Gary Marcus is not impressed by the hype around deep learning. While the NYU professor believes that the technique has played an important role in advancing AI, he also thinks the field's current overemphasis on it may well lead to its demise. You are, and welcome to the present and the future of automated machine learning programs that have the ability to significantly increase the speed of analysis of specialized MRI scans. Researchers from Google AI (formerly Google Research) and Toyota Technological Institute of Chicago have created ALBERT, an AI model that achieves state-of-the-art results that exceed human performance. ALBERT now claims first place on major NLP performance leaderboards for benchmarks like GLUE and SQuAD 2.0, and high RACE performance score.

The UK will be the first government to test a new set of artificial intelligence (AI) procurement guidelines, which have been developed by global public-private cooperation body the World Economic Forum (WEF). AI Procurement Guidelines for Governments sets out the requirements civil servants should address before acquiring and deploying AI software and services; provides questions they should ask companies about their products, and how they use and process data; and makes recommendations for the implementation of AI. According to WEF – which co-designed the guidelines as part of its Unlocking Public Sector AI project – civil servants often lack experience in acquiring emerging technologies, and many public institutions are cautious about harnessing AI at a time when "we are only beginning to understand the risks as well as the opportunities". It said growing public concerns around bias, privacy, accountability and transparency in the use of AI have added an extra layer of complexity to its roll-out at a national level, and that the guidelines have been designed to help civil servants keep up with the rapidly-developing technology and mitigate the associated risks. The aim is to help governments make efficiencies through the responsible use of AI and prepare for future risks, while enabling established companies and start-ups to compete on a level playing field for government contracts.

A top energy executive has been conned out of £200,000 by cyber scammers who used artificial intelligence to mimic his boss's voice. The UK boss of an unnamed energy firm was tricked into transferring the money following a phone call from that appeared to come from his boss at the German parent company, the Mail on Sunday reported. The scam, which used so-called deep fake technology to defraud the energy giant, is believed to be the first of its type. In the elaborate con, the UK boss was told to make an urgent transfer of funds to a Hungarian bank account. The manager was told the money would be replaced the following day, but grew suspicious when the payment did not arrive.

Genetic research led by Queen Mary University of London could open the way to earlier identification of people at risk of heart failure and to the development of new treatments. The Queen Mary University of London team applied an artificial intelligence (AI) technique to analyse the heart MRI images of 17,000 healthy UK Biobank volunteers. They found that genetic factors accounted for 22-39 per cent of variation in the size and function of the heart's left ventricle, the organ's main pumping chamber. Enlargement and reduced pumping function of the left ventricle can lead to heart failure. The research, which was part-funded by the Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation and published today in the journal Circulation, suggests that genetic factors significantly influence the variation in heart structure and function.

Most would agree that the best value creation is about growing the economy in a sustainable way, managing a balanced and inclusive society, making sure there are enough jobs for its citizens, prosperity, health and education, and guiding the country towards increased social wellbeing and stability. This is complicated in the present world. We live in a world that is changing at a fast pace, a pace never seen so far in human history. We now live in a period of technology data-driven 4.0 industrial revolution - 4IR - a world which is more interconnected and affected by technological innovation than ever before in history.

Karen Brenchley is a computer scientist with expertise in training artificial intelligence, but the longtime Silicon Valley resident has pangs of anxiety whenever she sees Waymo self-driving cars maneuver the streets near her home. The former product manager, who has worked for Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, wonders how engineers could teach the robocars operating on her tree-lined streets to make snap decisions, speed and slow with the flow of traffic, and yield to pedestrians walking from the park. She has asked her husband, an award-winning science-fiction author who doesn't drive, to wear a shiny vest while cycling to ensure that autonomous vehicles spot him in a rush of activity. The problem isn't that she doesn't understand the technology. It's that she does, and she knows how flawed nascent technology can be. "I'm not skeptical long-term," said Brenchley, who has lived in Silicon Valley for 30 years.

Google is restarting a practice in which human contractors listen to and transcribe some voice commands people give to the company's artificial intelligence system, Assistant. But this time Google is taking steps to make sure people know what they are agreeing to. The company suspended its transcription practices after more than 1,000 Dutch-language recordings were leaked to the media in Belgium this summer. Google required users to opt-in to the service before audio transcriptions were recorded, but critics have said people didn't fully understand they were agreeing to allow human transcribers to listen in because the company's language was unclear. Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook have all used similar practices.

Who's ready to save some money on passes to Disrupt Berlin 2019, our premier tech conference that takes place on 11-12 December? Then listen up, because our super early bird pricing ends in just five days. Right now, passes start at €345 VAT and, depending on which pass you choose, you can save up to €600. Buy your passes to Disrupt Berlin before the Friday, 11 October at 11:59 p.m. (CEST) deadline. Then plan your strategy to make sure you take full advantage of Disrupt.

Many think we'll see human-level artificial intelligence in the next 10 years. Industry continues to boast smarter tech like personalized assistants or self-driving cars. And in computer science, new and powerful tools embolden researchers to assert that we are nearing the goal in the quest for human-level artificial intelligence. Despite the hype, despite progress, we are far from machines that think like you and me. Last year Google unveiled Duplex -- a Pixel smartphone assistant which can call and make reservations for you.

The energy industry can free up more time for high value activities and improve safety performance by adopting data-driven digitisation, according to a world-leading artificial intelligence (AI) expert. In a keynote speech at this year's OPITO Global Conference on 6th November in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Ayesha Khanna, founder and CEO of Singapore headquartered ADDO AI will describe how AI and machine learning are delivering huge benefits in other sectors. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, OPITO Global is the only international event focusing on energy industry safety and competency. Industry leaders and experts will share their insights on Safety 4.0, exploring how technology is helping to improve safety, health and wellbeing. Dr Khanna has provided strategic advice to international corporations and governments and last year she was described by Forbes magazine as one of South East Asia's most ground-breaking female entrepreneurs.