A number of researchers due to attend a prestigious conference on artificial intelligence in Canada next week have been unable to obtain visas in time, leading some executives to question the government's stated goal of becoming a world-leading destination for academics and companies developing the technology. It's unclear how many people have been affected by visa issues, but at least a dozen researchers circulated their stories on social media about having visas denied or applications held up. Timnit Gebru, a Google AI researcher and a founder of the group Black in AI that's holding a workshop at the event, said on Twitter that almost half of the 60-some academics it had asked to attend the workshop had visa applications turned down. "It's Africans living everywhere that are getting denied," she said. Several prominent AI researchers complained of the situation on Twitter in the hopes of getting the Canadian government to take action.

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be technology's Holy Grail, but Australia's Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow has warned about the need for responsible innovation and an understanding of the challenges new technology poses for basic human rights. "AI is enabling breakthroughs right now: Healthcare, robotics, and manufacturing; pretty soon we're told AI will bring us everything from the perfect dating algorithm to interstellar travel -- it's easy in other words to get carried away, yet we should remember AI is still in its infancy," Santow told the Human Rights & Technology conference in Sydney in July. Santow was launching the Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper, which was described as the beginning of a major project by the Human Rights Commission to protect the rights of Australians in a new era of technological change. The paper [PDF] poses questions centred on what protections are needed when AI is used in decisions that affect the basic rights of people. It asks also what is required from lawmakers, governments, researchers, developers, and tech companies big and small. Pointing to Microsoft's AI Twitter bot Tay, which in March 2016 showed the ugly side of humanity -- at least as present on social media -- Santow said it is a key example of how AI must be right before it's unleashed onto humans.

Since the first version of this white paper in 2016, the range and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has expanded at a dizzying pace as the area continues to capture an ever greater share of the business and popular imaginations. Along with the cloud, AI is emerging as the key driver of the'fourth industrial revolution', the term (after steam, electricity and computing) coined by Davos founder Klaus Schwab for the deep digital transformation now under way. This white paper is written from the perspective of the in-house lawyer working on the legal aspects of their organisation's adoption and use of AI. "artificial intelligence is that activity devoted to making machines intelligent, and intelligence is that quality that enables an entity to function appropriately and with foresight in its environment".4 "interdisciplinary field ... dealing with models and systems for the performance of functions generally associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning and learning." Most recently, in its January 2018 book, 'The Future: Computed', Microsoft thinks of AI as: "a set of technologies that enable computers to perceive, learn, reason and assist in decision- making to solve problems in ways that are similar to what people do."7

A free-floating robotic face says "Be nice, please," to European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst in a video released by the ESA on Friday. The video marked the crew's first official interaction between CIMON (Crew Interactive Mobile CompanioN), an Alexa-style robot run by IBM Watson artificial intelligence. The AI robot is there to help crew members with tasks, boost morale and provide a little entertainment, CNET.com reported. Some of Gerst's interactions with the robot were somewhat weird and awkward. Gerst and CIMON begin with small talk and then Gerst asks it to play his favorite song: "The Man-Machine" by Kraftwerk, a German electronic band.

The Air Force is seeking emerging technologies and ways to apply artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems to "enhance the effectiveness" of air education and training, according to a request for information submitted Nov. 27. Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is seeking new methods and processes as well as new products that can "maximize and accelerate learning, both holistically for all Airmen and for individuals," according to service documents. The command is focused on four key investment areas as part of its 2018 strategic plan, including emerging technologies, games and simulation, experiential learning and big data analytics, the RFI said. The Air Force is looking for advanced technology that can contribute to "abundant computer devices, flexible classroom designs, innovative visual displays, games and simulations, collaborative tools, and mechanisms that both track and assess an Airmen's learning efforts," the document said. It is also interested in ways to exploit artificial intelligence, along with virtual and augmented reality systems for areas such as "intelligent tutors," which can help to gauge a student's strengths and weaknesses in areas of study and present materials accordingly. In terms of gaming and simulation efforts, AETC seeks simulation technologies including image generation, visualization and interoperability to help warfighters "keep pace with operational training demands to maximize mission readiness."

CIMON the AI robot and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst pose together on the ISS. "Be nice, please," a free-floating robotic face tells ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst in a video released by the European Space Agency on Friday. CIMON (Crew Interactive Mobile Companion) is an Alexa-like robot stuffed with IBM Watson artificial intelligence. It arrived on the International Space Station earlier this year. The robot is meant to assist the human crew members with tasks, provide some entertainment and boost morale.

Now that the Insight lander has settled in on Mars, scientists are learning more about the spot it's in. With its 7-foot-wide solar panels fully deployed, it has already set a record for the most energy generated in a single day by any lander or rover on Mars at 4,588 wH. Also, the protective covers are coming off of its cameras, which should enable higher-resolution images. It's been a busy few days and now, a new picture of Mars without the camera lens cover. Fortunately, while the lander is tilted at a 4-degree angle inside its impact crater, it's designed to operate at up to a 15-degree tilt.

Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your Automaton bloggers. We'll also be posting a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months; here's what we have so far (send us your events!): Let us know if you have suggestions for next week, and enjoy today's videos. In case you missed it, NASA JPL landed a robot on Mars. What Thanksgiving is all about: robot arms and flamethrowers.

Early Monday afternoon, a NASA probe that's spent the last two years flying alone through space will finally reach its destination – a near-Earth asteroid that could hold clues on the origins of our solar system, and life itself. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft is set for its long-awaited rendezvous with the space rock'Bennu' between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. ET on Dec 3, when NASA will air a live event kicking off its first asteroid sample return mission. Just last week, Osiris-Rex flexed its mechanical arm through a full range of motion for the first time in space ahead of reaching Bennu; eventually, this instrument will be used to pluck a sample of loose dirt and rock from the surface to bring back home. The craft has now travelled more than a billion miles since launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in September 2016. Early Monday afternoon, a NASA probe that's spent the last two years flying alone through space will finally reach its destination – a near-Earth asteroid that could hold clues on the origins of our solar system, and life itself.

In July, three members of Congress -- Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Representative Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) and Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) -- sent Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos a letter requesting information about the company's facial recognition software, Rekognition. The lawmakers expressed their concern about Rekognition and asked Amazon to answer a list of questions regarding any bias assessments Amazon has performed, if it can recognize when children's data have been uploaded, the agencies that have used the software and whether Amazon conducts audits of those that use Rekognition. Amazon sent a response to the lawmakers in August, but the lawmakers found the company's reply to be insufficient. So they've sent a second letter. "We write to reiterate our concerns about Amazon's facial recognition technology, Rekognition, and request additional information about this product and your decision to make it available to law enforcement agencies," they wrote. "Regrettably, despite asking you a series of questions on this subject and requesting specific information in letters sent to you on July 26, 2018 and July 27, 2018, your company has failed to provide sufficient answers."