A computer that learns to talk in the same way as a young child by holding conversations with humans has been developed by scientists. The machine, which uses cutting edge artificial neural network technology to mimic the way the human brain works, was given 1,500 sentences from literature about language structure. It was then able to use this to learn how to construct new sentences with nouns, verbs, adjectives and pronouns when having a conversation with a real human. Researchers used connections between two million artificial neurons to mimic some of the processes that take place in the human brain as we learn to speak (illustrated). While some of the sentences had the rather functional approach of a computer rather than the finesse of a natural speaker, the results are still impressive.

Footage of robots falling over recently caused hilarity on social media. While we may be impressed by their artificial intelligence, humanoids often have an awkward, stumbling gait. Now scientists have developed a new system that they say will allow future robots to walk in the same way as humans, and avoid being knocked over easily. The technology could allow robots to one day take over human jobs, such as serving in the armed forces or doing household chores, the researchers claim. Scientists have developed a system that they say will allow robots to walk in the same way as humans.

Scientists have revealed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can solve SAT geometry questions as well as the average American 11th-grade student. Called GeoS, it uses a combination of computer vision to interpret diagrams, natural language processing to read and understand text and a geometric solver to achieve 49 percent accuracy on official SAT test questions. If these results were extrapolated to the entire Math SAT test, the computer achieved an SAT score of 500 (out of 800), the average test score for 2015, the team behind it say. The system uses a combination of computer vision, natural language processing and a geometric solver to achieve 49 percent accuracy on official SAT test questions. GeoS is the first end-to-end system that solves SAT plane geometry problems.

Protracted negotiations within the United Nations are causing'killer robots' to move a step closer to reality, an expert has warned. The UK and US are currently attempting to water down a preemptive ban on autonomous weapons at the UN general assembly in New York. But this is delaying an agreement on banning the technology, which could allow nations to possess killer robots before any laws come into force. Protracted negotiations within the United Nations are causing'killer robots' to move a step closer to reality, an expert has warned. This was the stark warning made by Christof Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in an in-depth article for The Guardian.

It's hard to think of mass extinctions as positive events, with species and genetic material lost forever. But computer scientists have shown that mass extinctions such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs could actually speed up evolution, leading to useful new adaptations – in robots at least. They say the finding has implications for the development of artificially intelligent robots and may support some evolutionary biologists' views that extinction events actually promote lineages that have the biggest potential to evolve. 'Focused destruction can lead to surprising outcomes,' said Risto Miikkulainen, a professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. 'Sometimes you have to develop something that seems objectively worse in order to develop the tools you need to get better.'

Drones get some bad press, with many associating them with a dystopian future defined by war and surveillance. But now a company is trying to make drones more popular - and in the process improving aerial photography so you can take selfies from the air. The Fotokite Phi is a drone on a leash that you can lead around just like a pet and is now available for pre-order as part of crowdfunding campaign. On a tight leash: 'The Fotokite's tether (pictured) provides a safer, more direct way to fly. It enables close-proximity operations and the tether provides visual accountability for bystanders and property owners,' the Swiss start-up said The drone is now on sale with prices starting at $249 (£159) and can be pre-ordered on their Indiegogo crowdfunding page.

Researchers have found a Turkish language based on whistles is unique as it uses both sides of the brain. Generally speaking, language processing is a job for the brain's left hemisphere, whether it is spoken, written, or signed. However, researchers have discovered an exception to this rule: whistled Turkish. Whistled Turkish is Turkish that has been adapted into a series of whistles. This method of communicating was popular before the advent of telephones, and can travel up to 90m away.

The year is 2050 and super-intelligent robots have taken over the planet. Except you have no idea, because you're living in a computer simulation, depicting what life was like in 2015. Everything you see and touch right now has been created by robotic overlords who are using humanity as playthings in their virtual game. That's the radical theory put forward by a number of scientists over the years, who claim there is a possibility that our world as we know it is fake. The universe and everything you see in it is fake.

Self-aware robots with deadly intentions are a staple in sci-fi films. Now scientists have proved a robot can show a glimmer of consciousness – but luckily this android is polite. In an experiment a small humanoid solved a philosophical problem to demonstrate it could understand a question and then recognise its own voice. Scientists have proved a robot can show a glimmer of consciousness. In an experiment, Nao bots were programmed to think two of them took'dumbing pills'.

In the year since the European Court of Justice ruled that anyone can ask Google to remove personal information about them, the site has evaluated more than one million links. Each request has to be verified and processed by a dedicated team of people, but the sheer volume can cause delays. To speed this up, researchers from Germany and New Zealand have developed an algorithm capable of analysing hundreds of such requests in seconds. Oblivion (illustrated) allows a user to automatically find and tag their personal information on the web, using both text - or natural language processing (NLP) - and image recognition. And they hope to offer it to Google, and other search engines, to help them manage future demands.