A spacecraft launched into orbit by the Chinese space agency this week will be the first piece of technology aimed at tackling the growing problem of space debris, according to the Chinese government. But experts have warned the trash-clearing robot could may have been deployed for more nefarious ends, saying it could be poised to take out communications satellites. While China's space agency (CNSA), a branch of the military, has said the craft is aimed at collecting potentially hazardous debris, analysts have said it could remain dormant until needed in wartime situation. China's space agency (CNSA) has said a prototype craft launched aboard the Long March 7 rocket last week (pictured) aimed at collecting potentially hazardous debris, analysts have said it could remain dormant until needed in wartime situation The Chinese space agency (CNSA) has launched a robotic prototype into orbit which it said is aimed at tackling space debris. Analysts have warned that the if successful, more prototype could easily be produced and delivered into orbit.

First, computers beat humans in the game of Go. Now computers are beating humans at something that might be a tad more practical: flight combat. A new AI system developed at the University of Cincinnati has soundly beaten retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Gene Lee in a high-fidelity air combat simulation. Lee, who has been training pilots since the 1980s, was shot down every time, was unable to score a single kill and said he was "surprised at how aware and reactive it was." The AI, called ALPHA, beat human pilots even when its speed, weapons, and sensor capabilities were limited.

Last month, the White House announced a series of actions as part of a new White House Future of Artificial Intelligence initiative, designed to learn more about the benefits and risks of AI. Since making that announcement, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has co-hosted two public workshops on opposite ends of the country--the first in Seattle at the University of Washington, focused on the legal and governance implications of AI, and the second here recently in Washington, DC, where we heard about AI for public good. This month and next, we will be in Pittsburgh on June 28 to discuss safety and control for AI, and New York City on July 7 to explore AI's social and economic implications. You can join these events in person (subject to venue constraints) by registering via the event websites, or you can follow the discussion via livestream and social media, where we will be using the hashtag #FutureofAI. Today, we are announcing another action to build on these efforts and expand the opportunity for public participation in this conversation.

ARLINGTON, Va.--With support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an artificial intelligence software program named Quixote to teach robots to read stories, learn acceptable behavior and understand successful ways to conduct themselves in diverse social situations. "For years, researchers have debated how to teach robots to act in ways that are appropriate, non-intrusive and trustworthy," said Marc Steinberg, an ONR program manager who oversees the research. "One important question is how to explain complex concepts such as policies, values or ethics to robots. Humans are really good at using narrative stories to make sense of the world and communicate to other people. This could one day be an effective way to interact with robots."

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

While Google was building an artificial intelligence that could beat a grandmaster at the ancient game of Go, researchers at the University of Cincinnati took a different tack. They designed an AI that could take on a fighter pilot. Dubbed ALPHA, this system recently beat retired United States Air Force Colonel Gene Lee in multiple flight simulator trials, as the researchers explain in a paper recently published in the Journal of Defense Management. The idea isn't to replace human fighter pilots. According to Nicholas Ernest, a University of Cincinnati alum and the founder of Psibernetix, a company that aims to commercialize the technology behind ALPHA, this AI may ultimately act as a kind of digital assistant that provides real-time advice to pilots.

The traditional definition of artificial intelligence is the ability of machines to execute tasks and solve problems in ways normally attributed to humans. Some tasks that we consider simple--recognizing an object in a photo, driving a car--are incredibly complex for AI. Machines can surpass us when it comes to things like playing chess, but those machines are limited by the manual nature of their programming; a 30 gadget can beat us at a board game, but it can't do--or learn to do--anything else. This is where machine learning comes in. Show millions of cat photos to a machine, and it will hone its algorithms to improve at recognizing pictures of cats.

This week FIFA's senior representative, Tokyo Sexwale, will throw his hat into the ring as he attempts to resolve disagreements between Israeli and Palestinian football associations. The disputes are over Israeli restrictions placed on the movement of Palestinian players and the participation of at least five Israeli football clubs in Israeli leagues - two issues which Palestinians claim contravene FIFA's own rules. While progress has been achieved on movement for Palestinian players, the issue of settlement teams remains intractable. Their inclusion within Israeli leagues is the manifestation of a political process that seeks to normalise Israel's claim to the Palestinian territory it occupied in 1967. In this context, football has become a tool to legitimise the expanding settlements as an integral part of Israel.

For more than 30 years, Gibbs has advised on and developed product and service marketing for many businesses and he has consulted, lectured, and authored numerous articles and books. So the UK has just given itself a national headache. Whether you think the Brexit was the right decision or a dangerous and unmitigated screw-up (as I do), the consequences of the referendum will be non-trivial and take years to complete. But the mechanics of the UK exiting the European Union aside, the question of how people now feel about the Brexit is interesting. Are they awash in jubilation or has buyer's remorse set in?

Abate goes on, "The Future of AI panel was co-chaired by Stanford faculty members Russ Altman, a professor of bioengineering and medicine, and Fei-Fei Li, an associate professor of computer science… [Keynote speaker Megan] Smith touched on how government is using artificial intelligence, machine learning and similar techniques in tasks ranging from planning space missions to forecasting job growth. But given the potential effects of these technologies on culture and the economy, she said government's larger challenge is to bring'humanity's greatest talent' to bear on the development and direction of AI by throwing open the discussion. 'How are we going to make sure we are bringing everyone into this conversation?' Smith asked, previewing an initiative that the White House is expected to formally announce Monday that will offer literally anyone a way to register an opinion or view on this emerging technology."