European Parliament - EPRS Science and Technology podcasts

The European automotive industry is striving to adapt to market changes driven by the dual green and digital transition. Electrification has become the main strategy for reducing CO2 emissions, especially in urban traffic. At the same time, the average size and weight of cars have greatly increased. Big electric cars are the trend, but are they really the solution? Could better planning and optimisation of resources help?
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Robot applications, including 'collaborative robots' - cobots - designed to collaborate with humans, are in high demand, with sales and installation figures constantly on the rise. However, it is necessary to analyse the risks and opportunities of this technology and its possible social, economic, and ethical impacts. The following study presents the current state of collaborative robotics, its benefits, and its disadvantages, with a special emphasis on key aspects such as safety. It presents possible policy options to enable the EU to remain at the forefront of this technology by taking advantage of the opportunities and avoiding the potential risks.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Generative artificial intelligence applications, such as ChatGPT, are powered through complex learning processes by comprehensive datasets of – potentially dubious – human-created content. There are concerns that such tools could develop consciousness and spark emergent behaviour that is, by definition, unpredictable and therefore potentially unsafe. Do these concerns point to a need to look again at the relevant legislation?
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

The EU depends on imported fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) for about 56 % of its energy needs (gross energy consumption), which in 2021 represented an energy bill of around EUR 300 billion. The domestic production of renewable energy sources has increased significantly in recent years to 22 % of total demand. The European Union can aspire to achieve energy independence through the deployment of existing and emerging technologies. Electrification, renewables and energy storage could reduce EU's reliance on conventional fossil fuels. What are the developments, expectations, concerns and societal implications associated with these technologies? What initiatives and policies can lead to a resilient EU energy system by anticipating impacts?
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Droughts and water scarcity are no longer rare or extreme events in Europe. About 20 % of the European territory and 30 % of Europeans are affected by water stress, especially in Southern Europe but also around some river basins in Western and Central Europe. And climate change will only make matters worse, increasing the frequency of extreme events and making the south even drier.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Diets tailored to our individual characteristics could bring about health benefits but require data on our most personal features, such as our DNA. The promises are many, but so are open questions about the interactions between genes, nutrients, environment and health, and the role of socioeconomic factors behind our food choices. Governance of precision nutrition advice, services and products will include various legislation and policies because of its position between lifestyle and health, or food and medicine.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Recent events have multiplied concerns about potential fragmentation of the internet into a multitude of non-interoperable and disconnected 'splinternets'. Composed of thousands of compatible autonomous systems, the internet is by definition technically divided. Yet, the internet was also designed to be an open and global technical infrastructure. The unity and openness of the internet appear to be under great pressure from political, commercial and technological developments. This report explores the implications of the EU's recent policies in this field as well as the opportunities and challenges for EU Member States and institutions in addressing internet fragmentation. It underlines how recent EU legislative proposals – on the digital services act, digital markets act, artificial intelligence act, and NIS 2 Directive – could help to address patterns of fragmentation, but also have limitations and potentially unintended consequences. Four possible strategies emerge: stay with the status quo, embrace fragmentation, resist patterns of divergence, or frame discussions as a matter of fundamental rights.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Most rare diseases are incurable. Biosensors are a technology that, driven by continuous advances in artificial intelligence, can help disease detection, lower the cost of novel therapies, replace placebo groups in clinical trials and foster patient-centred, personalised (e)-medicine.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

To reach the Paris Agreement objective of keeping the global temperature increase well below 2°C, the EU must consider every possible technology to decarbonise its energy production. Nuclear fusion is the process that powers our sun and we can recreate it on Earth. However, even if we overcome the considerable engineering challenges of designing a fusion power plant, there are hard constraints to upscaling fusion power.
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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Source: © European Union - EP

Open strategic autonomy ensures the capacity to cope alone if necessary but without ruling out cooperation whenever possible. It relies on foresight to identify threats and ensures resilience by anticipating the required responses. Can the resulting preparedness also prevent crises (or dissuade others from creating them) by normalising internally situations that would else become emergencies?
- Original publication on the EP Think Tank website
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- Podcast available on Deezer , iTunes , TuneIn , Stitcher , YouTube
Source: © European Union - EP