When our robot overlords launch the nukes and seize control of the planet, chances are they'll rise up first in the United States. And they definitely won't deliver evil speeches when they're running the place. Those are the conclusions a technophobe might draw from a new study identifying a possible flaw in the Turing Test, which is considered a means for evaluating artificial intelligence. The study found that a machine can successfully masquerade as a thinking entity during a blind conversation, if it is allowed to remain silent whenever it chooses (i.e. The Turing test, or imitation game, was developed by famed mathematician Alan Turing to evaluate whether a machine can present itself as a thinking entity by simulating the quirks, imperfections and thought processes that people demonstrate in conversation.

Google's AI unit is getting access to a set of 1 million anonymized eye scans with the aim of improving the detection and prevention of common eye diseases.

Google's DeepMind division has announced a partnership with the NHS's Moorfields Eye Hospital to apply machine learning to spot common eye diseases earlier. The five-year research project will draw on one million anonymous eye scans which are held on Moorfields' patient database, with the aim to speed up the complex and time-consuming process of analysing eye scans. The hope is that this will allow diagnoses of common causes of sight loss, like diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, to be spotted more rapidly and hence be treated more effectively. For example, Google says that up to 98 percent of sight loss resulting from diabetes can be prevented by early detection and treatment. Mobile app called "Streams" provides medical staff with latest clinical information.

The GEO system will also automatically update with temporary restrictions around wildfires so that drone pilots aren't interfering with firefighting aircraft. DJI announced in January that pilots would be able to unlock restricted areas with a verified account. This ensures that things like inspections and model aircraft shows can still take place, even in a typical no-fly zone. However, locations that could cause national security issues, like Washington, DC, will not be able to be unlocked. The improved GEO system is now available inside the DJI GO app for iOS and Android for use on all Inspire models and the Phantom 4, Phantom 3 Professional and Phantom 3 Advanced drones.

For a team of Norwegian researchers, a tiny labyrinth modeled on the 1980s arcade game "Pac-Man" provides the ideal environment to study a real-life cat and mouse game involving microorganisms. In a video produced by the researchers at the University College of Southeast Norway, single-celled euglena and ciliates take on the role of Pac-Man as they are chased through a liquid-filled, 3D maze by multi-celled rotifers, much like the original game's hungry ghosts. The researchers say recreating a tiny version of the game – less than a millimeter in diameter – offers both scientific benefits and the additional bonus of being able to better communicate their research to the public. Created with the help of filmmaker Adam Bartley, it's also "tremendous fun," they note in a blog post (translation via Google Translate). The maze's neon blue top-light and lens flare effects make for an attractive visual package, but scientists who create these kinds of publicity-friendly contrivances run the risk of alienating their funders, particularly in the United States, where scientists frequently face skepticism from Congress when it comes to explaining the utility of their research.

It may look strange, but this robotic rectum could help doctors and nurses detect prostate cancer. The device, made up of a prosthetic buttocks and rectum with in-built robotic technology, is designed to recreate the feel of a rectum, to help medics learn how to perform a prostate examination. It will also provide doctors and nurses feedback on their examination technique. It may look slightly strange, but this robotic rectum could help doctors and nurses detect prostate cancer. The device, made up of a prosthetic buttocks and rectum with in-built robotic technology, is designed to recreate the feel of a rectum.

A chimpanzee has learned to walk again after an illness left him paralysed. The male, named Reo, was 24 when part of his spinal cord became inflamed, rendering him unable to move. Now, ten years later, thanks to a dedicated programme of training using a touch screen and reward training, he is able to walk again. Lead author Yoko Sakuraba of Kyoto University described the triumph in an article in Primates, the official journal of the Japan Monkey Centre. The study marks the first time a dedicated training progamme using touch screen technology to study chimpanzees' cognitive abilities has helped a chimp recover after paralysis.

Natural Language Processing seems to have become somewhat of a commodity in recent years. More than a few companies have sprung up that offer basic NLP capabilities through a cloud API. If you'd like to know whether a text carries a positive or negative message, or what people or companies it mentions, you can just send it to one of these black boxes, and receive the answer in less than a second. Superficially, all these NLP APIs look more or less the same. Textrazor, AlchemyAPI, Aylien, MeaningCloud and Lexalytics all offer similar services (named entity recognition, sentiment analysis, keyword extraction, topic identification, etc.), and do so through similar interfaces.

Our planet is turning into an electronically controlled ball of energy. There is a lot of hype over Internet of Things (IoT) in today's technology oriented world. Let's just step back in time, say about a decade ago, when Internet of Things was as anonymous as the iPhone. And now all of a sudden it is all over the place and news. It was done in 1999 by Kevin Ashton. As per him it is an Internet system which connects to the world via sensors and storage of data.

Machine Learning is a form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which allows computers to learn by way of observation and experience, rather than rigid pre-programming. Machine Learning uses computer programs that are capable of growth and change as they process new data. Using algorithms, Machine Learning allows computers to develop habitual responses based on the repeated behaviors and actions of the person using the computer. The concept of learning repeated behaviors is important. As models are presented with new data, they adapt, learning from earlier experiences to provide reliable, consistent results and responses. While the science of Machine Learning is not new, it has been gaining a renewed popularity as it becomes a fundamental building block in AI technology, Big Data, and the evolution of virtual assistants.