Humanity stands on the brink of a new era of warfare. Driven by rapid developments in artificial intelligence, weapons platforms that can identify, target and decide to kill human beings on their own -- without an officer directing an attack or a soldier pulling the trigger -- are fast transforming the future of conflict. Officially, they are called lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), but critics call them killer robots. Many countries, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom, India, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Russia and Turkey, have invested heavily in developing such weapons in recent years. A United Nations report suggests that Turkish-made Kargu-2 drones in fully-automatic mode marked the dawn of this new age when they attacked combatants in Libya in 2020 amid that country's ongoing conflict. Autonomous drones have also played a crucial role in the war in Ukraine, where both Moscow and Kyiv have deployed these uncrewed weapons to target enemy soldiers and infrastructure.

However, the rigid computer chips traditionally needed to enable advanced robot capabilities -- sensing, analyzing and responding to the environment -- add extra weight to the thin sheet materials and makes them harder to fold. The semiconductor-based components therefore have to be added after a robot has taken its final shape. Now, a multidisciplinary team led by researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering has created a new fabrication technique for fully foldable robots that can perform a variety of complex tasks without relying on semiconductors. A study detailing the research findings was published in Nature Communications. By embedding flexible and electrically conductive materials into a pre-cut, thin polyester film sheet, the researchers created a system of information-processing units, or transistors, which can be integrated with sensors and actuators.

Naomi Klein's article about the dangers of generative AI makes many valid points about the economic and social consequences of the new technology (AI machines aren't'hallucinating'. But their makers are, 8 May). But her choice of language about how to describe the mistakes that the new AI makes seems to suggest she is committed mainly to providing an ideological interpretation of the new technology. Saying that mistakes are the results of glitches in the code rather than the tech hallucinating suggests the simulation is a simple one, involving a kind of power of the false rather than a more complex one that allows the possibility of some form of fabulation. This is important because it means that the technology can't be seen simply as a control technology, like nuclear fusion or self-driving cars, but instead indicates a switch to an adaptive form of technology, ie, ones that are based on adapting what is already out there rather than trying to reinvent what exists, as in some form of innovation.

Naomi Klein's article about the dangers of generative AI makes many valid points about the economic and social consequences of the new technology (AI machines aren't'hallucinating'. But their makers are, 8 May). But her choice of language about how to describe the mistakes that the new AI makes seems to suggest she is committed mainly to providing an ideological interpretation of the new technology. Saying that mistakes are the results of glitches in the code rather than the tech hallucinating suggests the simulation is a simple one, involving a kind of power of the false rather than a more complex one that allows the possibility of some form of fabulation. This is important because it means that the technology can't be seen simply as a control technology, like nuclear fusion or self-driving cars, but instead indicates a switch to an adaptive form of technology, ie, ones that are based on adapting what is already out there rather than trying to reinvent what exists, as in some form of innovation.

Google has unveiled plans to infuse its dominant search engine with more advanced artificial intelligence technology. The move comes three months after Microsoft's Bing search engine started to tap into tech similar to that which powers the artificially intelligent chatbot ChatGPT. With our new generative AI experience in Search, you'll get even more from a single search. You'll be able to quickly make sense of information with an AI-powered snapshot, pointers to explore more and natural ways to ask. Starting at $1799, this ultra-premium device combines personal AI, #GoogleTensor G2, and @Android innovation for a #Pixel smartphone that unfolds into an incredible compact tablet.#GoogleIO

The robot's soft legs are filled with sensors that measure brain activity A soft robot inserted through a tiny hole in the skull can deploy six sensor-filled legs on the surface of the brain. A version of this soft robot has been successfully tested in a miniature pig and could be scaled up for human testing in the future. The concept offers a less invasive approach for placing electrodes on the brain's surface compared with the traditional method, in which surgeons cut a hole in the skull the size of the fully extended device. If it proves safe and effective in humans, it could eventually help monitor and even treat people who experience epileptic seizures or other neurological disorders. "There's actually a really large surface area that you can reach without doing a large craniotomy," says Stéphanie Lacour at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

House Democrats and Republicans will hold a dinner at the Capitol next week with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, which developed the popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, according to an invitation obtained by NBC News. The closed-door, members-only event, planned for Monday night after House votes, comes as Washington tries to figure out how, if at all, to create rules for and regulate the rapidly moving AI industry. The bipartisan dinner is hosted by GOP Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson, R-La., and Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who made headlines this year when he introduced a resolution written by ChatGPT that calls on Congress to regulate AI. The goal of the Altman dinner is to "educate members," said Lieu, who shared the invitation with NBC News. More than 50 lawmakers have RSVP'd to the dinner, he said.

Vacuuming is one of those daily tasks that never really goes away. But as technology has advanced, new vacuums can handle cleaning your floors for you -- and with so many robot vacuum deals out there, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to cross vacuuming off your to-do list. Right now at eBay, you can take an extra 20% off (up to $100) new and refurbished iRobot devices and accessories when you use promo code IROBOT20 at checkout. There's no minimum order requirements and you can use the promo code up to two times now through May 14. There are a ton of options available that can save you a little time and effort when tidying up, including the Roomba S9 Plus robot vacuum with a self-emptying base, which earned a spot on our list of the best robot vacuums for 2023.

IBM is taking on the likes of Microsoft, AWS, and Google by introducing Watsonx, a new generative AI platform, which will help enterprises design and tune large language models (LLMs) for their operational and business requirements. Watsonx comes with a suite of tools for tuning LLMs, a data store built on lakehouse architecture, and an AI governance toolkit, the company said. Watson AI is IBM's artificial intelligence engine that the company had trained on different machine learning algorithms along with question analysis, natural language processing, feature engineering, and ontology analysis. Watsonx can be seen as the evolution of Watson AI. With the Watsonx platform, the company said it is trying to meet enterprises' requirements in five areas including interacting and conversing with customers and employees, automating business workflows and internal processes, automating IT processes, protecting against threats, and tackling sustainability goals.

Swarms of small robots rolling around on the ceiling can reconfigure rooms by moving hanging curtains or lights around – or store and then drop small objects such as keys and balls to humans below. "When you look up at the ceiling, it is unutilised space for these robotics technologies," says Ken Nakagaki. Nakagaki and his colleagues at the University of Chicago modified Toio consumer robots from Sony and attached magnets to them.