Inc. shut down a project it had been developing for four years -- a recruitment tool driven by machine learning. The concept was a simple and appealing one: at its core, the project aimed to develop an algorithm that would sort incoming job applications to isolate the short list for managers to use in making their final selections. Anyone who has been involved in such a process knows that isolating the top five or ten resumés from dozens of applicants is a time-consuming job. Any process that brings logic and speed to this stage of the recruitment chain can only be a good thing. But algorithms are only as good as the data used to drive them, and in the Amazon case the machine "learning" was based on patterns in applications submitted to the firm in the previous ten years.

Scientists designed a machine-learning algorithm to help understand whether humans are naturally violent or are influenced to become vicious through social constructs like religion. The researchers combined computer modelling and cognitive psychology to create an AI system which mimics human religiosity which allowed them to understand conditions, triggers and patterns for religious violence. The findings, published in the Journal for Artificial Societies and Social Stimulation, revealed that humans are actually a naturally peaceful species, but a person's core beliefs can increase xenophobia and anxiety between religious groups. Although the research focused on previous events in history, the scientists from Oxford, Boston University and the University of Agder, Norway, said the findings can be applied to modern day religious violence such as Islamic extremism such as ISIS.

A conference here to gather American business and military experts to discuss the coming revolution in artificial intelligence was a good Election Day measure of the challenges ahead to maintain the U.S. competitive edge. Corporate and government leaders agree that China's rapid application of AI to business and military problems should be a "Sputnik moment" to propel change in America. As a top-down command economy, China is directing money and its best brains to develop the smart systems that will operate cars, planes, offices and information -- along with the transformation of warfare. The United States is struggling to respond to this world-changing challenge. What's underway is frail and exists mostly on paper.

Russia is developing a moon base which will be operated with remote-controlled avatars, according to the country's space boss. Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, has laid out plans to put robotic avatars on our natural satellite and have them operated by people on Earth. He claimed this endeavour is more ambitious than the iconic US'Apollo' programme of the '60s and '70s. 'This is about creating a long-term base, naturally, not habitable, but visited. But basically, it is the transition to robotic systems, to avatars that will solve tasks on the Moon surface,' Mr Rogozin said.

FUKUSHIMA – Japan Post Co. on Wednesday began transporting documents by drone in Fukushima Prefecture, the first operation of its kind in Japan, following easing of regulations to cope with labor shortages in the transport industry. The company said it will initially use drones to carry its own documents and advertisements between two post offices in the northeastern prefecture to examine whether the unmanned aircraft can be used to carry mail. In the future, it hopes to use drones for deliveries to mountainous regions and remote islands. It launched the operation after the government eased related regulations in September. Prior to easing restrictions, an operator was required to keep the drone in view. But the new regulations allow for longer flights if safety can be ensured remotely through measures such as equipping the drone with a camera.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he will press China to embrace arms controls during upcoming meetings in Beijing, citing the need to regulate robotic and space-based weapons that could soon shift from "science fiction" to reality.

Yuval Noah Harari says data is the new source of political power, and he worries that big data and AI technology threaten to destroy liberal democracy. Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, lecturer, and author. He is the author of the international bestseller Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, as well as Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Harari received his PhD from Oxford. He is currently a lecturer in the history department at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Greg Clark Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced five new Artificial Intelligence centres of excellence for digital pathology and imaging, including radiology, using artificial intelligence (AI) medical advances. Established to assist hospitals make scans and biopsy images digital, the centres have the aim to free up more staff time for direct patient care in the NHS and is part of a bid to find new ways to speed up diagnosis of diseases to improve to outcomes for patients. The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is managed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and will be based at universities and NHS facilities. The Artificial Intelligence centres are expected to be up and running in 2019. Health secretary Matt Hancock, said: "Artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in the future of the NHS – and we need to embrace it by introducing systems which can speed up diagnoses, improve patient outcomes, make every pound go further and give clinicians more time with their patients. "As part of our long-term plan, we will transform the NHS into an ecosystem of enterprise and innovation that allows technology to flourish and evolve." Professor Sir Mark Walport, chief executive of UKRI said: "The centres announced today bring together the teams that will develop artificial intelligence tools that can analyse medical images varying from x-rays to microscopic sections from tissue biopsies.

Russia's space agency says that one of the International Space Station's computers has malfunctioned, but the glitch doesn't pose any risks to the crew. Roscosmos said Tuesday that one of three computers in the station's Russian module has failed. It said Russian flight controllers plan to reboot it Thursday. The International Space Station photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking. Roscosmos said Tuesday that one of three computers in the station's Russian module has failed.

NASA's Curiosity rover is back to work after switching its'brain' last month to resolve a memory anomaly. The Mars rover ventured to a site called Lake Orcadie for its latest drive, in which it traveled about 197 feet (60 meters). It might not seem like much, but according to the team, this is the longest drive it's accomplished since the issues arose earlier this fall, signalling that the hardy robot is back in the game. NASA's Curiosity rover is back to work after switching its'brain' last month to resolve a memory anomaly. The Mars rover ventured to a site called Lake Orcadie for its latest drive, in which it traveled about 197 feet (60 meters).