Edward Geist is an associate policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND... Andrew J. Lohn is an engineer at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. Artificial intelligence and nuclear war have been fiction clichés for decades. Today's AI is impressive to be sure, but specialized, and remains a far cry from computers that become self-aware and turn against their creators. At the same time, popular culture does not do justice to the threats that modern AI indeed presents, such as its potential to make nuclear war more likely even if it never exerts direct control over nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the military significance of AI when he declared in September that the country that leads in artificial intelligence will eventually rule the world.

Europe's secret weapon in the race against the U.S. and China on artificial intelligence is … ethics. That was the message at the core of the EU's AI strategy unveiled Wednesday and developed by a team of European Commissioners under the supervision of Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip. In its "Charter on AI Ethics," the Commission wants to spell out how to preserve fundamental rights along with the rise of AI. This, the bloc believes, will boost consumer trust in European AI applications and help the Continent -- which lags far behind the U.S. and China in building a state-of-the-art AI industry -- catch up with competitors. The strategy includes a boost to the bloc's annual spending on AI research and development of about 70 percent, to around €500 million, effective immediately.

Thousands of children go missing every year in India, many victims of human trafficking. Facial recognition software is now helping reunite them with their families. In a recent trial police in the capital New Delhi used the technology to scour photos from a government database called TrackChild, which combines reports of missing children filed with police and records of children being held in childcare institutions.

As the domestic football season starts to wrap up, all eyes are turning to the World Cup in Russia. EA, unsurprisingly, wants to celebrate the competition with a video game tie-in -- this year, however, it will be released as a free update for FIFA 18. That's in stark contrast to 2014, when EA released a dedicated game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and a meagre Ultimate Team expansion for the PS4 and Xbox One. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia expansion will include all 32 teams that have qualified for the competition. That includes their players (most of which already exist as part of FIFA 18), national kits and badges.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) can move over large areas, identifying damages, and also helps in surveying and rescuing. Researchers from Graz University of Technology, in Syria, Austria have something innovative to do with the drones. They want to change the way we interface with drones. HoloLens, a Microsoft's mixed reality head-mounted display, when combined with drones can create a X-ray vision, enabling us to see straight through walls, and placing the drone where one want it to be. To test the system, the researchers set up a study where participants were asked to perform the remote tasks like reading text on a monitor through the drone's camera.

We have emotions, family and friends to spend time with. Whether employed, self-employed, we like to take time off to relax and spend time with them. We occasionally become unwell and can be rather unpredictable too. Sometimes we just down tools and decide to take a day or two off, whatever the reason may be. We are all "overheads" in some way or another, costly, and in some cases slow too – young or old.

The future of artificial intelligence (AI), the technology that is seen as potentially impacting almost every industry on the planet, is widely acknowledged to be a war between tech firms in America and China. In a notable side-note to that battle, China now has the world's highest-valued AI startup after SenseTime, a company founded in 2014, announced a $600 million Series C investment round. A source with knowledge of discussions told TechCrunch that the round values the company at over $4.5 billion, while it is also raising an extension to this round. That marks a hefty increase on the company's most recent $1.5 billion valuation when it raised a $410 million Series B last year. SenseTime CEO Li Xu said the company plans to use the capital to expand its presence overseas and "widen the scope for more industrial application of AI." Beyond the high figures involved -- the round is a record fundraising for an AI company worldwide -- SenseTime's investment efforts are notable because of the names that have backed it.

Artificial intelligence is a key component of the future of healthcare. Indeed, the era of the AI doctor seems to be unavoidable. Today, we see AI in hospitals helping clinicians identify medical risks; predict when to provide targeted, life-saving interventions; form treatment plans for patients with rare diseases; and deliver precision medicine. However, one of the benefits associated with AI may actually be a disadvantage in healthcare. While AI excels at making unbiased, purely logical decisions, it cannot yet appreciate the complex blend of emotional, social, cultural and physical needs of people.

Artificial intelligence is a key component of the future of healthcare. Indeed, the era of the AI doctor seems to be unavoidable. Today, we see AI in hospitals helping clinicians identify medical risks; predict when to provide targeted, life-saving interventions; form treatment plans for patients with rare diseases; and deliver precision medicine. However, one of the benefits associated with AI may actually be a disadvantage in healthcare. While AI excels at making unbiased, purely logical decisions, it cannot yet appreciate the complex blend of emotional, social, cultural and physical needs of people.

China is monitoring the brain activity of employees in its factories, state-owned enterprises and military on an'industrial scale'. The technology works by placing wireless sensors in workers' hats or caps that when combined with artificial intelligence can spot workplace rage, anxiety or depression. Employers use this'emotional surveillance technology' to boost productivity and profits by tweaking workflows, including employee placement and break lengths. China is monitoring the brain activity of employees in its state-run firms. The technology works by placing wireless sensors in workers' hats that when combined with AI can spot workplace anxiety or depression.