Retailers and technology firms are experimenting with chatbots, powered by a combination of machine learning, natural language processing, and live operators, to provide customer service, sales support, and other commerce-related functions. Chris Messina of Uber recently coined the term "conversational commerce" to describe this movement, which he defines as: The net result is that you and I will be talking to brands and companies over Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and elsewhere before year's end, and will find it normal. While messaging and voice interfaces are central components, they fit into a larger picture of increasing infusion of technology into our daily lives, which in turn is unlocking new potential for brand-to-consumer interaction. The fact is, technology overall is becoming more deeply woven into our lives, and the entire ecosystem is enjoying tighter cohesion through the increasing availability and sophistication of APIs. Smart companies are finding new and innovative touch points with consumers that are contextual, relevant, highly personal, and, yes, conversational.

A Chinese company claimed a world first on Wednesday by unveiling a drone capable of carrying a human passenger. Guangzhou-based Ehang Inc pulled the cloth off the Ehang 184 at the Las Vegas convention center during the CES gadget show. In a company video showing the 184 flying, it looks like a small helicopter but with four propellers spinning parallel to the ground in a similar configuration to other drones. The electric-powered drone can be fully charged in two hours, carry up to 100kg (220lb) and fly for 23 minutes at sea level, according to Ehang. The cabin fits one person and a small backpack and is fitted with air conditioning and a reading light.

Self-driving Uber cars are making'dangerous and illegal' turns across bike lanes Forget buttons: BMW reveals its future cars could have... Facebook faces £100 million fine after EU accuses it of... The first robot-human marriage will take place before 2050,... Would YOU try it? Bizarre robot'lips' let you kiss... Forget buttons: BMW reveals its future cars could have... Facebook faces £100 million fine after EU accuses it of... The first robot-human marriage will take place before 2050,... Would YOU try it? Bizarre robot'lips' let you kiss...

A new study has shown human altruism is a trait that separates us from our primate cousins, making us unique. Europe's earliest humans were raw foodies: 1.2... Would YOU try it? Bizarre robot'lips' let you kiss... Sex robots could reveal your secret perversions: Handing... Climate change is causing Arctic lake ice cover to melt ONE... Europe's earliest humans were raw foodies: 1.2... Would YOU try it? Bizarre robot'lips' let you kiss... Sex robots could reveal your secret perversions: Handing... Climate change is causing Arctic lake ice cover to melt ONE... In the past, scientists suggested the roots of human altruism extend down at least as far as our common ancestor with chimpanzees.

I expected to feel a little out of place at the swanky university event for bioethics. My wife, a professor with expertise in the field, had invited me. But when I introduced myself as a software engineer to the attendees, many wanted to talk about one thing -- artificial intelligence (AI). How would it affect society? What are the goods and the bads?

Yoo Kwang-yeol, commissioner of the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit, said his agency is currently working to upgrade the main system that stores and analyzes information regarding hundreds of millions of financial transactions in order to increase accuracy of capturing suspicious transactions out of normal ones. "We are considering an uptake of the artificial intelligence technology to improve the current intelligence system by benchmarking advanced systems in countries like Australia and Canada," Yoo said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Yoo Kwang-yeol, commissioner of Korea Financial Intelligence Unit speaks during an interview at his office in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Dec. 6. Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald For this, a group of KOFIU experts paid a trip to Australia earlier this month to learn from the Australian financial intelligence system. "AI can help improve efficiency of sorting out suspicious financial transactions and accuracy of analyzing related account information," Yoo said.

Virtual touch screen uses reflections to give the illusion of a floating display A camera tracks the driver's hand movements and registers input The system then offers tactile feedback to the user in the form of a pulse HoloActive Touch will be debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from the 5th to 8th of January A camera tracks the driver's hand movements and registers input The interface, dubbed HoloActive Touch, will allow users to alter settings and access music and other media in their vehicle without having to touch the controls. How safe is your fitness tracker? Hackers could steal your... BlackBerry sets its sights on self driving cars: Firm... The tiles that make buildings INVISIBLE: Smart... Will the iPhone 8 ditch glass for PLASTIC? How safe is your fitness tracker?

An expert has said we will marry robots before 2050, at a robot sex conference He also thinks sex with robots will be more enjoyable than with other humans Comments were made by Dr David Levy, author of'Love and Sex with Robots' Comments were made by Dr David Levy, author of'Love and Sex with Robots' Humans will marry robots in the next 35 years, according to a sex robot expert. Sex robots could reveal your secret perversions: Handing... Sex bots could KILL: Experts warn owners'risk... How safe is your fitness tracker? The $2500 holographic'girlfriend' that can double as a... Sex robots could reveal your secret perversions: Handing... Sex bots could KILL: Experts warn owners'risk... How safe is your fitness tracker? The $2500 holographic'girlfriend' that can double as a... Earlier this year a graphic designer created a life-like replica of actress Scarlett Johansson (pictured) which is not a sex robot but winks and giggles when people tell her she's cute. First human marriage to a robot will happen BEFORE 2050 by which time sexbots will be'more attractive than humans' First human marriage to a robot will happen BEFORE 2050 by which time sexbots will be'more attractive than humans' Girl shouts at her poor Grandpa over her iPhone appointment Group of killer whales prowl seas and attack shark Adorable Hamster gets Shot and pretends to be dead Baby'sings' Christmas carol - with a little help from daddy BMW driver tries to ram car off the road after slip lane mishap U.S. Ambassador attacker detained moments after slashing Woman riding motorbike is catapulted into air after collision Koala covered in burrs gets his fur groomed in adorable video Kung Fu truck driver gets revenge on man who stole his phone Hungarian-American actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dead at 99 Prisoner batters officer who finds him recording show on laptop Adorable baby pug takes his first bath and enjoys it SO MUCH Baby'sings' Christmas carol - with a little help from daddy U.S. Ambassador attacker detained moments after slashing Germany at war: Berlin on'significant' alert of second... Donald Trump wins Electoral College - as attempts to cause... Horror as Russian ambassador to Turkey is shot dead in art... 'I'm starving.

Will robots put Arnie out of a job? Schwarzenegger comes face to face with a rival during a press conference for'Terminator Genisys' at a press conference in South Korea (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Science fiction in the movies is almost as old as the movies themselves. It didn't take long before frock-coated futurologists spotted the potential of the medium resulting in the production of'A Trip to the Moon' by George Melies in 1902. But how good is cinema at predicting the future with any degree of accuracy? Where for example were all those spaceships that were supposed to be buzzing backwards and forwards to the moon fifteen years ago according to '2001: A Space Odyssey', given that the last person to set foot on it did so back in 1972? Despite the efforts of Richard Branson and Elon Musk I wouldn't recommend holding your breath on that one happening any time soon.

She says that connected sex toys could store incredibly personal data, raising concerns over how it could be used in future. One expert has warned that these connected sex toys, including sex robots, could store incredibly personal data, raising concerns over how it could be used in future. 'Right now my big concern is about data,' said Dr Kate Devlin, from the Department of Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London. With people often ticking the boxes to agree with terms and conditions without even reading them, the consequences could be huge. But it depends on how any saved data is used, explained Dr Devlin.