Companies and governments delegating or supporting decisions in machine learning algorithms provoke concern and even opposition. This is because high-stakes decisions are being automated and there is evidence that algorithms can replicate or amplify existing biases. The problem is that these issues are not fully resolved even for when decisions are made by people, so there are no general criteria that can be clearly transferred to an algorithm. For example, when it comes to promoting gender fairness in recruitment, should men and women have the same opportunity, and should competences determine who gets the position? Or should you fill a vacancy to maintain parity or a quota, even if it involves ignoring more capable candidates? Issues like these always arise when trying to ensure fairness, or avoid discrimination, in any aspect of the human condition where there are illegitimate differences or when there are vulnerable groups.

During a workshop hosted at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2020, taking place on the web this week, panelists discussed how AI and machine learning might be -- and already has been -- applied to agricultural challenges. As several experts pointed out, countries around the world face a food supply shortfall -- an estimated 9% of the population (697 million people) are severely "food insecure," meaning they're without reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. Factors like labor shortages, the spread of pests and pathogens, and climate change threaten to escalate the crisis. IBM scientists spoke about their work in Africa with agricultural "digital twins," or digital models of crops used to forecast specific crop yields. And a team from the University of California, Davis detailed an effort to use satellite images to predict foraging conditions for livestock in Kenya.

"Our greatest assets are our team members, and we are committed to continually improving their lives. Whether investing in leadership initiatives, or improving our facilities, we believe the only way you can create a world-class customer experience is by first creating a world-class team member experience." Preface: To tee up the new item produced by Clayton Homes that follows below, some background is useful. First, some related background, then the new items from Clayton. An independent of Clayton Homes that stopped selling their HUD Code manufactured homes some time ago reminded MHProNews about claims that after Warren Buffett bought their brand, they tried cutting the pay of retail general managers.

Bilfinger, through its subsidiary Bilfinger Digital Next, is joining the group of shareholders of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). The DFKI is Germany's leading industry-focused research institute in the field of innovative software technologies incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and is considered one of the most important "Centers of Excellence" in the international scientific community. The purpose of the stake is to develop innovative solutions based on AI for the process industry. Bilfinger is the first industrial services provider in the DFKI shareholder group, which also includes companies like Google, Microsoft and SAP. Franz Braun, CEO of Bilfinger Digital Next: "Artificial intelligence technologies give companies in the process industry groundbreaking new opportunities to manage and maintain their plants with a greater degree of efficiency and effectiveness. Plant operators can generate substantial competitive advantages using AI. We want to demonstrate these possibilities to our customers and support them with future-oriented solutions based on the broad range of advantages delivered by artificial intelligence".

Oakland, California – Stores and workplaces eager to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus are equipping existing security cameras with artificial intelligence software that can track compliance with health guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing. Several companies said the software will be crucial to staying open as concerns about COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, persist around the world. It will allow them to show not only workers and customers, but also insurers and regulators, that they are monitoring and enforcing safe practices. "The last thing we want is for the governor to shut all our projects down because no one is behaving," said Jen Suerth, vice president at Chicago-based Pepper Construction, which introduced software from SmartVid.io Samarth Diamond plans to deploy AI from Glimpse Analytics as soon as its polishing factory re-opens in Gujarat, India, while two Michigan shopping centers owned by RPT Realty will have distancing tracking from RE Insight in two weeks.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a severe toll on industries, health systems and lives since the outbreak began with doctors, scientists and ordinary people racing to find ways to tackle the contagion. From robots to a virus-killing snood and a portable isolation capsule, these new prototypes demonstrate what humans are capable of in the face of adversity. Here are some of the innovations developed to combat the current outbreak that has killed more than 217,000 people and infected 3.1 million. COVID-19 attacks people's lungs making it hard for them to deliver oxygen to the blood. Ventilators, which feed oxygen into the lungs, are a crucial tool to keep people with the virus alive.

Utah is putting its AI surveillance system on ice after learning of its creator's background. The state has suspended (via Salt Lake Tribune) Banjo's contract after learning from a OneZero report that company head Damien was part of the Dixie Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as a teenager and joined the racist group's leader in an anti-Semitic drive-by shooting. While Patton has expressed remorse for his past, according to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, officials were concerned enough that they felt it was safer to put an advisory committee and independent audit in place to tackle concerns like privacy and "possible bias." Banjo's deal with Utah lets it combine data from city infrastructure (such as public cameras and 911) with internet content to spot "anomalies," theoretically detecting some crimes as they happen. The firm is supposed to strip all personal data from the system, but the methods and effectiveness aren't clear.

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating many problems for the car industry, and that extends to Ford's self-driving taxis. While discussing its quarterly earnings, the company revealed that its autonomous vehicle services have been delayed from 2021 to 2022. In a statement to TechCrunch, it said it needed to "evaluate" the effect of COVID-19 on customer behavior and potentially change its strategy. It also wanted to offer future users "peace of mind" knowing that they and their packages would be safe. Ford COO Jim Farley warned during the earnings call that the pandemic could influence society for "many years to come," with people seeking out more ways to avoid unnecessary human contact.

Going to the movies was a thing we used to do -- and may do again in the future. However, if you're going to an AMC theater anywhere in the world, you won't find any Universal films. The theater chain declared war once NBCUniversal execs told The Wall Street Journal that they plan on continuing a premium VOD release strategy even after the coronavirus pandemic subsides and theaters reopen. The folks at Universal figure they can do that because Trolls World Tour made a reported $95 million since its straight-to-digital rental debut earlier this month. Warner Bros. has lined up a similar strategy for Scoob! next month, and AMC is clearly trying to scare off others from moving in that direction.

Cooper FX has just announced Arcades, a guitar pedal that changes its tune with SD card-sized swapable cartridges. Inspired by vintage video game consoles (hence the name) Arcades aims to negate some of the cost involved in traditional pedals -- the bulk of which comes from hardware such as knobs and switches -- by giving musicians a brand new effect for a lower price. Just pay for the cartridge, which will cost from $30 (around £24), depending on which one you go for. The pedal itself costs $330 (about £265). In a blog post, Cooper FX explains that getting Arcades to fruition has "been a real uphill battle," not least because manufacturing is situated in Wuhan -- the center of the coronavirus outbreak.