Research suggests Australians are ready to embrace fintech banking solutions, and the launch of three new London-based chatbot startups may be a sign the rest of the world is gearing up for a revolution too. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been rapidly progressing over the past two decades, with machines reaching and exceeding human performance on an increasing number of tasks. Just this week, the White House released a report entitled Preparing for the future of Artificial Intelligence, which describes the ways in which AI has and continues to yield new opportunities for progress in critical areas such as health, education, energy, and the environment. Another important area of business, ripe for disruption, is finance and banking. In Australia, almost half (47%) the population expect to use financial technology (fintech) services for 50% or more of their financial needs in five years' time.

Driverless cars would hit a child on the street if it meant saving the people inside the vehicle, Mercedes-Benz Australia says. The luxury car brand's Australian branch has answered the moral dilemma of who a driverless car would save if it was faced with running over a child or swerving into a car and potentially killing the passengers. 'If there is someone literally jumping in front of you, in that circumstance, there's nothing technology can do except reduce speed of impact,' Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy told The Australian. 'If an impact is inevitable, it will reduce the speed, tighten seatbelts and prime the brakes. 'The safety systems and impact protections are obviously greater within the cabin than outside. 'I would say that the vehicle is designed inside to protect the people inside, and it's the assistance systems that do that,' he said.

New Zealand is being urged to act now to manage the rapid rise of robotics and artificial intelligence. Within 24 years there is a 50 percent chance artificial intelligence could be smarter than us. Within 60 years, it's almost guaranteed. Now a leading business group and law firm want the Government to set up a working group of leaders from all areas of business and society to tackle the opportunities and challenges AI represents. "AI is an extraordinary challenge for our future.'

The distraught mom of the tourist allegedly killed by her Tinder date left an Australian courthouse in distress Thursday when she accidentally heard her daughter's last words played on an audio recording, according to reports. Marzabeth Tagpuno Wright was distraught outside the Brisbane Supreme Court after a reporter played the tape of Warriena Wright yelling, "No, no no" -- just before she plunged 14 stories to her death from Gable Tostee's 14th-floor balcony at his posh Gold Coast apartment in Australia, the Courier Mail said. The chilling audio had been played for the jury earlier in the week, but the mom was not in the courtroom at the time.

Elon Musk famously called it "our greatest existential threat". Physicist Stephen Hawking said that, limited by slow biological evolution, humans wouldn't be able to compete and would be superseded. But the technology that sparked those fears - artificial intelligence - is also being touted as the biggest potential advance in our history. A recent international study found that 50 per cent of experts questioned believe that artificial intelligence - or AI - will be smarter than humans within the next 24 years. And 90 per cent of those surveyed believed that milestone would be reached within 60 years.

Have you ever wondered what you would look like with Botox or dermal fillers? Practitioners are hoping they will soon be able to give people a more accurate picture of how they might look after going under the needle. Michael Molton at Epiclinic, a cosmetic clinic in South Australia, began developing his 3D imaging technique after becoming frustrated with 2D before-and-after photos. These are used to show prospective clients how a procedure may change their face, but the "after" shots are often enhanced with better lighting and make-up. "I wanted something that you couldn't fudge, like CT or MRI scans that are used in other areas of medicine," says Molton.

In Australia last week, the banking industry was focussed on a parliamentary inquiry into the industry's culture and response to a range of issues from customer complaints to pricing to market behaviour. Meanwhile, in the United States, technology services giant IBM bought Promontory Financial Group, a specialist risk-management consultancy. Promontory had been mentioned back in Australia, not because of IBM, but because it has been overseeing the remediation program Commonwealth Bank of Australia is running to compensate customers given inappropriate financial advice. Founded by a former US regulator, Promontory is recognised as one of the world's leading firms in regulatory compliance, risk management and risk culture. While Promontory has a significant role in Australia and globally (particularly with the ongoing fallout from the financial crisis and the cultural challenges facing banks) the IBM deal is potentially vastly more significant.

He's a lightning-fast learner, he speaks eight languages and he's considered an expert in multiple fields. He's got an exemplary work ethic, is a speed reader and finds insights no one else can. On a personal note, he's a mean chef and even offers good dating advice. Named after IBM's first CEO, Watson was born back in 2007 as part of an effort by IBM Research to develop a question-answering system that could compete on the American quiz show "Jeopardy." Since trouncing its human opponents on the show in 2011, it has expanded considerably.

It could be the ultimate upgrade for the discerning tank owner - a kit that makes your vehicle entire remote controlled. General Dynamics, the maker of the Abrams tank and the Stryker armoured fighting vehicle, has revealed a partnership to do just that. It is working with Kairos Autonomi, to create a simple plug in kit that could let army bosses upgrade their tanks, troop carriers and virtually any other vehicle. The M1 Abrams is an American third-generation main battle tank named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army chief of staff and commander of United States military forces in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972. Weighing nearly 62 metric tons, it is one of the heaviest main battle tanks in service.

A jury in Australia has heard an audio recording of a woman pleading with her Tinder date to be allowed to leave his apartment, before she fell 14 floors from the balcony and died. Warriena Wright met Gable Tostee for the first time on the night she died. There is no allegation that he pushed her - rather it is believed she was trying to climb down. The court also saw photographs the couple took together. They had been chatting on the dating app Tinder and met in person at a seaside resort called Surfers Paradise, on Queensland's Gold Coast.