The creators of a revolutionary AI system that can write news stories and works of fiction – dubbed "deepfakes for text" – have taken the unusual step of not releasing their research publicly, for fear of potential misuse. OpenAI, an nonprofit research company backed by Elon Musk, says its new AI model, called GPT2 is so good and the risk of malicious use so high that it is breaking from its normal practice of releasing the full research to the public in order to allow more time to discuss the ramifications of the technological breakthrough. At its core, GPT2 is a text generator. The AI system is fed text, anything from a few words to a whole page, and asked to write the next few sentences based on its predictions of what should come next. The system is pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible, both in terms of the quality of the output, and the wide variety of potential uses.

Nasa is launching a brand new space mission that could solve two of the deepest questions about the universe. The launch could help astronomers understand how our universe evolved in the first place and how common the ingredients for life are within it. The mission is named the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) will last for two years, cost nearly $250 million and is expected to launch in 2023. "I'm really excited about this new mission," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a statement. "Not only does it expand the United States' powerful fleet of space-based missions dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of the universe, it is a critical part of a balanced science program that includes missions of various sizes."

In 2015, car-and-rocket man Elon Musk joined with influential startup backer Sam Altman to put artificial intelligence on a new, more open course. They cofounded a research institute called OpenAI to make new AI discoveries and give them away for the common good. Now, the institute's researchers are sufficiently worried by something they built that they won't release it to the public. The AI system that gave its creators pause was designed to learn the patterns of language. It does that very well--scoring better on some reading-comprehension tests than any other automated system.

A survey of early work exploring how AI can be used in medicine, with somewhat more technical expositions than in the complementary volume Artificial Intelligence in Medicine."Each chapter is preceded by a brief introduction that outlines our view of its contribution to the field, the reason it was selected for inclusion in this volume, an overview of its content, and a discussion of how the work evolved after the article appeared and how it relates to other chapters in the book.

In a recent speech at the Bipartisan Policy Center conference, FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, discussed how the future success of clinical trials will be underpinned by new streams of real world data (RWD). This includes information collected from electronic health records, lab tests, wearable devices, insurance claims and even social media. As he made clear, "digital technologies are one of the most promising tools we have for making health care more efficient and more patient-focused". The FDA believes that these new approaches to collecting data and the utilization of new technology can radically expand the sources of data available. This will offer important evidence on both the product safety and effectiveness in settings and populations that are notably different to those used within approved trials.

Plants are master chemists, and Michigan State University researchers have unlocked their secret of producing specialized metabolites. The research, published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, combined plant biology and machine learning to sort through tens of thousands of genes to determine which genes make specialized metabolites. Some metabolites attract pollinators while others repel pests. Ever wonder why deer eat tulips and not daffodils? It's because daffodils have metabolites to fend off the critters who'd dine on them.

If you're not a member of the healthcare community, then you might not be aware of a quiet crisis creeping up on hospitals all over the country: not enough nurses and too many patients. This trend is partially fueled by the Baby Boomers who are reaching old age. Baby Boomer nurses are beginning to retire, leaving a shortfall of skilled and experienced healthcare providers. The Boomer generation as a whole requires more medical care as they enter their 60s and 70s. Complex problems like the nursing shortage require creative solutions.

The Pentagon on Tuesday unveiled a new artificial intelligence strategy aimed at keeping pace and competing with Russian and Chinese technological advancements. "Other nations, particularly China and Russia, are making significant investments in AI for military purposes," according to the strategy, titled "Harnessing AI to Advance Our Security and Prosperity. "These investments threaten to erode our technological and operational advantages and destabilize the free and open international order. The United States, together with its allies and partners, must adopt AI to maintain its strategic position, prevail on future battlefields, and safeguard this order." The strategy outlines how the Department of Defense (DoD) will develop and use AI – machines performing tasks usually done by humans -- "in ways that advance security, peace, and stability in the long run." The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) will lead and coordinate AI pilot projects within DoD, including for operations, training, sustainment, force protection, recruitment, healthcare and defense against cyberattacks. The document and an adjoining Pentagon statement did not include a dollar amount associated with the strategy. JAIC Director Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, told reporters Tuesday that the AI budget for the Pentagon for the current fiscal year is $90 million. He said there will be a request for more AI dollars in the administration's upcoming fiscal year 2020 budget request. "We know that China is ahead of us, but I'd like to look at other areas where China and where Russia are ahead of us.

Gard's mission is: Together we enable sustainable maritime development. To deliver on this mission, we explore and support the development of emerging technologies including maritime autonomous surface ships. The Nordic countries are leading the way in this area and we are proud to be collaborating with Yara International (Yara) and their newly established company Yara Birkeland AS that is developing the well-known Norwegian autonomous logistics project, YARA BIRKELAND. Construction of the zero-emission autonomous containership has already begun. When the ship enters service in early 2020, she will be operated by onboard crew while the autonomous systems are being tested and certified safe.

The U.S. Department of Defense on Feb. 12 released its roadmap for artificial intelligence, and the most interesting thing about it might be what's missing from the report: The military is nowhere close to building a lethal weapon capable of thinking and acting on its own. As it turns out, the military applications of artificial intelligence today and in the foreseeable future are much more mundane. The Defense Department has several pilot projects in the works that focus on using AI to solve everyday problems such as floods, fires, and maintenance, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, who heads up the Pentagon's new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. "We are nowhere close to the full autonomy question that most people seem to leap to a conclusion on when they think about DoD and AI," Shanahan said during a briefing Tuesday. It's not that Department of Defense hasn't given the idea of fully autonomous weapons much thought.