Let's kill a few false ideas first. No, artificial intelligence won't take the control of the world. You can forget your dreams about Terminator, The Matrix, Johnny 5 and Wall-e (yes I know for the last one it's kind of sad). But you just have to watch some Alexa, Google home or any other AI fails on YouTube to understand that we are far away from that scenario. Now that we agree on that, let's talk more seriously.

New developments in artificial intelligence do not yet need specific new laws to control possible harmful effects, a landmark inquiry by peers recommends today. However the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence's 180-page report proposes that the government draft an international ethical code - which would include a ban on autonomous weapons, so-called'killer robots'. In researching the report, the lords' investigation took evidence from a wide range of ethical and legal experts, including the Law Society, law firms and Gazette columnist Joanna Goodman, as well as figures from industry and academia. Its overall finding was that the UK is in a strong position to lead developments, with its'constellation of legal, ethical, financial and linguistic strengths'. However committee chair Lord Clement-Jones (DLA Piper partner Timothy Clement-Jones) noted that: 'AI is not without its risks and the adoption of the principles proposed by the committee will help to mitigate these.'

German AI startup Artisense has announced a €4 million funding round from Project A, Vito Ventures, and Holidu cofounder Chris Hitchen. The startup has developed algorithms for real-time 3D mapping of images. The tech can be applied to autonomous cars and robotics to help them to better understand their surroundings. The new funds will be invested in improving the algorithm, forging industry partners in automotive and robotics, and expanding its offices in Munich, Palo Alto, and Tokyo. "We see Europe increasingly becoming one of the hubs for DeepTech startups. A unique ecosystem has been established that combines innovation, research, and entrepreneurship with huge markets," said Thomas Oehl, managing partner at Vito Ventures.

Indian manufacturing companies are going all out to woo expat talent in digital, artificial intelligence and other new-age technologies, as they seek to strengthen their global footprint with improved products. Companies in sectors such as automobile, industrial, pharmaceutical, chemical and packaging are keen on bringing in people familiar with international best practices who can replicate the quality and precision of developed markets such as North America, the UK, Korea, Japan and Germany. Over the last six months, automaker Mahindra & Mahindra has hired six expats for top-level posts while the diversified Vedanta Ltd in February brought in five expats at senior levels in India. A spokesperson for Hero MotoCorp said several experts have joined the company of late. "There has been an increase in expat hiring in the last six months. Expat hiring isn't about numbers but about inducting appropriate capabilities and talent," said Rajeshwar Tripathi, chief people officer, M&M, which last year inducted 15 expats at senior levels.

Were you aware that 3,285 people were killed today, in a war that has been going on for decades, and that each year at least 20 million people have been injured in that same war? Well, it is not surprising, as this particular war is not well publicized, and rarely makes the news. This is the war that takes place between frail-bodied people -- often women and children -- and that unforgiving machine of destruction, the motor car. If that many people were killed and injured in a war anywhere in the world, it would definitely make headline news. As it is, the carnage is swept up, the bodies buried, and everyone tries not to notice.

Pentagon technology chief Mike Griffin last week announced US military plans to form an office dedicated to procuring and deploying artificial intelligence technology. Meanwhile, the White House still doesn't have a science adviser. The US military appears to embrace AI at every strategic level, and the creation of a new office to manage the burgeoning technology is further evidence that machine learning is the future of warfare. According to Federal News Radio's Eric White, Under Secretary Griffin and fellow top brass are "alarmed at recent advances" in the field of artificial intelligence and seek to form the office as a matter of national security. US House members are also concerned about such developments, having recently introduced a bill that would allocate millions of dollars toward researching artificial intelligence with the intent of providing a study for the president to review next year. The White House, for its part, has been peculiarly silent on the subject of AI, leaving some to speculate the idea of operating a democracy without a qualified science adviser is a bad one.

Members of the House of Lords have called for an artificial intelligence code of conduct in the UK. The House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, in a report titled AI in the UK: Ready, Willing and Able?, argued that the UK can lead the world in AI, as long as it puts ethics at the centre of its plans. The Committee recommended five principles guiding how researchers and businesses develop artificially intelligent systems in the UK. As part of its report, the Lords have called for these principles to be formulated into a cross-sector AI code to be adopted internationally as well as in the UK. Commenting on the report, the Committee's chairman, Lord Clement-Jones, said: "The UK has a unique opportunity to shape AI positively for the public's benefit and to lead the international community in AI's ethical development, rather than passively accept its consequences."

Summary: GDPR carries many new data and privacy requirements including a "right to explanation". On the surface this appears to be similar to US rules for regulated industries. We examine why this is actually a penalty and not a benefit for the individual and offer some insight into the actual wording of the GDPR regulation which also offers some relief. GDPR is now just about 60 days away and there's plenty to pay attention to especially in getting and maintaining permission to use a subscriber's data. If you're just starting out in the EU there are some new third party offerings that promise to keep track of things for you (Integris, Kogni, and Waterline all emphasized this feature at the Strata Data San Jose conference this month).

The most desirable career of the 21st century, with numerous advantages over other fast-growing occupations such as hospice carer and rickshaw driver, is being a billionaire. Prior to the incorporation of US Steel in 1901, the world didn't have a single billion-dollar company, much less a billion-dollar individual. Today, more people than ever are becoming billionaires – 2,000 and counting have made the great leap upward, according to the "global wealth team" at Forbes. And the US's hottest billionaire factory is located in the most hyped yet least understood swath of suburban sprawl in the world: Silicon Valley. Despite what you may have heard, hard work in your chosen trade is absolutely the stupidest way to join the billionaires club. In Silicon Valley, the world's most brilliant MBAs and IT professionals discovered a shortcut to fabulous riches. Ambitious Ivy Leaguers who once flocked to Wall Street are now packing up and heading west. The Valley's startup founders, investors, equity-holding executives and fee-taking middlemen have thrived above all. Inspired by their success, my idea was to move to Silicon Valley, pitch a startup and become obscenely rich. I left home with some homemade business cards showing my new email address, futurebillionaire@aol.com, The first thing I needed was a place to stay.

Despite how human-like they may act and appear, giving rights to robots may not be the best move. That was the consensus of 150 experts who weighed in on the discussion on Thursday, in light of the European Parliament's recent question of whether or not robots need special rights. A team of 150 experts in robotics, artificial intelligence, law, medical science and ethics wrote an open letter to the European Union advising that robots not be given special legal status as "electric persons," CNN reported. The letter says that giving robots human rights would be unhelpful. "From an ethical and legal perspective, creating a legal personality for a robot is inappropriate whatever the legal status model," the letter states.