It might not have the speed of using a net or the finesse of a rod and line, but a military funded robot made out of jelly could give fishermen some competition. Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a swimming robot out of gel that can capture a live fish in its'tentacles'. The robot, which looks remarkably similar to a jellyfish and was partly funded by the US Office of Naval Research, can move by pumping water through their body. The robot (pictured) is made from a jelly like material called hydrogel, which gives it a soft rubbery texture and makes it almost see-through. They can also rapidly curl and uncurl their arms by inflating them with water, giving them a fast and firm grip.

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov famously predicted that we'll one day have to program robots with a set of laws that protect us from our mechanical creations. But before we get there, we need rules to ensure that, at the most fundamental level, we're developing AI responsibly and safely. At a recent gathering, a group of experts did just that, coming up with 23 principles to steer the development of AI in a positive direction--and to ensure it doesn't destroy us. The new guidelines, dubbed the 23 Asilomar AI Principles, touch upon issues pertaining to research, ethics, and foresight--from research strategies and data rights to transparency issues and the risks of artificial superintelligence. Previous attempts to establish AI guidelines, including efforts by the IEEE Standards Association, Stanford University's AI100 Standing Committee, and even the White House, were either too narrow in scope, or far too generalized.

Babies learn about their world by pushing and poking objects, putting them in their mouths and throwing them. Carnegie Mellon University scientists are taking a similar approach to teach robots how to recognize and grasp objects around them. Manipulation remains a major challenge for robots and has become a bottleneck for many applications. But researchers at CMU's Robotics Institute have shown that by allowing robots to spend hundreds of hours poking, grabbing and otherwise physically interacting with a variety of objects, those robots can teach themselves how to pick up objects. In their latest findings, presented last fall at the European Conference on Computer Vision, they showed that robots gained a deeper visual understanding of objects when they were able to manipulate them.

Japan, which has a consistent trade surplus with the U.S., is putting the finishing touches on a package that it claims will create 700,000 jobs in the U.S. and help create a $450-billion market, Reuters reported, citing government sources familiar with the plans. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Trump are expected to meet on Feb. 10. Major Japanese newspapers cited a draft of the proposal that calls for cooperation on building high-speed trains in the U.S. northeast, Texas and California. The two sides would also jointly develop artificial intelligence, robotics, space and Internet technology. The Japanese may use money from its foreign exchange reserves to fund the package, Reuters reported.

Can we trust Artificial Intelligence (AI) to audit financial statements? Artificial intelligence advocates speak of a time to come when these systems will be capable of auditing 100% of a company's financial transactions. These visionaries foresee the day when AI will enable auditing that is a continuous and real-time process, not a prolonged exercise requiring large teams of accountants working overtime after the close of a fiscal year. But is AI in auditing a good idea? Or do we even have a choice -- is it just part of the data-focused technology wave that all companies must embrace?

NASA is developing underwater robotic explorers that will search alien oceans for signs of life. The drones will be able to think for themselves as they navigate through the icy seas believed to exist beneath the crust of Europa, Jupiter's moon. Nasa scientists believe that water – the ingredient for life – can be found beneath Saturn's Dione and Ganymede too. There's compelling evidence that hidden oceans on dwarf planest Ceres and Pluto could also be home to mysterious extra-terrestrials. "Depending on the exact mission concept under consideration, autonomous underwater vehicles exploring ocean worlds will need to operate autonomously for days to months.

Grimm After lying dormant for seven years, a new form of Wesen with a ferocious appetite emerges. Last Man Standing Eve (Kaitlyn Dever) surprises Mike and Vanessa (Tim Allen, Nancy Travis) with her decision about which college she wants to attend in this new episode of the family comedy. Rosewood The investigation of a suspicious death in an empty high-rise draws Rosie and Villa (Morris Chestnut, Jaina Lee Ortiz) into the inner circle of a former child star who wants to make a comeback. Ginormous Food Host Josh Denny visits Nashville, where he finds a 17-pound chicken gyro sandwich. Dr. Ken Ken (Ken Jeong) allows his wife (Suzy Nakamura) to think he wrote a love poem for her, but it was actually written by Dave (Albert Tsai) for his girlfriend (guest star Zooey Jeong, Ken's real-life daughter).

Russia is carrying out a sustained campaign of cyber attacks targeting democracy and critical infrastructure in the West, UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has warned. Moscow was "weaponising misinformation" in a bid to expand its influence and destabilise Western governments and weaken Nato, he said. Vladimir Putin had chosen to become a "strategic competitor" of the West. Sir Michael said it was vital alliance members strengthened cyber defences. His speech, at the University of St Andrews, comes as Theresa May is to use an informal summit in Malta to press EU Nato members to boost defence spending.

As I stare up at the faint spec that is my drone, I'm pretty sure I'm breaking the law. On a brisk February afternoon, DJI and partner B H invites journalists, seasoned drone pilots and newbies onto the deck of the historic Bathhouse Studios in Manhattan to fly DJI's new Phantom 4 Pro drone. SEE ALSO: GoPro's Karma drone is back on sale after design flaw made them fall out of the sky This update to the popular and quite good Phantom 4 drone that I tested last year adds back and side sensors so you don't fly into trees and a powerful 20 MP, 4K camera. DJI guides usher groups of six anxious flyers onto the Bathhouse's spacious outdoor deck to fly. The DJI instructor, left, helps the guy who flew right before me.

Dear colleagues: Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology have opened up new markets and new opportunities for progress in critical areas such as health, education, energy, and the environment. In recent years, machines have surpassed humans in the performance of certain specific tasks, such as some aspects of image recognition. Experts forecast that rapid progress in the field of specialized artificial intelligence will continue. Although it is very unlikely that machines will exhibit broadly-applicable intelligence comparable to or exceeding that of humans in the next 20 years, it is to be expected that machines will reach and exceed human performance on more and more tasks. As a contribution toward preparing the United States for a future in which AI plays a growing role, this report surveys the current state of AI, its existing and potential applications, and the questions that are raised for society and public policy by progress in AI. The report also makes recommendations for specific further actions by Federal agencies and other actors. A companion document lays out a strategic plan for Federally-funded research and development in AI. Additionally, in the coming months, the Administration will release a follow-on report exploring in greater depth the effect of AI-driven automation on jobs and the economy.