And then there will be questions of chain of command. Who is accountable in the event that something goes wrong? If a weapons system has a design or manufacturing issue, the manufacturer can be held accountable. If a system was deployed when it should not have been deployed, all commanders going up the chain are responsible. Ascribing responsibility will still be a challenging task, as it is with conventional weapons, but the more important question is: Should the decision to take a human life be made by a machine?

NEW YORK A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated a 120 million jury award for Apple Inc (AAPL.O) against Samsung (005930.KS), marking the latest twist in the fierce patent war between the world's top smartphone manufacturers. The court said that there was substantial evidence for the jury verdict related to Samsung's infringement of Apple patents on its slide-to-unlock and autocorrect features, as well as quick links, which automatically turn information like addresses and phone numbers into links. Friday's decision was made by the full slate of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. In an 8-3 ruling, the judges said that a previous panel of the same court should not have overturned the verdict last February. The three-judge panel did not follow U.S. Supreme Court limits on the scope of its review, because it examined evidence outside the record of the case, the decision said.

Artificial intelligence's (AI) entrance into any profession often features an odd mixture of ominous predictions from affected workers and executives extolling the virtues of'innovation,' 'change,' and whatever other flashy, vague adjectives apply to the situation. Yet between the hype and horror lies a more moderate, less sexy truth that proceeds on a slower trajectory than vocal pro-and-opponents would have you believe. The future has a way of creeping up on us, and the same can be said (unsurprisingly) for its movement into the legal industry. For while many were debating how much AI could really help legal tasks, let alone just what exactly AI actually is, technologists, vendors and lawyers with foresight were eagerly moving forward. And before we knew it, the adoption of AI-infused legal technology began its transition from the exception to the norm.

"I'd like to buy a new boomerang please. Also, can you tell me how to throw the old one away?" Never mind whether you think that joke is funny. Do you think your best friend would like it? You might think you know the answer; after all, people like each other partly because they make each other laugh.

Humans think in stories rather than in facts, numbers, or tables, and the simpler the story, the better. The story that has ruled our world in the past few decades is what we might call the Liberal Story. It was a simple and attractive tale, but it is now collapsing, and so far no new story has emerged to fill the vacuum. Instead, we get Donald Trump. The Liberal Story says that if we only liberalize and globalize our political and economic systems, we will produce paradise on earth, or at least peace and prosperity for all.

Nasa has announced that it has found evidence of flowing water on Mars. Scientists have long speculated that Recurring Slope Lineae -- or dark patches -- on Mars were made up of briny water but the new findings prove that those patches are caused by liquid water, which it has established by finding hydrated salts. Several hundred camped outside the London store in Covent Garden. The 6s will have new features like a vastly improved camera and a pressure-sensitive "3D Touch" display

"Soft language" in a new agreement governing international armed drone exports could give foreign companies an advantage over U.S. industry, according to analysts. The administration on Wednesday announced that 44 nations had signed a joint declaration overseeing the sale and use of armed unmanned aerial vehicles. The new document requires the countries to commit to the "responsible export" of armed UAVs and continue conversations about standards for drone use and sales, the use of drone strikes in accordance with "international law" and the effort to increase transparency. Rachel Stohl, a senior associate at the Stimson Center, said U.S. companies are often subject to higher standards than their international competitors with respect to drone exports. "This declaration could continue [to] result in other countries and foreign companies having an edge over U.S. companies for drone exports," Stohl said via email.

The Bank of England is looking into the'flash crash' which sent the pound plunging more than 6 per cent against the US dollar overnight, while experts think computers are to blame. The value of sterling dived during the Asian trading session to 1.18, hitting fresh 31-year lows before recovering to 1.238. Experts are blaming algorithmic trading, systems of computers designed to follow a set of instructions for placing a trade. The Bank of England is'looking into' the'flash crash' (graph pictured) which sent the pound plunging more than 6 per cent against the US dollar overnight, but experts think computers are to blame With old school trading floors ancient history these days, investors - particularly big institutional players with millions or billions to invest - often depend on computers to pick winners. Automated trading systems can be set up to keep an eye on news headlines and react to potentially market-moving information.

The pound plummeted in Asian trading early on Friday. And no-one really seems to know why. Did a trader make a mistake? Did the computers go haywire? And where will the pound go next?

Healthcare is a numbers game and the figures are running wild. Every indicator shows the creaking NHS cannot cope with rising demand and dwindling resources. But the relentless gloom over hospital waiting lists, budgetary shortfalls and demographic time bombs is being challenged by a fresh approach that could revolutionise personal and national health. A wave of innovation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) is being hailed as both a saviour of traditional healthcare and the dawn of a new era in the public's engagement with their own health. "Healthcare is one of the highest cost areas for all modern economies, which makes it ripe for AI as providers look for efficiency to care for patients," says Dan Housman, chief technology officer at ConvergeHEALTH by Deloitte. "Healthcare is complex as an industry and is generating vast volumes of data from imaging, genomics, sensors, daily care and scientific research.