots are likely to hinder rather than help mourners in the long run - for example, by preventing them from processing their emotions or by sending an insensitively timed message that causes someone to feel worse.

Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of “fraudsters misusing deceased individuals’ identities to deceive others” - not to mention the “significant challenges” that arise from obtaining consent from the dead, added CityLife.

So what’s next for griefbots?
The jury’s still out on whether AI could help us grieve better, but one thing’s for certain: the tech is only becoming more sophisticated and accessible, which means that griefbots could work their way into the mainstream pretty soon - whether we like it or not.

📱 Covid inquiry chaos: No. 10 has denied reports that the government is withholding Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks from the official Covid inquiry to protect current PM Rishi Sunak. The Guardian has a handy explainer.

🪧 Rail walkouts return: A fresh wave of rail strikes has begun today - members of the Aslef train drivers’ union will walk out today and on 3 June (the day of the FA Cup final), while RMT members will strike this Friday.

🇽🇰 Kosovo clashes: The US has announced measures against Kosovo for installing ethnic Albanian mayors in northern Kosovo “by forcible means”. It comes after Nato-led peacekeepers clashed with Serb protestors on Monday.

🎪 Glastonbury gears up: The festival, which kicks off on 21 June, has released its full weekend programme. Skepta, Caroline Polachek and a mysterious secret act called “the Churnups” are among those joining the lineup.

🐻 Un-bear-ably hungry: Workers at a bakery in Connecticut were shocked (and a little scared) when a black bear wandered in and ate 60 cupcakes - check out this video of the uninvited customer.

Trivia answer: A) The whale is suspected of being a Russian spy - when first spotted in 2019, he was photographed wearing a harness that was marked “Equipment of Saint Petersburg”.

You currently have 0 referrals, only 1 away from receiving a shoutout in our newsletter!.

As a tiny team with a big mission, we’re so grateful when readers spread the word about us. Plus, we’ll reward you with things like a £30 HURR gift card, free Grubby recipe kits, CRU Kafe coffee and merch.

How did you find today's email?
😍 Loved it 😕 Could be better

Daily emails too much for you? Switch to our weekly Friday edition.ednedn