Here's a new concept to worry about, if you don't have enough on your plate -- "algorithmic collusion." Algorithmic collusion, simply put, is the intentional or unintentional collaboration by companies doing business on the internet to keep prices higher, using the automation of algorithms. In this, they are behaving like a digital version of a classic cartel, which the dictionary defines as "an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition." Artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning (machine learning on steroids) can be used for purposes that enhance market competition or are anti-competitive, wrote Antonio Capobianco of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in a January paper titled "Digital Cartels and Algorithms." Positive examples of commercial algorithms are legion: supply-chain optimization; targeted ads; recommendations; product customization; dynamic pricing; price differentiation, and fraud prevention.

Considering the immense challenges to building quantum computers, I'd say we are roughly where we were in around 1970 with classical computers. We have some quantum computers, but they are still pretty unreliable compared to today's standard. We call them NISQ devices - Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum devices. Noisy because they are pretty bad, and intermediate-scale because of their small qubit number. There are a few public quantum computers available for anyone to programme on.

"Listen to your patient; they are telling you the diagnosis," an aphorism attributed to Dr. William Osler, the founder of modern medicine, still holds true today. The disappearance of patients' stories from electronic health records could be one reason that artificial intelligence and machine learning have so far failed to deliver their promised revolution of health care. The medical industry's fascination with artificial intelligence is understandable. Advancements in medicine have dramatically improved patient outcomes, and there is every reason to believe that machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, and the like will do the same. But before we jump on the AI bandwagon, I offer this caution: consider the source of the data it is dependent on.

As artificial intelligence (AI) works its way into everyday life via industries like healthcare, finance and entertainment, governments around the world are increasingly investing in another of its applications: autonomous weapons systems. Many are already developing programs and technologies that they hope will give them an edge over their adversaries, creating mounting pressure for others to follow suite. These steps appear to mark the early stages of an AI arms race causing the development of military AI to accelerate worldwide. There are currently seven key players in the growing AI arms arena: the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, and South Korea. The U.S. of course is among the most active.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is "summoning the demon," Elon Musk warned, continuing a great tradition of fearful warnings about new technology. In the 16th century, the Vicar of Croyden warned how Gutenberg's demonic press would destroy the faith: "'We must root out printing or printing will root us out,' the Vicar told his flock."1 Preceding Musk's invocation of the devil by a couple of centuries, an Ohio school board declared the new steam railroad technology to be "a device of Satan to lead immortal souls to hell."2 Others warned of secular effects: The passing of a steam locomotive would stop cows from grazing, hens from laying, and precipitate economic havoc as horses became extinct and hay and oats farmers went bankrupt.3 Only a few years later, demonic fears appeared once again when Samuel Morse's assistant telegraphed from Baltimore suggesting suspension of the trial of the first telegraph line. Because the city's clergy were preaching that messages by sparks could only be the work of the devil. Morse's assistant feared these invocations would incite riots to destroy the equipment.4

There is a strong belief on the internet that AI will solve basically all of future society's problems, if we just give it enough time. Christian Katzenbach took a close look at this myth to determine whether there is truth to it. In time for this year's Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Matthias Kettemann (HIIG) and Stephan Dreyer (Leibniz Insitut für Medienforschung Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)) will be publishing a volume called "Busted! As an exclusive sneak peek, we are publishing an assortment of these myths here on our blog – some of those have been busted by HIIGs own researchers and associates. The entire volume will be accessible soon at internetmyths.eu.

Today's economic growth numbers were underwhelming. Many economists predict that our economy will continue to grow throughout 2019, but that this economic growth will be at a lower rate than it was in 2018. Artificial intelligence will likely help boost economic growth in the long run, but will have little to no effect on economic growth over the next few years. The change in gross domestic product (GDP) is a well accepted metric for measuring economic growth. According to recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, third quarter GDP growth this year was 1.9 percent, down from second quarter growth of 2.0 percent and first quarter GDP growth of 3.1 percent.

Artificial intelligence developer DeepMind has just announced its latest milestone: a bot called AlphaStar that plays the popular real-time strategy game StarCraft II at Grandmaster level. This isn't the first time a bot has outplayed humans in a strategy war game. In 1981, a program called Eurisko, developed by artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer Doug Lenat, won the US championship of Traveller, a highly complex strategy war game in which players design a fleet of 100 ships. Eurisko was consequently made an honorary Admiral in the Traveller navy. The following year, the tournament rules were overhauled in an attempt to thwart computers.

Just as dawn is breaking on an AI-driven era of unprecedented opportunity, a worldwide recoupling from the American-led strategic and economic architecture is underway. While this is a major shift touching many vital sectors, right now it is most critical in defense technology. This was acutely apparent this summer, as longtime American allies like Turkey forged their own paths with military weapons procurements. In this moment of apparent uncertainty, there is an opportunity to reboot the global "operating system" for global competition in the 21st century. To further draw upon tech-industry parlance, holistic economic and technological development models, and the value chains with which they integrate, are the new geopolitical "killer app" for the coming decades.

A report from the Defense Innovation Board recommends artificial intelligence ethic principles and actions for the Defense Department in its research, development and deployment of AI technologies. The report includes five principles and 12 recommendations, which the board created after 15 months of researching and discussing with various DOD officials, academic experts and industry partners. The board, which consists of 16 technologists who advise DOD, voted in favor of the recommendations at a public meeting in Washington, D.C., Thursday. To devise these principles, the board drew from existing laws including the Law of War, international law, the U.S. Constitution and Title 10 of the U.S. Code. Although DOD has other technology ethics codes, its AI Strategy in 2018 called for the creation of an individual set of ethics rules around AI. To realize the proposed principles, DIB formed 12 recommended actions.