A soft-bodied robot that swims like a manta ray has been engineered to spy on underwater creatures without disturbing them. The mostly transparent robot has no motor or other rigid machinery and is much faster than other soft robotic fish. The goal is to use the robot to explore underwater areas, says Tiefeng Li at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. It could be used to investigate a submerged ship or plane wreck, or survey coral reefs. "The soft body will make it easy for the robot to sneak through reefs without damaging them," he says.

Fears of robot automation muscling humans out of jobs have grown exponentially as automated technology has evolved, especially in the manufacturing industry. But General Electrics CEO Jeff Immelt claims that robots won't steal human jobs any time soon. Immelt, 61, states that the idea of robots stealing human jobs is'more of a Silicon Valley vision than the real world.' The comments are likely to stir controversy as General Electrics, with more than 300,000 employees worldwide, has already invested billions in automation. General Electrics CEO Jeff Immelt (pictured) claims that robots won't steal human jobs any time soon.

As Samsung's unveiling of its make or break Galaxy S8 approaches, the firm's official cases for the handset appear to have leaked online. The leather cases, complete with a Samsung logo, show the S8 will have a fingerprint sensor on the rear - backing previous claims it will have no home button but an'infinity screen' on the front. It also reveals the firm may have added a button just for its new Siri-killer smart AI, called Bixby. The leather cases, complete with a Samsung logo, show the S8 will have a fingerprint sensor on the rear - fitting with previous claims it will have no home button but an'infinity screen' on the front. Bixby could be used for a wide variety of functions in a similar way to Apple's Siri.

It is essential for Indian industries to understand the worth of amalgamating Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence together. This symbiotic mashup has a string of industrial advantages which should be explored, as India moves towards the next industrial revolution. Entrepreneur spoke to Babu Narayanan, Senior Principal Scientist, Software & Analytics at General Electric on the benefits of integrating artificial intelligence with Internet of Things, in the industrial context. When asked about the novelty of this phenomenon, Narayanan said that the concept of integration of AI and IoT in the industrial context is new throughout the world. "The Digital Twin is the foundational concept here – a continuously improving digital replica of a physical system that can predict future events and help optimize operations. We want to push the industry towards zero unplanned downtime & always optimized systems.

On a white sand beach tucked between gleaming upscale resorts along the west coast of Barbados, a group of sunburned computer scientists, graduate students, and technicians look on intently as a small canary-yellow robot ambles up and down the beach. A few curious beachgoers soon join them. The robot is more than just lovable. With six rotating flippers, three on each side of its boxy metal carapace, this machine is amphibious, capable of both walking and swimming--an attribute that is unique in the robot world. As more onlookers gather, the little robot heads out through the surf and disappears into the turquoise waters that surround this Caribbean island.

One of the UK's earliest humanoid robots has been unearthed after spending 45 years stored in a garage. The robot's creator, Tony Sale, talks about how George came about. Rationing during and after World War II gave rise to the make do and mend ethos that saw many people exercise their ingenuity to feed and clothe themselves. Some, such as Tony Sale, took the scavenging attitude far beyond simply unravelling woollen socks to help patch a pullover. In 1950 Mr Sale, then aged 19, created a robot named George out of scrap metal that came from a crashed Wellington bomber. Pilot Officer Sale, as he was then, was stationed at RAF Debden where he was employed to teach pilots how to use radar.

They hope their findings could lead to better treatment for stroke victims. It might also explain the secret behind the concept of feminine intuition. The researchers found that boys and girls use different parts of their brains to recognise faces and identify facial expressions. Boys tend to use more of their right brain, while girls use more of their left brain. This suggests that the brains of males and females are organised differently before adulthood.

For everyone who recycles their batteries, good for you! Your efforts won't be wasted, at least not in Sweden and the U.K., where a machine with artificial intelligence is being developed to sort all of those batteries so they can be sold for their still-usable components. University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, has a camera and a computerized brain that runs on a neural network. That kind of system works more like a human brain in that it can learn to "see" patterns and respond to them. It's an ability that's important for sorting batteries, which come in a range of different sizes and shapes and contain materials, such as lead, cadmium and steel, that need to be distinguished from one another because they're valuable for resale. At the recycling plant, batteries are fed to the machine on a conveyor belt.

Korean children, already fast becoming a robot-friendly lot, have a new companion in Kibot, a monkey-faced bot that can read fairy tales, sing songs, take pictures, and make video calls via a display embedded in its tummy. Wireless operator KT Telecom started delivering the multitasking monkey today for 485,000 won ($447), plus wireless packages that can be purchased in 12- or 14-month installments. "It's really cute," said my 9-year-old friend Stella, a co-worker's daughter who visited CNET's offices today. "I would get one if it was in blue." Parents can also remotely control the 8-inch-tall wheeled robot via mobile phone and, using Wi-Fi, monitor their children (a feature that made Stella a tad apprehensive).

The waste from discarded electronic gadgets and electrical appliances has reached severe levels in East Asia, posing a growing threat to health and the environment unless safe disposal becomes the norm. China was the biggest culprit with its electronic waste more than doubling, according to a new study by the United Nations University. But nearly every country in the region had massive increases between 2010 and 2015, including those least equipped to deal with the growing mountain of discarded smartphones, computers, TVs, air conditioners and other goods. On average, electronic waste in the 12 countries in the study had increased by nearly two thirds in the five years, totaling 12.3 million tons in 2015 alone. A worker arranges used electronic equipment at a repair shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.