NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. will cut summer bonuses for some 9,800 managers by 4 to 5 percent, as it looks to tighten cost control in the face of high spending on developing technology for autonomous and electrified vehicles, a source close to the matter said Thursday. The decision comes even as the company expects a 19.5 percent rise in net profit in the current fiscal year, and reflects an uncertain business outlook due to the prolonged trade war between the United States and China, the source said. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said Thursday at an annual shareholders' meeting that his company is boosting efforts in developing zero-emission vehicles including fuel cell vehicles. "We are facing a once-in-a-century transformation. I hope to build a mobility society of the future with our shareholders," Toyoda said at the meeting at its headquarters in Aichi Prefecture.

Fox News Flash top headlines for June 13 are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com Amazon's Alexa devices are recording children without their consent, in violation of laws in at least eight states, according to a lawsuit filed in Seattle. "Alexa routinely records and voiceprints millions of children without their consent or the consent of their parents. This practice violates California law, which prohibits the recording of oral communications without the consent of all parties to the communication," a complaint filed Tuesday on behalf of an 8-year-old boy in California Superior Court states. "This prohibition recognizes the unique privacy interest implicated by the recording of someone's voice.

Trains delayed by'leaves on the line' might soon be a thing of the past as an AI system is trialled to predict build ups on the line and warn of encroaching plants. The artificial intelligence studies footage of plants near the line taken from trains and attempts to spot when leaves change colour, indicating that they might fall. It can also warn of fallen trees and when vegetation growth might soon obstruct the path of trains and lead to delays. The project is one of 24 high-tech schemes that have today been funded a total of £7.8 million ($9.9 million) by the UK government to improve the nation's railways. Trains delayed by'leaves on the line' might soon be a thing of the past as an AI system is trialled to predict build ups on the line and warn of encroaching plants (stock image) Slippery rails -- commonly referred to as'leaves on the line' -- result when build ups on the track led to trains not being able to grip the rails properly.

In his new novel, Machines Like Me, the novelist Ian McEwan tells the story, set in an alternate history in England in 1982, of a man who buys a humanoid robot. This triumph of artificial intelligence is "a creation myth made real," he writes, but also "a monstrous act of self-love." Part companion and part servant, the robot named Adam is "the ultimate plaything, the dream of ages, the triumph of humanism -- or its angel of death." One of the first things Adam says when he is switched on is "I don't feel right," and, typically for cautionary tales about robots, it only gets worse from there. Like much of the frontier thinking on the morality of artificial intelligence, McEwan's unsettling vision comes from fiction, not science.

The autonomous vehicle industry is looking a lot like a middle-school dance. Monday, Aurora and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced they would work together to put the startup's self-driving tech, called Aurora Driver, into FCA's commercial vehicles, including cargo vans and Ram pickup trucks. On Tuesday, word leaked that Aurora and Volkswagen had discontinued their 18-month joint effort to build an urban robotaxi system. Wednesday, Aurora and Hyundai said they're doubling down on their own partnership, with the South Korean company (and its conglomerate partner, Kia) pouring more money into Aurora's now $600 million Series B financing round. The companies will continue to work together to build Aurora's tech into Hyundai's hydrogen-powered Nexo.

The government has announced an investment of up to £18.5m to support efforts to enhance diversity in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science roles. Part of a wider plan to upskill the UK workforce as part of the AI Sector Deal to position the country as a leader in use of the technology, £13.5m of the total funding will go towards up to 2,500 AI and data science conversion courses for professionals who have degrees in other disciplines, as well as 1,000 scholarships. The programmes will aim to support applications from professionals returning from a career break and looking to retrain, as well as under-represented groups in the digital workforce, including women and those from minority ethnic or lower socio-economic backgrounds. Around £5m will be invested into the Adult Learning Technology Innovation Fund, to be launched in partnership with innovation foundation Nesta, which will seek to encourage companies to use AI and automation to improve online learning platforms aimed at helping adults retrain. "The UK has a long-standing reputation for innovation, world-leading academic institutions and a business-friendly environment. Everyone, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to build a successful career in our world-leading tech sector," said digital secretary Jeremy Wright.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the first recipients and list of global women leaders and pioneers in AI for business. The list recognizes and celebrates women across a variety of industries and geographies for pioneering the use of AI to advance their companies in areas such as innovation, growth, and transformation. IBM will celebrate the honorees during an inaugural recognition event on June 12, 2019 at the IBM Watson Experience Center in New York, New York where the women will share their experiences leading AI initiatives in their organizations. Students from IBM's P-Tech program will attend to hear from these leaders who have applied AI technology in diverse and meaningful ways to help drive business innovation. "Artificial Intelligence is poised to drive dramatic advances in every industry," said Michelle Peluso, SVP, Digital Sales & CMO, IBM, who also serves as Leader of IBM's Women's Initiative.

LOGISTICS and supply chain is a US$5 trillion dollar industry today and is expected to grow to three to four times the size in the next few years. With rapid globalization, better market access, and phenomenal e-commerce growth, the logistics and supply chain industry supports businesses across the world. Naturally, with technology disrupting the industry -- including ranking Amazon as the biggest threat to FedEx -- there are many questions about the future of logistics and supply chains and their impact on businesses that rely on them to move materials and deliver products. To find answers to some of the popular questions on the minds of business leaders, Tech Wire Asia spoke to supply chain veteran Stephanie Krishnan -- Research Director at IDC Manufacturing Insights and Member of the Advisory Board at the Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society. Tech Wire Asia: Blockchain's use in the supply chain space is expected to bring in a significant transformation.

An interdisciplinary center that integrates artificial intelligence, data science and genomic screening--the first of its kind in New York City--is slated to open in late 2021. Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine announced on Tuesday the launch of the Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, which will be staffed by about 40 principal investigators and 250 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and computer scientists. "Mount Sinai has consistently been at the forefront of advancing healthcare across medical disciplines and this initiative represents our next step forward in building on that legacy," says Kenneth Davis, MD, Mount Sinai Health System's president and CEO. "We see the potential of artificial intelligence to radically transform the care that patients receive, and we want to shape and lead this effort. Davis added that the new center will serve as a "hub where our talented researchers can collaborate in unprecedented ways and bring forward ideas and innovative technologies that achieve better outcomes for our patients."

The Diet enacted a revised aviation law Thursday that increases punishments for pilots found to have flown under the influence of alcohol or drugs following a series of drinking-related incidents involving Japanese airlines. Under the legislation, which will take effect in stages within one year of its official announcement, the penalty for drinking and flying has been raised from a maximum one-year jail term or ¥300,000 fine to a sentence of up to three years or a ¥500,000 fine. Japanese airlines have already tightened drinking rules, introducing mandatory Breathalyzer tests and relieving pilots of their duties if even a very low level of alcohol is detected. Those flying private planes, however, are not subject to the same checks. The legislation also seeks to improve aviation safety ahead of the intended mid-2020 delivery of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, Japan's first homegrown commercial passenger jet.