Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting with students in Yaroslavl, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. Putin said that whoever reaches a breakthrough in developing artificial intelligence will come to dominate the world. Putin, speaking Friday at a meeting with students, said the development of AI raises "colossal opportunities and threats that are difficult to predict now." Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting with students in Yaroslavl, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2017.

Whether you're interested in cognitive computing, artificial intelligence or machine learning, you probably know that the fourth industrial revolution is well underway and accelerating rapidly. The speed of change presents a challenge to developers who want to stay abreast of the latest ideas and approaches. Conferences, workshops and other meetings provide opportunities to learn where the jobs and technology is headed and a chance to learn and practice the skills necessary to keep up. Why you should attend: AI engineers, practitioners, researchers and scientists will discuss the latest developments in the field, while tutorials and workshops will give attendees a chance to hone their skills. Speakers will be drawn from a wide variety of sectors, including Microsoft, MIT, the National Science Foundation and NASA Ames Research Center.

While Microsoft and Google preach how society can be enhanced through artificial intelligence, not everyone is thinking about making the world a better place through Paxos algorithms for consensus protocols. Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke about the potential power of artificial intelligence to students on Friday, saying "the one who becomes the leader in this sphere will be the ruler of the world," according to Associated Press. He then said "it would be strongly undesirable if someone wins a monopolist position," indicating that Russia would cooperate with other countries in the development of AI. While Russia is seen as skilled in technological propaganda, it has little presence in mainstream AI research. Putin also envisioned a future for war where drones, ostensibly controlled by artificial intelligence, would fight proxy wars between countries.

It used to be that the term "automation" meant robotic arms in factories doing repetitive tasks -- fastening one part to another, drilling a screw, folding a piece of material. These days, the word means a lot more. AI means automation beyond the physical. It means automation of the tasks that previously took a living brain to complete -- things like conversation, data analysis, even driving. And ultimately, AI isn't anything new; computer scientists have been discussing and building it for decades now.

The technology entrepreneur Elon Musk recently urged the nation's governors to regulate artificial intelligence "before it's too late." Mr. Musk insists that artificial intelligence represents an "existential threat to humanity," an alarmist view that confuses A.I. science with science fiction. Nevertheless, even A.I. researchers like me recognize that there are valid concerns about its impact on weapons, jobs and privacy. It's natural to ask whether we should develop A.I. at all. I believe the answer is yes.

Dmytro Zinkevych / DreamstimeEach month, there seems to be some new hysteria-inducing headline or movie about how artificial intelligence (AI) is going to steal our jobs, break our hearts, or just outright kill us all. This is not merely a Luddite problem. No less a technophile than Elon Musk routinely invokes fear and loathing of AI, comparing it to an evil demon that must be exorcised through the force of the state. With all of this anti-AI prejudice going around, it's up to libertarians and technologists to stand up to lawmakers and academics who want to clamp down on these technologies. People are usually afraid of new things.

It is Saturday, Sept. 2. Here's what you don't want to miss this weekend: Democratic civil war: At a time when the Democratic base is more restive than it has been in decades, Sen. Dianne Feinstein ignited a firestorm earlier this week when she refused to back the impeachment of President Trump and instead called for "patience" over his presidency. Her statements could become an albatross because of the state's shifting demographics and political leanings, as the 84-year-old decides whether to seek a sixth term. New mission: After six months in an immigrant detention facility, the taquero whose daughter recorded his arrest as he took her to school has walked out as an activist. L.A.'s identity: So much of Los Angeles' dark pop culture identity was formed by the classic sci-fi movie "Blade Runner." The director of the reboot says his movie will be distinct from the original.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming into its own, it is creating a significant impact in our everyday lives. The use of AI in self-driving cars, industrial mechanics, space exploration and robotics are some of the examples that show how it is paving its path into the future. But the technology has also found its way into the defense industry leading to a worrisome increase in the manufacture of autonomous weapons. The so-called "thinking weapons" were described by the Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a 2016 presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the U.S. State Department of Defense. But robotic systems to do lethal harm… a Terminator without a conscience," he said while referring to the 1984 cult science fiction film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Terminator." A huge question mark hangs over the future of AI in warfare. The term "Terminator Conundrum" has been used over the years by scientists and military ...

The concept of artificial intelligence, or AI, has existed for centuries, even if the phrase itself wasn't coined until 1956. The idea that humans could create something capable of thought processes similar to, or even superior to, their own, existed with the ancient Greeks and has extended through the millennia. The concept ramped up significantly in the 1950s, though computer memory and construction limitations prevented significant breakthroughs from occurring. Science fiction novels and films began foreseeing an ominous future, and recently, AI applications have started infiltrating our world. More recent years have seen some interest spikes: Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997, and IBM's Watson destroyed its human competition in Jeopardy! in 2011.

This is part of our Road Trip 2017 summer series "The Smartest Stuff," about how innovators are thinking up new ways to make you -- and the world around you -- smarter. A Las Vegas driver asks me this after I tell him I'm headed to Defcon at Caesars Palace. All week, a cloud of paranoia looms over Las Vegas, as hackers from around the world swarm Sin City for Black Hat and Defcon, two back-to-back cybersecurity conferences taking place in the last week of July. At Caesars Palace, where Defcon is celebrating its 25th anniversary, the UPS store posts a sign telling guests it won't accept printing requests from USB thumb drives. You can't be too careful with all those hackers in town.