Ideology is what determines how you think when you don't know you're thinking. Neoliberalism is a prime example. Less well-known but equally insidious is technological determinism, which is a theory about how technology affects development. It comes in two flavours. One says that there is an inexorable internal logic in how technologies evolve. So, for example, when we got to the point where massive processing power and large quantities of data became easily available, machine-learning was an inevitable next step.

For the first time since launching the Curiosity rover in 2011, NASA is sending a spacecraft to the surface of Mars. Surface missions are sexy missions: Everyone loves roving robots and panoramic imagery of other worlds. But the agency's latest interplanetary emissary won't be doing any traveling (it's a lander, not a rover). InSight--short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport--will be the first mission to peer deep into Mars' interior, a sweeping geophysical investigation that will help scientists answer questions about the formation, evolution, and composition of the red planet and other rocky bodies in our solar system. The mission is scheduled to launch some time this month, with a window opening May 5. When the lander arrives at Mars on November 26 of this year, it will land a few degrees north of the equator in a broad, low-lying plain dubbed Elysium Planitia.

Last week, the European Commission published an important paper on artificial intelligence and robotics. Its communication on "Artificial Intelligence for Europe", released on 25 April 2018, describes AI technologies as being as transformative as the steam engine or electricity. They will, it is said, help solve some of the world's biggest problems, from chronic disease, to climate change, to cybersecurity threats. The communication sets out three pillars of a proposed integrated approach to AI across Europe: keeping ahead of technological developments and encouraging uptake of AI by the public and private sectors; preparing for the socio-economic changes brought about by AI; and ensuring an appropriate ethical and legal framework. As a starter, the EU has announced additional funding for AI-related projects via its Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, with up to €500 million extra available each year between now and 2020. These funds can be bid for by both the private and public sector.

The Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas said Thursday it will be leading a $7.5 million U.S. Department of Defense project to create artificial intelligence technology for military drones. UT researchers will try to develop AI that can help drones to more thoroughly learn information as they fly and to possibly maneuver themselves during emergency situations. Such technology, the school said, could help the defense department lower the number of drones lost due to system failures or damage while flying. Ufuk Topcu, an assistant professor at UT's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, said developing the AI technology will be a challenge. "Our approach to this unprecedented challenge embraces the fact that developing truly autonomous systems -- in particular, control-oriented learning on the fly -- is beyond the reach of any single (scientific fields)," Topcu said in a written statement. It's not clear what the timeline is for the UT-led project.

An illegal connection might be detected from the vibrations caused by an outflow where one is not supposed to be… The idea is that [the AI tool] can be used to quickly narrow down the location of any water losses, allowing operators using geophones to pinpoint the exact site. In one case, in Votorantim, a city in São Paulo state, it would have taken the local water company two years to survey its network of pipes using two operators armed with geophones." He says it's situations like that which highlight differences between what is legal in the laws of war and what is morally right -- something that autonomous weapons might not distinguish. "That is one of the concerns that people raise about autonomous weapons is a lack of an ability to feel empathy and to engage in mercy in war. And that if we built these weapons, they would take away a powerful restraint in warfare that humans have."

In amongst the current noisy UK political landscape it is good to see that the Government is redoubling its efforts to support the growth and development of AI focussed businesses in the UK. The coming years will likely prove to be a defining period for the World's economy as the pace of change that is predicted to be driven by the adoption of AI across multiple sectors and industries increases exponentially. The more that can be done to put the UK at the forefront of that change, the better. If we are to maintain a competitive advantage on the World stage we have to focus on what industries will bring revenue to the UK economy, retain existing talent and drive new talent to our shores. Right now, AI looks like a strong bet for the Government to make. The are, however, significant challenges.

Nasa is about to launch a rover to dig deep into Mars. The engineers behind the mission hope that it could find life and the answer to other mysteries about how the planet was formed. The InSight mission will set off six years after Nasa last sent one of its robot travellers to investigate the Red Planet. And it will continue the same work, digging into the planet to try and learn more about what is hidden down there. It will take the first measurements of "Marsquakes", for instance, and will look into why it seems to wobble a little as it spins around.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Six years after last landing on Mars, NASA is sending a robotic geologist to dig deeper than ever before to take the planet's temperature. The Mars InSight spacecraft, set to launch this weekend, will also take the planet's pulse by making the first measurements of "marsquakes." And to check its reflexes, scientists will track the wobbly rotation of Mars on its axis to better understand the size and makeup of its core. The lander's instruments will allow scientists "to stare down deep into the planet," said the mission's chief scientist, Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Beauty's not just skin deep here," he said.

As the world of technology progresses, Artificial Intelligence becomes more intertwined in every aspect of our lives. From marketing programs that collect and process huge amounts of data, smart fridges that know when we need to get more milk and the prototype self-driving trucks slowly making their ways in our streets... Even the fields of teaching have accommodated AI with Intelligent Tutoring Systems such as the United States Air force's Own "Sherlock" program. Wikipedia defines AI ( Artificial Intelligence) as: " intelligence exhibited by machines, has many applications in today's society. More specifically, it is Weak AI, the form of A.I. where programs are developed to perform specific tasks, that is being utilized for a wide range of activities including medical diagnosis, electronic trading, robot control, and remote sensing. AI has been used to develop and advance numerous fields and industries, including finance, healthcare, education, transportation, and more.."

A slender cylindrical probe dubbed the mole is designed to tunnel nearly 16 feet (5 meters) into the Martian soil. A quake-measuring seismometer, meanwhile, will be removed from the lander by a mechanical arm and placed directly on the surface for better vibration monitoring. InSight is actually two years late flying because of problems with the French-supplied seismometer system that had to be fixed.