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How to train your ROBOT
Robots are like dogs because, according to some experts, a badly-trained robot could end up misbehaving just like a badly-trained dog. This warning came at a meeting discussing the future of robot and human interactions, held in London this week. But the panel, who emphasised the importance of regulations controlling AI, agreed a doomsday situation in which robots take over is unlikely to happen soon. Robots are like dogs because, according to some experts, a badly-trained robot could end up misbehaving just like a badly-trained dog. Organised by the EPSRC UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems Network (UK-RAS Network), UK Robotics Week included a series of events across the country, aiming to get the public engaged with the developments and debate in and around robotics.
H2O.ai Unveils Sparkling Water 2.0 - FreshNews
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA–(Marketwired – July 01, 2016) – H2O.ai, the company bringing AI to business, today announced the availability of Sparkling Water 2.0. Sparkling Water 2.0 builds off the enormous popularity of Sparkling Water, H2O.ai's API for Apache Spark, with additional features and functionality. New features include the ability to interface with Apache Spark, Scala and MLlib via H2O.ai's Flow UI, build ensembles using algorithms from both H2O and MLlib and give Spark users the power of H2O's visual intelligence capabilities. Sparkling Water was designed to allow users to get the best of Apache Spark -- its elegant APIs, RDDs and multi-tenant Context -- along with H2O's speed, columnar-compression and fully-featured machine learning algorithms.
Microsoft CEO aims to build artificial intelligence capable of empathy, emotion
Humans have a lot to contribute even in the face of artificial intelligence, Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella said Wednesday on CNBC's " Power Lunch ." "I definitely fall into the camp of thinking of AI as augmenting human capability and capacity," Nadella said. Algorithmically, for example, how can AI be programmed to care for humans -- not have bias built in? How can it be trustworthy? How can it be transparent?
Have a question at work? Ask the AI assistant
Artificial intelligence that can understand and answer any work-related question it is asked has been made available in the UK for the first time. The computer software, called Starmind, uses machine learning to understand queries, then source answers from previous staff conversations on a subject or track down experts within the company who are able to help. Its creators refer to it as'brain technology', adding its aim is to become a central knowledge bank within any company, an instant database of information that can be accessed by anyone. AI software which understands and answers work-related questions has been made available in the UK. Starmind is an artificial intelligence software for the workplace, designed in Switzerland.
Tesla autopilot crash: Fatal collision was tragic but self-driving technology should still continue, say experts
Experts have come out in defence of automated driving technology after a driver was killed while using his Tesla's autopilot feature. Specialists in the fields of artificial intelligence, engineering, and transport have said that while the death was tragic, it should not prevent the software from being developed. Joshua Brown, 40, died when his Tesla Model S went underneath the trailer of a lorry that had turned left in front of him on a Florida road in May, prompting an urgent investigation by Tesla itself and the US authorities. In a statement on its blog, Tesla explained that the technology is still under development and that as an assist feature drivers "need to maintain control and responsibility for [their] vehicle' while using it." The company went on to say that the autopilot mode does still result "in a statistically significant improvement in safety."
Today: Before 'Pocahontas,' Trump Went After the Mohawks. Ready for July 4?
Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today. The ads warned of the evils an Indian casino would bring to the Catskills: "increased crime, broken families, bankruptcies and, in the case of the Mohawks, violence." They were taken out by a self-described anti-gambling group supposedly supported by 12,000 "pro-family" donors. Except virtually all the money for the 2000 campaign, more than 1 million, came from Donald Trump. Take a look at the ads he approved and the elaborate means to conceal his role.
Machine Learning Technology Predicting Wimbledon Social Media Trends
Reuters – Around half a million fans will attend this year's Wimbledon tennis championships. But that figure is dwarfed by the number talking about the on-court action on social media. Wimbledon and partner IBM are using artificial intelligence to keep their 10 million-strong digital audience engaged. "The opportunity you have to attract someone on social media is around six seconds," said Sam Seddon, IBM Client Executive for Wimbledon. "So understanding what they're interested in in that moment is really critical. When you've got 10 million social media followers, that's a huge amount of conversation going on. So the challenge is how do you analyse millions and millions of posts across Facebook, across Twitter, across Instagram, in that moment."
The two biggest threats to mankind, according to Stephen Hawking
Professor Stephen Hawking says he believes pollution and human "stupidity" remain the biggest threats to mankind, while also expressing his concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in warfare. The world's leading theoretical physicist argued "we have certainly not become less greedy or less stupid" in our treatment of the environment over the past decade, during an interview on Larry King Now, which is hosted on Ora TV. Professor Hawking said: "Six years ago, I was warning about pollution and overcrowding, they have gotten worse since then. The population has grown by half a billion since our last interview, with no end in sight. "At this rate, it will be eleven billion by 2100.
Have a question at work? Ask the AI assistant
Artificial intelligence that can understand and answer any work-related question it is asked has been made available in the UK for the first time. The computer software, called Starmind, uses machine learning to understand queries, then source answers from previous staff conversations on a subject or track down experts within the company who are able to help. Its creators refer to it as'brain technology', adding its aim is to become a central knowledge bank within any company, an instant database of information that can be accessed by anyone. Artificial intelligence software which understands and answers work-related questions has been made available in the UK. Starmind co-founder Pascal Kaufmann said of the technology: 'Thousands of human brains connected can outsmart any machine today.
The robots are coming – the future of work
It's a cliché to proclaim that technology is having a disruptive influence on our lives, changing our society and the way people work. And, are employees and organisations prepared for the future of work? A recent event – "The Robots are coming: The future of work"- at the South Bank Centre brought together a panel of experts on robotics and artificial intelligence to debate what awaits our working lives in the near future. I was there to explore the topic and report on the talk. Sabine Hauert (pictured right) is a lecturer in robotics and member of Bristol Robotics Laboratory, an academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK.