Switzerland is lagging behind in artificial intelligence – that’s the Sunday news

Swiss hydropower plants are expected to be allowed to sell the preserved water reserve for a profit from May 15. This caused discontent in politics from the left to the right, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote. The hydropower plants had already received a retention premium of CHF 300 million for the reserve. The Energy Committee of the National Council called for an amendment to the agreement. All major storage plants will now have to maintain a reserve and the federal government will have to pay a lower lump sum payment. According to the head of the Electricity Commission (Elcom), Urs Meister, any electricity sold in the spring was already included in the calculation.

During a year, 95.6 percent of nursing staff surveyed had experienced sexual harassment or assault by patients. This is according to a new study by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote. Study author Milena Bruschini interviewed nurses between the ages of 18 and 58. The results showed that younger nurses were more often affected. Inappropriate comments were the most common, followed by non-verbal harassment and lecherous looks. More than two-thirds of those surveyed have experienced physical violence. A quarter were kissed in an awkward way at least once a year.

The new UBS boss Sergio Ermotti has probably appointed the bank’s management as a long-term confidant. UBS veteran Tom Naratil should return and lead the integration department and become the group’s chief financial officer, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote. In addition, Iqbal Kahn as head of Global Wealth Management and Sabine Keller-Busse in her position as head of UBS Switzerland, as well as head of compliance Markus Ronner will continue to be involved. It is unclear who will take over the leadership of the legal department. Markus Diethelm, the chief of law at Credit Suisse, acts. According to the newspaper, UBS also plans to spin off the Swiss operations of Credit Suisse.

According to current estimates, the federal government must pay back CHF 1.1 billion to banks in compensation for Covid loans. With 1,322 loans totaling CHF 60 million, it is already clear that the companies cannot repay the money, the SonntagsZeitung wrote, citing information from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco). So far, banks have handed over CHF 800 million worth of Covid loans to guarantee cooperatives. They try to collect some of the money. According to experts, only a marginal part of this will flow back.

Here’s the detailed story:

Nearly two-thirds of all Swiss hotels have recently been unsuccessful in recruiting. According to an evaluation by the Gastrosuisse trade association, the number of vacant full-time positions in the hospitality industry is unprecedentedly high, writes SonntagsBlick. There are currently 8,500 vacancies. For comparison: in 2015 there were 2000 jobs. Meanwhile, the number of overnight stays increased: today there are 509 overnight stays for one full-time position. That is about 100 nights more than in 2010, according to an evaluation by hotel association Hotelleriesuisse.

Switzerland scored below average on Stanford University’s artificial intelligence (AI) index. It was ranked 14th in AI Index Report 2023. India ranked first, followed by US and Germany, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote. Yet in Europe you cannot ignore Switzerland when it comes to artificial intelligence. The Center for AI at ETH Zurich will open on May 8. On the one hand, the center relies on an interdisciplinary approach between a department and knowledge of computer science or robotics. On the other hand, it counts on young talent: of the 850 registrations per year, a maximum of 18 will receive a PhD or postdoc position.

Last year, 1,564 demonstrations took place in seven Swiss cities surveyed. Basel, Bern and St. Gallen reached new heights, as “SonntagsBlick” wrote. Last year, the Zurich city police incurred operational costs of 3.1 million francs. In 2021 alone, demonstrations became more expensive by CHF 5.3 million. Two years ago, demonstrations cost the Bern police 7 million francs. According to “SonntagsBlick”, the past year has not yet been evaluated. The newspaper also examined the cities of Lucerne, Winterthur and Geneva. In Geneva last year, with 400 demonstrations, most of the gatherings were attended by the police.

French-speaking Swiss filmmakers have criticized the French-language television channel RTS. RTS too often uses foreign personnel for television series, they told “Le Matin Dimanche”. Local filmmakers could no longer film without resorting to other intermediaries. There is no work and wages have been stagnant for more than a decade. RTS replied that certain competencies were too scarce in Western Switzerland. In addition, RTS is dependent on international co-productions. With government funding of four to five million francs per season, series in western Switzerland are underpaid. RTS tries to raise money abroad, which often means hiring foreign staff.

The Federal Environment Agency (FOEN) has criticized disposable e-cigarettes as “a waste of resources”. Depending on the battery, a smartphone’s battery would be thrown away every month, the head of the Bafu’s municipal waste service, Isabel Junker, told the “SonntagsZeitung”. There is also a danger because the batteries in the waste can easily catch fire. Consumers often don’t know how to properly dispose of the devices, says Sabrina Bjöörn, director of the Sens foundation, which specializes in electronic recycling. Sens is currently working on a new recycling system specifically for e-cigarettes.

The local authorities of Boncourt JU have expressed concern about the future use of the premises of the British American Tobacco (BAT) tobacco group. They fear that the 70,000 square meter halls could become dumping grounds for companies unable or unwilling to invest, as “Le Matin Dimanche” wrote. The community sent a letter to the tobacco company. She would be willing to make a financial contribution. However, their room for maneuver is limited, as BAT will retain ownership even after the move next year. The canton of Jura also has no plans to buy part of the buildings. (con/sda)