Epigraphy, the study of written matter recorded on hard or durable material, which -as a term- is derived from the Classical Greek epigraphein ("to write upon, incise") and epigraphē ("inscription"), is a prime tool in recovering much of the firsthand record of antiquity and thus, an essential adjunct of the study of ancient peoples. However, inscriptions –as records of ancient cultural heritage- are often incomplete due to deliberate destruction, or erosion and fragmentation over the centuries. Illegible parts of the text must then be restored by specialists, known as epigraphists. However one of the problems with discerning meaning from incomplete fragments of text is that there are often multiple possible solutions. Now, researchers at Oxford University - a Greek, Yannis Assael, among them- and Google's DeepMind -a London-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) company- have created Pythia. Bringing together the disciplines of ancient history and deep learning, AI Pythia -which takes its name from the woman who delivered the god Apollo's oracular responses at the Greek sanctuary of Delphi- is the first ancient text restoration model aiming to recover missing characters from a damaged text input using deep neural networks.

By The Associated Press BLOOMINGTON -- An Indiana University alumnus who founded a technology company has donated $60 million to IU for the creation of an artificial intelligence center. ServiceNow founder Fred Luddy made the donation, which is the second-largest private gift IU has ever received. ServiceNow is a cloud computing company based in Santa Clara, California. IU says Luddy's $60 million donation will finance the creation of an artificial intelligence initiative focused on digital health. It will be based in what's now known as the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, but will be renamed the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.

MIT neuroscientists have now identified two brain circuits that help tune out distracting sensory information, and they have found a way to reverse noise hypersensitivity in mice by boosting the activity of those circuits. One of the circuits the researchers identified is involved in filtering noise, while the other exerts top-down control by allowing the brain to switch its attention between different sensory inputs. The researchers showed that restoring the function of both circuits worked much better than treating either circuit alone. This demonstrates the benefits of mapping and targeting multiple circuits involved in neurological disorders, says Michael Halassa, an assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences and a member of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research. "We think this work has the potential to transform how we think about neurological and psychiatric disorders, [so that we see them] as a combination of circuit deficits," says Halassa, the senior author of the study.

When it comes to vehicles, dials and switches are used to control everything. As the automotive industry evolves, so do its norms. Today, we are rapidly moving towards a world of shared and self-driving cars. Automotive manufacturers implement a range of human-machine interface technologies (HMIs), including voice controls, interior-facing cameras, touch-sensitive surfaces, and smarter, personalized platforms. Voice control is among the most preferred interfaces with the most significant percentage of HMIs since it allows hands-free control and, therefore, less distraction from the road. Other examples include multifunctional controllers, touchscreens, and head-up displays. Autonomous driving has been the central concern of the automotive industry for quite some time. This revolutionary concept wouldn't be possible without the help of Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a broad and deep impact on the way services are exported globally. Be it for good or bad, there is no getting away from the reality that AI is an agent of disruption. One of the perennial front-runners of Nearshore outsourcing, Costa Rica, appears to be adapting to the AI opportunity faster than most countries in the region. Local companies are intensifying their AI development operations and a number of AI technologies are gaining traction there – all of which will influence Costa Rica's positioning in the next-generation of services delivery. The Latin American nation of nearly five million has long been seen as a tech epicenter of Central America ever since Intel chose it to open the biggest microchip factory in the region in 1997, with an initial investment of US$800 million.

Facebook just lost a battle in its war to stop a $35 billion class action lawsuit regarding alleged misuse of facial recognition data in Illinois. Today it was denied its request for an en banc hearing before the full slate of ninth circuit judges that could have halted the case. Now the case will go to trial unless the Supreme Court intercedes. The suit alleges that Illinois citizens didn't consent to having their uploaded photos scanned with facial recognition and weren't informed of how long the data would be saved when the mapping started in 2011. Facebook could face $1,000 to $5,000 in penalties per user for 7 million people, which could sum to a maximum of $35 billion.

An experiment in which humans and AI augmented each other's strengths demonstrates how leaders can reimagine processes to create greater business value and prepare for the next wave of innovation. This article is part of an MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. In the longstanding argument about whether AI will replace or complement human beings, the new watchword is symbiosis. Most recently, Elon Musk used the term to describe how a brain implant might merge human and digital intelligence. But you don't need to go full cyborg to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and AI.

As it becomes easier for humans to do the mundane with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of human kind to process complex emotions will become imperative. While the evolution of AI and machine learning--and how they will change our lifestyle, the markets and workforce in many sectors--has been staring in our face, it is important to know the following facts. In the last decade, data and analytics have turned baseball into a bonanza of home runs and strikeouts, basketball became a game won or lost behind the arc and even prompted football coaches to start going for it on fourth down. Microsoft's belief that artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to become relevant in the coming years has often been indicated through moves the tech giant has made in the recent past. Earlier this month, the firm partnered up with Novartis to transform the field of medicine using AI.

In a recent paper [1] published by Google researchers and presented at RecSys 2019 (Copenhagen, Denmark) insight was provided in how their video platform Youtube recommends which videos to watch. In this blogpost I will try to summarise my findings after reading this paper. When users are watching videos on Youtube, a list of recommended videos are displayed which the user might like in a certain order. How to effectively and efficiently learn to reduce such biases is an open question. The described model in this paper focuses on the two main objectives.

Blockchain Technology-The promise of blockchain technology couldn't be greater than in the healthcare sector. A prime example is the groundbreaking deployment of blockchain technology by Intermountain Healthcare, a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 22 hospitals. This medical group has more than 1,600 physicians and advanced practice clinicians at 180 clinics. Intermountain is using blockchain-based technology coupled with artificial intelligence to identify waste in its massive healthcare system, creating better outcomes for patients, and significant savings all around. According to Frank Ricotta, CEO of BurstIQ, the future of healthcare will be driven by data, and blockchain technology is the enabling foundational technology.