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The Perceived Danger (PD) Scale: Development and Validation

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

There are currently no psychometrically valid tools to measure the perceived danger of robots. To fill this gap, we provided a definition of perceived danger and developed and validated a 12-item bifactor scale through four studies. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four subdimensions of perceived danger: affective states, physical vulnerability, ominousness, and cognitive readiness. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the bifactor model. We then compared the perceived danger scale to the Godspeed perceived safety scale and found that the perceived danger scale is a better predictor of empirical data. We also validated the scale in an in-person setting and found that the perceived danger scale is sensitive to robot speed manipulations, consistent with previous empirical findings. Results across experiments suggest that the perceived danger scale is reliable, valid, and an adequate predictor of both perceived safety and perceived danger in human-robot interaction contexts.


Can Robotic Cues Manipulate Human Decisions? Exploring Consensus Building via Bias-Controlled Non-linear Opinion Dynamics and Robotic Eye Gaze Mediated Interaction in Human-Robot Teaming

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Although robots are becoming more advanced with human-like anthropomorphic features and decision-making abilities to improve collaboration, the active integration of humans into this process remains under-explored. This article presents the first experimental study exploring decision-making interactions between humans and robots with visual cues from robotic eyes, which can dynamically influence human opinion formation. The cues generated by robotic eyes gradually guide human decisions towards alignment with the robot's choices. Both human and robot decision-making processes are modeled as non-linear opinion dynamics with evolving biases. To examine these opinion dynamics under varying biases, we conduct numerical parametric and equilibrium continuation analyses using tuned parameters designed explicitly for the presented human-robot interaction experiment. Furthermore, to facilitate the transition from disagreement to agreement, we introduced a human opinion observation algorithm integrated with the formation of the robot's opinion, where the robot's behavior is controlled based on its formed opinion. The algorithms developed aim to enhance human involvement in consensus building, fostering effective collaboration between humans and robots. Experiments with 51 participants (N = 51) show that human-robot teamwork can be improved by guiding human decisions using robotic cues. Finally, we provide detailed insights on the effects of trust, cognitive load, and participant demographics on decision-making based on user feedback and post-experiment interviews.


Multi-Agent Team Access Monitoring: Environments that Benefit from Target Information Sharing

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Robotic access monitoring of multiple target areas has applications including checkpoint enforcement, surveillance and containment of fire and flood hazards. Monitoring access for a single target region has been successfully modeled as a minimum-cut problem. We generalize this model to support multiple target areas using two approaches: iterating on individual targets and examining the collections of targets holistically. Through simulation we measure the performance of each approach on different scenarios.


Uber Eats expands its autonomous food delivery service to Japan

Engadget

Following its autonomous food delivery launch in Miami and Fairfax, Virginia, Uber Eats will soon be offering the same robotic service in Japan -- its first outside the US. It is once again collaborating with Google alum startup Cartken, with local compliance help from Mitsubishi Electric, to bring a fleet of Model C sidewalk delivery robots to select areas in Tokyo in March. Uber Eats Japan CEO Shintaro Nakagawa says the autonomous delivery service will solve the local labor shortage issue, while complementing the existing human delivery methods "by bicycle, motorbike, light cargo, and on foot." Cartken's six-wheeled Model C uses six cameras and advanced AI models for autonomous driving plus obstacle detection, and remote control mode is available when needed. With guidance from Mitsubishi, the robot has been modified to suit local needs in Japan.


Ever: Mitigating Hallucination in Large Language Models through Real-Time Verification and Rectification

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable proficiency in generating fluent text. However, they often encounter the challenge of generating inaccurate or hallucinated content. This issue is common in both non-retrieval-based generation and retrieval-augmented generation approaches, and existing post-hoc rectification methods may not address the accumulated hallucination errors that may be caused by the "snowballing" issue, especially in reasoning tasks. To tackle these challenges, we introduce a novel approach called Real-time Verification and Rectification (Ever). Instead of waiting until the end of the generation process to rectify hallucinations, Ever employs a real-time, step-wise generation and hallucination rectification strategy. The primary objective is to detect and rectify hallucinations as they occur during the text generation process. When compared to both retrieval-based and non-retrieval-based baselines, Ever demonstrates a significant improvement in generating trustworthy and factually accurate text across a diverse range of tasks, including short-form QA, biography generation, and multi-hop reasoning.


AI tech identifies suicide risk in military veterans before it's too late: 'Flipping the model'

FOX News

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Adam Cooper is joined by Army veteran Lowell Koppert as he nears the end of his 22-hour workout and shares his'radical' pledge to bring more awareness to the issue of veteran suicides. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). As the mental health of U.S. military veterans remains a major concern among many people in our society, new technology could become a lifesaver. An AI platform developed by ClearForce, a tech company in Vienna, Virginia, aims to identify the risk of suicide among veterans before it's too late. Col. Michael Hudson, vice president at ClearForce, spoke to Fox News Digital in an interview to discuss his efforts on the veteran suicide initiative.


AI will be the political left's 'single greatest weapon' against religious faith and truth, says expert

FOX News

Angie Wisdom and Dr. Chirag Shah discuss how artificial intelligence could play a role in online and professional relationships. As national conversations around artifical intelligence (AI) intensify, faith leaders and scholars are examining the potential ramifications these emerging technologies will have on worship โ€“ both its practice and its role in modern life. Some experts and faith leaders are also concerned about whether religion will have any place in AI programming โ€“ or if the intellectual will eventually take precedence over the spiritual in society. It's possible and even probable, say experts. Dan Schneider, Media Research Center and Free Speech America vice president, is both blunt and emphatic in his assessment of AI. "The [political] left controls AI, and the left is going to what the left wants to do," Schneider, whose headquarters are in Reston, Virginia, told Fox News Digital in a recent phone interview.


Uber Eats starts offering autonomous food deliveries in Fairfax, Virginia

Engadget

Starting today, Uber Eats customers in Fairfax, Virginia can get their next meal delivered by a robot. In an expansion of the company's existing partnership with Cartken, Uber has begun offering automated deliveries in the city's Mosaic District. With today's announcement, a select number of the more than 40 restaurants in the area have begun transporting their food aboard Cartken's six-wheeled robots. Among the restaurants participating in the pilot include Our Mom Eugenia, Pupatella and RASA. Uber has been testing autonomous delivery robots in a handful of markets throughout the US.


Data Engineer (TS/SCI) at Red Gate Group - Reston, VA, United States

#artificialintelligence

At RED GATE we do everything we can to serve our clients: Using the right technical skills, unique methodologies, best practices, and integrated technology, we help clients implement bold solutions. Non-traditional ways to overcome entrenched obstacles. If you have a serious challenge or problem, we can help you solve it. The below job description provides details on how this role will help to serve our clients. You'll work closely with your client to understand their questions and needs, and then dig into their data-rich environment to find the pieces of their information puzzle.


5 tips for navigating ChatGPT and other AI tools in the classroom

#artificialintelligence

While some districts have already blocked access to the artificial intelligence chatbot, some educators have advised against knee-jerk reactions. Since ChatGPT launched Nov. 30, the artificial intelligence technology has sparked concerns about the potential impact on education, including students' use of the technology to plagiarize schoolwork. Districts that have already blocked access to ChatGPT include New York City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District and Virginia's Fairfax County Public Schools, according to Forbes. The chatbot, created by San Francisco-based OpenAI, generates human-like responses based on prompts given by users. The free research preview of ChatGPT can be used for anything from explaining quantum computing in simple terms to gathering creative ideas for a 10-year-old's birthday, as well as writing essays, poems, cover letters and even movie scripts.