Despite the fact that he does not see very well, Alexei Efros, recipient of the 2016 ACM Prize in Computing and a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, has spent most of his career trying to understand, model, and recreate the visual world. Drawing on the massive collection of images on the Internet, he has used machine learning algorithms to manipulate objects in photographs, translate black-and-white images into color, and identify architecturally revealing details about cities. Here, he talks about harnessing the power of visual complexity. You were born in St. Petersburg (Russia), and were 14 when you came to the U.S. What drew you to computer science?

It's 2050 and the world revolves around you. From the contents of your fridge to room temperature, digital assistants ensure your home runs smoothly. Your screens know your taste and show channels you want to see as you enter the room. Your car is driverless and your favourite barman may just be an Android. Predictions for an AI-dominated future are increasingly common, but Antoine Blondeau has experience in reading, and arguably manipulating, the runes, he helped develop technology that evolved into predictive texting and Apple's Siri.

As excited as we are about the forthcoming generation of social home robots (including Jibo, Kuri, and many others), it's hard to ignore the fact that most of them look somewhat similar. They tend to feature lots of shiny white and black plasticky roundness. That's for admittedly very good reasons, but it comes at the cost of both uniqueness and visual and tactile personality. Guy Hoffman, who is well known for the fascinating creativity of his robot designs, has been working on a completely new kind of social robot in a collaboration between his lab at Cornell and Google ZOO's creative technology team in APAC. The robot is called Blossom, and we'd describe it for you, except that it's designed to be handmade out of warm natural materials like wool and wood so that every single one is a little bit different.

Internet search giant Baidu and China Citic Bank have received regulatory approval to launch a direct banking joint venture offering loans and deposit accounts to Chinese consumers.

For the people most immersed in the tech sector, it's hard to think of a more controversial topic than the ultimate impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. By eventually empowering machines with a level of superintelligence, there are many different possible outcomes ranging from Kurzweil's technological singularity to the more dire predictions popularized by Elon Musk. Despite this wide gap in potential outcomes, most technologists do agree on one thing: AI will have a profound impact on the society and the way we do business. Today's infographic comes from the Extraordinary Future 2017, a new conference in Vancouver, BC that focuses on emerging technologies such as AI, autonomous vehicles, fintech, and blockchain tech. In the below infographic, we look recent projections from PwC and Accenture regarding AI's economic impact, as well as the industries and countries that will be the most profoundly affected.

In Japan robots can serve as companions, helpers for the elderly, entertainment bots and even sexual partners, but now SoftBank's humanoid robot Pepper has put itself up for hire as a Buddhist priest for funerals. Taking the German blessing bot's idea and running with it, Pepper's new code will let it chant sutras in a computerised voice while tapping a drum, providing a cheaper alternative to a human priest to see your loved ones off into the eternal sleep. The robot was on display on Wednesday at a funeral industry fair, the Life Ending Industry Expo, in Tokyo, shown off by plastic molding maker Nissei Eco. With the average cost of a funeral in Japan reaching in excess of £20,000, according to data from Japan's Consumer Association in 2008, and human priests costing £1,700, Nissei Eco is looking to undercut the market with Pepper available for just £350 per funeral. With Japan's population ageing and shrinking, many Buddhist priests receive less financial support from their communities, prompting some to find part-time work outside their temple duties, said Michio Inamura, Nissei's executive adviser, who suggested Pepper could step in when a human wasn't available.

Pepper the robot has seen a variety of gainful employment in its relatively short life. It's worked in a mobile phone store, a Pizza Hut and a French train station, but now it seems it's jacking in the corporate world for more spiritual pursuits: Buddhist funerals. At the happily-titled Life Ending Industry Expo in Tokyo, Aldebaran's humanoid'bot could be found clothed in religious robes and chanting sutras in a computerized voice while tapping a drum. Nissei Eco Co., which wrote the chanting software for Pepper, believes the robot could play a pivotal role in funeral ceremonies when priests aren't available, and for a lower price too. A human priest costs around 240,000 yen ($2,200) per funeral, while Pepper is a bargain at just 50,000 yen ($450).

A "robot priest" adorned with Buddhist robes and a hi-resolution tablet is now programmed to perform funeral rites for less cost than a human. Japanese plastic molding maker Nissei Eco Co. created software for Pepper The Robot enabling the humanoid to chant Buddhist mantras and recite sutras typically performed by monks at funerals. First introduced in 2014 by Japanese telecommunications company, SoftBank Group Corp., Pepper is a human-shaped robot that welcomes customers to more than 140 SoftBank Mobile stores. The robot boasts several cameras and microphones in addition to its sophisticated AI ability to perceive and respond to human emotions. Michio Inamura, a Nissei executive adviser, tells Reuters that Japan's aging and declining population has led to Buddhist priests receiving less financial backing in communities and working outside of their temple duties to make ends meet.

My visit to Japan has coincided with the 72nd anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings. On August 6, 1945, the nuclear bomb dropped by the Enola Gay Boeing B-29 exploded, killing an estimated 140,000 people. Three days later, the U.S. dropped the second bomb by the Bockscar B-29 on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 75,000. On the occasion of the 72nd anniversary ceremony about 50,000 people, including representatives from 80 nations, gathered at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. During the occasion, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for global cooperation to end nuclear weapons.

We take a look at categories where AI startups are beginning to emerge. A majority of them are in the early stages of funding. We take a look at categories where AI startups are beginning to emerge. A majority of them are in the early stages of funding. Artificial Intelligence is being hailed as the new linchpin of the tech industry.