Imagine this: You click on a news clip and see the President of the United States at a press conference with a foreign leader. The news conference is real. You share with a friend. They share with a friend. Soon, everyone has seen it.

Three experimental automation projects tell the tale of a future piloted by robots.

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In July 2017, two robots, Sophia and Han, made history. At the RISE technology conference in Hong Kong, they went on stage to "debate" the future of humanity with each other. In the course of the debate, they cracked jokes, talked about drone armies taking over the world, discussed ethics in robots and humans, and if it was better to be rich or famous. Sophia was further introduced at the United Nations and was even granted Saudi Arabian citizenship. She is the first humanoid robot to have a nationality.

In April 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a white paper, "Proposed Regulatory Framework for Modifications to Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)-Based Software as a Medical Device," announcing steps to consider a new regulatory framework to promote the development of safe and effective medical devices that use advanced AI algorithms. AI, and specifically ML, are "techniques used to design and train software algorithms to learn from and act on data." FDA's proposed approach would allow modifications to algorithms to be made from real-world learning and adaptation that accommodates the iterative nature of AI products while ensuring FDA's standards for safety and effectiveness are maintained. Under the existing framework, a premarket submission (i.e., a 510(k)) would be required if the AI/ML software modification significantly affects device performance or the device's safety and effectiveness; the modification is to the device's intended use; or the modification introduces a major change to the software as a medical device (SaMD) algorithm. In the case of a PMA-approved SaMD, a PMA supplement would be required for changes that affect safety or effectiveness.

Facial recognition technology is spreading fast. Already widespread in China, software that identifies people by comparing images of their faces against a database of records is now being adopted across much of the rest of the world. It's common among police forces but has also been used at airports, railway stations and shopping centers. The rapid growth of this technology has triggered a much-needed debate. Activists, politicians, academics and even police forces are expressing serious concerns over the impact facial recognition could have on a political culture based on rights and democracy. As someone who researches the future of human rights, I share these concerns.

NEORIS, a tech consultancy that accelerates the digital capabilities of enterprises, today announced their global partnership with Neo4j, the leader in graph databases, to deliver unparalleled insights and capabilities to their clients around the world. The NEORIS Augmented Intelligence Platform now integrates Neo4j's leading graph database technology into its Knowledge Fabric Layer, enabling more intuitive data analysis and machine learning capabilities which are augmented by connected data for deeper insights, The platform serves as the key strategic enabler of NEORIS' recently launched Augmented Intelligence Practice by accelerating an enterprise's time to actionable insights. The Augmented Intelligence Platform is composed of four logical layers, namely Information Harvesting, Knowledge Fabric, Enterprise AI, and Human-centered Interfaces, for a complete framework that is poised to accelerate the deployment of next-generation, graph-powered AI digital solutions. "Artificial intelligence continues its push into areas such as smart supply-chains, advanced fraud management, risk management, regulatory compliance and delivering hyper-personalized products and services. The convergence of AI, graph technology and analytics provides an immense opportunity to develop learning applications grounded in the context of connected data, and thus capable of situational awareness. Aggregating large amounts of data across organizational silos, establishing intelligent relationships and connecting this knowledge with advanced AI models are redefining businesses," said Anthony DeLima, Global CTO and Head of NEORIS U.S. "We are excited about this partnership for many reasons, but most notably because it will enable us to work with our clients to deliver an entirely new generation of solutions that augment human thinking and decision-making."

In April, for the first time in the U.S., renewables generated more electricity than coal, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The agency is anticipating the need to adjust some policies as more inventions are created (or at least assisted) by artificial intelligence. Here are two savvy practitioners' takes on four potential flash points.

Popular culture has contemplated societies of thinking machines for generations, envisioning futures from utopian to dystopian. These futures are, arguably, here now-we find ourselves at the doorstep of technology that can at least simulate the appearance of thinking, acting, and feeling. The real question is: now what?