Can artificial intelligence improve government accountability? Last year Bass provided an excellent overview of the role big data can play in increasing government accountability. His analysis covered the current state of affairs and the problems with achieving the goal of a transparent government (Bass, 2015). In an amazing and eye-opening manner, he showed that while data can increase government accountability, numerous unresolved issues remain that must be overcome before we can have higher transparency. One of the major issues identified by Bass is the fact that many stakeholder (including journalists, agencies, members of congress, and others) don't want greater transparency.

Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are going to completely change how we live and work but the UK government is totally unprepared, MPs have warned. The Science and Technology Committee released a report on Wednesday warning that the UK government "does not yet have a strategy" for equipping citizens with the skills they need to flourish in a world where AI is more prevalent. It also has no strategy for dealing with the social and ethical dilemmas that AI advances present, according to the report. Acting chair of the Science and Technology Committee, Dr Tania Mathias MP, said in a statement: "Artificial intelligence has some way to go before we see systems and robots as portrayed in the creative arts such as Star Wars. At present, 'AI machines' have narrow and specific roles, such as in voice-recognition or playing the board game'Go'. "But science fiction is slowly becoming science fact, and robotics and AI look destined to play an increasing role in our lives over the coming decades.

Starting Thursday, a search in English or Spanish for "who's on my ballot" will return detailed information about the candidates. SAN FRANCISCO -- Getting ready to cast your vote in November? Google has got you covered. The Internet search giant is making it easier for voters to find out what's on the ballot and where their polling place is. Starting Thursday, a search in English or Spanish for "who's on my ballot" will return detailed information about the candidates from president to county commissioner and on ballot measures in your state.

FILE - Oct. 5, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. The cerebral interstellar saga "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the android drama "Blade Runner" are among Obama's favorite sci-fi films and TV shows. Obama shared his must-watch list of movies and TV shows to "expand your mind to new horizons" in the November issue of Wired magazine.

You could call it a demonstration of the proliferation of drone use with frightening possibilities. Last week's attack in northern Iraq in which a small drone exploded killing two Peshmerga fighters and badly wounding two members of the French special forces, marks something of an innovation in modern warfare. The US launched the first armed drone attack back in October 2001. Since then the use of armed drones has been the preserve of the most sophisticated military actors in the world. Israel and the US had the early technological lead with Russia and China rapidly developing their own drone industries.

The editor in chief for Wired conducted a joint interview with the President of the United States, Barack Obama and MIT Media Lab Director Joi Ito. The interview is for the November 2016 issue of Wired, but a condensed version is available on the Wired website. The disruptive emergence of Artificial Intelligence, Space Travel and Star Trek were on the agenda. Artificial Intelligence has gone from science fiction to reality. There are two kinds of Artificial Intelligence, general AI and specialised AI.

This image comes from Xkcd, a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. Created by Randall Munroe, he is a CNU graduate with a degree in physics. Before starting xkcd, he worked on robots at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia.

The White House has issued a report on, and recommendations for, the development of artificial intelligence (AI). "Intelligent computer systems have long been the subject of science fiction," the administration said in releasing the report, as well as a strategic plan for research and development. "Now, we are entering an era in which AI is having broad and deep impacts on our daily lives." "Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence" was released a day before the president is scheduled to speak at the White House Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh. The science and technology conference is cohosted by Carnegie Melon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

IT and engineering salaries in the U.S. rose 3.9 percent in 2015, the second-highest annual increase since 2010, according to a survey from IEEE-USA. The median income for IT and engineering professionals rose to US 135,000 in 2015, up from 130,000 in 2014, IEEE-USA said. Salaries rose nearly 4.3 percent between 2013 and 2014, after rising just 0.6 percent in 2013. Engineers working in systems and control, including the subspecialties of robotics and automation, control systems, industrial electronics and cybernetics, saw the largest salary increases in 2015. Their salaries rose 8.7 percent to 130,000.

What do you do if your autonomous housecleaning robot breaks your stuff while it's cleaning or throws out valuable items along with clutter because it considers those actions shortcuts to its prime directive of efficiency? Those are some of the complex challenges policy officials will have to unravel as artificial intelligence blooms in the U.S. in the coming decades. The issues aren't as trivial as they sound because they are wrapped up in security and safety issues, according to a new White House report. Titled "Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence," the report outlines possible future directions and considerations for AI technology development over the next 50 years. It was released a day ahead of the White House Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh on Oct. 13 and unveiled in a blog post by Deputy U.S. CTO Ed Felten and Terah Lyons, policy adviser to the U.S. CTO. The report recommends that the White House convene a study of automation and the economy that results in a public report released by the end of the year, according to Felten and Lyons.