This paper proposes the first model-free Reinforcement Learning (RL) framework to synthesise policies for an unknown, and possibly continuous-state, Markov Decision Process (MDP), such that a given linear temporal property is satisfied. We convert the given property into a Limit Deterministic Buchi Automaton (LDBA), namely a finite-state machine expressing the property. Exploiting the structure of the LDBA, we shape an adaptive reward function on-the-fly, so that an RL algorithm can synthesise a policy resulting in traces that probabilistically satisfy the linear temporal property. This probability (certificate) is also calculated in parallel with learning, i.e. the RL algorithm produces a policy that is certifiably safe with respect to the property. Under the assumption that the MDP has a finite number of states, theoretical guarantees are provided on the convergence of the RL algorithm. We also show that our method produces "best available" control policies when the logical property cannot be satisfied. Whenever the MDP has a continuous state space, we empirically show that our framework finds satisfying policies, if there exist such policies. Additionally, the proposed algorithm can handle time-varying periodic environments. The performance of the proposed architecture is evaluated via a set of numerical examples and benchmarks, where we observe an improvement of one order of magnitude in the number of iterations required for the policy synthesis, compared to existing approaches whenever available.

We present a deep learning approach for vertex reconstruction of neutrino-nucleus interaction events, a problem in the domain of high energy physics. In this approach, we combine both energy and timing data that are collected in the MINERvA detector to perform classification and regression tasks. We show that the resulting network achieves higher accuracy than previous results while requiring a smaller model size and less training time. In particular, the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art by 4.00% on classification accuracy. For the regression task, our model achieves 0.9919 on the coefficient of determination, higher than the previous work (0.96).

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to put together a national strategy on artificial intelligence technology as Moscow is hustling to catch up on the research and development of the creation and implementation of intelligent machines, Defense One reports. "The Government of the Russian Federation, with the participation of Sberbank of Russia and other interested organizations, should develop approaches to the national strategy for the development of artificial intelligence and submit appropriate proposals" says an instruction sheet released by the Kremlin and approved by Putin. Their deadline is Feb. 25. China and the United States are far ahead of global competitors on the AI front, according to a report by the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization that found U.S. firms IBM and Microsoft had the highest number of patents related to artificial intelligence. "The U.S. and China obviously have stolen a lead," WIPO Director-General Francis Gurry said during a news conference, per Reuters.

Tech Review (TR 2019-02-02)--Domain Mondo's weekly review of tech investing news: Features • 1) Giving Up On Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency, 2) Amazon Alexa And Google Assistant Becoming Omnipresent, 3) Investing: The Week & Notes: WEF, EU, Brexit, US, 4)ICYMI Tech News: Facebook, Nvidia, Twitter, Google, Oracle, Huawei, China VC, Microsoft, Amazon, Startup Starbreeze Implodes, Personal Tech: Chromebooks vs Windows? 1) Giving Up On Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Bitcoin in $US Bitcoin Volatility Problematic For Analysts: Crypto enthusiasts such as Mike Novogratz made wild predictions on Bitcoin's price in 2018, most of which proved wrong. Tom Lee of Fundstrat said Bitcoin would hit $25,000 by end of 2018. Now, Lee, and others, are not making timing calls at all. However, Ripple CEO says decentralized payment systems are likely to win: Ripple's Brad Garlinghouse discusses blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies at a CNBC-hosted panel in Paris. CNBC International TV video above published Jan 31, 2019.

Since their entrance into mainstream political consciousness, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data have long been a harbinger of political doom and a coming onslaught of global, geopolitical shifts. Movies, TV series, think pieces and tech reports paint and increasingly grim picture of power being handed over by governments and citizens to amorphous algorithms that govern with no transparency. The most dramatic depiction is the all-out data-driven apocalypse of the Terminator universe, but subtler, more intimate insights into our Data Hell come from Black Mirror, whose episodes shed light on people, relationships and societies that have sacrificed their subjectivity in the name of optimization. In the political sphere, a mainstream position in the Democratic party of the U.S. is that Russia stole the 2016 Presidential Election with advanced hacking tools and trolls. The emerging race between the U.S. and China to develop the most advanced AI is being called the Cold War of the 21st century; the central power struggle that defines an era for the world.

They were the mischievous creatures blamed for causing mechanical failures and faults on aircraft during World War Two - before starring in a hit film as destructive monsters. Now, the gremlins are back - as a new type of killer flying drone. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) research arm is pitting Dynetics and General Atomics (maker of the Predator drone) against each other in a contest to make the craft. Darpa said the program has been deliberately named Gremlins after the imps that British pilots during Wold War Two adopted as their good luck charms. The program envisions launching groups of UASs from existing large aircraft such as bombers or transport aircraft - as well as from fighters and other small, fixed-wing platforms - while those planes are out of range of adversary defenses.

Just as Prometheus was a liberator of humankind by bringing the flame of knowledge to humanity by defying the gods, DARPA wants to make sure that machine learning (ML) is trustworthy and doesn't free itself and spread like an uncontrollable wildfire. "Under what conditions do you let the machine do its job? Under what conditions should you put supervision on it?"Jiangying Teaching machines to show their work so we know what the hell they are doing in order to make them partners is an underlying theme of the Competency-Aware Machine Learning (CAML) Program launched on Thursday by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA wants to make AI an collaborative partner for national defense, but at this early stage the language suggests that DARPA wants to make sure that machine learning doesn't keep us in the dark about how it functions, why it behaves, and what it will do next.

The employment rate is always a popular topic in nations around the world--often leading to political debates and economic scrutiny. However, the conversation has shifted in recent years as people start to look at things from a different perspective. The critical question very soon may be, "What if I can't find a job because I've been replaced by artificial intelligence (AI)?" As with anything that involves technology and the future, there are a wide range of projections and prognostications, but most of them end with a conclusion that humans need not apply. How come everybody is talking about it all of a sudden?

He weighs a little over 100 pounds, has auburn dyed hair, and wears a hoodie emblazoned with the words "Dope Shit." But in China's rise to superpower status, the 20-year-old student is a foot soldier playing a vital role. Yin works at Bainiaohe Digital Town, a tech hub set deep in the tree-covered hills of China's southwestern province of Guizhou. The region is traditionally known for growing tea and producing fiery Moutai liquor, but today it's luring Yin, and hundreds of young Chinese like him, to work in the booming sector of Artificial Intelligence or AI. For eight hours each day, they sit at computer terminals on brightly colored swivel chairs and help refine the reliability of facial and voice recognition software, driverless car programs, and even mobile apps that are used to identify plants and insects.

The FBI says that security officials are being "inundated" with drones flying around the Atlanta stadium that will host Sunday's Super Bowl 53.