A number of prestigious AAAI awards were presented during the official opening ceremony of the Fortieth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI 2026) in Singapore, on Thursday 22 January. The AAAI Award for Artificial Intelligence for Humanity recognises the positive impacts of artificial intelligence to protect, enhance, and improve human life in meaningful ways with long-lived effects. The winner of this year's award is Shakir Mohamed Shakir has been recognised for . The Robert S. Engelmore Memorial Award recognises outstanding contributions to automated planning, machine learning and robotics, their application to real-world problems and extensive service to the AI community. The annual AAAI/EAAI Outstanding Educator award was created to honour a person (or group of people) who has made major contributions to AI education that provide long-lasting benefits to the AI community and society as a whole.

SINGAPORE - Several U.S. drone firms made their debuts at the Singapore Airshow this week, seeking to expand their business beyond the Pentagon to countries in Asia that are increasingly concerned about the threat posed by China's military buildup. The lethal success of drones on both sides of Russia's war in Ukraine has sparked a surge of Silicon Valley investment in drone and military artificial intelligence startups, boosting the valuations of U.S. firms like California-based Anduril Industries and Shield AI. This wave of interest in the next generation of warfare is reshaping the character of major air shows that have been long-dominated by gleaming commercial airliners, daredevil fighter jets and troop-carrying helicopters. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.

A still from Humans in the Loop, a 2024 documentary that follows female data workers in Jharkhand state, India, whose labour underpins global AI systems. A still from Humans in the Loop, a 2024 documentary that follows female data workers in Jharkhand state, India, whose labour underpins global AI systems. 'In the end, you feel blank': India's female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI Thu 5 Feb 2026 03.00 ESTLast modified on Thu 5 Feb 2026 03.03 EST On the veranda of her family's home, with her laptop balanced on a mud slab built into the wall, Monsumi Murmu works from one of the few places where the mobile signal holds. The familiar sounds of domestic life come from inside the house: clinking utensils, footsteps, voices. On her screen a very different scene plays: a woman is pinned down by a group of men, the camera shakes, there is shouting and the sound of breathing.

University of Tokyo professor recommended for U.N. panel on AI Yutaka Matsuo, professor of the University of Tokyo's graduate school of engineering, has been named among 40 experts to sit on a U.N. panel on AI. | JIJI NEW YORK - Yutaka Matsuo, professor of the University of Tokyo's graduate school of engineering, has been named among the 40 experts who have been recommended by the United Nations' head to sit on the new Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Wednesday the list of the 40 experts recommended for the panel set up under a General Assembly resolution that passed last August. The selection is expected to be approved by the General Assembly soon. Guterres said the panel would be the first global, fully independent scientific body dedicated to helping close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies. At a time of deep geopolitical tension and growing technological rivalry, we urgently need common ground, he said. That is what this panel can help deliver.

He has said privately the deal was'non-binding'. He has said privately the deal was'non-binding'. What does the disappearance of a $100bn deal mean for the AI economy? Apparent collapse of Nvidia-OpenAI tie-up raises questions about circular funding and who will bear the cost of AI's expansion Did the circular AI economy just wobble? Last week it was reported that a much-discussed $100bn deal - announced last September - between Nvidia and OpenAI might not be happening at all.

A mixture of archeology and chemistry brings the aroma of mummification to museums. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Visiting a museum could soon be a truly multisensory experience--smells included. Thanks to recent advances in the field of biomolecular archeology, scientists can now detect traces of molecular fingerprints on ancient artifacts. From these tiny particles, scientists can determine how the objects may have smelled .

Sony's PlayStation 5 video game consoles are on display at the Tokyo Game Show in the city of Chiba in September last year. Sony Group reported a surprise 22% improvement in profit after a challenging holiday quarter, raising its full-year outlook on the back of solid demand for its entertainment offerings. The Japanese conglomerate now expects operating profit of ¥1.54 trillion ($9.8 billion) in the year through March, up from its previous forecast of ¥1.43 trillion. In the three months to December, Sony earned an operating income of ¥515 billion, outperforming analyst expectations, and improved sales by 1% to ¥3.71 trillion. Its Tokyo-traded shares rose as much as 5.9% after the results, marking their biggest leap since November. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

Devastating secret message in Savannah Guthrie's video appeal to mother's captors: Hidden agenda revealed by FBI hostage negotiator Crime scene tape goes back up outside missing Nancy Guthrie's home as FBI deploys hostage negotiators to family Savannah Guthrie says'we are ready to talk' as she breaks down in tears during gut-wrenching video while pleading to her mother's captors FBI's Kash Patel heads to Tucson in search for Nancy Guthrie amid daughter Savannah's desperate plea Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Hoda Kotb lead stars rallying around Savannah Guthrie as she makes tearful plea to her mother's captors Big Short investor proved right in $1bn bet that stock bubble bursting... in dire warning for Wall Street and 401(k)s'I was just laid off in the middle of a WAR ZONE': Distraught Washington Post journalist blasts paper for firing her while she sheltered in Ukraine Melania Trump bombshell stuns Hollywood into silence: Rich and famous gathered at elite restaurants to'laugh' about First Lady rumor... now they have'egg on their faces' Woman who went viral on the Coldplay kiss cam cashes in on her fame as she lands keynote gig in Washington DC - and tickets aren't cheap Epstein claimed Bill Gates was'so cheap' he left Russian mistress broke and sleeping on a friend's couch Where's Fergie...? Ex-Duchess of York's whereabouts is a mystery as she's homeless after Royal Lodge eviction - and Epstein emails shame No, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi aren't having an affair... What's REALLY going on is so much worse. I rode with ICE on the frozen streets of Minneapolis. I saw migrants getting arrested. The frontlines are nothing like what you see on TV. New video from a US military drone has captured what UFO investigators are calling a formation of mysterious orbs flying over one of the most contentious regions in the world.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Labor unions urge Gov. Gavin Newsom, California lawmakers to rein in artificial intelligence Lorena Gonzalez, with the California Labor Federation, supports legislation to protect workers from AI. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Labor unions urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect workers from AI-driven job losses and workplace surveillance.

After more than three decades in entertainment, Robbie Williams is back on the road and ready to celebrate. His new album, Britpop, is his 16th number one, breaking the previous record set by the Beatles. The singer, whose Long 90s tour begins this week, is taking a moment to mark his achievement. I think as British people we're very good at piercing the balloon of our own success and undercutting it and devaluing ourselves, he tells BBC News. It's what we do best.