Estimating the log-likelihood gradient with respect to the parameters of a Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) typically requires sampling using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. To save computation time, the Markov chains are only run for a small number of steps, which leads to a biased estimate. This bias can cause RBM training algorithms such as Contrastive Divergence (CD) learning to deteriorate. We adopt the idea behind Population Monte Carlo (PMC) methods to devise a new RBM training algorithm termed Population-Contrastive-Divergence (pop-CD). Compared to CD, it leads to a consistent estimate and may have a significantly lower bias. Its computational overhead is negligible compared to CD. However, the variance of the gradient estimate increases. We experimentally show that pop-CD can significantly outperform CD. In many cases, we observed a smaller bias and achieved higher log-likelihood values. However, when the RBM distribution has many hidden neurons, the consistent estimate of pop-CD may still have a considerable bias and the variance of the gradient estimate requires a smaller learning rate. Thus, despite its superior theoretical properties, it is not advisable to use pop-CD in its current form on large problems.

Automated highlights, augmented reality and an all-knowing chatbot called'Ask Fred' are among the new innovations from the the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and IBM at this year's Championships. The AELTC and IBM announced on Tuesday that they are introducing a raft of innovations for the 2017 tournament in order to engage existing supporters and try to expand the tournament's global audience. 'Ask Fred' - named after Britain's legendary three-time Wimbledon champion Fred Perry - is enabled by IBM's Watson technology and offers a cognitive assistant to answer questions from fans visiting the event. Supporters can get information on a range of topics, including where to eat and drink or the nearest place to buy a Wimbledon towel. Three public wi-fi hotspots - also new for 2017 - will facilitate the process, and Wimbledon and IBM will monitor the questions Fred is asked to provide an improved service for next year.

I know this isn't Instagram, but fuck it. I'm writing an article about what I had for lunch. If you haven't tuned out already, don't worry. Earlier today, I attended a press event for IBM's Watson at London's iconic Wimbledon tennis grounds. Sandwiching the presentations and panels (pun 100-percent intended) was a'cognitive breakfast' and a'cognitive lunch.' Say what?

Microsoft's biggest hurdle with Crackdown 3 isn't its rumored troubled development cycle, it's that Agents of Mayhem exists and is coming out first. Both share a similar premise: You're a superpowered human given free reign over a cartoony open world. There are plenty of physics-based shenanigans that result from shooting harpoon rifles at snipers and black hole guns at gang members in both, and each has a familiar structure of taking out a crime syndicate from the bottom up. The difference lies in the execution: There are a lot of cooks working on Crackdown 3 -- some brand new to the franchise -- while Mayhem's team is a group of seasoned open-world veterans. Crackdown 3 is being developed by two studios.

Microsoft is bringing its big-data knowledge to sports. Today, the company introduced its new Sports Performance Platform, an analytics system that aims to help teams track, improve and predict their players performance using machine learning and Surface technology. Created by Microsoft Garage, the group responsible for the tech giant's offbeat innovations, the project is designed to make coaches better understand player data and find ways to turn that into actionable insights. Microsoft's Sports Performance Platform can, for example, figure out when a player is at risk of injury, based on his or her most recent performance and recovery time. The company says one of the main benefits to its sports analytics tool is that it's powered by proprietary business tools such as Power BI, a cloud-based intelligence suite also used on products like Excel, as well as Azure and, of course, Surface computers.

There is a lot of money to be made from Artificial Intelligence. By one estimate, the market is projected to hit US$36.8 billion by 2025. Some of this money will undoubtedly go to social good, like curing illness, disease and infirmity. Some will also go to better understanding intractable social problems like wealth distribution, urban planning, smart cities, and more'efficient' ways to do just about everything. But the key word here is'some'.

You probably know that by 2022 an estimated 5 million jobs worldwide will be lost to AI-enabled automation technologies. You probably also know that Oxford University says that 47 percent of American jobs are at risk of being automated, and you probably know two or three more harrowing statistics along the same lines. But did you know that AI is able to spot genetic diseases that human doctors can't detect? Or greatly reduce power consumption using smart energy grids? Or educate children with hyperpersonal teaching techniques?

Moore's law famously declared that the processing power of microchips will grow exponentially. What today's keyboard warriors will find is that human brainpower and waking hours do not. As computers replace calculators, our tools become more capable, yet from society to software, can our very physical forms possibly keep up? An exhibitor displays Musio, a deep learning based artificial intelligence robot manufactured by AKA Study Limited, during the TechCrunch Disrupt 2015 conference in London, U.K., on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. The dawn of the new millennium saw a generation raised by spreadsheets and solitaire.

Cyber security experts are warning that consumers can also be targeted by the ransomware that has affected huge organisations around the world. A new variant of known malware Petya is believed to be behind the chaos, which initially hit Ukraine, before spreading to companies in a number of other countries, including the UK. However, it's not just big businesses that are under threat. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph. The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session A man looks at an exhibit entitled'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Electrification Guru Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart talks about the electric Jaguar I-PACE concept SUV before it was unveiled before the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car is the start of a new era for Jaguar. Japan's On-Art Corp's CEO Kazuya Kanemaru poses with his company's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot'TRX03' and other robots during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot'TRX03' performs during its unveiling in Tokyo, Japan Singulato Motors co-founder and CEO Shen Haiyin poses in his company's concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China A picture shows Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Connected company president Shigeki Tomoyama addresses a press briefing as he elaborates on Toyota's "connected strategy" in Tokyo.

The'Petya' cyber attack currently spreading around the world could be "bigger" than WannaCry, a cyber security expert says. The ransomware initially hit Ukraine, but the WPP has confirmed that several of its companies have also been affected by it. Naturally, comparisons are being made with WannaCry, the ransomware that so badly affected the NHS in May, but some believe Petya could be worse. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph. The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session A man looks at an exhibit entitled'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Electrification Guru Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart talks about the electric Jaguar I-PACE concept SUV before it was unveiled before the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car is the start of a new era for Jaguar.