An expert on algorithmic bias responds to Deji Bryce Olukotun's "When We Were Patched." Big decisions about our lives are increasingly made jointly by humans and computer systems. Are we invited for an interview? Which news stories should we read? Who won the tennis match?

Sky News understands that Pointr, a fast-growing "scale-up" which helps retail and transport businesses improve performance by navigating customers more efficiently, is close to finalising its Series-A fundraising. The deal with Livingbridge, which is expected to involve it injecting several million pounds in return for a sizeable equity stake in Pointr, is designed to fuel the technology company's international expansion. It will mark the latest purchase by Livingbridge of a stake in an earlier-stage business, reflecting the growing attractiveness to mainstream buyout firms of companies whose share registers have typically been dominated by venture capital funds. Pointr's technology has been installed at King's Cross Station and Gatwick Airport, as well as in Harrods, Sainsbury's and Virgin Trains. Its use of AI and augmented reality technology to provide pinpoint tracking and orient ation services is designed to help clients better understand their customers' interaction with their environment.

A team of researchers at the Medical University of Vienna has recently evaluated the effectiveness of machine learning strategies to identify bacteraemia in patients affected by systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Their study, published in Scientific Reports, gathered discouraging results, as machine learning methods could not achieve better accuracy than current diagnostic techniques. Bacteraemia is a frequent medical condition characterized by the presence of bacteria in the blood, with a mortality rate ranging between 13 percent and 21 percent. Past research suggests that a number of factors are associated with the risk of developing this condition, including advanced age, urinary or indwelling vascular catheter, chemotherapy, and immunosuppressive therapies. Diagnosing bacteraemia early is of crucial importance for the survival of affected patients, as they require prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics.

Killer robots must be banned to prevent unlawful killings, injuries and other violations of human rights'before it's too late', according to Amnesty International. The human rights non-profit is calling upon the United Nations to place tough new restraints on the development of autonomous weapon systems ahead of key negotiations in Geneva this week. The development of automated weapons, which can pick out and eliminate targets without input from a human being, has proliferated over the past decade. Countries including the UK, France, Israel and the US are known to be developing the technology for use in military and police operations. Amnesty International argues humans should remain'at the core of critical decisions' on the use of deadly force, such as the selection and engagement of targets.

There is a "real danger to humanity" if there is no ban on so-called killer robots, says professor of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics Noel Sharkey. The long-time campaigner against killer robots told Verdict in an exclusive video interview about the dangers of lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS), which are being developed by militaries to kill without human oversight. He made the warning ahead of the UN's 6th meeting on LAWS, taking place in Geneva today and lasting throughout the week. The most recent meeting was in April and saw Austria and China join the list of countries calling for a prohibition on LAWS. This meeting will see more than 70 governments from around the world meet under the auspices of the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

This superhero action game is refreshingly colourful and humorous, fittingly for a game starring Marvel's perennial cheeky chappie. Swinging around New York, slinging webs and beating up criminals is exactly as fun as it sounds. The plot is untethered from any Spider-Man films and comics, bringing many of the web-slingers nemeses together in one story. That also means that developer Insomniac has been able to take its time, which is obvious from how beautiful it looks. A new series of this episodic game about teens in small-town America begins in September, this time starring a couple of brothers on the run rather than a high-schooler with the power to rewind time.

In Plato's Republic, Socrates challenges the idea that justice should boil down to telling the truth and returning things that were taken. He raises an interesting dilemma: what if the goods in question would harm other individuals if returned? In other words, giving a weapon back to its owner constitutes a moral dilemma as it could lead to people being harmed by the weapon's use. For Socrates, there was no doubt that protecting people was what should always prevail. Centuries later, Socrates's view is still very relevant in light of recent developments regarding the use of artificial intelligence in warfare.

AI and robotics are going to shape our future. Next there are 10 issues that professionals and researchers need to address in order to desing intelligent systems that help humanity. The flow of misinformation together with our natural inability of perceiving reality based on evidence (a phenomenon called confirmation bias) is a threat to having an informed democracy. Russian hackers influencing the US elections, Brexit campaign and Catalonia crisis are examples of how social media can massively spread misinformation and fake news. It is an open question how institutions are going to address this threat. The scientific revolution in the 18th century and the industrial revolution in the 19th marked a complete change in society.

Scientists have developed an artificial intelligence system that can allow robots to interact with autistic children undergoing therapy. People with autism see, hear and feel the world differently from other people, which affects how they interact with others. This makes communication-centred activities quite challenging for children with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs). To address this challenge, therapists recently began to use humanoid robots in therapy sessions. However, existing robots lack the ability to autonomously engage with children, which is vital for improving the therapy.

A team of researchers from the University of Central Florida have developed an artificial intelligence system to detect cancerous tumors normally missed by radiologists, the university stated in a blog post. The team has trained a computer to identify minute particles of lung cancer in CT scans, which are otherwise difficult for radiologists to pinpoint. The researchers claim that the system is about 95% accurate at identifying cancer versus 65% by humans, the blog added. The AI uses an algorithm similar to facial-recognition software that scans thousands of faces to identify and match a particular pattern. "We used the brain as a model to create our system. You know how connections between neurons in the brain strengthen during development and learn? We used that blueprint, if you will, to help our system understand how to look for patterns in the CT scans and teach itself how to find these tiny tumors," said Rodney LaLonde, a doctoral candidate, in the blog post.