Canon infusing AI into cameras for Indian millennials
New Delhi, April 2: As the millennials in India constantly strive to click that "wow" moment and instantly share it with friends on social media, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras with "minds of their own" are the future that will create perfect shots for them, a top Canon executive has emphasised.
Cameras have become intelligent in the past few years with integrated capabilities like smarter chips, Wi-Fi support, smart functions, better speed and enhanced performance.
"We are on the right path when it comes to infusing AI into cameras. The experience of the last 80 years has helped us catch new trends early -- be it in chips, designs, smart functions or controls. Software development is the key to stay ahead," Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India, told IANS.
Sensing the future of AI-enabled cameras, Google has launched "Clips" -- a camera that uses AI to figure out when it should take a picture or video.
The clip-on camera automatically adjusts its resolution according to the situation and has a 130-degree lens to fit more of the scene in the frame. When it senses something memorable around, it clicks a 15-second-burst photograph.
Canon India has also launched "EOS M50" -- a new mirrorless camera for the youth that houses the "DIGIC 8" image processor to ensure better picture quality and comes with 4K movie shooting capability.
According to Kobayashi, camera-centric smartphones are giving the company a renewed push to come up with "serious" cameras as India is an evolving market and so are the demands and expectations of the customers.
"The relationship between a smartphone camera and a real camera is interesting. With smartphones, more and more people are now clicking pictures which have given us a thrust as people are now keen to have better image quality with AI embedded into it. This is a good takeaway from the smartphone market to build Next-Gen cameras," Kobayashi added.
Canon is bullish on the imaging technology being a carrier for the Internet of Things (IoT) industry that is growing exponentially in India.
"IoT is the future of the connected devices and systems around us. Canon has capabilities like the entry of optical information via camera lens or data analytics via microprocessors. Camera is a very strong entry point to gather information, process and digitise it, and get the desired output. Camera will provide an edge for all IoT devices in the future," the Canon executive noted.
On a question whether Canon will also begin manufacturing in India, Kobayashi said: "India has a high potential for manufacturing. We have made visits to prospective venues and done feasibility assessments. We don't have concrete plans as of now to share on bringing a certain product range for manufacturing into the country but yes, we are certainly looking into this".
The Indian camera market is growing in both the B2B and B2C segments for Canon.
"The impact of demonetisation and GST are now settled and people are ready to spend more money on cameras. I keep my fingers crossed for the second half of this year when the festive season begins. In the B2B segment, we achieved double-digit growth last year and expect to repeat the performance this year too," Kobayashi added.
"It was not tough for me at all. Everybody was saying that I had a very tough draw, but I did not face too much of a challenge. I had a bit of a trouble in the quarter-finals, but after that I beat three Olympians from the 2016 Rio Games one after the other," the Indian Army boxer said.
"Fighting three Olympians in consecutive bouts is not an easy task. But I registered one-sided victories in each of those bouts," he added.
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WhatsApp says it will exit India if forced to compromise with privacy, Delhi High Court informed
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New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday listed for hearing on August 14 petitions by WhatsApp LLC and its parent company Facebook Inc, now Meta, challenging the 2021 Information Technology (IT) rules for social media intermediaries requiring the messaging app to trace chats and make provisions to identify the first originator of information.
WhatsApp informed the Delhi High Court that its more than 400 million users in India primarily rely on the platform for its robust privacy features. The messaging giant said that that it would cease operations in India if compelled to compromise message encryption, a pivotal safeguard ensuring only intended parties can access message content. Representing the Meta-owned company, its lawyer firmly stated to the court, "As a platform, we are stating that if we are mandated to dismantle encryption, then WhatsApp will exit.”
Observing that the matter would have to be argued by the parties, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan asked if the issue has been considered in any other country.
"There is no such rule anywhere else in the world. Not even in Brazil," the lawyer appearing for WhatsApp said, adding that the requirement was against the privacy of users and the rule was introduced without any consultation.
The bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet P S Arora, said privacy rights were not absolute and "somewhere balance has to be done."
Central government counsel said the rule was significant when objectionable content is spread on platforms in cases such as those of communal violence.
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 were announced by the government on February 25, 2021 and required large social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to comply with the latest norms.
The bench ordered that the matter be listed for hearing on August 14 to await the transfer of all other petitions challenging several aspects of the 2021 IT Rules to it pursuant to a Supreme Court order.
During the hearing, WhatsApp's counsel said steps have been taken to "contain virality" and it was possible to trace the originator "traditionally" by examining the sequence of senders of a message.
"They say open the entire technology. Is it proportional? I am caught in between," he added.
The counsel also informed the court that all platforms would have to comply with the new data protection law, which deals with collection, processing and sharing of data, once the relevant rules are framed.
In its petition filed in 2021, WhatsApp has said the requirement of intermediaries enabling the identification of the first originator of information in India upon government or court order puts end-to-end encryption and its benefits "at risk".
WhatsApp LLC has urged the high court to declare Rule 4(2) of the intermediary rules as unconstitutional, ultra vires the IT Act and illegal and sought that no criminal liability be imposed on it for any alleged non-compliance with Rule 4(2) which requires enabling the identification of the first originator of information.
WhatsApp said the traceability provision is unconstitutional and against the fundamental right to privacy.
The plea has said the traceability requirement forces the company to break end-to-end encryption on its messaging service, as well as the privacy principles underlying it, and infringes upon the fundamental rights to privacy and free speech of the hundreds of millions of citizens using WhatsApp to communicate privately and securely.
In its reply, the Centre has said the law empowers it to expect such entities to create safe cyberspace and counter “illegal content” either themselves or by assisting the law enforcement agencies.
The Centre has told the court that Section 87 of the Information Technology Act gave it power to formulate Rule 4(2) of the Intermediary Rules which mandates a significant social media intermediary to enable the identification of the first originator of an information in “legitimate state interest” of curbing the menace of fake news and offences concerning national security and public order as well as women and children.
The Centre has also stated that if a platform does not have the means to trace the first originator without breaking the encryption then it is the platform which “ought to develop such mechanism” in larger public duty.
On March 22, the Supreme Court transferred to the Delhi High Court a batch of pleas pending before different high courts across the country challenging the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Several petitions were pending on the issue before different high courts including Karnataka, Madras, Calcutta, Kerala and Bombay high courts.
